‘Was it – was she making a real prediction?’
Dumbledore looked mildly impressed.
‘Do you know, Harry, I think she might have been,’ he said thoughtfully. ‘Who’d have thought it? That brings her total of real predictions up to two. I should offer her a pay rise…’ (POA22)
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An amazing read – and a crescendo of emotions – I was spellbound throughout but left feeling numb at the end…
More to follow – but first… was that crystal ball working?!
Answer: some of the time. ;–)
Twenty-one predictions broadly supported by canon…
1. Harry’s scar was an (accidental) Horcrux. In particular, I predicted that Snape would be the one to pass this information on to Harry. We don’t associate poor Severus with good news(!)… so when I read that ‘nothing that even Snape had left him could be worse than his own thoughts’ (DH33) I was (sort of) prepared. And Harry realised that the only way to defeat Voldemort was through death … though JKR ultimately resurrected him. (Just to show Professor Trelawney!)
2. Snape had a past involving Lily and Petunia (okay, not quite in the way I imagined!). Still, I was pleased to have predicted that the Evans sisters grew up near Spinner’s End with Snape as a childhood friend of Lily’s. Very moving moment (in view of what was to come) when young Lily asked, ‘Does it make a difference, being Muggle-born?’ and Snape told her ‘No’ (DH33). And ‘the awful boy’ was Snape and Petunia was jealous…
3. Snape was indeed ‘Dumbledore’s man through and through’. Dumbledore’s death was planned between them (although I’d given DD more credit regarding Malfoy’s plot and the cave mission – it seems he was surprised, after all). And I’d predicted that Snape might feel some resentment towards Dumbledore – but then I didn’t know the half of it!
4. Snape’s Patronus did provide hidden help to those who still believed him to be evil – though I’d predicted that this might take the form of a Phoenix (Dumbledore’s) rather than a Doe (Lily’s) – however I had also noted the possibility that his Patronus might have changed to resemble Lily’s (Unicorn?) – the ultimate proof of his love and allegiance.
5. I predicted that Harry’s final departure from Privet Drive would not be peaceful – believing that the Death Eaters would ambush him at the earliest possible opportunity. However, despite dire misgivings from some of you, I continued to hope that the wedding would indeed be ‘a last golden day of peace’. But it wasn’t to be. :–(
6. Voldemort did infiltrate the Ministry (in an initially silent coup) and Lucius was sprung from Azkaban – however, Scrimgeour was not (quite) as black as I’d painted him – he even died heroically (as I’d imagined Fudge might have done in the end). I’d predicted something similar to the Muggle-Born Registration Commission (though I’m pleased that my nightmare of Death Eaters and collaborators sending people through the Veil was not realised). The next Minister of Magic was indeed a puppet though this was a new character, Pius Thicknesse (Imperiused), instead of Lucius Malfoy.
7. It was Regulus Black who retrieved the true locket with the help of Kreacher the House-Elf. No surprises there, then! Kreacher recovered the object when the Weasleys attempted to throw it out (during the cleaning of number twelve, Grimmauld Place) but it was subsequently stolen by Mundungus. ‘Two years ago,’ said Harry, his heart now hammering against his ribs, ‘there was a big gold locket in the drawing room upstairs. We threw it out. Did you steal it back?’ (DH10) Kreacher had remained silent on Regulus’s orders but revealed this to his new Master while the trio were hiding at Grimmauld Place (as I’d predicted).
8. Krum did reappear as a wedding guest of Fleur’s: he was not a traitor as some had imagined; indeed, I’m pleased to report there were no significant traitors (one has to feel pity for old Xeno Lovegood). Unless you count Dumbledore’s betrayal of Snape. Grr…
9. As for the idea of Harry acquiring a magical timepiece … Harry and Ron ended up with similar golden watches as coming of age presents though neither came from Dumbledore (and neither watch enabled Harry & Ron to time-travel, as far as we know!) – Harry’s had once belonged to Molly Weasley’s brother Fabian Prewett, who (with his brother Gideon) was brutally murdered by five Death Eaters: ‘they fought like heroes’ apparently (OOtP9). I’d also imagined that Harry would read a message from his parents around the time of his coming of age – though this turned out to be Lily’s letter rather than their will. The glimpse of Potter family life prior to the events of Godric’s Hollow was one of the most moving aspects of DH for me.
10. My suggestion of the Hog’s Head as Harry’s final hiding place (under Aberforth’s protection) was also borne out. An object (though not the locket) was passed from Mundungus to Aberforth (i.e. the mirror). I’d imagined Harry seeing Dumbledore’s eyes in the mirror – and thinking he’d imagined it – though in my scenario it was Albus and not Aberforth!
