Some fearless predictions (probably wrong)

[jbillygirl]

No: HPFGUIDX 132696

As HBP-Day is almost upon us, I wanted to throw out a few thoughts 
that I've had about future developments.  Most of these ideas are 
about Snape, because I find him the most intriguing character to 
speculate on.  Many of them I think will also happen in Book 7, not 
HBP.  It may include some spoilers about a death that is rumored to 
occur.

(If you don't recognize my handle, that's probably because I've 
never posted here before.  I also haven't gotten to read most of the 
posts here, so my thoughts may well overlap with those of others.  
So please be kind.)  :)

I think the HBP may well be Godric Gryffindor, or one of his 
descendants.  The description of the unknown man as an "old lion" 
would fit in well with Gryffindor somehow, as the lion is the 
Gryffindor house animal/symbol. 

I don't think the school will be closed for the seventh year, as 
some have predicted. I think JKR will want to take us through the 
NEWTs, partly in order to parallel British high school students and 
their "A level" tests. The school year also imposes a story 
structure we've become familiar with, and I'm not sure JKR would 
want to dispense with that altogether. The school year may well be 
disrupted, however. Also, Hogwarts may be invaluable to the plot as 
protected ground, which I think it would so be even if the rumored 
death takes place.

As for Snape, I think he'll become the DADA prof in Harry's 7th 
year. (It seems like that may be a situation that could be sustained 
for only one year, and I do think Snape will be alive in book 7.) 
Not only that, I predict that Snape will tutor Harry in the use of 
Unforgivable Curses, though he won't enjoy doing it.  I know that 
Harry is not a Dark wizard, and maybe he's too good a person to do 
them well.  But IIRC Prof. Flitwick has said that just because a 
wizard (Dumbledore?) doesn't use the Dark Arts doesn't mean he 
doesn't know how, so being good may not rule out knowledge of the 
UCs.  Also, Lord Voldemort has apparently gone to great lengths to 
protect himself from death, and if Harry is to defeat him, he may 
need every weapon available, especially Avada Kedavra.  

This tutoring may come to pass as a result of the rumored death, 
which could leave Snape as the only person who could be halfway 
trusted with such lessons, the rest of those with knowledge of Dark 
Magic being on the opposing side. It would be a development ripe 
with possibilities for conflicts between Snape and Harry.

I've imagined a scene in which Snape, in his office, is trying to 
get Harry to perform a decent Cruciatus curse on something, some 
kind of unpleasant animal.  Because Harry is fundamentally good, he 
is failing badly at producing this particular curse, which may be 
the cruelest of the three UCs.  Then Snape gets an idea: he invites 
Harry to perform the curse on himself (that is, on Snape).  But 
while Harry has indeed fantasized about doing just that, he refuses, 
afraid of using such evil magic even on someone he despises.  With a 
smirk, Snape goads Harry, saying, "You know you want to."  But as 
Harry continues to refuse, Snape pulls out every horrible thing he 
can think of to say to Harry, making him madder and madder.  Finally 
Snape levels a terribly cruel insult at Harry's "mudblood mother," 
and Harry loses it.  He unleashes the Cruciatus curse on Snape, 
watching him twist and writhe in agony.  For a few seconds, Harry 
performs the curse all too well, feeling that Snape deserves it and, 
well, he asked for it.  But shortly Harry realizes just what he is 
doing and recoils in horror from Snape and from his own violent 
fury.  Breaking the curse, he runs from the room in terror.  When he 
meets Snape again, Snape chastises him for running away, but he does 
admit that Harry's Cruciatus was effective.  Snape tells 
Harry, "Remember that dark place where you were -- you may need to 
find it again."  Harry resents Snape anew for having brought him so 
close to such darkness; at the same time, however, his desire for 
revenge on Snape has been wiped away.

OK, that was too much verbiage.  I'll keep the rest short.  I also 
have a wild notion that the Sorting Hat may have considered putting 
Snape in Gryffindor (witness his bravery in turning spy for DD), but 
Snape was so appalled at the idea that he kept thinking, "Not 
Gryffindor, not Gryffindor..."

One last crazy notion: in book 7, Snape will seem to have betrayed 
the side of good, but in the end he will come through against 
Voldemort.  He will suffer a serious injury in the climactic battle, 
and despite Snape's protestations to let him die, Harry rescues him -
- to Snape's great chagrin, as he will once again owe his life to a 
Potter.

Ok, that's enough.  Thanks for putting up with my scrawlings.  Two 
more days!  :)

JBG