UK Cover closeup - comments on the ring (no real spoilers)

[heather the buzzard]

No: HPFGUIDX 130504

Tammy Rizzo wrote:

>>http://www.mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_location=/hbp/ring.gif
>>
>>
>> ~*S*~
>> ~*P*~
>> ~*O*~
>> ~*I*~
>> ~*L*~
>> ~*E*~
>> ~*R*~
>> ~*~
>> ~*~
>> SPACE
>>
>Now, the pattern on the stone looks very like a crack, with 
>perhaps some chipping or spalling going on as well. 
>
>If it is a crack, it seems somewhat gaping, doesn't it?  I think >it's shown that way to make it clear that it *is* a crack, not >necessarily that it's a GAPING crack -- cracks in stones can be 
>hard to depict in drawings, I suppose.  


Aw shoot, here I thought I was going to be the first to postulate that it was actually a crack in the gemstone... that occurred to 
me when I was looking at the full cover, just a few minutes before 
I saw this new artwork, which only makes me think it all the more.  THEN I read your post.  Guess I dawdled too much lol...

Anyway.  I agree with you that it looks like a crack -- like you said, it extends over the beveled edge, and I agree that there 
seems to be a shield etched on the face, though that *could* also just be ridges from whatever cracked it.

I like to think that it's a family stone, perhaps with a coat of arms.  If it belongs to the Black family, then it cracked when 
Sirius died (as the last real "Black").  Perhaps it's a 
birthstone... Onyx belongs to February (along with Amethyst, which 
is interesting since on the full cover it does look purple), but 
none of the characters (that we know of) have February birthdays.

I also like the idea that the ring belongs (or belonged) to the 
HBP, who is an ancient, historical character and so this ring is 
an antique, cracked with age.

It *is* interesting that the crack is a lightning bolt shape.  It might be coincidental, as it's common for cracks to take that sort 
of shape... but it could be meaningful as well.  Perhaps it 
belonged to the Potters, and it cracked under LV's AK spell in the same pattern as it left on Harry at the same time, and there's some connection between that ring and the 'ancient magic' that protects him.

Hmm.

heather the buzzard