DH Movie Speculation

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Carol:
I don't care for the House Elves in general, but Dobby's burial scene
was touching in a way that Kreacher's wouldn't be (that'll be cut,
though, even if his death isn't) and I loved Kreacher's rallying cry,
giving the memory of Regulus its due.

Steph:
Dobby's burial was indeed touching - I actually sniffled a bit at it.
 Oddly enough, I didn't sniffle at his death.  I agree that readers
would be touched more by Dobby's death than Kreacher, but again, will
people who have just seen the films remember Dobby?  Maybe, maybe not.
 The should remember Kreacher, though.  Which brings me to another
point - why did JKR tell Goldenberg he needed to leave in Kreacher,
but not the locket?  To me, one doesn't really make sense without the
other.  You'd think she would have said something.

Carol:
(Paraphrase) I think that Scrimgeour will be out...snip snip...I think
that the reading of the will can be given to him, and it would be nice
to have him die heroically off-screen, refusing to reveal Harry's
whereabouts. (Or will they have him Imperiused, and give him Pius
thicknesse's role as well as Scrimgeour's?)

Steph:
Are you referring to Fudge?  If so, I agree.  You could be right about
him being Imperiused, but I'd rather see him go out heroically.  

Carol:
I have no idea how they'll deal with the wedding, and yet it needs to
be in there if only for the sake of the dramatic interruption caused
by Kingsley's Patronus and as the impetus for HRH's flight. I don't
think they'll cut Xeno Lovegood, if only because of the comic
potential and the need to introduce the Hallows symbol early on. If
Xeno's in, Krum will be in. (GoF fans will recognize him, and he can
introduce the concept of Grindelwald.) 

Steph:
Someone else mentioned that they thought the whole
Grindelwald/DD/Ariana storyline would go. That's certainly possible
but how do you handle the Elder Wand story?  Maybe they'll keep
Grindelwald while still cutting the Ariana story.  Which brings me to
the whole DD backstory.  There's a TON of exposition in DH, which will
be extremely hard to film.  I don't know how anyone who hasn't read
the book will be able to figure out the DD/Snape backstory, and the
Hallows storyline unless much of the explanation is kept in, which
would make for a very talky (and boring) film.  

Carol:
I hope they don't cut Ron's conflict with Horcrux!Tom, which is his
symbolic destruction of the demons that have haunted him throughout
the books (envy, insecurity, etc.). It could be very dramatic and
moving. Besides, if they keep Bathilda (and they really can't cut
Godric's Hollow, can they?), Hermione will already have had her turn
saving Harry (and breaking his wand in the process). 

Steph:
I really hope they don't cut Ron's Horcrux destruction scene, either,
for the same reason. I'm trying to think like the producers/writers
here, though, and historically they've screwed Ron out of his heroic
scenes, which really annoys me because Ron is one of my favorite
characters.  If I hadn't read the books I'd be wondering what Hermione
sees in him because from CoS through GoF he hasn't had much value to
the trio.  Gotta blame Kloves for that. I'm with you on keeping
Godric's Hollow.  Important and scary at the same time.  

Carol: 
I think they'll keep the killing of Charity Burbage in, just as they
kept the murder of Frank Bryce in GoF, if only because it sets up
Alecto Carrow as Muggle Studies teacher. 

Steph:
I agree in principle, but since Burbage has never been mentioned
before, they could just say that the Carrows have been brought in as
new Hogwarts staff.

Carol:
And they have to make Snape look like a loyal DE. If they keep his
line, "Lately, only those whom I could not save," they need to keep
Charity as a case in point. And we also need to see a white-faced
Draco watching her in horrified fascination and Voldie demanding
Lucius's wand to set up Harry's wand acting on its own. 

Steph:
You might have swayed me to your side on this one, mainly because it
sets up Draco as being way in over his head, and the creeping
discontent of the Malfoys (well, not Bella) with Voldie.

Carol (re Xeno Lovegood house scene):
They established Luna as a semi-important and pleasingly eccentric
character in OoP. I think they'll keep her kidnapping and that
dramatic attack by Death Eaters.

Steph:
I loved this scene in the book, so I hope you're right.  And I agree
that there has to be a way to get Luna back in the story.

Carol:
If the Elder Wand plot is gone, Voldie has no motive for being out of
England or going after Grindelwald, not to mention not motive for
killing Snape. (If he suspected him of being DD's man, he'd AK him,
and then we couldn't have him giving Harry his memories, not to
mention that his death shows how horrible Nagini is and gives
film-goers, who now understand that Snape is good, a reason to cheer
when Neville kills Nagini--more than her just being a Horcrux, I mean.)

Steph:
Gotta love Neville.  I do hope he gets his big scene!

Carol:
I *didn't* hate "King's Cross," which I saw as symbolic of Harry's
cleansed perception (no need for glasses) and which reintroduced the
benevolent, twinkly Dumbledore we used to know, properly chastened. 

Steph:
I hated King's Cross because DD was going all fanboy over Harry, which
made me gag.  I did understand the reason for the chapter, though.

Carol:
Will they cut the terrible baby under the bench, which represents what
LV will become if he doesn't repent?

Steph:
I think so.  There were a lot of *book* readers who didn't know what
or whom the baby was supposed to be (I figured it out, though. Yay
me.).  The effect on a person who has made a number of Horcruxes will
likely be explained by Hermione, and it would be icky anyway.

Carol, who would happily have dispensed with the Elder Wand plotline
(and Snape's death!), but doesn't see how the filmmakers can safely
ignore either the wand or the other Hallows (can't have "The Forest
Again" without the other two)

Steph:
I wish Snape hadn't died, either, but I knew he would. I hope "The
Forest Again" isn't too icky sentimental, but I suspect it will be.