GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Harry Potter, JK Rowling, books
Instead of reviewing new books as I should be doing, I have been nestled in the Harry Potter books, devouring them one last time before the last book in that series is published on 21 July 2007. Those of you who are fans will be pleased to note that JK Rowling is demanding that her fans not leak spoilers on the seventh installment's story. JK Rowling says it is best that all who know anything to keep it to themselves. She says;
There will always be sad individuals who get their kicks from ruining other people's fun, but while sites like Leaky take such an active stance against them, we may yet win. Even if the biggest secret gets out - even if somebody discovers the Giant Squid is actually the world's largest Animagus, which rises from the lake at the eleventh hour, transforms into Godric Gryffindor and... well, I wouldn't like to spoil it.
Okay, so there you have it from the author herself. This means that we are free to speculate as to what happens to our heart's contentment, but if we actually know something, we have to keep our mouths shut. Honestly, if I knew anything substantial about book seven, I'd keep my mouth shut, but I'd be happy to be "in the know", nonetheless.
So what do you think will happen in book seven? Will Harry survive? Will there be piles of weddings, as seems likely?
Comments
Eh, those kids are all too young to get married :)
-Rob
Posted by: Rob Knop | May 14, 2007 7:25 PM
"Even if the biggest secret gets out - even if somebody discovers the Giant Squid is actually the world's largest Animagus, which rises from the lake at the eleventh hour, transforms into PZ Myers..."
Fixed it...
Posted by: niucal | May 14, 2007 7:43 PM
My hope (and best guess) is that Harry wins and he and Ginny fly off together(on broomsticks) into the sunset.
Or Harry dies, just so she won't have to bother with the demands for further Harry books.
Posted by: Stogoe | May 14, 2007 8:00 PM
I think the end will be simply Harry and pals graduating from Hogwarts. Of course there'll be plenty of adventures during the course of the book. I doubt Rowling will write more books about Harry Potter but it'd be nice if she would allow another writer to take over and write books about Potter's life and battles after graduating. After all, Hogwarts just prepares him for a life of magic--there's a lot more story to tell.
Posted by: utenzi | May 14, 2007 9:31 PM
My guesses:
1) Harry et al discover that the horcrux in Half-Blood was taken by Regulus Black (Sirius' brother), who turned against Voldemort, but was killed before he got them all.
1a) Regulus got many of them, and he hid them in the Black house were the Order of the Phoenix was based.
2) Snape is "good" -- his oath was to help defeat Voldemort, and he had to kill Dumbledore to fulfill that oath -- and he ultimately dies at Voldemort's hand to save Harry.
3) Harry dies in the final battle with Voldemort (killing Voldemort, as well).
Posted by: jv | May 15, 2007 12:08 AM
Joo, joo. But who's going to win the House Cup?
If there's a character called Langford in the book, I predict he'll die a horrible death.
Bob
Posted by: Bob O'H | May 15, 2007 2:16 AM
Harry et al discover that the horcrux in Half-Blood was taken by Regulus Black (Sirius' brother), who turned against Voldemort, but was killed before he got them all....he got the locket for sure cause on Pg. 108....of book 5...there is a mention of a locker which none of them could open.....when they are cleaning the house....it is just one line read it......
Posted by: Prashant | May 15, 2007 6:29 AM
Harry wakes up in the cupboard under the stairs one morning to find it was all a really weird dream....
Posted by: Ian | May 15, 2007 6:57 AM
My predictions:
Neville Longbottom will probably die. Probably heroic, but still dead.
Fred & George are officially titled "Coolest Wizards Ever" as they launch some super dazzling attack. They probably die. But in a wicked cool way!
Harry lives, perhaps at the price of losing his magic and becoming a muggle. With the wizarding community's prized hero thus reduced, they turn their attention to the muggle world and attempt to forge a friendship and understanding between the two. Those closest to the muggle community - particularly Ron's father and Hermione - are given a great deal of respect. Or they could all die.
Dumbledore. Err.. not dead. At least not in any complete sense of the word. Dead like Obi Wan and Yoda, in that he comes back and speaks words of wisdom in his deus ex machina fashion.
