Predicting Snape's Motives (character analysis part 3)

Severus Snape was sorted into Slytherin house for a reason. Slytherin house is described as the sanctuary for the ambitious and cunning, sometimes a place for the pureblood and the haughty. We know Severus isn't a pureblood -- Tobias Snape appears to have been a Muggle, and Severus once used (for reasons to be discussed later) the nickname "Half-Blood Prince". He can seem quite haughty at times, but there is an insecurity lingering just below the surface. He's definitely cunning, managing to stay alive after publicly leaving the Death Eaters... managing to reenter the fold while remaining a member of the Order of the Phoenix, spying on both sides.

And what about ambition? There's loads of it. You don't join two opposing teams and play them against each other (and consequentially put yourself in harm's way) unless you have some serious goals... that require info from both sides to meet them.

But let's go back a bit.... Severus is a young wizard of mixed-blood. He takes up this nickname, a play on his witch mother's maiden name and his mixed heritage. The trio later assume he chose the name to play up the wizarding side of the family, not like he's the "prince of the half-bloods", but why would someone trying to play up the wizarding side even bring any attention to the "half-blood" part? He probably wouldn't have been popular in Slytherin for his heritage, so I don't think this would be a name he used freely. It might even be a name given to him by another student and he just liked it. Personally I think Lily Evans came up with the nickname for him. The trio might have it backwards. What if Severus chose to use the name, perhaps only secretly, as a reminder of his heritage... and as a reminder of his main goal -- to be a champion for the wizards and witches of mixed or Muggle heritage?

When Harry takes that first trip on the train to Hogwarts, he reads the Chocolate Frog card for Albus Dumbledore. He seems more impressed by the moving picture than by the info given for wizard. Imagine eleven-year-old Severus first reading or hearing about Albus Dumbledore, most famous for his 1945 defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald. How would this impress upon Severus? Then he's at Hogwarts, with the venerable Albus Dumbledore as headmaster. Snape starts to wonder how this wizard managed to defeat Grindelwald. He might start to think Dumbledore has lost his touch....

Oh, my. I have to stop what would have been a particularly long-assed post. I've been tainted by the chapter titles. My predictions haven't changed due to anything I've seen. However, I'm a bit weirded out by actually having seen what I've now ... seen....

Basically, what I want to get across is that I think Severus Snape (for whatever reasons, like a desire for fame or recognition) has developed a plan to defeat Voldemort. The biggest flaw in his plan is that Voldemort ended up choosing one of Snape's enemies as the target. Snape might feel indebted to James even if there was never a Life Debt. So it's bad news if you've triggered something that will lead to your "saviour's" death. Add to this that Snape probably really did like Lily, and he wouldn't have wanted her to die. To add insult to injury, Snape now has to rely on the abilities and shortfalls of his enemy's son to carry out his wish: Voldemort's defeat. And this child will grow up to hate Snape, not just because of Snape's involvement in the Potters' deaths, but also because Snape must treat Harry badly to maintian his cover. This makes it particulary difficult for Snape to train Harry or give him important info. Harry will almost instinctively rebel against anything Snape says or does. Harry will continue to despise Snape and trip him up every chance he gets until Snape's facade finally falls away... or Snape gets killed trying to make Harry realize where Snape's really coming from.

Maybe more on this later, but the book is arriving so soon I might not be able to get my muddled thoughts together in time for an even vaguely cohesive post.... (sigh)

Some Teasers that Came My Way

Typically I wouldn't bother to even talk about such things: teasers and spoilers. I will definitely not give away spoilers if I come across any. However, someone posted some teasers on a site (the post has since been removed). I'm interested in them only because they are vague enough that I can fit them into what I think will happen... without giving away any spoilers myself.

