Straight from the horse's mouth... (possible spoilers)

[Vicki Merriman]

No: HPFGUIDX 1503

--- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Brooks R" <brooksar at i...> wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at egroups.com, "Vicki Merriman" <vjmerri at i...> 
> wrote:
> > > slip...
> > > S
> > > P
> > > O
> > > I
> > > L
> > > E
> > > R
> > > 
> > > S
> > > P
> > > A
> > > C
> > > E
> > > 
> > > *
> > > *
> > > *
> > > *
> > > *
> > > *
> > > *
> > > themselves are protection ('Harry unreachable 
> while in care of blood relatives', according to Voldy in Book IV), 
it 

> But this also means something interesting - Vernon is presumably not
> a > 'blood' relative, but Petunia and Dudley are.  Can you imagine
> Harry's > mixed feelings if THEY are suddenly in mortal peril!  
Voldy probably 
> wouldn't think of hiring a non-magical hit man to rub out the 
> blood-relative Dursleys to open Harry to attack....

Yes, but I suspect that the Dursleys may be protected in some magical 
way that THEY are not aware of.  Also, while Voldy would have no 
problem hiring a muggle hit man, there doesn't seem to be a lot of 
interaction between muggle and magical universes, and Voldy has not 
been able to interact in much of either one until the end of GoF.  He 
has been fairly non corporeal, or at least really physically 
disabled, as we don't really know WHAT that was in GoF.

> > If > > there is a big death in five we're stuck with Dumbledore, 
one of > the  > > twins, or Mr. or Mrs. Weasley.  .....(snip)...
> 
> Also good logic - although there is also McGonagall - or Cho.

Cho or Professor McGonagall, especially Cho, IMO, would not fit the 
expressed reaction that it "killed" her to write the death.  I stick 
to my prediction it will be a twin or Mr. or Mrs. Weasley.  Possibly 
Dumbledore, but he's an outside contender for book five in my 
thoughts.

Vicki