Harry Potter Countdown Thread

[Tanniker Smith]

The countdown is on! We're all waiting. Let's talk about it while we're waiting.

This countdown ticks down the time to both the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film.

Countdown clocks can be found at http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#static:countdowns

[alwaysconservative]

Me, too!

[Tax-chick]

All the yelling was a bit much

It's a story about teenagers. Yelling is what they do, when they're not crying or pouting.

[kevkrom]

Think Ron and Hermione will finally make it official? Harry and Ginny? Will all four of them be standing at the end? Did Dumbledore really die and is Snape secretly a good guy?

1. No
2. Yes.
3. No.
4. Yes.

I know I'm a distinct minority, but I still predict that Hermione doesn't survive. Ron, used to getting "not the best", winds up with Luna.

[kevkrom]

That’s the way I feel about OOTP: that book that was hardest for me to read (and re-read). I think every author seems to have a book that contains a lot of “fill”, and all of Harry’s unreasonable anger ALL THE TIME (even with the explanation of Harry channeling Voldemort) seemed like “fill”. It just dragged on and on in places.

Ahh... book #5, also known as "Harry Potter and the Teenage Angst".

[Allegra]

I remember when the last book came out, some git worker at a Borders told a child when they finally got their hands on the book, "Oh you are going to cry when Dumbledore dies at the end."

What an IDIOT!!

[mware]

I am going out on a limb on this prediction but I think Hermione and Harry will get married at the end of the book.

Remember Harry's dad was a bit wild and his mom appeared to be the stabilizing factor.

That is how I view the relationship between Harry and Hermione. Reading the first book I thought for a dating relationship would develop.

[Tax-chick]

Nobody gets married in Britain these days. They’ll have to just be “partners.”

[Sloth]

Book 5 was less fun to read than 4, for some of the reasons you mention, but it’s actually my favorite because of the political dimension... Umbridge, as an agent of the government, denies the Hogwarts students the freedom of speech, freedom of association, the freedom to keep & bear wands, etc. The Ministry is bureaucratic and corrupt. The ‘Daily Prophet’ is an MSM surrogate full of lies and propaganda. I think it’s great for kids to be reading something with such subversive/libertarian undertones.

[alwaysconservative]

I never thought about it that way, and you’re absolutely right about the political overtones. I’ll have to think about this more.

[kevkrom]

I am going out on a limb on this prediction but I think Hermione and Harry will get married at the end of the book.

I really, really doubt this. Harry is destined to be a member of the Weasley family (his reward for his heroic actions is to get the one thing he never really had -- a family), ergo the love interest with Ginny.

[Sloth]

I agree. And the Ron/Hermione relationship has been building since the very first book.

[PapaBear3625]

(Will there be another Darth Vader to save Luke from the Emperor?)

I'm guessing that Dumbledore will be back to take the hit for Harry. Too many clues in Halfblood Prince that he faked his death

[Sloth]

Rowling has stated pretty flatly that Dumbledore is really dead & that we shouldn’t expect him to come back.

http://www.hpana.com/news.19531.html

[Tax-chick]

Maybe his death was a dream sequence.

[grellis]

First question, before I even read any comments: When do we post the spoiler thread for the book? Does 14 hours after its midnight release sound about right?

I'm not so geeked about the movie but I'm climbing the walls for the book!!!! AAAAAAH!

[Xenalyte]

Dude, that was teh funnay!

[Xenalyte]

That is a great point of view, and one I will keep in mind as I re-read the books over the next few weeks.

Allegra, do you have the previous books over there? Do we need to send them to you so you can refresh before the new installment?

[Tanniker Smith]

the freedom to keep & bear wands,
LOL!
Excellent turn of a phrase, even if you weren't intending it to be funny.

[Tanniker Smith]

Rowling has stated pretty flatly that Dumbledore is really dead & that we shouldn’t expect him to come back.

It was only because of this that I will entertain the notion that Dumbledore is dead. The problem, of course, is that she put in so many clues that the death wasn't, let's say, "normal". There were unusual circumstances surrounding it and the notion of "rebirth" has surrounded Dumbledore since Book 1.

Maybe he'll be reincarnated at the end of July.

[Tanniker Smith]

Does 14 hours after its midnight release sound about right?

Oh, yeah, sure, we'll all be finished it by then!
JUST KIDDING!!

I don't know about you guys, but I'm not reading this or any other thread from the time the book is available until I finish it, so I'll let everyone else answer.

I'd say to start a SPOILER thread or make them invisible without highlighting.