Here are the teasers I found from a single, now unknown source:

Pettigrew's Silver hand is vitally important to Dumbledore. When this teaser showed up people in the Dumbledore-isn't-dead camp chimed up immediately to suggest that Wormtail's silver right hand could be used to replace Dumbldore's right hand, restoring his health. I'm sorry to say this makes no sense, since Dumbldore is in fact very dead. If there is any truth to this teaser it would have to be that the fact of Wormtail's silver hand is vital to Harry's cause, in some way. It's a matter of metallurgy, anyway. We know Voldemort conjured the hand, we think it's made of pure silver, we know Dumbldore taught Voldemort Transfiguration and probably knows not just Voldemort's magical strengths but also his weaknesses. How nice would it be for Harry to be related to the wizard (from Godric's Hollow) who invented the Golden Snitch? Maybe Harry will turn out to have a knack for metallurgy himself? Perhaps Harry will figure out how to disarm Wormtail or manipulate the silver hand.

The gold in Harry's bank covers something far more important to Harry than gold. The concensus is that there is something hidden underneath the piles of gold, either in his family vault or the Black family vault he recently inheritted. At first I wanted it to be the flying motorcycle, but that seems a bit odd for the vault, doesn't it? How would it have ended up there? Besides, I'd like for the bike to come to Harry through some grand gesture of Hagrid's. No, I think it will be something smaller but still quite valuable and useful. Some goblin-made armor might be good, an extra Philosopher's Stone would be most-helpful during battle, as well.... I admit there are too many possibilities here.

Sirius Black is related to an important Half-Blood. Well I suppose he wouldn't be a blood relative of Voldemort; Severus Snape is a good bet, though. The Black family tapestry has so many burned out names and truncated branches that it wouldn't the least bit surprise me if Sirius Black were somehow related to the Prince family line, making him related (by blood or by marriage) to Severus Snape. The split of the families could have happened multiple generations ago and it's just not shown in the tapestry because someone's name was removed, their marriages and progeny simply never recorded there. If the Princes were ever anywhere on the family tree (and Jo simply hasn't disclosed this branch) then Eileen would have been scorched off for marrying a Muggle anyway. Makes me wonder more about any friendship between Severus and Sirius's younger brother Regulus. I mean, who introduced Regulus to the ranks of the Death Eaters? Since Regulus is younger than Sirius and Severus, and Lucius is too old to have been at Hogwarts by the time Regulus attended (Lucius was apparently in his last year when Severus started) then did Severus bring Regulus as an initiate? And, for that matter, did Severus do so because he wanted to, or did Regulus insist? Hmmm.

Harry gets an unexpected friend-- something that we previousy thought disliked him. Something? I'm sure Harry has friends he doesn't recognize. Sure, but something? The best bet here is probably Kreacher. On the UK Children's cover for "Deathly Hallows" we can see that there is a House-Elf like creature riding on Harry's back and holding what appears to be Gryffindor's sword (or something quite similar). I first thought it was Dobby, but Kreacher would be a good option. He belongs to Harry and must follow direct orders. Besides, time away from the deranged portrait of Mrs. Black, as well as time with the Hogwarts House-Elves, might have done Kreacher a world of good. He might come to recognize that Harry means well and isn't such a bad master, despite being a Half-Blood. Who knows, Harry might grant Kreacher his dying wish: put his head up on the wall in Black house, assuming Kreacher will still desire that supposed honor -- he could well change his mind.

After being Demented, Dudley learns how to do something... Again, thoughts flew all over the place that Dudley would learn some magic, even how to conjur a Patronus. I'm sorry -- no, I'm actually quite happy -- to say that this will not happen. It simply makes no sense, not even for him to learn Occlumency. Sure, someone will produce a burst of magic in some desperate measure to attack or defend someone (according to an interview with Jo), but it's not going to be the most-definitely Muggle Dudley. I suspect Dudley will finally realize that his parents haven't really treated him as they should, haven't raised him to support himself. He will realize he's been an abuse victim all these years, oblivious to the poor upbringing. I hope that he realizes he has a lot to learn about the real world, that he can actually go to Harry for help. We don't know what Dudley saw (the horrible memories he relived) when he wa attacked by the dementors, but I have a feeling it's far worse than remembering some birthday he didn't get a certain present he wanted, or the feeling of being playfully snapped at by a snake on the loose. Maybe, just maybe, Dudley learns to grow up and be a man, not a bully. Sadly, the future looks generally poor for Dudley, and he may never recover from his spoiled childhood.

