Some fearless predictions (probably wrong)

[lupinlore]

No: HPFGUIDX 132704

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "jbillygirl" <jbillygirl at g...> 
<SNIP>
> 
> 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.
> 

Well, I assume you mean Dumbledore's death, which so many have 
predicted.  I agree that Hogwarts will not close and will continue to be important.  It will be interesting to see how NEWTS are handled in the midst of a war.  Personally, I think we will see the NEWTS, which implies that the war will not be the "big battle" kind of affair that many have assumed, but more of a smoldering crisis with lots of terrorist acts and hit-and-run tactics.


> 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.  
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> 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.  
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> 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.


That's an interesting scenario, but it really doesn't sound very much like JKR.  Given her depiction of the Dark Arts and her avowedly moralistic approach, I seriously doubt we'll ever see Harry learning to use the Unforgiveables, and still less that he will have to use that "dark place inside" as you say.  I think much more likely will be that his victory comes from rejecting such a dark place -- which I realize you also seem to agree with to an extent.  Also I seriously doubt that Snape is as noble of a character as your scenario predicates.


> 
> 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..."


Cute idea, but I don't know how we would ever learn about that unless the Sorting Hat gets careless (Snape certainly wouldn't mention it).

> 
> 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.
> 

Once again, a very popular scenario.  And once again, I doubt very 
much that Snape will revealed to be so noble as you suppose.


Lupinlore