Future Books/ Final Showdown/Role of Magical Creatures/Non-Characters/Who will die?

[uilnslcoap]

No: HPFGUIDX 34479

  > Cindysphynx wrote:
> >In my opinion, the pattern of the first four books is
> >that the Voldemort confrontations become more
> >believable and suspenseful as we move along. In other
> >words, I liked the graveyard confrontation 
> >better than the chamber confrontation better than the
> >PS/SS confrontation. Frankly, I don't see how JKR can
> >top the graveyard scene with anything other than the
> >final confrontation. So I kind of hope (and predict)
> >we'll get conflict between members of Voldemort's 
> >team and Dumbledore's team, but no Harry/Voldemort
> >smackdown until Book 7. 

Ah, good point.  I've been thinking (I started this post) that people 
are possibly right that Book 7 probably needs to be the only 
remaining with a Harry/Voldemort finale.  Originally, I plumped for 
two more.  This because I think Harry needs to see someone die saving 
him from Voldemort and deal with that.  However, I can see someone 
else attempting to kill Harry in a finale (more on who that could be 
later) and whoever (Hagrid?--I'm not fond of the idea, I really love 
Hagrid) taking the "bullet" instead.  I also think that such a fight 
might fulfill a point where Harry and SOMEONE fight an evil force 
together.  I just think some finale or another needs to have another 
good presence there.  It's all fine and good to talk about Harry's 
destiny, but I think JKR is stretching if EVERY other finale (the PoA 
finale did indeed include Hermione, perhaps she or Ron will stand 
with Harry once again) comes down to only Harry.  This, of course, 
does not include the H/V showdown in Seven where it's only right that 
the two of them fight one-on-one.  Also interesting to note the idea 
(I'm sorry I don't remember who mentioned it) that it's very 
symmetrical and RIGHT if Harry faces Voldemort in 1, 4, and 7.  
Somehow, this really does make sense to me.  I still want to know 
about Voldemort's past, however, even if we don't see him, to know 
his motivations and such, make him a more rounded-out, less one-
dimensional villain.

And ladjables wrote:
 
> Agreed, and excellent prediction, Trelawney would be
> green with envy.  I think uncmark cleverly suggested
> that the final showdown between Voldemort and Harry
> take place at Godric's Hollow(perhaps on the ruins of
> the Potters' old home?).  This would be really neat
> since it would give the books a circular trajectory,
> beginning and ending at Harry's first home.  And you
> can't ask for a more emotionally charged face-off 
> than that.

Not meaning (too much) to preen my own feathers, but I did, in fact, 
come up with that prediction (of course, uncmark may have done it 
sooner than me, in which case, I apologize, but I did come up with 
the thought on my own, not having read it anywhere else).  And I 
think it does make sense that it all comes full-circle (Rowling does 
have kind of a running motif there, I believe).  It also is a 
convenient way to top the high emotional stirrings of the graveyard 
confrontation.  The possibility of Harry taking down Voldemort in the 
very place where Voldemort robbed him of a happy childhood and thrust 
him into a hard and dangerous destiny will create a pulse-pounding 
read, I believe.  Yes, I think any Voldemort/Harry fight will not top 
the graveyard one until Book Seven, and setting it in Godric's Hollow 
is one variable that would help it to be the true climax.

> I also think you raise a really good point regarding a
> shift in focus from Harry/Voldemort, who are at the 
> epicentre of the story, to peripheral conflict in
> Books 5 and 6.  
> 
> And what about Norbert?!  I can't be the only weirdo
> who thinks his introduction in SS was no throwaway
> chapter?  Mark my words, Norbert will be someone's
> saviour.  He'll remember Hagrid,
> Aragog did!  Okay, I'm undermining my point here, but
> I think there's alot of fodder for OotP and Book 6. 

I think OotP is, in some ways, going to be a fall in action 
comparatively speaking.  Rowling pulled the string VERY tight in GoF, 
and I think she needs one book to settle us down before she pushes us 
up to the brink.  Not that it will be dull, or it's action not 
engaging, but just a breather before the real stuff is poured on.  I 
could be wrong about this, but it feels right to me.  Oooooh, good 
intuition about Norbert.  I hadn't even thought about that 
possibility.  I'm definitely with you on that one.  Especially good 
point about Aragog's remembrance of Hagrid and the possible Norbert 
connection therein.  Beautiful.  Yes, I'm sure Norbert will be back.

Incidentally, I fervently hope that
> Mrs. Lestrange is unrepentantly evil, that her soul is
> a festering sore, that she hisses when she speaks,
> that her eyes glow when she's mad, okay, I hope she's
> really, really bad.  Because, then she can be a worthy
> adversary for  McGonagall, who will FINALLY get to
> flex her magic muscles when she challenges Mrs.
> Lestrange to a witchly joust.  How's that for an OotP
> climax?  No Voldemort, no Harry, and the women show
> what they're made of! 

Now THAT'S a great idea.  I can't see it as THE climax, however.  I 
think Harry does have to be involved, one way or another in the big 
fight of each book.  Speaking of which, I vote Mrs. Lestrange as a 
spectacularly possible candidate for Harry to fight in the end of 
Six.  I can certainly imagine her as the killer of whoever steps in 
front of the spell to save Harry, and her hissing and spitting in the 
final fight would be very, very good.  That said, I'm going to love 
seeing some of the match-ups that have to happen.  
Lestrange/McGonagall (I desire very highly that McGonagall duel with 
someone), Lupin/Pettigrew, Malfoy/Weasley, Moody/Avery, 
Snape/Karkaroff, Dumbledore/anyone, etc.  Of course, some of these 
are pretty random match-ups, but I really want to see some really 
good fights go down here.

And Cindy signed:
 
> >Cindy (starting to sweat bullets because it is almost
> >February and we don't have an OoP release date)

Heavily agreed.  *cracks whip*  Write, Rowling, WRITE!

Devin