Just to be fair, this is what was actually written in the book:

It seems that Harry has to actively kill Voldemort himself, rather than passively participating in an "accident."

Me too...because you don't actually see his body die. Maybe he does die, but I don't think so. It as just so quick and doesn't really seem like it happened. I guess we'll see....although waiting for the next book will be hard after waiting for 3 years for OotP.

random observation
 

So I'm re-reading OotP, and I just passed the part when Harry felt that Voldemort was "the happiest he'd been in 14 years." The trio assumes that this is because the Death Eaters escaped from Azkaban, but it was also the night that Harry realized where the corridor and the black door was, thus making it easier for Voldemort to lure him there. So, not only did Voldemort get his death eaters back, but he also had a huge breakthrough in getting the "weapon." And who was the one who facilitated Harry figuring out about the corridor? You got it, our old pal Snape and his shady Occlumency lessons. Although I know a lot of people have sympathy for Snape and really believe that he's going to turn out to be not so bad after all, I really think that he's letting his hatred of Harry (and James, Sirius, etc.) get in the way and he'll probably end up setting Harry up for a very big fall. I think he's more interested in taking out his revenge on Harry for what the MWPP gang did to him than he is in helping Dumbledore.

Okay, how come some of you have 870 pages in your books and my book ends on Page 766?

I'm reading the Canadian print, and I don't see how different it can be from the American print, and the Canadian print is probably closer to the British print, than the American if they are different.

What is going on here?

Very astute, DWAlphaGam. I'd thought something like that myself, but hadn't been able to articulate it that well. Good job. I agree that there's definitely something shady about Snape.Lady Pi Phi, I don't think that you got any sort of abridged version. I know that a different publishing company handles the Canadian version, so it's possible that the type was smaller or something like that.

I would have to say that the Canadian version is identical to the UK version which has only 766. I believe the US DOES have larger type as well as we have all the fun graphics at the beginning of each chapter which takes up roughly half a page. We also have VERY different dust jackets.

Sarah

I have to agree with you. Do we really know what is beyond the veil? Luna and Harry heard voices there. Is he really dead? I just reread that whole scene. First off when Harry tells Lupin they can still reach Sirius, Lupin says "There's nothing you can do, Harry....nothing...He's gone."

Harry keeps calling for Sirius so Lupin says "He can't come back, because he's d____" Harry yells "He's not dead" before Lupin can finish what he was going to say - so is he really dead or was it something else Lupin was going to say.

When Harry spoke to Nick about being a ghost notice that Nick never said Sirius was dead. "...when somebody has suffered a .... loss" (notice the pause before the word loss) and then he tells Harry "He will not come back. He will have....gone on"

From what I can tell only Harry has used the word dead and die when talking about what happened to Sirius.

Just putting forth another possibility,
Carolyn

Carolyn

I decided to jump in now that Im completely finished...

I have read in books that are predicting what will happen and they had said that it was Sirus that was going to die...

Now, they also predict that it IS NOT Harry who will kill Voldemort. Maybe it is Neville?! I have also heard Snape, but that wont fit with the prophecy.


...and I also think that I am the ONLY person in the world who loves Snape? I love the character, and I do believe that he IS good and will prove himself more in the next books.

**oh and with the sorting hat's new song... who feels that those who got sorted into Hufflepuff are now feeling that they got the shaft cos their house just takes the leftovers?!**

Okay, this thought/theory just popped into my head. Does dying at the hand of another necessarily mean that hand has to be touching the instrument of death? Could it mean that Harry would be a key player in the downfall of Voldemort? This could be seen as Harry getting involved in the Order and DA, as well as helping to bring together the houses and Wizarding World. Harry may not personally have to KILL Voldemort, but rather bring out Voldemort's death by being a key player the fight against V.

Once again, just a theory. . . .

Sarah

P.S. I would SO get a copy of Hogwarts, A History if it is ever written! I also would love to have books about the Marauders and their gang!

I'm only on page 240 but I cheated and read this thread anyway (what can I say? I'm a slow reader....)
Anyhow, I am looking forward to getting further into this book!

LOVE THE BOOK
 

I loved this book and can't wait for the next!!!! Please hurry JKR!!!!:D
Nat

I think it would be fascinating if JKR really did write Hogwarts A History

I'm amazed @ the world she's created & would love to learn about Hogwarts. Especially the founders & the history of all 4 houses.


ETA: I am re-reading the whole series now (a compulsive thing of mine) & Hermione says she read up on Hogwarts, etc. when she got her letter. But she had no idea she was a witch prior to her letter. So how did she know what to read up on? And how the heck did she get to Diagon Alley to buy her supplies?

