ou probably have your finger on the weak point, but the explanation I read theorized that making Harry the horcrux wasn't intentional; it was a byproduct of the splitting of V's soul when he killed Harry's mom.
The strongest argument for, to me, is Rowling's teasing demurral on explaining her personal faith, saying that if we knew that then everyone from 10 to 60 would be able to predict the end. If that faith is any kind of a Christian faith, then the hero must die to accomplish "salvation." But would that also include a resurrection?
It certainly would make for a gut-wrenching, jaw-dropping, tense conclusion; and an interesting and more three-dimensional growth of Harry from a self-centered, loosely-principled, serial-lying teen to one who'd lay down his life to destroy evil.
I think there are going to be lots of surprises. My biggest fear is insulating myself from spoilers. I'm very seriously considering having my wife and myself take the day off, or two, shipping the kids off, and having a readathon -- for the first time, ever!
Which is rather a compliment to someone I consider a second-rate (at best) literary talent, but am beginning to think of as a first-rate plotweaver.
Dan
Get it on tape. Then the whole famn damily can share the experience.
This is where I should be reading what she said instead of jumping ahead to supposition. Did she say personal faith or religious belief? Maybe she had some catharsis at some point, something which changed who she was fundamentally. Excuse the psychobabble but I feel like I'm on to something here. Could HP losing his power be a metaphor for rebirth, resurrection? I don't know if it's really keeping with her writing style, though. Seems more like a route that Tolkien or Lewis would have taken.
The plot thread I am most interested in seeing play out, even more than LV vs HP, is what becomes of Snape. I have my theories all worked out, but I'd love to know your take on him...pure evil or just misunderstood? Whaddya think?