I think that cannon could be okay if she later publshes something explaining mechanics that prevent things like Rm of requirement being used for time and other plot holes. In the up coming book I think that it could be decent as jk's ginny is not completly sappy like many fan fic HG authors are. (I realize this is like comparing death by fork to death by suffocation)

 

She will never do it. Rowling might have created my first and foremost universe -the Potterverse - but she is literally swimming in a pool of cash right now. Or is it pounds? Anyways, she never exactly put in enough detail into the actual story and, to tell you the truth, why ruin fanfiction by filling in plot holes? Means that fanfic authors can't do what they choose to because everyone's now concentrating on creating a story that fits the new perameters.

 

Perhaps, but a good author will always find a crack or space in the new parameters with which to work. Likewise, J.K. will never have filled ALL the plot holes, because it's impossible to do so in the universe she has created. Even if she destroys the wizarding world, muggleborn wizards will still be born. As for Harry, even if he dies, we will bring him back in one of any number of fantastic ways available in the world she made. Whatever happens, Fanfiction will be fine. As for the actual story, I haven't lost faith, and personally, aside from Ginny, I found nothing wrong with HBP. Yeah, he didn't make huge leaps in magical stances, but he'll do that in DH, I'm sure of it. If you look closely at HBP, Harry spends the entire thing doing something every person has to do before they become powerful. He grew up. He had to mature, and even more important than that, he gained resolve in HBP. He won't stop until Voldemort is dead because now he has everything he needs: motivation, and a way to kill Voldie. If he had just gone balls-out in HBP and become some super-mage, he'd turn into another Voldemort and the entire story would be a moot point.

As for the magical aspect, I'm excited as hell for DH, because what could make a person more powerful than hunting down Voldemort? I'm glad he didn't train in HBP like a maniac, because that shit is for Fanfiction. J.K. has said that Dumbledore is mostly self-taught, do you think she meant books? Hell no. Real power is born of experience. Harry sitting and reading a book while practicing spells in a room isn't nearly as good as him going out and experiencing life or death situations, where survival instinct will bring out his power, which we've seen before. By the time he reaches Voldemort, he will have probably dealt with a considerable amount of challenges to be defeated by magic, and it will be more satisfying be cause he gained it in real-life situations. If J.K does that, which I hope she will, then I won't be able to say shit, because to me, that makes sense. I don't know if that works for other people, but it would for me, and I honestly can't see any other way except a complete Deus Ex Machina.

 

SPOILER

You really think that motivation is enough to kill a man who did the things Voldemort did in the Atrium? His way to kill the other pieces of Voldemort's soul is set, yes, but that still leaves an incredibely powerful Dark Lord who gave no indication that he was weakened by the destruction of his horcruxes. What is Harry to do then? I suspect she'll tie in that 'power he knows not' around this time and give Harry his chance to beat old Voldy. If not, and she goes the way of fanfiction, how can she incorporate everything she needs to, including many plot fillers she has left out, into one final book? I see problems in the future.

 

J.K. has had this planned out for seventeen years. She's knows what she's doing, and Harry isn't just going to pull some random power out of her ass. Remember that Harry is Voldemort's equal in everything but experience. Chances are, Harry's going to come to a stalemate with Voldemort THEN pull out the random power card.

 

The problem with coming to a stalemate is that Voldemort's not stupid. He knows they have brother wands now and, if that sly intelligence reaches to the common sense level, will try and get aother wand immediately. Harry won't get a chance to pull a fast one on him, or if does I think it will be horribly done. Just my opinion. Harry's got to learn some spells or he's dead meat.

 

I just figured out what R.A.B. stands for: Really Arrogant Bastard.

 

LOL

No. Rowling's whole moral for the HP books completely opposes that. Haven't you ever wondered why she made him skinny, pale, average at everything? Or why she created characters like Hermione who had the same opportunities as Harry but excelled? Or why she has poked into both Snape and Voldemort's pasts - the former was inventing non-verbal spells, rather than struggling to even produce one as Harry did in HBP. Her whole moral is that it's not intelligence or the number of spells you know that wins it, as Harry said at some point during HBP, it's things like courage, grit and, above all, love. In her opinion, of course. I'm not sure what disappointing way she'll get around the number of horcruxes Harry has to go through (two killed Dumbledore, remember, so again it won't be skill) but she definitely won't have him turn into a super!Harry.

