Take a hint when a hint is intended

[Olivier Fouquet]

Much discussion here and elsewhere focus on trying to guess future  
plot development. I have come to look at these attempt with a wary  
eye, because past experiences tended to show that JKR does not  
provide enough information in previous books to guess about future  
plots. However, I have always thought that the series had a strong  
thematic component and that on this subject, information were not so  
scarce. I particularly enjoy the growing-up part in HP so this is  
what I would lie to discuss now. One word of caution. In all that  
follows, when I write that something is "about" something, I don't  
want to imply that it is only nor even predominantly about it, I just  
want to convey the idea that some of the point of the first thing was  
to allude to the second. Blame the ambiguity on me mangling English  
as if I was Fenrir.

In my opinion, the HP series is about the journey from childhood to  
adulthood. Each book yet has been a step.
PS was about abandoning childhood and discovering the wonders and  
dangers of adolescence.
CoS was about the danger of a premature sexuality (a bold assertion,  
but one I detailed in previous posts, interested reader can read it  
many posts, particularly TOL 83372).
PoA was about a teenage boy constructing a positive masculine identity.
GoF could be about the danger of thinking that being adult  
automatically implied being responsible. The idea that adult  
obsessions are dangerous is there, clearly, but GoF's theme has never  
been as clear to me as the others.
OoP was about failure and the difficulty of being a responsible person.
HBP was about accepting love as something positive and normal (here  
my word of caution is particularly important: I don't believe this is  
the main theme of HBP but it definitely there, I'll spell it in more  
details if anyone wishes so).

So what about book 7? Well, a recent rereading of JKR's interviews  
plus my own speculations gave me some ideas. What do we know for sure  
will be in book 7(either from earlier books or from interviews)?

It will probably start by Bill and Fleur's wedding.
We know that Harry wishes to visit Godric's Hollow and his parent's  
grave.
It will be his last stay at the Dursley's, and Ron and Hermione  
should be there too (or so they say).
We will probably learn about what Dudley saw when attacked by the  
Dementors, about letters between Petunia and DD (both pointed as  
significant by JKR in interviews and on her website) and about  
Petunia in general
We will learn about the Founders (from an interview).
Dumbledore's family would be a profitable line of inquiry.
We will meet properly a member of the Order that we haven't properly  
met yet.

Of course, we know for sure about many other things. What about  
reasonable speculation?

It seems reasonable to speculate that we will learn things about  
Regulus.
It is likewise reasonable to speculate that Snape's love-life will be  
important (Snape has been loved by someone).
Grindelwald has connections to someone (or so it seems).

 From all that, I hereby declare that I fully expect book seven to  
deal extensively with families, and with the fact that being  
responsible for one's family is an important final step to become an  
adult. Because idle speculation is worthless but conjectures and  
refutations are nice, I go as far as to make a precise conjecture.

I conjecture that Aberforth Dumbledore will play an important role,  
that the lady pushing the trolley in the Hogwarts express is related  
to Dumbledore too (his sister or step-sister); that part of Snape's  
life has entailed failing for his familial obligations (maybe by  
failing to protect his family, maybe by turning against it); that  
part of his motivations since has been to try to make up for this  
(maybe in saving the Dursleys); that the Malfoys were related to  
Grindelwald, maybe in league with him, that thus Draco knows or has  
the possibility to discover something important (presumably the  
location of Cup!Horcrux) and finally that Draco will give Harry this  
information for the sake of his family.

I also conjecture that everything above will be disproved in book seven.
Best regards,
Olivier

PS: A liquorice wand to anyone who see the relevance of the title to  
the rest of the post, or maybe this is obvious for Americans.