Dumbledore has made an invention that comes in very handy for Harry. Who invented the Pensieve? Or the Put-Outer? What about Dumbledore's super-cool golden pocketwatch... or any number of silver instruments to be found in the Headmaster's office? The Pensieve might be simply too old for Dumbledore to be its inventor. I have a feeling it's something metal. The best bet is the silver instrument that emits smoke in the form of entwined snakes. It could be a horcrux detector of some variety. It's also entirely possible that Jo intoduces us to a previously unknown, unseen item. Introducing objects, at this point, is a lot easier than introducing new characters.

Someone important to Harry dies suddenly rather early in the book. I immediately considered Rubeus Hagrid. He just seems destined to die. Early on, even before Dumbledore died, some other sleuths and I were discussing Alchemy, particularly Soul Alchemy. There are three main stages, three major chemical transitions: black, white, and red, in that order. First Sirius Black dies (that's the black). Then Albus Dumbldore dies (that's the white, since albus means white). So we should expect someone symbolizing red to die. Enter Rubeus (red) Hagrid. I hate to lose him, but it seems fitting that he should go. It also makes sense that he would die suddenly. We've seen how strong and tough he is (the Stunning spells kept bouncing off him when Umbridge and several others tried to capture him). However, we've already realized that full-blood giants could kill him - to them he is but small fry. How advantageous for Voldemort to have a gurg in his camp, rounding his followers to do Voldemort's bidding (like the fake hurricane)? It would also explain how Harry could end up with Sirius's flying motorcycle... and quite early in the book, without it necessarily being a birthday present from Hagrid or an inherrited item directly from Sirius. It's simply another option.

In the chapter of the book, there is a poem which serves as much of the driving action for the first quarter of the book. This is how the teaser appeared, so I don't know what chapter the person meant. Some people thought of the Sorting Hat, but I don't know that we'll ever hear the Sorting Hat again, at least not until after the war is over and things have returned to "normal". I wish the same as the hat -- that the houses be destroyed, and that students attend Hogwarts in a more united fashion, not warring with each other over principle. Therefore, we really might never get another poem or song from the Sorting Hat. I've been leaning toward the idea that Harry re-evaluates the poem on the Gringotts wall, the one warning against thieves. It sure looks like Harry will have issues getting to his gold, so any poem or riddle posed by the wizarding bank would be quite telling if it appears early in the plot. Another good option, mentioned by a fellow sleuth, is that Harry finds a poem on the gravesites of his parents, and that this pushes him along for much of the plot. Another, but much less contemplated idea I've had is that Harry finds another Severus Snape original. Recall back to when Snape wrote a poem (riddle) about which potion to drink to get through to the next chamber. Hermione was most helpful here, since, as she says, most wizards don't understand logic. If Harry gets the HBP's potions book back early in the plot and reads more of the scribbles (trying to learn as much about his supposed enemy as he can) he might come across a poem Severus wrote -- who knows how long ago.... What would Harry learn from it? Hmmm...

Well, that's all the teasers I had found. Not sure if there's anything to them, but it was worth a thought... or two.

Unfogging the Future Plotline, revamp part 1

The future is proving much too foggy for me to parse it out into chapters.

So, let's start over. I'm leaving my first post on this subject up, but only for posterity's sake. It might be worth a laugh....

