Opening of Book 6 - Theories, Anyone?

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 114249

Angie wrote:
> Just wondered what half-baked theories anyone had about how Book 6
> will open.
>
> JKR has said that Harry's stay at Privet Drive will be the shortest
> yet.
>
> Here's my half-baked theory:
>
> I can see Voldemort trying to attack Harry at the
> Dursleys' house.
<merciless snip, sorry!>

Annemehr:
I hope this is what happens; it would be very exciting, and I'd love
to see the Dursleys' reactions. 
<snip>
Another possibility would be for Dumbledore to order Harry, Ron, and
Hermione to headquarters to receive some real information and some
training. 
<snip> 
Naturally, Dumbledore would still keep most of the Order's doings a
secret from the trio. I just don't think he can rely on their being
at Hogwarts to provide all the safety they need from Voldemort 
anymore.
<snip>

Dungrollin quoting JKR's website:

On the first chapter of PS/SS:
"The trouble with that chapter was (as so often in a Harry Potter 
book) I had to give a lot of information yet conceal even more. 
There were various versions of scenes in which you actually saw 
Voldemort entering Godric's Hollow and killing the Potters..."

On the first chapter of HBP:
"I have come close to using a chapter very like this 
in 'Philosopher's Stone' (it was one of the discarded first 
chapters), 'Prisoner of Azkaban' and 'Order of the Phoenix' but 
here, finally, it works, so it's staying. And that's all I'm going 
to say, but when you read it, just know that it's been about 
thirteen years in the brewing."

Dungrollin's thoughts on the opening of HBP:
If the first chapter of HBP could have fitted into PS/SS, PoA or Oop 
aswell as HBP, then it *must* be referring to a time before Harry 
knew he was a wizard, mustn't it? It's unlikely that a
present-day-Harry situation would have been applicable to the 
overall plot over a 5 year time span. If HBP opens with an attack on 
Privet Drive... I don't see how that could have happened in all 
these different places throughout the story (though chapter 2 of HBP 
could easily feature a surprise group of DE's at number 4).
I'm
thinking more along the lines of the opening of GoF, a retrospective 
scene.

What it could be however... My pitifully scarce ideas are rounded up 
and forced to present themselves below:

1.  More about the events of Godric's Hollow

I can see how this would fit into the first chapter of PS/SS, and 
indeed somewhere in PoA. I must admit though, I have difficulty with 
where it could fit into OoP – unless it's information that 
Dumbledore could have revealed at the end, information that could be 
revealed through a memory that Harry didn't know he had which
came out in the Occlumency lessons, or something that Voldemort 
himself said in the MM – though none of these ideas really allow
for a whole chapter. Perhaps this is why it didn't work there.

2.  More about You Know Who's past.

This could fit in practically anywhere in the series, but why think 
of putting it into PoA and OoP and not into CoS or GoF?

3.  Something entirely different that I haven't thought of.

Er... that's it. :-)

Frankly, my money's on number 3.