Posted by: Brian Thompson | May 15, 2007 8:49 AM
marriage .. yes, it's a little early for that, i think! i especially don't like the idea of Ron and Hermione getting married. i cannot see any real attraction (beyond friendship) between those two, they seem to be less friendly to each other than either is towards Harry, as a matter of fact. and Harry and Ginny .. ? well, whatever. again, i don't see any real attraction between them in the books, so .. whatever. i mean, i would be more likely to believe that Harry and Hermione or Harry and Luna would be attracted to each other and Ron .. ? well, i can't see any self-respecting female falling for him until he grows up some more (he's just too rude and insensitive).
but one marriage that will take place is between Bill Weasley, Ron's older brother, and Fleur Delacour, the Beauxbaton's champion in the Triwizard Cup. i am kind of wondering if Bill will be cured of his werewolfishness in this book since a cure was mentioned in book 2.
also, i'm wondering if Hogwarts will even be open in this last book, since it seemed (after book six) that they were going to close it. and further, even if Hogwarts is open, i doubt it will consume much of the story line since Harry said he would not return to Hogwarts for his last year .. but perhaps it will be open and McGonagall will be head mistress .. will Ron and Hermione return to school or will they accompany Harry on his adventures and in his battles? or will Ron and Hermione continue working with "Dumbledore's Army", which will make an appearance later in the book, thereby saving Harry's neck at some point?
and yes, RAB has got to be Sirius's brother (this would explain why Voldemort personally killed him), and that locket that no one could open (mentioned, as you say, Prashant, on page 108 of book five) has got to be at least one of Voldemort's horcruxes (horcruces?), but what are the others? perhaps that wand that sat for so many years in the dusty display window of Allivander's Wand Shop is another horcrux?
i am hoping that Fred and George live through the final battle, and i am thinking that Harry could very possibly die near the end because (a) the prediction that was made in the series sounds like only Voldemort or Harry, but not both, can possibly live, if either of them lives at all, (b) Rowling has shown that she can kill her favorite characters in the story and (c) it would save her (and everyone else) from writing more books about HP -- she has said several times that she doesn't want anyone co-opting her characters. but maybe she has changed her mind recently?
Langford??
and Ian, your ending to the series is most, most cruel.
Posted by: "GrrlScientist" | May 15, 2007 1:07 PM
Now, I do hope that you won't blog about it, too much, the day the book comes out.
I won't be home to read it until October and would like some suprises left :o)
I've managed to remain fairly ignorant of book 6 as well, saved that to read on my next R&R.
Posted by: Chris' Wills | May 15, 2007 1:15 PM
Actually, I thought Ian's comment was truly funny. Utenzi makes a great point from the readers' side: There is a lot more story to tell. I, for one, can never get enough.
GrrlScientist, I was impressed by your detailed predictions/ opinions, and find myself very curious about the future of all, as well as who dies. (morbid, no?)
Call me strange, but I was more disappointed when Sirius died than when Dumbledore did.
Ahhh, the joy of a new book. I cannot wait!
Posted by: Turtled28 | May 15, 2007 3:51 PM
I'm a Snape fan; if he's good, I don't see how Dumbledore could be dead (Snape would have told Dumbledore of the oath, Dumbledore and Snape could have concocted a homunculus or doppleganger for Snape to kill). However, that seems like cheating the readers, to only appear to kill off Dumbledore. If Snape is bad, maybe he can arrange to have Harry kill Voldemort so Snape can kill Harry and become the evil master of all wizardry.
I was pretty annoyed with Harry at the end of the last book, but maybe Hermione can beat some sense into him. If so, perhaps Harry will realize that he is woefully ill-prepared for wizardly battles and will return to Hogwarts. It would be kind of funky to have the final Dark Arts instructor be Dumbledore under a polyjuice--they could maintain the tradition of losing their Dark Arts teacher after one year. It's unlikely, though, as Dumbledore (if still alive) should be looking for the horcruces.
Posted by: david rickel | May 16, 2007 12:24 PM
Neville Longbottom will save the day- harry will not be the star- check out the hint in book 5
Posted by: Neenee | May 16, 2007 10:21 PM