Book Covers

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 166567

laurawkids wrote:
<snip>
> I would venture a guess:  the insignia reminds me of the pyramid and 
> eye on the US dollar which I believe is something like the Eye of 
> Horus.  Don't know all that that means, but I know I have read 
> something about the EoH concerning Potterdom, probably on Mugglenet.
> 
> I am assuming that others have concluded that it is the 
> Hufflepuff/Hepzibah Smith vault because of the armor which could be 
> the goblin-made suit that Tom R. offers an improved bid on (US HC p. 
> 435)?  There is also what could be a brass plant pot right below 
> Harry's left hand which was mentioned in H.S.'s rooms. <snip>

Carol responds:

Re the Eye of Horus or whatever it is: I thought at first that it
might simply be a Bloomsbury trademark like the little archer, but it
isn't. It appears in the same place on the spine as the ring Horcrux
did on the HBP UK children's editon. It isn't a rune, whatever it is.
Maybe it relates to the Pensieve or to curse-breaking in Egypt??? I'll
leave discussion of those things to people who know about them.

I think the vault may be Godric Gryffindor's rather than Hepzibah
Smith's considering that the house-elf is holding the Sword of
Gryffindor--and the notable absence of Hepzibah's presumed descendant,
Zacharias Smith. And note the ruby-studded helmet with a griffin on
it, which very probably belonged to Godric Griffindor. He would have
needed a helmet and armor to go with his sword, and the era would be
right (if we discount unhistorical details like wizards who died in
1492 wearing Elizabethan ruffs). Maybe wizarding armor, like Hogwarts
itself (a fourteenth- or fifteenth-century castle built before the
year 1000), is somewhat ahead of its time. Also, the only precious
stones in the picture appear to be rubies, associated with Godric
Gryffindor (his sword is studded with them). Lots of gold, too, and
red and gold are the Gryffindor colors.

Or maybe the vault belonged to a certain descendant of Gryffindor
named Albus Dumbledore, who used to have a griffin door knocker, and
has been willed to Harry? In that case the cup could be Helga
Hufflepuff's, already retrieved by Dumbledore on one of those
mysterious excursions he took during HBP, rather than being in her
vault--where it wouldn't be, anyway, since her descendants noted that
it was missing along with the locket. Also, HRH would have every right
to be there, as they would not if the vault were Hepzibah's.

Laura: 
> Note that it is full moon, so we get some werewolf action, I hope.

Carol:
I noticed that, too. Maybe Fenrir Greyback has escaped? I keep
thinking that PP will pay his life debt to Harry by killing Fenrir
with his silver hand. No repentance speech, please. I can't imagine
Peter feeling genuine remorse. I hope it won't be Lupin transforming.
One transformation on Hogwarts grounds is enough for him, IMO.
  
Laura:
> Is that Grawp's face in the clouds?  

Carol:
Where? I hope not! However, we do see Harry's Prongs Patronus, which
will obviously play a role. (So it's not his Patronus that changes.
Bet it's Snape's!)

Someone mentioned Nagini in a Prophecy orb, but I think it's more
likely a crystal ball. Prophecy orbs only contain the shadowy form of
the Seer speaking the prophecy. (Of course, crystal ball shapes are
supposed to be shadowy, too, but Trelawney saw what she thought was
the Grim and believed Harry when he said he could see a hippogriff.)

Laura: 
> On the US cover I cast my vote for us looking from the DoM into the 
> veil.  In our realm, the rest of the structure has fallen except one 
> of the arches, but on the "other side" it is intact.  Maybe the 
> debris at the bottom results from a Halloween effect, and the usual 
> barricade is pulled down? <snip>

Carol: Interesting idea about looking into the veil (too bad Grandpre
has drawn it as slightly tattered curtains resembling the one on the
back cover of the Scholastic paperback edition of SS instead of a more
sinister and ancient-looking single Veil). Not sure what you mean by
"a Halloween effect." BTW, I also dislike the way Grandpre has made
Voldemort's hands look like a Dementor's instead of being deathly
white and long-fingered.

Harry is wearing the Slytherin locket (presumably the same one shown
in the UK cover art but badly rendered), which probably means that
it's been de-Horcuxed even though it doesn't look cracked like the
ring. Maybe all that's required to remove the soul bit is a
counterspell to open the locket, which was magically sealed when we
saw it in 12 GP. It may not have a protective curse given all the
protections in the cave, but that's probably too much to hope.

Did anyone else notice the Arthur Levine interview, in which he said
that he "sobbed and sobbed" and that it's a "very emotional book"?
(Unlike the person who was trying to get him to tell us who dies, I'm
not at all convinced that Harry is doomed. If he were, how could he
still be alive after entering the Veil alive? For that matter, how can
Voldie still be what passes for alive if all the Horcruxes are destroyed?)

Carol, wondering if the Slytherin locket was a powerful magical object
in its own right, meaning that it has other powers besides being a Horcrux

Carol, feeling tantalized but hoping there's more to the book than a
Horcrux hunt, however exciting