I wondered that, too. Maybe the letters that Muggle-born children get contain a page of extra instructions.

I finally finished - it took me a week. Another great read. Quite a compliment for someone who really did not think I would like the books at all. I generally do not like fantasy, but read the first one so I would be "up" on the latest literature and could talk to my students about it when they came into the library.

I think we are going to find out that Snape has some redeeming qualities after all!! Harry was indeed very, very angry, but I just figured it was his age. That can be such a miserable age anyway.

LOVE these books!! I feel that they are for everyone, because a good story is a good story.:)

This doesn't really have anything to do directly with The Order of the Phoenix, but it is Harry Potter related.

I was just watching the video of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and something occured to me. Harry's Aunt Petunia is a muggle, and I am assuming her parents are muggles.
Both of Hermione's parents are muggles. I am wondering how a witch or wizard can be born to 2 muggle parents? How does this work? Was it even explained in the books and I just missed it.

What are your thought?

It was not explained and it is curious indeed.

In my opinion I think Harry was angry so much because he was channeling Voldermort with their conection they had. I hated Percy in this book, I wouldn't mind seeing him get knocked off. Abandoning his family and Harry like that. I wish she would have shown the Weasly reaction to the twins opening the joke shop more.

I'm guessing the same way squibs are born?

magic must be a recessive trait or something....like blonde hair, blue eyes, or lefthandedness

I've read all the books, but I'm not sure what exactly a Squib is. Can someone explain it to me?

A squib is a non-magical person who is born to two magical parents.
Filch is a squib.

Ahhh...thanks :)

So is Arabella Figg. :)

Right, I couldn't remember her name, and my mom has my copy in Florida. At least my book got to go on vacation.


Does anyone think that the Weasly's are going to return to finish their final month of school? Is there possibly a G.E.D version of N.E.W.T.s??
Just thinking, hope some kid doesn't read about them and think that its ok to drop out of school...Probably thinking to much, but eh, I would like to see them finish school. Even if they are already highly successful at the joke shop.

I don't think Fred and George will return to school.

N.E.W.T.s are like A levels. It's kind of hard to explain the British system, but O.W.Ls and the wizarding equivilent to O levels (ordinary) levels. A levels come next. They are very hard, and not many people pursue them. My mother doesn't have her A levels. Since N.E.W.T s, I am assuming are like A levels, they are not mandatory, and Fred and George most likely would not have completed them anyway. They said several times that they were not interested.

However, I do believe that Fred and George will be popping in from time to time in the next 2 books to help Harry and the Gang.

It would be funny if Voldemort was defeated by Harry feeding him some Skiving Snackboxes. :)

I love it!

I think a house elf (maybe Dobby) and maybe other magical creatures will figure in somehow. We have Hermione's whole S.P.E.W. thing, and on re-reading Harry 4 with my son, I am seeing that there is a running thing on house elves being forbidden from using wands -- one of the things Hermione wants to change.

Then there is whole thing about the statue in the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, with the house elf and the centaur. One centaur, Firenze, has come to Hogwarts, at great personal cost. I'm thinking that more than just wizards and witches will participate in the defeat of HWMNBN, and that the result may be new relationships between witches and wizards and "magical creatures."

This isn't about OoP but just something about Percy turning to the dark side.

I'm rereading all the books now, and am on Chamber of Secrets. When Harry, Ron, Hermione and the group go to get their school books, Fred and George happen along Percy reading a book entitled, "Prefects who have gained Power" or something to that effect.

IMO, it's foreshadowing of Percy's ambition and that ambition may be something that Voldemort plays off of. Also, somewhere in this book the comment is made about Voldemort and how he recruited his followers, that he explained that there was no good or evil, merely power and those who had it or were too afraid to take it.

I can see Percy being drawn to Voldemort for the power he desires.

Kitso
KS 361

That is an excellent observation. I can see you being right about it too.

I guess the moral of her stories are "power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely".

There are a couple differnt covers.

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P...2.LZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P...2.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I really think that the observation made about Percy having read that book could very well be a forshadowing of his tending towards the evil side. He has been from the beginning a very attention-seeking, power-hungry character. I think your observation of this is great.

I can never remember, who of Harry's grandparents were magical?

I believe that his grandparents on his mother's side were muggles, I am assuming that James' parents were magical. Although I don't remember reading anything too indepth about the grandparents. I do remember Aunt Petunia saying that her parents were excited to have a witch in the family which lead me to assume that Lily was the first witch.

