Having run a wee bit over on the time I allotted for writing up book 6, K has had time already to finish book 7. So it is just sitting here, waiting for me. And I have committed to write up my predictions before reading it. Argh! Something I had considered doing, but have seen already handled much more comprehensively at places like the Leaky Cauldron, is a list of all the open questions we hope to have answered in book 7. Instead, I will just focus on what we’ve been told will happen, along with some speculations of my own.

When I first finished reading book 6, I spun off a fledgling version of what I felt was due to happen in book 7 (as then unnamed). Sadly I did not take the time to write it out, although the outline is still relatively fresh in my mind. With the recent re-reading and writing, I may endeavor to flesh it out here a bit, although given the above recognition that I am writing into my own reading time…maybe not. Still, I should emphasize that this is not what I want to happen but rather where the signs seem to me to be pointing, based on the rules that J.K. Rowling seems to have set out for herself, much like those in the world of the Princess Bride. Also, in my defense, I should mention at this late stage that I’m usually not very good at guessing the end of movies and mysteries and things like that because I am a gullible sort that follows wherever the author chooses to direct me. So if Draco marries Hermione, you won’t hear it here first.

We get the goals of the early part of the novel handed to us almost verbatim. Voldemort has endeavored to split his soul into 7 parts, via 6 horcruxes, and those 6 must be destroyed before the embodied Dark Lord can be defeated. Two of the 6 have already been confirmed destroyed - Riddle’s diary and Gaunt’s ring. Three others have been assiduously identified by Dumbledore, the Slytherin locket (not the one found in the cave of Inferi), Hufflepuff cup and Nagini. Of those, the locket is quite possibly still at 12 Grimmauld Place among Kreacher’s things, while Nagini is unlikely to be far from Voldemort’s side. The remaining one is presumably tied to one of the other founders of Hogwarts, and since the sword has already been mentioned by Dumbledore as being the last of Gryffindor’s (and has, notably, not already been destroyed as a result), the odds are on Ravenclaw. This last may not in fact exist at all; back to that later.

Harry has declared he is not planning to return to Hogwarts after his requisite final stay with the Dursleys to retain to the protection of his mother’s blood until he comes of age. He has stated he will begin his search at Godric’s Hollow, the site of his attempted murder. Before undertaking that, it is pretty safe to say we will have a wedding, perhaps shortly after Harry’s 17th birthday. Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour are engaged, and as we left them in Hogwarts, Fleur is not in the least put off by a little thing like her fiance being mauled by a werewolf. This is a good way to bring together the members of the Order to the Burrow, and fill in some background on what has been happening in the mounting war between Order, Ministry, and Voldemort’s forces while Harry has been at 4 Privet Drive. Here he can join up with Ron and Hermione, who have stated they will be joining him on his hunt.

We have not been given much to guide the particular order in which Harry can seek the known Horcruxes, so we will have to be provided clues at each station as to where to carry on next. Along with whatever they find at Godric’s Hollow, they may also be able to intuit something from 12 Grimmauld Place or from Kreacher directly, such as whether Regulus (assumed to be RAB) knew the location of any other than Slytherin’s locket.

While this is going on, four other domains will be caught in the ravages of a widening conflict: Hogwarts, the Ministry of Magic, Wizarding world, and Muggle world. At the end of book 6, the teachers were agreed to take it to the school governors whether the school would stay open. Hagrid had already committed to staying, and presumably Trelawney has nowhere else to go. Population would doubtless be down, such as the Patil twins, out of fear of Voldemort now that Death Eaters have successfully infiltrated its defenses and killed Dumbledore. But some portion of the student population should still see the merit in attending, particularly for Defense Against the Dark Arts training, although who will be free to teach them given the urgent need for all active Aurors on duty (and while Voldemort’s jinx still holds sway) is an open question. Perhaps the vestiges of Dumbledore’s Army will reform, taking advantages of the resources thus far unused in the Room of Requirement, and someone like Neville will find new courage in themselves to act as class leader (Ginny is also quite expert, and not one to shrink from a fight). With Ron and Hermione both gone, however, Gryffindor will be in need of new prefects, and with both Ron and Harry absent, their Quidditch team - if even allowed to take the field - is in for some punishment. Whether any particular other students return are all open guesses - children of Death Eater victims are especially likely to stay away, naturally, while muggle-borns have more to fear. Pureblood families could pull their children out of support for Voldemort, or keep them there because they know Slytherin house is as safe as anywhere. Draco Malfoy is unlikely to return, having been involved in a murder and the means of the Death Eaters entry and may still be working alongside Death Eaters out of fear, or is possibly in hiding with his mother Narcissa with Snape’s assistance.