Come to think of it, it may be some sort of Muggle weapon that kills Voldemort, for poetic justice.

 

Is it shameful for me to admit that I prefer the universe(s) of selected fanfic writers to the one that JKR has created? At least if she kills him off in "DH" , he'll still exist in any number of well-written stories. (Just so long as he's hooked up with Tonks!)

 

If she had not created the Harry Potter Universe, than your point is moot because the fanfic authors wouldn't have Harry Potter to start with.

Objectively, HBP was not too bad of a story. We have to remember that the target audience is still however old we were 10 years ago (8-14ish?). They can tolerate the making shit up better than we can (as long as "Har-Har" ends up with "Gin-Gin", they will be happy). With all of this said, I personally didn't like it as much as the previous books.

We as a community have become so use to the Dark!Indy!Harem! Harry Potter fanfic's that we sometimes have trouble putting aside what the various authors have come up with, with what JK has written. It doesn't help that the books have been spaced out so far that if gave the community the time to ponder the what-if's of the Harry Potter universe. The result of this pondering is that many, many wonderful fanfic's that have been written.

Let me get off my soap box and get with my book 7 speculations.

1.) Either Tom, Dick or Harry will die in the end. (anyone else notice the penis reference in the main characters name?)

2.) If she writes a detail wedding scene, I think that Tom will raid the party.

3.) Somehow, either Harry or Tom are going to find a way to produce an heir.

4.) There will be a crusty whore search for the pieces of Tom's penis.

4.1) There will be a Horcrux hunt for the pieces of Tom's soul.

5.) Book 7 will not live up to my vision of what is possible, thus I will be looking for fanfic's that do.

 

Jesus Christ, why is everyone licking Snape's ass because he created spells? For all we know it may just be saying what you want to happen in Latin and finding the right grammar for it. And furthermore, I don't remember Snape beating Voldmeort on any occasion. Period. Say what you want about luck, but I doubt another wizard had the willpower to beat him in the same situation, which is all magic really is in J.K.'s universe. No, Harry isn't Dumbledore, yeah, Snape kicked his ass by standing there and blocking while Harry was in the most emotional pain he'd ever faced, big fucking whoop.

Do you know why Harry's the best? Because no one else has the balls to do what he has to do. He's going to win because he'll go all-in, while Snape sits back and blocks and creates spells and Voldemort lets his DE's handle his shit. Even Snape acknowledges that Harry is a great wizard. Blocked, again and again and again until you learn to close your mind and shut your mouth. he didn't say Harry didn't have the power, didn't say Harry didn't have the intelligence. Learn noverbals and Occlumency, that's all he's gotta do, and then he wins. We learned back in Book 5 that's its not spells and that there is people are either magical or they are not. No power issues or anything. It's about who wants it more. Harry is the most determined wizard on the planet after Book 6, and he's got the best level-headed battle instinct and shrewdness of any character besides probably Voldemort and Dumbledore. His luck didn't help him win, it made it possible to, but Harry still had to use it correctly. Basilisk equals dead, blind Basilisk with a sword isn't much better, but he still did it. Can Snape cast a Patronus that expels hundreds of Dementors (at thirteen no less)? I doubt it. Can Snape beat Voldemort in Priori Incantatem, even if he had a brother wand? Probably not. Harry knows how to beat a Horcrux, that's why he went with DD to the cave. Sense the magic, pass the test just before the final prize, and toast some Inferi. Harry's not gonna win because he knows more magic than Voldemort, that's a given, but he's not some average-Joe magical-cripple either.

 

Well, if Snape actually tried to battle Voldemort, he wouldn't be working for him anymore, would he? And if we assume that Snape is on Dumbledore's side, then it follows that he has bested Voldemort at Occlumency.

That would imply that there are no wizards as motivated as Dumbledore and Voldemort, which is hard to believe. Can you really be more motivated than Hermione or Snape? No, I think there's still the matter of magical potential involved; all wizards have it, but it's different with everyone. That would make sense, at least. That said, I agree that Harry makes up for his lack of power with his determination and quick thinking. He's sort of like Richard Rahl from the Sword of Truth series, who could hardly do any magic in ordinary circumstances, but kicked everyone else's ass when he was really angry or desperate.