Here, in no particular timeline order, are my predictions (and statements of already-known bits). A few of my predictions have changed, but not much:

• Harry returns to #4 Privet Drive for his shortest stay ever. I think it will be no more than a week, perhaps only a day or two. Though Ron and Hermione say that they will accompany Harry to visit his aunt and uncle, I think they will not go to #4 Privet Drive with him.
• Dudley has been trying to figure out how his parents have damaged him. Sadly, Dudley will never fully recover from his horrible upbringing.
• There is more to Petunia than we have seen so far. No, Petunia is not a witch or a Squib. She will not be using any magic. Petunia confides in Harry more info she had previously held back about her involvement in the wizarding world. This should include some specifics about correspondence between herself and Dumbledore. I think Harry will (because he's obsessing over it) mention that Dumbledore was killed by Severus Snape. Petunia will admit she knows who he is, and it will become clear to Harry, finally, that "that aweful boy" Petunia overheard talking about dementors to Lily was in fact Severus Snape, when they were kids, not James Potter.
• Harry gets escorted to the Burrow by members of the Order (as stated on one of the book covers). The Order might have to fight off Death Eaters during the trip (suggested by the same book cover).
• Harry spends his birthday at the Burrow. It being his 17th birthday, the haul of presents will be quite good. Watch out for Hagrid's gift; it should prove to be particularly important -- I think it will be the flying motorcycle Sirius let him keep when he tried to return it.
• Harry will receive something from Dumbledore, either as a birthday gift planned way in advance or through Dumbledore's will. I'm holding out for Harry to receive the Pensieve, the golden pocketwatch, and perhaps even some silver instrument Dumbledore used to keep in his office (like the one that emitted smoke in the shape of two entwined snakes). It would be most useful if he received the Pensieve, so that Harry can learn to use it... also so that Harry can examine some of his own memories. The golden pocketwatch would also be a good item for Harry to receive, since the Weasley men tend to receive a golden watch on their 17th birthday. Plus, that pocket watch could be really useful.
• Bill and Fleur will get married in August. The wedding will be quite eventful. There are too many possibilities here; Fred and George could play a big prank, Dobby (or someone else) could crash the wedding or the reception, Percy might reunite with the family, Scrimgeour might show up to confront Harry....
• Umbridge still works for the Ministry, and JKR will have more fun with the character. How this is going to play out... the fog is too thick. Now that Dumbledore is gone and McGonagall has taken over as Headmistress of Hogwarts, Scrimgeour will set Umbridge upon the school once more -- this part is doubtful. Since she's failed to control Hogwarts once already, and she's afraid of centaurs (Firenze teaches Divination there, along side Trelawney), I think any assignment she has regarding Hogwarts would be from a distance. I'd like to see Fred and George play a prank on her, or for Harry to prank her using WWW products. Umbridge is quite afraid of centaurs now. At the end of OotP, Ron starts having fun with Umbridge by making horse hoof sounds with his mouth. At Dumbledore's funeral Umbridge moves far away from Firenze, and she's probably one of the people who scream when the centaurs shoot arrows as their show of respect for Dumbledore. She's also quite wary of Hagrid and Grawp... well, with half-breeds and non-humans in general. I think Umbridge's increased fear of half-breeds and creatures (particularly horse-like animals) will lead to her further humiliation and downfall.
• Harry will travel to Godric's Hollow while Ron and Hermione return to Hogwarts. He'll use the flying motorcycle to get there.
• The Dursleys (mainly Vernon) will demand to see the house Harry has inheritted. A trip to #12 Gimmauld Place is not want Harry wants, but he goes anyway. This must happen quite early in the book, perhaps within the first few chapters. Hilarity ensues as the Muggles try to enter and check out the house, enchanted as it is.
• At #12 Grimmauld Place, Harry will notice Regulus Black's name on the Black family tapestry. Regulus will be R.A.B. Harry will look for the locket there but not find it. He'll call on Kreacher, who must obey, and demand to know what Kreacher did with the locket. Kreacher will look in his "nest" and find it is missing. Harry will recall Mundungus's theft of Black family heirlooms and search for him. Mundungus will admit he sold the locket to none other than the bartender of The Hog's Head, Aberforth Dumbledore.
• Aberforth Dumbledore has a long memory (Albus says this in OotP). Harry will go to The Hog's Head and speak with Aberforth, in an attempt to retrieve the locket Mundungus stole. Aberforth will give Harry some memories (in vials) or will simply recount stories -- about the previous war with Voldemort (1970's), about Albus's life (including his battle with Grindlewald), about Severus Snape (eavesdropping on the prophesy, etc.), and other topics of interest.
• Bezoars are rare (Slughorn says this in HBP). Therefore, bezoars are probably a bit expensive... and lucrative. Aberforth has a reason for his odd association with goats. I think he's been charming goats to produce bezoars faster or in higher quantities than they normally would. Considering his dealings with Mundungus even after he banned him from the bar, it's not too far a stretch to suggest that Aberforth and "Dung" were in the bezoar business together. Aberforth raised charmed goats, and Dung sold the bezoars. Aberforth got called in for his charmed goats, and Albus helped his brother's case. This is probably when Aberforth banned Dung from the bar... after the legal issues. It didn't keep Aberforth and Dung from doing some sort of business transactions outside of the bar.
• Madam Irma Pince will turn out to be somehow related to Severus Snape. I'm not ready to predict exactly how they are related, but Irma is probably either his older sister or his mother. We're not sure Severus even has a sibling, so I'm leaning more towards mother. I'll give some of my reasoning here:


