Welcome Back, Potter
By Sarah Carlson
July 19, 2007
Abilenians make their predictions, tell why they're wild about Harry Potter
Brynn Reece can't put into words why she loves Harry Potter so much.
But the 17-year-old Texas A&M University-bound fan of the books and films attended the recent midnight premiere of ''Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'' with a lightning bolt scar on her forehead. She joined a gaggle of girlfriends at the Mall of Abilene for the ''Phoenix'' premiere as they stood in an impatient line that snaked its way around an entire corridor of the building.
Her friends wore giant plastic spectacles with tape on the bridge, Harry Potter shirts and graduation robes that doubled as wizarding robes, pausing from their giggling long enough to discuss their hero's fate in the final book, ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,'' which becomes available in Abilene at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. Continue reading ...
Catch up with the wizarding world and Harry Potter’s last adventures — Hogwarts style
DEFENSE OF THE DARK ARTS WITH SEVERUS SNAPE
Harry's epic battle with Lord Voldemort draws to a close in book seven. Will Harry himself be a Horcrux? See what the book might have in store.
At the end of "Half-Blood Prince," Harry is reeling from seeing Albus Dumbledore murdered at the hand of Severus Snape, and he attempts to break off his new romance with Ron's sister, Ginny, to protect her.
Now that Dumbledore's gone, it's up to Harry to find Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes - items that Voldemort has placed parts of his soul in to achieve immortality. Until all of the Horcruxes are destroyed, Voldemort can't be killed.
Harry and Dumbledore risked their lives to obtain a locket Horcrux - only for Harry to learn that the real Horcrux had been replaced with a fake by someone with the initials R.A.B.
Harry will turn 17 at the beginning of "Deathly Hallows," which means he'll no longer be under the protection of his Muggle family the Dursleys. Without his parents, Sirius Black or Dumbledore, he's alone - save for his friends. Ron and Hermione both pledged allegiance to helping Harry in his quest.
He'll likely want revenge against Snape (read more about Snape theories in the Divination section) but will be too busy tracking down the four remaining Horcruxes.
Look for author J.K. Rowling to tie up loose ends such as: Who else was at Godric's Hollow the night Lily and James Potter were murdered? Who collected Voldemort's decapitated body and his wand? Why is it significant that Harry has his mother's eyes? Will Peter Pettigrew fulfill the life debt he owes Harry? Whose side is Snape really on? Will Ron and Hermione finally get together? And of course: Who will die - Harry, Voldemort or both?
MUGGLE STUDIES
Which British actors have not been in one of the Harry Potter films?
1. Brenda Blethyn
2. Kenneth Branagh
3. Jim Broadbent
4. John Cleese
5. Warwick Davis
6. Brendan Gleeson
7. Shirley Henderson
8. Gemma Jones
9. Bill Nighy
10. Gary Oldman
11. Miranda Richardson
12. Kristin Scott Thomas
See answers at end of story.
DIVINATION WITH SIBYLL TRELAWNEY
Sarah tries her hand at Divination. What fate will she read in Harry's teacup?
CAUTION: If the word ''Horcrux'' and the initials ''R.A.B.'' mean nothing to you, neither will what follows here. This section is for the hard-core fans.
Q: Whose side is Snape really on?
A: Snape is good -- as a double agent, he killed Dumbledore because he had to. Once he made the unbreakable vow with Narcissa Malfoy to protect her son, Draco, he had to live up to it. When Draco was tasked with killing Dumbledore, Snape and Dumbledore agreed that Snape would do the deed instead. Dumbledore's last words of ''Severus ... please ...'' had him begging Snape to kill him, not spare him. Harry will want to kill Snape, but Snape will likely beat him to it, sacrificing himself for the good of the Order. It's the only way he can prove his ultimate innocence.
Q: Will Draco finally move over to the good side?
A: No. We saw in ''Half-Blood Price'' that Draco isn't as evil as his parents cut him out to be, but his foolish pride and elitism will get in his way in the end. His fate will be pitiful, in life or death.
Q: Who else close to Harry will die?
A: I have $20 on a Weasley going to the giant Diagon Alley in the sky. Aside from Ron and Hermione, everyone close to Harry has died. The Weasleys are the only family he has left, and although I wish it could be Bill or Charlie, if a Weasley goes, I'm betting it will be one of the parents.
Q: What do the initials R.A.B. stand for?
A: Many suspected Regulus Black, Sirius Black's younger brother. Black was a death eater who was reportedly killed for betraying Voldemort. I believed this at first, but after seeing the film version of ''Order of the Phoenix,'' I'm not so sure.
In the book ''Phoenix,'' Harry learns about Regulus Black, but in the film ''Phoenix,'' the entire sequence is omitted. Was this just for space and he'll be explained later? Or is this a clue that R.A.B. is not who we think it is?
Q: As to whether Harry is a Horcrux and whether he'll live or die
A: I have no idea. We'll find out Saturday.
ARITHMANCY
Harry Potter by the numbers:
$3.5 billion -- Combined worldwide box office gross for the first four ''Harry Potter'' films
$1 billion -- Amount ''Potter'' author J.K. Rowling is worth, according to Forbes
325 million -- Number of ''Harry Potter'' books that have sold worldwide, including 121.5 million in the United States
12 million -- The number of copies of ''Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows'' in its first printing, the largest first-print run in publishing history
6.9 million -- Number of copies ''Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'' sold in the first 24 hours it was available, making it the fastest-selling book in history
THE DAILY PROPHET
Think you know what will happen?
The Abilene Public Library is conducting a Harry Potter contest and giving away free collectible metal ''Harry Potter'' bookmarks to those who can correctly predict what will happen to Harry, Ron, Hermione and the rest of the wizarding world in Book 7. To enter, stop by one of the library's branches to pick up an entry form or e-mail the library at aplibrary@yahoo.com with your predictions. Entries must be submitted by 6 p.m. Friday. A complete set of rules is at www.abilenetx.com/apl
Abilene 'Harry Potter' parties
• Books-A-Million, Mall of Abilene, 9 p.m., including a costume contest, screening of a ''Harry Potter'' film, treats for sale, crafts. Lines form to pick up pre-ordered copies/to buy a copy at 11:30 p.m.; books go on sale 12:01 a.m.
• Hastings, 4652 S. 14 St., 6:30 p.m., including screening of ''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,'' costume contest, ''Harry Potter'' book trivia, reading of customers' own endings for ''Hallows''; books go on sale 12:01 a.m.
Answers to Muggle Studies question above: Which British actors have not been in one of the Harry Potter films?: YES: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11; NO: 1, 3, 9, 12
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