My Final Pre-Release Prediction: Books 5 - 7

[lhunneb]

No: HPFGUIDX 61373

OK.  Here goes.  I've already posted my prediction about what we find 
out about Snape under the heading "OoP - A lot more about Snape," so 
this is one of my possible solutions for the whole plot through the 
end of Book 7...

Back when James & Lily were in school, Sybill Trelawney made her 
other true prediction.  She predicted that James & Lily would have a 
son who would one day become the most powerful wizard in the world, 
and the true Heir of Gryffindor.  Dumbledore knew of the prediction, 
but Lord Voldemort did not at that time.  Peter Pettigrew, as a 
friend of James, learned of the prediction too.

James and Lily graduated from Hogwarts and married sometime during 
the 11 years of Voldemort's reign of terror.  (Remember in the first 
book, at the time of their death DD said that the magical world had 
precious little to be happy about for 11 years.)  When this happened, 
Peter told Voldemort of the prediction, and he began to fear a boy 
child of the Potter union.   He didn't feel it necessary to act until 
Lily had a child and it was indeed a boy.  Then he needed to act.  
Harry was Voldemort's real target, not James & Lily.

By this time, Snape had become a spy against Voldemort and the things 
I mentioned in the other post happened.

In Book 5, Harry will learn that the Order of the Phoenix is an 
ancient and secret society that rises whenever anything threatens the 
peace and security of the magical community.  They are a group of 
witches, wizards and other interested magical parties, joining 
together to try to defeat evil.  They came together the last time 
Voldemort rose, with Dumbledore, Black, the Weasleys, etc., all 
having been members at that time.  Now they will come together again 
to fight Voldemort.

In this book, I think that Harry will begin to learn that the world 
is not as black and white as he may have thought as a child.  The 
Ministry of Magic will pressure the Board of Directors of Hogwarts, 
and force the curriculum to be watered down.  They won't want 
Dumbledore to "frighten" the students by teaching them too much 
practical magic.  Moreover, Voldemort will try to use his new blood 
connection to Harry to make Harry over-react to things in an effort 
to make him lose credibility with the authorities.  Fudge is already 
inclined to discount Harry's report of Voldemort's return, and he is 
the only one, other than Death Eaters, with incontrovertible proof of 
his return.  Voldemort's efforts, plus all the pressures on him from 
every direction, will cause Harry to behave in somewhat erratic ways, 
testing his relationships with everyone who loves him.  It won't help 
that Harry thinks that Dumbledore is hiding something from him.

Also in this book, I think that we will see Harry's power as a wizard 
continue to grow.  As he becomes more powerful, it will be harder and 
harder for him to restrain himself from using magic against people he 
dislikes, such as Draco.  He will also feel more and more isolated 
and different, despite the efforts of his friends.

In the end, after Voldemort again almost succeeds in killing Harry, 
Dumbledore will finally tell Harry about the prophecy.  He will tell 
Harry that Voldemort was after Harry, not his parents.  Harry will be 
angry and disappointed with Dumbledore for hiding this information 
from him.  He will tell Dumbledore that he had a right to know this 
and Dumbledore will say he is right.  

In Book 6, I think that Voldemort will take a new tack.  He will try 
to turn Harry to the dark side of magic by playing on his growing 
power and on his longing to have his parents back.  I'm not sure how 
it will be done, but the final battle in this book will not be for 
Harry's life or Voldemort's life, but for Harry's soul.  Voldemort 
will offer to show Harry how to bring his parents back, but it will 
require the use of major dark magic.  The first time Voldemort 
offered to bring Harry's parents back, Harry was too close to his 
friends, too weak as a wizard, and too close to his newly found 
hatred of Voldemort to be so tempted.  This time, however, due to his 
growing power and some alienation from some of the people he has been 
so close to, he will be tempted.  In the end, though, Harry will 
choose to let his parents go.  His hatred of Voldemort will grow 
stronger for having been tempted by him.

Finally, in Book 7, Harry will learn the most powerful lesson of 
all.  He will start by being overwhelmingly focused on hunting down 
Voldemort and killing him.  He will try to learn everything he can 
from his teachers about the most powerful magic in order to do this.  
Dumbledore will warn him about being motivated by hatred.  He will 
remind Harry to hate what dark wizards do, not the witch or wizard 
themselves.  

Many good witches and wizards will die in this book, as the war is in 
full swing.  The school will be closed before the end of term and we 
will be afraid that it will never reopen.

In the end of the book, I think that there will be a final 
confrontation between Harry and Voldemort.  Dumbledore will be 
there.  As they fight, Harry will be throwing his most powerful magic 
at Voldemort, but Voldemort will only seem to get stronger.  This 
will make Harry more and more angry.  Dumbledore will try to get 
Harry to remember what thwarted Voldemort that first time so long 
ago.  It was the love of his mother, Lily, and her sacrifice that 
triumphed.  Only that kind of power cannot be destroyed by violence 
and hatred.  As Voldemort comes in to strike the fatal blow on Harry, 
Dumbledore will throw himself between them, and will be mortally 
wounded by Voldemort.  As he dies in Harry's arms, Harry will realize 
that yet another person has made the ultimate sacrifice for him.  
Fawkes will fly down, but his tears will not save Dumbledore.  But 
the tears will splash on Harry too, and he will realize that 
Dumbledore is right.  He will realize that, before he was the Dark 
Lord, Voldemort was just little Tom Riddle, a sad and lonely boy.

Harry will lay Dumbledore's body down and face Voldemort with great 
sadness in his face.  He will gently return his wand to his own 
pocket and then he will tell Voldemort the most shocking thing of 
all.  He will say, "I forgive you."  That will absolutely enrage 
Voldemort, who will throw all his power at Harry.  Harry will open 
his arms and accept the power, but he will not be burned or hurt in 
any way.  He will take in the power and begin to radiate it back out 
again like a sun.  And in that blinding light, all Voldemort's power 
will be drained from him.  In the end, Voldemort will not die.  He 
will be transformed into an ordinary muggle, with no memory at all of 
who he is, or how he got there.

The book will end with Sirius comforting Harry over the loss of 
Dumbledore, while everyone gathers at Hogwarts to attend a memorial 
for Dumbledore and to commit to never let the school close again and 
to re-dedicate the school to the principles Dumbledore championed.

I know this is all rather sappy, but I think of this as a really epic 
sort of story.  I can't write this stuff without the schmaltz, but 
I'm sure that JKR can.  I hope, however she does it, that we have a 
powerful and moving end to the saga.  Regardless, it's a lot of fun 
to speculate.