1. Irma's physical appearance is described in similar terms as for Eileen... and Severus.


2. If there is any truth to the Irma Pince anagrams of "I'm a Prince" or "I am Prince", then it would make more sense for her to be Eileen (née Prince) than for her to be a sister (née Snape) of Severus.


3. Eileen Prince was a Gobstones champion in her schooldays, and that is considered a bit nerdy (wizard chess is cool), even by Hermione's standards. Becoming a librarian would be perfect for Eileen.


4. It would be humorous for Severus (who scribbled mercilessly in his textbooks) to have a mother who detests such behavior.


5. If Severus's switch to Dumbledore's side is sincere (and I think it is), and Dumbledore publicly proclaims Severus's denouncement of the Death Eaters (which he does more than once, including during Karkaroff's trial), then Dumbledore would offer Severus the same thing he offered Draco: protecting him and his family from Voldemort. Remember, Voldemort doesn't just kill his enemy, he kills off the entire family of his enemy... and the enemy's friends... you get the idea. Anyway, Hogwarts would be a safe place to keep Severus's family members.
• A secret passageway on the fourth floor of Hogwarts was blocked off sometime after Severus and the Mauraders left Hogwarts but before Harry started attending the school. This blocked passageway will turn out to be connected to Severus Snape. As an extention to the above part (Snape's relatives in hiding idea) I believe the blocked passage's location, relative to the library, means it's a particularly good place for Dumbledore and Snape to hide Snape's relatives. It would also be a good place for Snape to hide. This also leads to my next prediction....
• Harry will find out that Snape snuck back into Hogwarts (through tunnels, probably) and impersonated Irma Pince by dressing up in the same outfit Mundungus uses to enter The Hog's Head. If Irma is really Eileen or some other relative of Severus, then she would probably let him hide at the school and impersonate her. Severus attended Dumbledore's funeral by wearing the veil. Filch (apparently a really good friend of Severus's, possibly attracted to Irma) may or may not know about the switch.
• Severus's memory of his parents fighting might turn out to be evidence that his parents got divorced. Since JKR likes to "kill" off Muggle relatives, Tobias might have died of natural causes. Either way, I think Tobias is out of the picture and doesn't need protection from Voldemort. Plotwise, it would be more interesting if Tobias found out Eileen was a witch (when Severus was a small boy) and left her, much like Riddle Sr. left Merope. It would give us (and Harry) more insight into the choices Severus has made. Harry has paralleled young Voldemort and Severus Snape -- witch mother, Muggle father, wizarding child who chooses to associate with the wizarding side of the family. I think this will be the big difference: Voldemort kills his father and his paternal grandparents; Severus does not kill his father or other relatives... and means them no harm. It dawns on Harry that Severus couldn't possibly stoop to such cruelty, even though his childhood was miserable... and despite his otherwise cruel behavior.
• Severus's Killing Curse is not what killed Dumbledore. Or I should say, Severus used a combination of a failing Avada Kedavra (said out loud), Wingardium Leviosa (or some other levitation charm, nvbl), and a nvbl Banishing spell. It's the only way to achieve the effects Harry saw on the tower. If you are hit with a lethal Killing Curse you just colapse in a heap right where you stand (like poor Cedric). However, Dumbledore was lifted into the air and sent over the ramparts. The Killing Curse alone cannot do this.
