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Into the Deathly Hallows

by David Haber

J.K. Rowling finally announced on that the title of Book 7 will be Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The definition of "Hallow" is something that has been "made holy, sanctified, consecrated". What consecrated place in the Harry Potter stories could this refer to? Could it be the Hallowed Halls of Hogwarts? Or perhaps, does this refer to Godric's Hollow, the place where it all started?

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Reader Comments: (Page 17)

Thanks for the clarification on the Spear of Destiny, Orlando. It makes a great deal of sense, and I think there is probably some connection between Grindelwald and the course of WWII. No doubt we'll know all about it in six months!
One thing you realise as you get further into the books is that Rowling is very, very well-educated sort! Not that you need to know it all to enjoy the books, but having the background is fascinating.

Posted by Elizabeth from Australia on February 2, 2007 04:36 AM

I'm thinking it's both Harry's and Voldemorts. My reason behind this is because I believe that Harry is the last horcrux. Which means if Harry s Voldemort then Harry has to himself so Voldemort won't come back.
I am usually wrong because i thought that Voldemort was going to Dumbledore in the 6th book, but turns out I was wrong. But I am definitley thinking someone s at Godric's Hollow. It seems that J.K. has put alot of emphasis on where harry was going to go during their holidays.
Remember this is only a 13 yr olds opinion and i don't get the highest grades, but to me it seems likely.

Posted by Colleen C. from St.Louis,MO on February 2, 2007 3:43 PM

Colleen

I don't think Harry is a Horcrux of Voldemort, Voldemort was quite ing for Quirrell to Harry at the end of PS/SS and since then has tried repeatedly to have him ed.

Elizabeth

Yes the deeper we go into the world of Harry Potter the more we come to see just how educated JK Rowling is - and she is a genius, no doubt.
I just thank goodness I have a husband who is into his King Arthur legends, it gave me an idea about Hallows and a place to start to look.

Let us hope that if we are on an Arthurian track that Ron is not Lionel nor Lancelot as they are both doomed characters.

Posted by Orlando from England on February 2, 2007 4:22 PM

This is it � the ly Hallows are the �relics of saints.� It fits into the �Horcruxes� plot (the most important task for Harry is to find Voldemort�s Horcruxes). The �saints� are Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Hufflepuff and Salazar Slytherin and their relics are the sword, the ring, the locket, the cup (and one unknown).

Something else mentioned in one of the comments was about ly Hallows and the connection with Halloween and All Saints Day. This is something interesting I found:

�Many European cultural traditions hold that Halloween is one of the liminal times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world and when magic is most potent.�

Spirits contacting the physical world. This is definitely in connection to the Chamber in the Department of Mysteries.

More info about liminality in places:

�These can range from borders, to no man's lands and disputed territories, to crossroads to perhaps airports or hotels, which people pass through but do not live in. In mythology and religion or esoteric lore this can include such realms as Purgatory.�

�Doors, windows, springs, caves, shores, rivers, volcanic calderas, fords, passes, crossroads, bridges, and marshes are all liminal.�

Note the mention of �bridges� and �doors.� The bridge is in the Chamber and the door is the one in the Department of Mysteries that could not be opened.

�Within the years, liminal times include equinoxes when day and night have equal length, and solstices, when the increase of day or night shifts over to its decrease.�

Remember the prophecy in the hall of prophecy that said:

�...at the Solstice come a new...' said the figure of an old, bearded man.... '...and none come after...�

What do you think?

Posted by Javed from Vancouver, Canada on February 2, 2007 8:59 PM

Just a few superficial thoughts about Jan-Marie Celtic Year data. Lughnasad is the day after both Harry and JKR's birthdays as July 31st immediately preceeds August 1st. Jan's pronuciation key for Samhain as (sa'ven) now leads me to slur it as SEVEN (7).

Harry doesn't have to be the Horcrux as it just as easily be the scar. It would lend toward the final word of the series being "scar". I think that Harry IS doomed since he has committed an "Unforgiveable" act by casting the Cruciatus Curse on Bellatrix in te outer lobby area of the Minestry of Magic. Harry is returning to his 7th year at Hogwarts according to the publisher's notes on the 07/21/07 publishing date. I assume he is returning as the latest DADA teacher! (Nobody else wanted the job)

The Spear of Destiny or of Longinus was used as an act of mercy by its weilder. Cruxificition was a long term torturing to where one was unable to hold one's self up so you could breathe. Hunger and thirst only tormented while the universal human fear of suffocation goaded one into struggling to survive long after the flesh grew too weak to care. It was a kindness to swiftly dispatch the doomed to their reward. This said, I thought that Olivander and his wands disappeared because Voldemort wanted to know why the Phoenix effect kept him from Avada Kadavra'ing Harry in Goblet of Fire. A minor detail Tommy-boy overlooked, that.

It is now clear that the Archetypes JKR uses in her Potterverse comes from mythology and her predecessors in the Fantasy realm. I see her work as closely bound to the structure of Lord of the Rings. The scar is the ring. The inner circle of Dumbledore's Army is the Fellowship of the Rings. And our missing real locket and its contents are the broken sword that must be repaired to bring back some long army to help defeat one of the alied forces that Voldemort bring to bear on Hogwarts in the beginnings of the final battle. Harry is cursed if he uses human Inferi so I was hoping it would be Dumbledore and the Headmasters coupled with Sirius and Regelus and the others who have been dealt poorly by the Eaters and their leader.