 

And you don't think Harry has good magical potential? Let's really think here. There were probably sixth and seventh years from Hogwarts in the DA, and a lot of other fifth years too. Harry was the best at magic out of all of them, a fifth year who never pays attention in class and no where near as booky as Hermione. J.K. has stated that any time after Third year, Harry would trump Hermione in a duel, whom you say is more determined than he is, and who we know tries harder in class than he does. Just because he isn't besting Voldemort in the Atrium doesn't mean he hasn't got the potential to. What we've got to remember is that Harry didn't have the leisure time of Riddle, Albus, Snape, or even the Marauders, who created the map, that's why his magical brilliance comes in flashes. We've got to remember that there is almost always some kind of emotional upheaval happening to this kid. I'm not saying he's Merlin, but what he is, is a 16 year old wizard with enough magical power for his Patronus to expel hundreds Dementors, a willpower stronger than Voldemort's, quick instincts, damn good reflexes, and an even quicker wand. For a sixteen year old, that's pretty damn good. Have we forgotten that he's probably the strongest student-wizard in Hogwarts? Give Harry till he's as old as Snape and he'll probably be able to do nonverbal spells effortlessly too. Harry's development has been extremely disjointed, and we gotta remember that he isn't even that bad at nonverbal spells in the first place, as he was going to use Levicorpus twice in a duel in two different situations, on Draco and then on Malfoy (whom he also used a silent Leg-locker curse against).

I will rest the case on whether Harry has talent or not on the Sorting Hat. J.K. told us in the very first book that he had talent - lots of it. Lack of power? Hardly. Lack of experience? Most definitely.

EDIT: One must also remember that as suppressed at the Dursleys' as Harry was, he didn't have nearly the amount of time most other wizards do to explore and bond with his magic. Despite this we see that Harry's accidental magic is surprisingly focused, though not intentional, but given the time and motivation, like Tom Riddle, who had nothing but time and motivation in his pre-Hogwarts years, I think we would have seen Harry's magic develop to a level similar to Tom Riddle's.

 

I was proving a point there. Snape was able to create spells at Harry's age - his exact age. Is that a coincidence? Is it a coincidence that Rowling had the contrast of Harry being remarkably brilliant with Snape's help compared to his rather average efforts beforehand? She uses a variety of characters to prove this point - I just use Snape as it was the first name that came to mind. Sirius, James, Riddle, Dumbledore, Lily etc. The moral: love > all.

One question I must ask, one that will tell me whether or not I'm wasting my time is this: do you think, one on one, Harry can beat Voldemort in a duel?

If anything, that's what would kill Harry if Rowling was thinking utterly realistically. Snape has managed to outwit either Dumbledore or Voldemort. Enough said. In a duel between Harry and Snape, Snape would win whereas Voldemort would take them both out simultaneously without great effort. He sends his Death Eaters for fetching missions but we know he deals with the real business himself. Alone. Potters, anyone?

"Of course, it has become apparent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at all. He fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends. He is mediocre to the last degree..."

-Snape. HBP Pg. 36 (UK edition)

"I think it unlikey that your powers will register compared to mine."

-Dumbledore. HBP Pg. 528.

I think it's quite clear that Dumbledore needed Harry to sit in a boat, give him the drinks, and fight off the inferi. Hang on...he only managed two of the three.

Oh? Last time I checked, much of the books are filled with Harry playing chess with Ron or doing homeworks late into the night because he was too "busy" doing the former. If you look closely, only the last 20-30 or so pages of any one book have Harry doing something.

Again, I never read anything about Harry having a packed schedule of important meetings. Remember Riddle lived in an orphanage in the 1930s. Fanfic authors angst about Harry's chores all the time but do you seriously think Riddle would have been lounging about with his feet up? No, he'd be expected to do more chores than Harry did and top of that look after some of the younger children. Harry had every opportunity of honing his magic in the hours he spent staring into space imagining he was somewhere else in that cupboard under the stairs. Moving on to motivation. He had every motivation to cause accidental pain to the Durselys through magic. That's to do with character. Riddle was focussed, forceful and vindictive. Thus his magic developed. Once again, I think that's Rowling drawing contrasts between the two children in similar environments but polar opposite characters.