• On a similar topic, Dumbledore did not beg for his life, he begged for death. He wasn't affraid of death. Besides, he knew about the Unbreakable Vow Severus took for Narcissa and would not want Severus to die.
• On the same topic, Dumbledore owed Severus a Life Debt ever since Severus stopped the curse (from the ring horcrux) from spreading up Dumbledore's arm. This would be during the summer before Harry's 6th year at Hogwarts. Though Dumbledore didn't fear death he probably didn't want to die having not fulfilled his Life Debt to Severus. Spiritually it would be even worse than that for Dumbledore -- to actually cause or allow the death of the person you owe a Life Debt to.... Seriously bad Karma, there. Dumbledore reminded Snape that he (like Harry) had promised to do whatever Dumbledore said. So, again, Dumbledore is asking for death, not for his life to be spared.

I'll continue this later. Make sure to check here from time to time and see if I have updated anything... changed my predictions, etc.

Unfogging the Future Plotline, part one

Please take note: though I'm leaving this post up until further notice, I am in the middle of revamping my predictions posts. I will no longer try to break them up into chapters or even a specific timeline. It's just too difficult to do, since "Deathly Hallows" will probably be over 30 chapters, and I can't possibly guess what will happen in a particular chapter. Also, I might not follow the same pattern for the pictures I use in these posts. Anyway, here's the orginal post:
As July 21st approaches I realize I must make my "Deathly Hallows" predictions if I want to get them out there before it's too late. So, here's how I think the plot might play out in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I very much doubt that the book will follow the same timeline as mine, but I hope the plotline is pretty close. At least this is sort of how I'd like to see it play out.... I'm sure JKR's work will still blow me away and humble me greatly!

Oh, and quick note -- Each of my "prediction" posts will feature a picture of somewhere Harry might travel to during his quest. The artwork shown in this post is "The Coliseum", by Silvana Brunotti (born Jan. 23, 1932). The website I found it at (http://www.silvanabrunotti.it/pictures_of_rome.htm) has the following caption for this painting:

I think it's the best example I can find to support GrandPre's use of the orange sky in her US edition cover art....

Anyway, back to the plotline. I'm making up these chapter titles (and chapter breaks), and I don't expect them to match JKR's at all. My chapter titles suck, I'm just trying to break this down into reasonable segments, so I'm taking some major creative licence here.

Chapter One (The Hunt is On): Harry has been escorted back to #4 Privet Drive, for his shortest stay ever, by members of the Order. The weather is miserable.

Dudley still doesn't understand how his parents have abused him, though he's bound to have a tantrum if he doesn't get more birthday presents than he received last year.

Though he's looking forward to Bill and Fleur's wedding, Harry can't get Severus Snape's apparently heartless murder of Dumbledore out of his head. He also thinks of Draco's inability to complete the task he was given; Harry wonders if Draco could change sides. He might even start to feel sorry for the Malfoys, though not very sorry -- they brought this mess upon themselves.

