Now I really need to go back and read the 5th book.  I don't remember much discussion about Sirius' death.  What did Dumbledore tell Harry about Sirius’ death?  What did Dumbledore say about the veil?  It just seems that the mirror that Sirius left Harry (and Harry subsequently shattered) will resurface.  It’s too handy of a tool.   

Even if he is dead, wouldn't Harry  (and others) be able to talk with him. He was a headmaster so he should have a painting hanging at Hogwarts. Or am I crazy?

Well until she portrays his character as "bad" he's not a bad character. Suspect, perhaps. But not bad. That's the whole point of storytelling - let the character reveal him or herself.

Do you have a source for her comments about Snape being a bad character?

Hmmmm, maybe Ginny and Harry will manage some more snogging during Bill and Fleur’s wedding.  For some reason, I don’t see Ginny simply standing aside and staying home as Harry goes off to fight Voldemort.  Unless Harry pleads with her to stay put, but even that…it can’t happen.  She’s a fighter.  She’s one of my favorite characters.  I want to see more of her in this last book.

Malfoy.  Maybe he'll follow Snape's lead and join in the fight against Voldemort?  Okay, probably not, but the “happily ever after” part of me is still hoping that Malfoy will come and fight with the good guys.

The bonds with other schools.  I forgot about those! 

Is the life debt that Wormtail owes Harry going to be repaid? 

Draco Malfoy - that has lots of plot potential. Will he defy his father and every prejudice he was raised with and display a strength of character heretofore unseen? Will he turn pure evil, out of self-hatred for not being 'brave' enough to follow through on his orders? Or self-hatred out of guilt? Powerful and corrosive emotions.

Remember what Yoda said!

I was looking for source rather than interpretation.

It's obvious Snape isn't bad. Grumpy maybe and a thorn in Harry's side - but he's never done anything to harm Harry. His comments about Harry have not been entirely inaccurate, either. Harry is lazy with his potions - and this is one area that would have made Harry a much stronger wizard. Harry breaks the rules, Harry doesn't do his homework, Harry is defiant. All true. While kids might react emotionally against Snape, as an adult I can see where the author wants us to dislike the character and confuse that dislike with a need to believe he is a bad character. That's what I like about the way she's written Snape's character - he's not an archetype, there is subtlety to his personality and mystery to his motives.

I hadn’t read that.  That’s a bummer.  After the apparent inner struggle he had in that last scene with Dumbldore, I’ve been hoping that he’ll have a change of heart.  Heck, I’m still hoping that Malfoy is going to suddenly have a change of heart.  Maybe JKR was just being technical in her statement.  Malfoy may not actively join the order or the DA, but maybe at a key moment he could fail to act against the good guys.  Failure to attack isn’t necessarily joining up with the good guys, but it may imply some sort of change of heart.

Uh oh

Hacker claims alleged ‘Harry Potter’ ending

Ahead of book release, debate has raged about whether boy wizard dies

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19352126/?gt1=10056

This is a link to the article (no spoilers) - not the hackers site.

Although if you are interested www.InSecure.org ,,,,

Haven't you all read it yet?

Where did you get this?

It certainly whet my appetite.

A friend e-mailed it to me as a 2 meg PDF.  What I posted here is as far as I've read of it.  I reformatted the PDF to print as a word document and in doing so came across an Authors note leading me to believe this is not the actual HP # 7 but someone elses version.   As such I stopped reading at this point as I don't want to confuse or disappoint myself when # 7 comes out.  I'll read it afterwards.

I forwarded it on to another friend who read it from beginning to end and he says its possibly the best one he's read yet and he says the ending leaves it open for a possible # 8....

Okay, I finished rereading the last 2 books. Details fresh in my mind now.

I think no. Harry will take Voldemort down but people close to Harry will die. 

My initial reaction was no but then I got into a chicken/egg loop with this. Since Voldemort had to murder someone to make a horcrux and Dumbledore said that Harry was the someone intended for this purpose, I thought no. However, Voldemorte murdered Lily and perhaps he unintentionally created a horcrux of Harry. Bigger picture, though, Harry would have to be destroyed before Voldemort could be destroyed and I think this is too much of a story challenge. In this last book, Harry has to find the Hufflepuff cup, an unknown possession of Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor, and he has to ascertain that the stolen locket really was destroyed. Only so much time in the book for all this to happen AND vanquish Voldemort.

No. I didn't think so the first time I read the last book and I still don't think so. For these reasons:

1. Snape's lessons included teaching students how to combat the cruciatus spell; he was preparing the troops.
2. The argument with Dumbledore could easily be explained as Snape's reluctance/unwillingness to sacrifice Dumbledore in a final showdown with Draco. Just as Dumbledore secured Harry's promise that he would do exactly as Dumbledore told him, including sacrificing Dumbledore if necessary, when they were trying to retrieve the horcrux, he would have done the same with Snape.
3. Snape just about lost it when Harry called him a coward - if Snape is truly on the side of good, his outrage would be entirely consistent with his state of mind - he's leaving the safety of Hogwarts and is off to join the Death Eaters and Voldemort and he would be in mortal peril should Voldemort discover his duplicity. Takes A LOT of courage to put his life on the line and there was HP accusing him of being a coward. Also, Snape made a point of saying that HP's father was not what Harry thought/imagined him to be (4 boys vs 1) which suggests to the reader that Snape, too, is not who he is reputed to be (evil or Death Eater).
4. One of the last things Snape said to Harry was that he stood no chance against his foes unless he learned to use nonverbal spells - he was telling Harry how to prepare and admonishing him for not working harder at it.
5. As much as Snape appears to hate Harry, Harry is a constant reminder of Snape's error when he went to Voldemort about the prophecy. He is daily confronted with his evil past with Harry's presence. So, his outward hostility could be explained as his struggling to cope with his own misdeeds.

I think it has to. The kids are not prepared to battle Death Eaters. They need more larnin'.

Now I'm really excited for the book to come out! And the movie!

First of all...nerd alert! Geez...you people.

OK...second of all. There's no way in hell Harry dies. Good always wins out in the end. But here's what *will* happen:

Harry's battling Voldermort rightesouly, and getting his @ss kicked. He's down...almost out, when Voldermort kills...

wait for it...

Hermione. This p!sses Harry off, of course, and enough for him to use his tremendous rage to defeat Voldermort.

Heh. When my youngest sister was in high school, she and her friends formed the Nerd Patrol. They actually designed/created little cards they would hand to people as citations for being nerdy. My response to her: bet you don't have alot of friends, do you?

Ok, your prognostication. Hmmmm Hermione. I think Hermione will be very instrumental in vanquishing the bad guyz. I can't see JKR killing off Hermione. I think Neville is going to die fighting, unfortunately, but not before doing some damage of his own. Ron and Hermione will ride off into the sunset. I think Ginny will come into her own in the next book, too. I think Snape will die fighting for the good cause, perhaps saving Harry's life.

Ok...I wish I saw this thread earliar. 

 Isn't anyone curious who has been destroying the Horcrux's?

I think it is Sirius Blacks brother.  I am looking for this person whomever they are to have a major role in the book.  Look for Harry and him to cross paths in the movie.  Although Hogwarts may open do we really think Harry is going back?  Remember he is no longer protected because he has come of age and has revenge on his mind.

I read an article yesterday that made sense to me.  It said that Harry can't die because it would kill off future revenue streams.   WHo is going to go see the last 3 movies if everyone knows Harry dies in the last movie?  Also, you aren't going to keep selling the merchanidise if the lead guy is dead, right?