Future Studies

I'm not going to lie to you. Our relationship as blogger and reader is too pure to taint with anything as devious as a lie. Besides, the truth is such a lovely and refreshing thing. And so, here it is...I truly love the Harry Potter series. When I was young and in middle school I loved it for the magical-ness about it. Now that I'm older that's all nice and good, but I'm starting to love it more for the amazing way that J.K. Rowling writes the books. I love the way everything is so perfectly crafted and even the smallest things can turn into huge plot twists.

Anyway...I want to delve into my own predictions for the future (and final) Harry Potter book. First though I want to recap my hockey and basketball playoff report.

The Red Wings lost in the first round as I'm sure you all know by now. It was a horrible and depressing blow. I couldn't believe it had happened. I took some comfort in the fact that all of the top four teams from the regular season lost in the first round. Then again, none of those teams have had such awful playoffs runs in the last few years after winning Lord Stanley's cup.

The Pistons played much better and showed they had the best record in the league for a reason. They beat their first round opponents and moved on to the second round where they currently still battle. Their battle is a losing one so far though. After winning their first two games rather handidly, they lost their next three in rather close battles. It's a little depressing as well, but they're not down and out and I still carry much hope.

Also, regarding the NBA, my predictions for first round winners was amazing!! All of my predicted teams (except the LA Lakers) won their first round match ups and moved to the second round. When it comes to the Lakers, they have a 3-1 series lead and unfathomably blew it and lost 4-3. My NHL picks did not go nearly as well, I think I only picked correctly in maybe one or two match-ups.

So, let us wish the Pistons luck in games 6 and 7, and let us move on to Harry Potter.

---------------------

First let me say that not all of these ideas were originally thought up by me. In my bored periods I've sifted through many different theories, many completely ridiculous (Luna Lovegood is Snape's daughter?!), but there were many others with great evidence and which made a lot of sense.

Even after reading the 6th book I thought that Serverus Snape was still good. Dumbledore clearly had some reason to trust him that is unclear to us even now, despite whatever Harry told everybody at the end of the book. Yes, Snape's murder of Dumbledore is rather incriminating, but it doesn't mean he's evil, there's a million reasons why he HAD to kill Dumbledore. I no longer think that Snape is good and was always on the side of the Order of the Phoenix. Don't take this to mean that I think Snape is evil and has always been on the side of You-Know-Who, because I don't think that either. As Lupin once said in the 5th book, the world is not split into good people and death eaters. I think Snape is a very confused man. I saw a very good psychological profile of him that I believe to be correct. There is evidence to the idea that Snape's father, his MUGGLE father, was abusive. This leads heavily to Snape hating muggles and his lonely and angry persona even as a child. I believe this lead to Snape looking for a proper father figure in his life. The first person to become this father figure for him was You-Know-Who and even as he entered into Dumbledore's employ, he was loyal to him. Yet after You-Know-Who's downfall, Snape would be looking around for somebody else to fill that roll. And that somebody else would become Dumbledore. I think that Snape came to see that You-Know-Who never loved him and he felt more affection for Dumbledore than he ever felt for You-Know-Who.

There is another aspect about Snape I want to mention though. I'm starting to believe that he was also in love with Lily Evans, who became Lily Potter after her marriage to James Potter. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I think it's true. I think Snape fought with himself over this because for one, she was muggle born, and two, she was in Gryffindor. I think Snape hated himself and feared himself because of these feelings for her. Which might also explain why Harry sees Snape in Snape's own foe-glass. A foe-glass is not a mirror afterall.

The two paragraphs above well explain why Snape hates Harry so much. In regards to the first paragraph, he hates Harry because he's jealous of him. It's clear that Dumbledore very much loves Harry. Snape hates that Harry is taking his father figure. This explains why Snape's hatred for Harry increases over time. Yet, he originally hates Harry because he hates James Potter, the man who married his Lily Evans.

Snape will save Harry's life (probably at the cost of his own) because he loves Lily. Love is very powerful.

~~~

Okay. So now lets address these ideas that Dumbledore is still alive. I really don't think he is as much as people want him to be. Do I think it's possible? Very much so. But I think it's just too optimistic to believe.

Some people say that Dumbledore has a horcrux. I think it's an interesting idea. I'm sure Dumbledore has killed an evil wizard or two in his time (thus ripping his soul). Some people believe he then created a horcrux out of convience. Yet, the creation of a horcrux is powerful DARK magic and somebody as pure as Dumbledore would not practice such things.

~~~

Moving on. I think Tonks is a spy. I have no real evidence to support this claim, but I think she is a death eater or a ministy spy. There's no better person to be a spy than one that can change their appearance at will. I think her love for Lupin is real though.

~~~

Hagrid will die. This seems almost natural to happen. It will probably happen quite early in the book too. As for any of the Weasley's dying, I don't see it happening. They seem to have the aversion to death no matter what mortal peril they find themselves in. Lupin will not die, at least not before killing Fenrir Greyback which he obviously will do. I also don't think that Harry will die. I thought for a long time that surely he would die at the end of the book. It almost seems that he has to. But his relationship with Ginny changed all of that. He now has too much to live for.

~~~

The final battle with You-Know-Who will be an interesting one. So many people near You-Know-Who are going to turn and help Harry in the end. Snape stands by his side now, but I think he will give his life to save Harry. Wormtail will help Harry out in someway and You-Know-Who will murder him for it. And finally, Draco Malfoy will help Harry. Draco is not evil, he's a good person....deep down. I don't think Draco will die, but I can't say as much for his mother and father.

~~~

I have no idea on the remaining Horcruxes, they could really be anything. I think R.A.B. is either Regalus Black or is more than one person. If it is in fact Sirius's brother, then the necklace that nobody could open inside the Black household in book 5 is probably the necklace Harry is after. I hope he kills Nagini with Gryffidor's sword. Oh...that reminds me, I think Dumbledore was Gryffindor's heir. Speaking of heirs, remember Zacharias Smith? I'm pretty sure he's related to Hepizabah (sp?) Smith from book 6. I think he's the heir of Hufflepuff. I know Smith is a pretty common name, but I don't think it's mere coincidence. As for the heir of Ravenclaw, who knows, maybe it's Luna Lovegood.

~~~

I have more ideas and such but I'm just too tired to continue on with such speculation. Besides, I could speculate on a million things, be correct in every case and still run into a million surprises in the new book....whenever it comes out (some people think it will be on July 7, 2007...07/07/07...which makes a lot of sense to me).

Stop reading (I know I did many paragraphs ago)....

- Rian