Harry's anxious to start searching for the horcruxes. He knows he will have to ditch the Order somehow. But first, there is a wedding to attend (he received the wedding invitation), and he has mixed feelings about being around Ginny, whom he recently broke up with (his attempt to protect her). He also plans on travelling to Godric's Hollow and visiting his parents' graves, but this will have to wait. He needs his own transportation....

Meanwhile Vernon can only think about Harry's inherited money and real estate. He asks Harry where the house is and wants to know how much money Harry has in the bank. Harry doesn't know how much money he has (and he probably wouldn't tell Vernon how much even if he did know), but he verifies to Vernon that did indeed inherit #12 Grimmauld Place, in London. Vernon wants to see this house, but Harry doesn't want to visit the place. If the Dursleys want to see #12 Grimmauld Place they'll have to go there without him. On second thought, this could be worth a laugh.... How will the house's enchantments respond to Vernon trying to enter and tour the house? The Dursleys and Harry go to #12 Grimmauld Place. There are diffuiculties getting the group of Muggles into the house, due to the enchantments put in place by Mr. Black. The painting of Mrs. Black curses and rants about Muggles and Mudbloods; her portrait can't stand the fact that Harry has inherited the house and property. Hilarity ensues as the Dursleys display fear and hatred of every magical thing they see. Petunia is shocked by all the dirt and grime (despite all the cleaning done roughly two years ago).

Harry looks at the family tapestry and notices the name of Regulus Black. What was it Lupin and Sirius said about Sirius's younger brother Regulus? Joined the Death Eaters quite young, got in so deep, couldn't deal with it, tried to leave, got killed for treachery. Regulus A. Black was the R.A.B. who found out about the horcruxes and stole the locket! So, now Harry tries to think back to all the things Sirius tried to throw away when the Order moved in. He vaguely remembers a large locket no one could open, but he doesn't recall an engraving with emeralds, nor does he have any idea where it is now. There is not enough time to make a thorough search of the house right now, so it will have to be resumed later.

They return to #4 Privet Drive, Vernon furious, Dudley frightened, and Petunia disgusted, yet pensive. Harry is glad, now, that he went back to the house he had so wanted to avoid. He has some very interesting news to share with Ron and Hermione.

Chapter Two (Petunia's Revelation): As Harry's 17th birthday approaches Petunia is wrought with worry. Up until the point at which Petunia and Dumbledore disagreed on when Harry would be considered an adult, Petunia didn't seem to care about Harry. But once Petunia realized Harry would be moving out of #4 Privet Drive by the time he turned 17, she's been rethinking things. Maybe she actually feels bad about how they treated Harry all these years, or maybe she just worries what will happen to Vernon, Dudley, and herself after Harry leaves. Either way, she will divulge important information about events of the past, though Harry might not immediately realize their significance. I expect Severus Snape's name to come up in this discussion. Harry will find out that Petunia was not talking about James when she said "that aweful boy"; she was talking about Severus Snape. Revelation one: Lily and Severus knew each other and socialized outside of school.

While still puzzling over Aunt Petunia's words (particularly the odd friendship between his mom and Snape), Harry awaits Order members to pick him up and take him away to the Burrow, where he will celebrate his birthday and attend a wedding.

Chapter Three (For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll): The Order has arrived again and delivered Harry to the Burrow, where the Weasleys, Hermione, and Fleur are all happy to see him, as usual. However, there is much talk about the latest deaths and disappearances throughout wizarding Britain (maybe also about things happening abroad).