That's what I've always assumed, too, but after reading OotP, I wonder. Perhaps they were excited to have a witch in the family because their other daughter, Petunia, was a squib? I wonder if Petunia doesn't resent all witches and wizards because she isn't one. Seemed a little odd to me that she would know about Azkaban and dementors just because she remembers Lilly mentioning them when, apparently, she wanted to have very little to do with Lilly and James.

Just speculatin'.

See, I recall her having said this too, but to me it didn't neccesarily mean that she was the first. Aunt Petunia seems to know a decent bit about the magical world, because it came to her without her even having to think for a second about what azkaban was...had she only heard it once when she was young it would be hard to imagine that she recalled it that easily. Y'know? Seems like the chances are she was at least raised in a slightly more magic-conscious home...

No, I don't think Petunia is a Squib, because in the first book, McGonagall remarks that "the Dursley's are the worst sort of Muggles imaginable". I think if Petunia was a Squib, it would have mentioned that.

What if JK Rowling was deliberately not mentioning that then? Maybe it will be a major plot issue later on. Wouldn't be the first time she's withheld important info until a later date for plot purposes.

I agree with SigmaChiCard, my fist thought when I read that scene was that she sounds waaaaay too familiar with magical stuff for a muggle.

A friend of mine pointed out another possible way to explain it, though. Perhaps Petunia became involved with a wizard friend of Lily's and got burned? That would explain her familiarity with magical term and hatred of wizards. Either way, I think there's a lot Vernon Dursley doesn't know about his wife.

Also, AggieSigmaNu, that's a great observation about Percy. Just adds more ammo to my Percy theory.

I wonder if there's a term for muggles who have wizarding relatives? I know one hasn't been mentioned in the books so far, but I'm just wondering if one will crop up. I mean, some of them could likely be very knowlegable about the wizarding world, and maybe even in some ways a member of the community.

It's entirely poosible. I guess we'll find out (or not) in the next two books). I just think Petunia knows a lot about the wizarding world because she grew up around it (with Lily being a witch and all), she probably learned a lot about it from her.

I also don't think that Petunia thinks she's a "freak", but was probably very jealous about her, and to this day still holds a grudge.

No, I don't think Joanne K. R. would have given that up right off the bat. Although, I think Lily was like Hermione, a magic person born to non-magic people. Or maybe the family was magic and Petunia is a squib (remember, you don't find out that Filch is a squib until Book 3, I believe)


SigmaChiCard,
Here are more
Harry Potter covers than you can shake a stick at....(yes, I went a little nuts!) :o
Harry Potter auf Deutsch
Harry Potter and the "stone of the learned man"(German)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (he looks jiggy here)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
_____________
Harry Potter en Francais
Book 1 Harry Potter at the Sorceror's School (title not translated directly)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
__________________________
Harry Potter en Espagnol
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
_________________
I actually quite like the Spanish covers and the German ones...they're sort of edgy (the German ones I mean).
________________
Harry Potter (Canadian covers)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (kids) cover
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (adult) cover
___________________
Harry Potter (American covers)
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
_______________
Harry Potter "adult covers" (available in England, Canada, and other parts of the British Commonwealth)
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don't think that Petunia is a squib because JKR makes a big deal about mentioning Lily is a 'mudblood' when V refers to her, etc. I actually think that Lily and Petunia's parents are squibs which is why they would be VERY excited that at least one of their daughters got a letter from Hogwarts. It also explains how Petunia knows as much as she does about the Wizarding World. The definition of a muggle is a non-magic person - which would technically include squibs (though squib is used to distinguish the wizard parents. . . ).

Just another theory to throw out until we get books 6 and 7. . .

Sarah

My husband and I just finished reading OotP. We decided that the only way to read it without a divorce resulting :p was to read it aloud to each other... that's why it took so long.

I haven't read through this entire thread in detail yet, but I just have to say DAMN... this is NOT a book for kids!! I went into it knowing it would be dark, and knowing that someone would die, but even so...!!

As for the exams, I'm familiar with the British system, though I was not educated through it. As I understand it, O-levels are like high school proficiency exams in particular subjects (like the New York State Regents or other similar exams - not like SATs or ACTs, which are general proficiency exams) and A-levels are like AP exams. So O.W.L.s (O-levels) would demonstrate basic proficiency in various subjects that all wizarding-school graduates would be expected to have mastered, while N.E.W.T.s (A-levels) would cover specialized advanced studies.

As for Lily and Petunia's family, I believe they are/were all Muggles except for Lily. Petunia knows about the wizarding world because her sister was involved in it - Hermione's parents, who are Muggles, know about the wizarding world for the same reason.

Never thought about that! That's a great theory!