Hogwarts questions/OoP questions

[Pat]

No: HPFGUIDX 137629

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Schlobin at a... wrote:
 
> Will Hogwarts remain open?

Pat: I can see it either way.  However, if it were closed it might 
be easier for Hermione and Ron to accompany Harry.

> Susan: If yes, Will Harry, Ron or Hermione go back even for a     
> while?

Pat:  Even though Jo has said Harry must go on alone, I think Ron 
and Hermione will be with him.  There are plenty of ways for him to 
have to do the last piece of each task without them, if that's what 
she wants to do. That happened in the DOM and with Quirrell, for 
examples.

Other than that, I think Harry will talk to Dumbledore's portrait. 
And I'm wondering if there's a Horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets. 
How could Voldemort pass up the protection of a place that only a 
parseltongue can open?  I haven't been reading all of the Horcrux 
threads, so I apologize if someone already said that.
  
> Susan: Who will be the DADA teacher?

Pat:  Jo said we'd be seeing Viktor Krum again.  I know he's a 
professional Quidditch player, but he'd only need an injury to come 
and be the DADA teacher for a year while he recuperates.  Otherwise, 
how would he fit in again?  The only other reason I see is if he 
chooses to come and fight in the war, and/or to be closer to 
Hermione.  Maybe we'll get to see their relationship end, or how it  
ended, or that it didn't end and we've been fooled! Before anyone 
jumps on that, I'll just explain that before I read in The Interview 
that I was supposed to have been seeing that Hermione likes Ron, I 
wondered if her blubbering over Ron and Lavender was because she 
missed Viktor.  Then she saw him over Christmas, which is why her 
reaction to R/Lav was different when they were leaving for 
Christmas, as opposed to when they all got back.  My excuse is that 
I know Jo wanted to trick us, and I know, I know, "it's Ron and 
Hermione".  But Hermione was writing to Krum in book 5, so we still 
don't know for sure how things are between them, do we. I'd like to 
see that resolved in book 7.

Pat