The Ministry of Magic, despite being taken over by a grizzled ex-Auror, has not shown great improvements in competence, if the pacifying pamphlets sent out last term are any indication. Fudge has been named to continue as liaison to the Muggle Minister, and Arthur Weasley is already in a crush to deal with the trade in counterfeit defense items. Unless Luna is right and the Minister wields a secret army of heliopaths, we cannot expect much from the Ministry except a battened-hatches mentality and an emphasis on preserving the status quo.

The Wizard world at large has likewise not demonstrated any great solidarity under siege. The Order of the Phoenix has been the most active in plotting against Voldemort, although thus far that has been largely defensive in nature (safeguard Harry, patrol Hogwarts). The other surprising source for good news is Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes, which has expanded into the military-magic sector and now has a direct channel into the Ministry for selling Shield Charm-enchanted clothing and other more sober items than their joke stock. What we have not heard thus far is any reaction from the International Magical Cooperation department, in the absence of Barty Crouch, as to how they are marshaling aid from other wizarding groups and magical creatures around the world. Surely a Dark Lord is a threat to more than just the UK.

The Muggle world is no longer completely in ignorance as to the source of recent catastrophes, and the knowledge that the grey mists surrounding the nation are a byproduct of dementors breeding is frightening indeed. No indication has ever been given that Muggles themselves, as opposed to Muggle-born wizards and witches, have any real chance of effecting change on the wizard world’s problems, vs just being a source of them. Yet the Convention on Secrecy will be hard-pressed the more public Voldemort becomes, and the more bold his followers are in pursuing their favorite sport of Muggle-baiting or outright Muggle-killing.

We can assume that by whatever means, Harry and co. will eventually succeed in destroying all of the artifact horcruxes (how they will learn to do so is a mystery). Nagini is rather a more dangerous challenge, but while loyal to Voldemort thus far, Dumbledore does mention that use of a living container is risky, and Harry does have the benefit of Parseltongue. The whole series has been leading up to Harry facing Voldemort, without the express aid of an adult mentor, although we can expect the Order in particular to be instrumental in clearing the way and dealing with the Death Eater ranks. Probably by now the recent emphasis on nonverbal spells has made a difference in the main trio’s dueling.We have never really seen the Weasleys in battle apart from Ron and Ginny, but we can expect something dramatic from 2 former Head Boys, 2 genius inventors, and someone who wrangles dragons for a living, not to mention the considerable experience of their parents. We also have a reinvigorated Tonks, a more settled Lupin, and Hagrid’s bonds with both Madam Maxine and Grawp.

Most to this point does really involve much guessing, more extrapolation. That Rowling could have misled where we were going is of course a possibility, and maybe she has been saving the nick-of-time return of Sirius or a restored Dumbledore for a late-story appearance. As I’ve previously argued, I doubt that either of them can take a direct hand without devaluing the trauma and isolation that Harry has been slowly channeled into ever since the end of Prisoner of Azkaban. Yet something like asking Dumbledore’s portrait for the means to destroy a recovered horcrux is a possibility, since clearly some amount of the occupant’s knowledge is retained (Phineas Nigellus certain knows his offspring, as well as remembering how tiresome he found adolescents). In this fashion, Dumbledore may act as a sort of Force ghost, providing guidance without depriving Harry of all the difficult bits. That said, where things go next is much more out of my head and based more on themes than anything.

I do not think that Harry can kill Voldemort. Not that he will not succeed in destroying the artifact horcruxes, or that Voldemort is unkillable, but rather than when it will finally come to it, Harry casting a jet of green light to destroy the mortal body of the reconstituted Tom Marvolo Riddle goes against all of the qualities he has been attributed. He has felt remorse and disgust at the pain he caused Draco via sectumsempra, and although he has actually attempted the Cruciatus Curse against both Bellatrix Lestrange after she killed Sirius, and Severus Snape after he killed Dumbledore, in neither case was he able to conjure up the necessary bloodlust to make them succeed (well, Snape also helped by cutting him off before he could finish the word). He alone knows the torment of surviving a Killing Curse, and the sacrifice his mother made to protect him from it. He never knew his parents - who despite their youthful transgressions are still portrayed as moral, caring people - because of it. He has lost his godfather and mentor to it. And though the rage may course over him, and he may desperately want to avenge them through the same means, it violates the most basic code of behavior for him to perform Avada Kedavra. The Killing Curse scars the soul of the caster, which is why Dumbledore would not have wanted Draco to perform it, believing him free of those murderous urges. How then can we expect Harry to commit so foul an act, if Draco is too innocent?