Posted by ken from la ca usa ea(rth) on February 3, 2007 11:55 AM

I think that it has about nothing to do with Godrics Hollow, if it did then why wouldnt it say "Harry Potter and the ly Hollow?" So i don't think it has much to do with that. I think plainly a lot of it happens at Hogwarts, And I think that they go back to Hogwats for their final year, because somewhere it says that Harry return to see the Dursleys. I think that Harry being a Horcrux is a good idea, but i dont believe that he is. I do think that Snape is good, I just have a feeling he is. I think that possibly Ron might , (just a guess) because he is Harrys most closest friend, and i THINK that Hagrid might . I am really excited for the &th; book, but also quite scarred. What IF Harry s? I probably cry myself to sleep for a few weeks!

Posted by Abigail from Beverly Hills, California on February 3, 2007 2:29 PM

I think the "ly Hollows" be some new place. Some place we've never heard of before, just like we never heard of the "Order of the Phoenix" where we probably all thought that Fawkes was gonna give Harry some important order or something, only to find out its actually a group founded by Dumbledore. Btw, shouldn't it be "ly Hollows" in order to be correct English or is that just me being a dumb Dutchman?

Posted by Mike from Drachten, the Netherlands on February 3, 2007 3:02 PM

This is such a wonderful site! It is wonderful to hear everyone's ideas from all over the world on HP.

Jan-Marie has outlined a very possible storyline. Harry search for the horcruxes and Voldemort be searching for the last relics of the Hogwarts founders. It really fits. JKR has said all along that the series cover Harry's 7 years at Hogwarts. Voldemort has been trying to get back into Hogwarts forever. He is searching for something. He wants the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Who was the original teacher of DADA? Gryfindor? Dumbledore says the only known relic of Gryfindor is the sword, but the sorting hat was his, too and JKR says we learn a lot about the hat in book 7. Now Voldemort has removed Dumbledore and probably thinks he has an open door into Hogwarts. But I think he is overlooking a lot of the "ancient magic" (which is where he seems to have a blind spot) that protects Hogwarts. Part of that ancient magic seems to come from the fact that the founders were united -at least in the beginning. Dumbledore and the sorting hat both reference it - that Hogwarts is as strong as it is united weak as it is divided - that dividing into houses may bring the end.... Being united in the face of ly foes save it - this is also a form of love, being united. The sorting hat is also an example of the four founders being united - they each put in their own magic.

So the ly Hallows, or Hallows of Hogwarts, would be an example or place exemplifying the unity of Hogwarts and their founders. Possibly their graveyard, or the center of the school. Remember Voldemort searched for years to find the chamber of secrets. He probably knows more about its history than anyone else. The magic of this place may be what he is after. He might think that having all 4 founders relics imbue a special strong magic beyond their individual value.

To me, ly means more of a sense of anticipation and quiet when could be approaching or sensed - the edge or bridge between life and . I would think in Harry's position the whole of Book 7 would feel like that!

One other thing that has been nagging me that you may have ideas about - The Order of the Phoenix vs. The eaters.
Why those names? Is there any possibility that the OotP has traits of a Phoenix? Can it resurrect after complete annihilation? Or does it have something to do with Fawkes? The eaters - Dumbledore doesn't seem to think they are aware of the horcruxes but then why are they called that? Good news that we know they can be ed!

I look forward to reading your comments! Thanks Dave for the great site!

Posted by Raow from Petaluma, CA on February 4, 2007 12:18 AM

if the ly hallows is a place, is it possible it could be a horcrux?

Posted by Rebekah from Birmingham on February 4, 2007 10:54 AM

To Rebekah from Birmingham:

A place can probably be a horcrux, as the container has to be an object (or even a living creature, as Dumbledore says in Half-Blood Prince). But it seems that the ly Hallows is not a place (you're thinking of Hollows), they are most probably the belongings of the four founders of Hogwarts, which Voldemort used as containers for his fragment of soul (Horcruxes). Otherwise the cave in Half-Blood Prince would probably have been a horcrux.

Posted by Javed from Vancouver, Canada on February 5, 2007 6:32 PM

Interesting Development! On her official website this morning, J.K. Rowling posted this:

"What does 'ly Hallows' mean?
Any clarification of the meaning of 'Hallows' would give away too much of the story - well, it would, wouldn't it? Being the title and all. So I'm afraid I'm not answering."

So, what we're talking about here in these comments is obviously an important topic if JK felt the need to address it, even though she couldn't answer it.

Posted by Dave Haber from Los Angeles, CA on February 6, 2007 07:02 AM

While reading Jo's newest comment on her Website, I had exactly the same thought Dave.

I wonder if our ingenious author finds the time to come over and read our comments once in awhile;-) enjoying herself and having a sparkle in her eyes like our Dumbledore;-)

Posted by Mistral from Switzerland on February 6, 2007 10:25 AM

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