Harry's 17th birthday (July 31, 1997) is cause for much celebration in the Burrow, and Harry receives some cool gifts. Amongst all the presents will be something very useful for his cause (probably from Hagrid). It would be perfect timing if Hagrid sends Sirius's old flying motorcycle to Harry at this time. Dumbledore will have planned for his 17th birthday way in advance, and there will be something from him, as well -- either the golden pocketwatch, the Pensieve, or some silver instrument Harry once saw in the office when Dumbledore was Headmaster.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione will discuss things they can do together, before Ron and Hermione return to school (Hogwarts manages to continue, somehow, and letters arrive for Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny). Molly tries to persuade Harry to return to Hogwarts, but in the end Harry will have his way and not return, at least not as a student.

Just like when Harry first got the Invisibility Cloak and had to try it that night, Harry has to try out his flying motorcycle. With the flying motorcycle (and some form of navigation), Harry sets off (at night) on a trip to Godric's Hollow to visit the gravesites... alone. Ron and Hermione stay behind to cover up his absence. He returns to the Burrow the next day, filling Ron and Hermione in on what he saw. He hasn't found the ruins of the house, only the graves. He tells them what was carved on the headstones. There are more questions than answers.

The wedding day arrives for Bill (scarred by Fenrir's attack but dressed in groom's robes) and Fleur (radiant in her bridal gown/robes and a borrowed golden tiara). Ginny and Gabrielle are dressed in pale gold (so the outfit won't clash with Ginny's hair). Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the rest are wearing their best dress robes for the occasion. The wedding has some sweet moments, but the weather is cold and foul. The overall feeling is one of worried anticipation. It feels a lot like it did the last time Voldemort was powerful -- people on both sides getting married in a rush. Tonks and Lupin consider getting hitched. Ron and Hermione exchange glances, also thinking about tying the knot. Thankfully, there's some comic relief, due to the antics of Fred and George.

After the wedding (or perhaps crashing the reception) Dobby arrives to warn Harry about something. Kreacher is up to no good; though he can't disobey a direct order, he has found a way to sabotage Harry's cause. Harry is reminded of how Kreacher managed to turn one of Sirius's commands into a loophole and then he vaguely remembers once telling Kreacher (soon after he had inheritted him) to "get out of it". Kreacher has found another loophole.

Bad news arrives: repressed by the wizarding world, in general, and hopeful that they can gain in status, the goblins have joined Voldemort's side. Gringotts has been effectively shut down, the security so high that no one can get to their gold unless they are Death Eaters or other Voldemort supporters.

Chapters 4 and beyond in subsequent posts....

Anfiteatrum Flavium

I know I've considered the possiblity that the US edition of "Deathly Hallows" shows Voldemort and Harry at the ruins of the Potter house, possibly moved into the "Love Room" of a demolished Ministry of Magic. However, il Colosseo in Rome, or Anfiteatrum Flavium, is a perfect site for the final battle between Harry and Voldemort.

The wooden beams that once belonged to an upper level of the building have collapsed, and bronze clamps have been removed from between the stones. There are tunnels and vaulted arcades under the seating area.
It has become a Christain shrine... a deathly hallow all its own!

Not only was the colosseum used for gladitorial games, likely executions of Christian martyrs, and mock battles, but the arena was later (during Medieval times) turned into a cemetary. A church order once occupied the building, later another eligious order moved in. Sections were once converted into housing and workshops. The site is part of a yearly "Way of the Cross" procession lead by the Pope. The procession ends at the colosseum, where Stations of the Cross have been erected, each Good Friday.

From 1993 to 2000 it was under major restoration, so there wouldn't be many tourists hanging around (at least not inside the coloseum) during 1997 or 1998, the general time frame for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Though it could originally hold about 50,000 spectators, and that was once increased to roughly 80,000, the colosseum can now only support a few hundred people, in temporary seating.

Recently, the coloseum has become a symbol of the campaign against capital punishment. Since 2000 (after the HP series timeline ends), the night-time illumination has been changed from white to gold whenever someone sentenced to death has been released or their sentence lessened. Should we consider this a possibility that Harry and Voldemort will both survive, somehow... a reprieve from the death sentence? A release from the prophesy?