But we have been told of a power that can triumph over Voldemort, for which he has no defense and by which he has already been defeated three times: love. It saturated Harry’s skin when his mother gave her life to save him, deflecting the Killing Curse back at him. It protected Harry against Quirrell, thus denying him the Philosopher’s Stone and through it the Elixir of Life. And it prevented Harry’s possession at the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, because Voldemort could not stand to share a body resonating with it. And apart from Harry’s own boundless capacity for caring, so rawly displayed as he choked from the force of it in Dumbledore’s office after the death of Sirius, we have further established a network of relationships that tie Harry and his friends and supporters in the Order more closely than mere companions. Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Bill/Fleur, Arthur/Molly, Remus/Tonks, Hagrid/Olympe/Grawp. Add to these the implied pairs like Neville/Luna and Pince/Filch, all of the Hogwarts teachers or other Order members who may have spouses. Consider even those among Voldemort’s reputed faithful who care for others, rather than just themselves - Draco/Pansy/Narcissa/Lucius (the latter may not care for others, but Narcissa and Draco both clearly care for him). Even Snape had some strong reason to abandon the Dark Lord and swear fealty to the Order at one time, in horror at what the prophecy had driven Voldemort to do, and best guess points to Harry’s mother Lily. He also took an Unbreakable Vow, imperiling his own life, to reassure Narcissa and protect Draco. While he could have done so as part of an elaborate keeping-up-appearances act, it is still a startling commitment to make. And finally, remember that of all the elemental rooms the DA ran through in their bid to save Sirius, the only one whose door has remain locked is that containing what Harry possesses in such great amounts: Love.

How this all fits together is a wonderful mystery. How exactly does Harry face down the fearsome Dark Lord with the capacity to love? Can Harry find it in himself to forgive the man who killed practically everyone he’s ever cared about? Can Voldemort actually be redeemed? To keep it in the realm of magic, I imagined something like the Priori Incantatem or Reverse Spell Effect. Wizarding couples, joined together to stand against Voldemort, hands held to invoke a powerful rite of ancient magic. Let’s call it Amor Fidelis, faithful love. A field is projected within which Voldemort is confronted with that which he cannot face, and reduces himself to nothing as a result.

Or: we still have Wormtail, or even a possible redeemed Snape. Knife in the back, bada-boom, problem solved. I’m not picky.

On the Snape question, I can really go either way. He is portrayed as a complex character, clearly between the conventional track of good and evil. He has expressed a fervent interest in, almost reverence for, the Dark Arts. He has grown up poor, disliked, and singled out by people for his appearance and proclivities. At least at one point, he was a pureblood believer. As an adult, he shows clear favorites in class, torments the children of those who bullied him, and has a generally vindictive nature. Yet…he has shown extraordinary talent in Potions, and in spell creation. He is a superb Occlumens and at least talented Legilimens. He has never actually harmed a student, indeed has acted several times for their protection, nor allowed his childhood feelings to affect the Wolfsbane potion he brewed regularly for Lupin. He saved Harry against Quirrell’s broom jinx, and worked against Quirrell to protect the Philosopher’s Stone (even though he later claims to have done so because he thought Quirrell was acting alone). He has acted as a spy for the Order at Dumbledore’s request, and at some point in the past made a convincing display of remorse and earned his total trust. He belies much of his loyalty to the Order in responding to Bellatrix’s accusations, but of course if he truly does work for the Order, he would have to have a convincing story already anyway (which is always the problem with double agents) - and as he says, if his story didn’t hold up to Voldemort’s scrutiny, it didn’t matter what Bellatrix thought. Even his outright murder of Dumbledore can be taken as a dire measure done under strict orders from Dumbledore himself, either to save Draco or to ensure his role within Voldemort’s ranks. Even while fleeing for his life, he is at some level instructing Harry on the necessities of dueling, and prevents another Death Eater from crucifying him. So we get a very mixed picture, with enough reasons to dislike and distrust him, and perhaps only Dumbledore’s fallible and now absent assurances that he is to be trusted. Still, I think he has a better chance of redeeming himself in some way than remaining as he appears in Spinner’s End, if for no better reasons than it keeps him more interesting and upholds the principle that unpleasant people are not necessarily evil.