Yes, what I've written above makes me look like I hate the main character. No, he's obviously been constructed well enough to capture the imagination of readers world-wide. He's courageous, human, likeable and trustworthy. I've always thought he was a bit of a vague character a lot of the time (hence why fanfiction in the fandom rocketed) but I wouldn't go as far as to say that he's "the best". He will defeat Voldemort through some sort of pussy means. I just hope Rowling devotes most word time to actual action this time around. Longer Harry-Snape, Harry-Voldemort moments would be great (we're more or less guarenteed one of each).

 

Riddle did grow up in an orphanage in the 1930's. He was forceful and vindictive because if he wasn't, he'd be just another orphan. He knew he was 'special' and in an environment like an orphanage, he had to seize on that opportunity, use his uniqueness to make his own way. That was his motivation.

On the opposite side, Harry was totally discouraged from being different. You say his motivation should have been to cause accidental pain to the Dursleys', but Harry was hardly that stupid. Cause pain and then what? His situation becomes even worse. Harry wasn't thinking like a wizard, remember, and neither was Tom Riddle. Riddle grew up in a world where you used your special gifts to make your way in the world. Harry grew up in a world where those same special gifts only made you more miserable should you use them. Why would he have a motivation to explore his magic when it just makes his relatives beat the living crap out of him? In his situation, you remain as inconspicuous as possible so that you get by okay, not act out so you can get your ass kicked. All Harry knew was that whatever was different about him was the reason he was getting hell, and Tom knew that whatever was different about him was his way out of his own personal hell. So really, who had more motivation to use their magic?

As for the matter of dueling with Voldemort and Snape, yes, at this point he would lose. A sixth year student would lose to the greatest Dark Lord in a century and a professor who probably knows him better than he knows himself: tendencies, weaknesses, strengths, buttons to push. But you know that in the seventh book, Harry's probably going to devote all his time to being better. And I don't mean memorizing spells and wand motions. I mean delving into Occlumency, nonverbal spells, powerful magicks, Horcruxes, all of that stuff. And when he gets done, he'll probably be able to beat Snape. How hard do you really think it is to stand there and block spells, and do nothing else, from a completely wrecked teenager who's shouting spells and who's just seen his mentor die? You can bet that Harry learned his lesson and won't be shouting and angry next time he sees Snape, or that Snape will train him up a bit if he's on the good side. Either way, Harry isn't going to finish the seventh book as he is now, so stop acting like he is. Of course Harry won't be able to last one on one with Voldemort. One on one with Riddle at sixteen? We'll never know, but we saw what he did to Draco. Harry versus a Snape at sixteen? Lupin said Harry was as good as his dad, and we saw what Harry's dad did to Snape. Dumbledore himself, "Young you might be, but you had proved you were exceptional."

Oh, and as for playing chess and doing homework, Dumbledore disagrees. "My only defense is this: I have watched you struggling under more burdens than any student who has ever passed through this school..."

 

I still don't think that Harry could ever beat Voldemort. Yes, he's demonstrated some impressive stuff, but so have Hermione, and Snape, and James, and Sirius, and even Pettigrew. Dumbledore himself said that Harry's only truly uncommon ability was luv. However, with a little training he'd probably be able to beat Snape, and I'd love to see that. Of course, Snape will then turn out to be good, and Harry will have to spare his life. Fuck.

 

I will be 100% disappointed if Rowling does a 180 and makes Snape a good guy. I already know she's going to screw the pooch as far as Draco goes and have him repent his evil ways, but doing it with Snape too would just be pathetic. Hopefully she won't be that lame of an author. Sadly, I'm already about 85% sure that's exactly what's going to happen.

 

As for me, I'm 100% sure of that.

 

I try to hold out just a little hope. Usually it leads to disappointment, but sometimes I get to be overjoyed. Then there's also the "told you so" aspect of being able to claim I knew she wouldn't make him into a good guy should that 15% doubt prove true.

 

I personally would like to see Bill go Feral from his scratches and kill a few of the weasleys

Thats wishfull thinking however