11. Dumbledore’s family did have a connection to Godric’s Hollow (I’d suggested that he might have lent the Potters a safe house there). ‘The Dumbledore family had indeed lived here, and part of it had died here.’ (DH16) I’d imagined that Harry might have encountered TimeTurned!Dumbledore in the graveyard at Godric’s Hollow. Nothing quite so dramatic, however, ‘Harry could not help thinking that he and Dumbledore both had deep roots in this graveyard’. I did wonder if what DD suffered when he drank the potion was linked to his family – I’d imagined Imperiused!Dumbledore being forced to hurt them, so I suppose I was partially right there.
12. The Book of the Dead (which I’d linked with Luna) didn’t feature as I’d envisaged it – enabling Harry to travel to the Underworld – however ‘The Tale of the Three Brothers’ (interpreted by Luna’s father) in The Tales of Beedle the Bard did supply the legend of the Deathly Hallows (one of which – the Resurrection Stone – enabled Harry’s brief meeting with his parents, Sirius and Lupin).
13. The Hufflepuff Cup was hidden in a Gringott’s vault though it belonged to the Lestranges not the Longbottoms. (Incidentally, we never discovered why the Lestranges tortured the Longbottoms for information on Voldy’s whereabouts.) I had imagined that a booby-trapped Horcrux might have alerted Voldemort to the nature of Harry’s quest, near to the end of the book. Voldemort has to die knowing that all the Horcruxes have been destroyed.
14. Luna did prove important in the quest for the Ravenclaw Horcrux (as did the Grey Lady). I confess I was wrong to overlook the diadem in the Room of Requirement – unlike some of you! (I was surprised that DD had remained unaware of the Unknowable Room – since I’d supposed he knew more than he was letting on about Malfoy’s plot!) However I am pleased that I was correct about Luna’s catchphrase being the Ravenclaw motto: ‘“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.”’ (DH29) I had also suggested that Voldy might have returned to Hogwarts to hide a Horcrux on the night he asked DD to give him a job. Harry did not return to the Chamber of Secrets as I’d predicted – however Ron and Hermione did – and Harry revisited the Room of Requirement.
15. Yes, there was a siege of Hogwarts in which the reformed DA played a crucial role. Voldemort had his headquarters in the Shrieking Shack. I had predicted that he would – for the most part – remove himself from the fray. Neville & Ginny led the resistance at Hogwarts and Harry nominated Neville to continue his task if he did not survive. (I’d predicted Neville & Ginny eventually becoming a couple if Harry died). Ginny did appear – briefly – in a Healer’s capacity at the end, comforting one of the wounded: ‘It’s all right,’ Ginny was saying. ‘It’s OK. We’re going to get you inside.’ … Ginny was kneeling beside the injured girl now, holding her hand. (DH33)
16. Moody, Fred, Dobby and Colin all died (as divined). (Hagrid survived in spite of my fears. However, Hedwig – bought by Hagrid – did not.) I assumed that Moody would die first, also connected Dobby’s death to the Horcrux quest and Colin’s to the siege of Hogwarts. Fred’s death was linked to Percy’s redemption – though I’d reversed the order of these events. I imagined that Lupin would not long survive the final battle – though JKR ultimately beat me to it. Very sad about Lupin. :–(
17. Voldemort did not make his wand into a Horcrux and Snape did not break Voldemort’s wand as I’d foreseen. However, the final dispute between Voldemort and Snape occurred because of a wand … so maybe I picked up something in the ether?! In any case, my prediction that Voldemort would attempt to kill Harry with a wand taken from Snape was half right – although Severus was never the possessor of the Elder Wand, Voldemort believed that, in killing Snape, he would ‘master the wand’ (DH33).
18. Wormtail died by his own silver hand and Snape was killed by Voldemort’s snake. I was proud to have been right in both cases – but must point out that in my version Snape did at least get to kill Nagini! Very sad about Snape. :–( The Malfoy family did not, ultimately, come to a sticky end; JKR confirms that ‘the Malfoys weaselled their way out of trouble (again) due to the fact that they colluded (albeit out of self-interest) with Harry at the end of the battle.’ Typical. (I’m glad that Narcissa was redeemed for love of her son though and that this love helped to save Harry as well).
19. Harry underwent a ‘near death experience’ which enabled him to travel to the next realm and ask questions of Dumbledore, before returning. He did not, of course, ultimately die.
20. Harry did protect someone in the manner in which I’d suggested that he might have saved his young self: ‘Hidden beneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry cast a Shield Charm between Neville and Voldemort before the latter could raise his wand.’ (DH36)
21. Kingsley Shacklebolt did become Minister for Magic and (JKR told us in her latest web chat) reformed the Ministry. ‘Hermione began her post-Hogwarts career at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves and their ilk. She then moved (despite her jibe to Scrimgeour) to the Dept. of Magical Law Enforcement where she was a progressive voice who ensured the eradication of oppressive, pro-pureblood laws.’ A future Muggle-born Minister for Magic? I hope so.
To follow … some things that I really should have predicted; some things I definitely would not have predicted; favourite bits; apparent inconsistencies with earlier books; unanswered questions…