But there is one other thing - while I don’t think Harry kills Voldemort directly, or that he himself is slain by violence, (and here’s the hard part for me to face) I do not believe that Harry will survive in the end. So much has been made of the virtue of sacrifice for a greater good, or for the protection of others - Harry’s parents, Sirius, Dumbledore. We have been thoroughly grounded in the idea that death is not the end, and is not something to fear - it is just what comes next, and remains unknown. Why would Harry not survive? First, because the prophecy does not require it - “neither may live while the other survives” makes no mention of “one will live.” Second, because (da da dum!) Harry is a horcrux. Original, I know, but it is the first thing that came to me after I finished book 6. When we learn how a horcrux is created, we also hear how Voldemort chose his victims when producing one, and that he almost certainly chose Harry for that dubious honor. We know that the energy produced by the Killing Curse goes into the effort of splintering the caster’s soul so it can be stored in an object. We know that living things can become a horcrux, because Dumbledore believes the snake Nagini to be one. And then there’s that curious lightning-shaped scar, no ordinary scar, which has been acting as first an early warning system and then a conduit into Voldemort’s mind. We know that something of Voldemort was put into Harry, because he is a Parselmouth, and Harry is not a descendent of Slytherin like Tom Riddle. If Harry can sense Voldemort’s moods, and see through Nagini’s eyes, it certainly seems likely that part of Voldemort’s soul is in Harry. As the result of the Killing Curse being deflected back at the caster by Harry’s mother’s protection, the horcrux transfer would not have been completed, but that soul destined for a horcrux container simply joined with Harry. So when Harry destroys the other horcrux items, then manages to shepherd Voldemort-1 out of his current body, that still leaves one vestige of soul. The prophecy says that “either must die at the hand of the other,” so if Harry has managed thus far not to murder Voldemort in the flesh, that leaves one alternative for him to fulfill the claim, and rid the world of Voldemort forever. He must walk through the veiled archway in the Death Room in the Department of Mysteries.

This allows for much sober discussion and firm resolve on Harry’s part. It allows for tearful goodbyes, and then surrounded by those who love him, he can square his shoulders and walk towards those whispering voices that represent all those who have left before him. The only problem I have is with Ginny, but I cannot imagine her leaving so soon, so she must be standing next to Harry and chide him yet again for the “stupid, noble reason” they must be parted. Those who remain will ensure that he is remembered, and by that measure he will live on. For 17 shining years, he was the Boy Who Lived. After all, as learned in Richard Bach’s Illusions, the life expectancy of a messiah is remarkably short. But likewise as in Charles de Lint’s Into the Green, “Death is a tragedy … but only for the living. We who have died go on to other things.”

(Entering Wild Speculation Territory)

In an epilogue, time has passed and life has returned more or less to normal. Ron and Hermione are receiving their first letter from Hogwarts for their son, Harry Albus Weasley. The gorgeous children of Bill and Fleur are already there, of course, making trouble as usual and maybe Hermione has even taken a position as Transfiguration teacher to take over from Headmistress McGonagall (I’d also accept maybe Hermione as a Healer at St. Mungo’s, while as for Ron…I just don’t know if he could really make it as an Auror). With Hagrid now working for the Ministry’s Department of International Magical Cooperation as Ambassador to Dangerous(-ly Misunderstood) Creatures, Grawp assists as Keeper of Grounds at Hogwarts, while Fred and George have expanded into Hogsmeade by taking over Zonko’s and have been making trips abroad to establish their American and Tasmanian franchises. Draco, the sneering Potions master, still shamelessly favors students in his own House of Slytherin. Neville and Luna Longbottom have opened a miscellany shop in Diagon Alley that specializes in experimental cross-breed plants (the Antivenom Tentacula is especially popular) and Defense Against Not-Yet-Generally-Accepted Dangers charms. Ginny makes a striking Dark wizard-catcher when she’s not practicing as Chaser with the Chudley Cannons farm team. But most still take time in late Spring to travel to the Ministry of Magic and visit the Potter Archway Memorial, where they meet old friends and remember the heavy costs of the war over a decade before. And many find themselves staring at the portrait of a tall, skinny boy, who wore round glasses over brilliant green eyes, and beneath eternally mussed hair had a thin lightning-bolt shaped scar.