Oh my goodness. This country really is spiraling into decline. What happens when news channels stop broadcasting news and start airing entertainment television? This we know. But what happens when they even manage to spin real issues into some sick parody of Entertainment Tonight?
This is what's being "analyzed" on CNN right now.
"Cleavage Controversy: Clinton Clothes Coverage"
I think I particularly like the use of the word 'coverage' here... like it's breaking news that they're going to stay with for us.
...and the other silly thing? The clothing in question is nothing but a jacket with a scoop neck shell underneath... a rather modest shell, I might add.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
It is 7am here, and I've finished the book. I received my copy at 12:40am, got home to start shortly before 1. That's not bad speed. Now, I do have a few comments on the book -- there will BE NO SPOILERS ABOUT ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS -- but I do want to comment on the book as a whole. So if you don't want to know anything at all, don't keep reading.
I am...emotionally wrung out. I was crying off and on for most of the second half, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with happiness. I think Rowling has REALLY stepped up the writing on this one. It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I love the way everything came together, and how all the loose ends got tied up. And it's written so well, it really is... the emotion, the drama... my pulse (resting rate in the mid-70s) was over 100 -- from sheer text on a page.
[What follows is a bit more detailed information that might be construed as "spoilers". I'm writing it in text that shouldn't show up on the page -- highlight below with caution]
I didn't care as much for the Epilogue. Struck me as cheesy. Would rather have seen what happened a couple months or a year after the action to more people. Thought the climax was brilliant, though I must admit I was hoping for a more redemptive ending. When Hermione talked about ways to remend a Horcrux-torn soul (person must feel remorse, painful, probably wouldn't survive) I thought it was a PERFECT way for Voldy to exit. Right. Saving any further details for more than 7 hours after release...
I am...emotionally wrung out. I was crying off and on for most of the second half, sometimes with sadness, sometimes with happiness. I think Rowling has REALLY stepped up the writing on this one. It's brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. I love the way everything came together, and how all the loose ends got tied up. And it's written so well, it really is... the emotion, the drama... my pulse (resting rate in the mid-70s) was over 100 -- from sheer text on a page.
[What follows is a bit more detailed information that might be construed as "spoilers". I'm writing it in text that shouldn't show up on the page -- highlight below with caution]
I didn't care as much for the Epilogue. Struck me as cheesy. Would rather have seen what happened a couple months or a year after the action to more people. Thought the climax was brilliant, though I must admit I was hoping for a more redemptive ending. When Hermione talked about ways to remend a Horcrux-torn soul (person must feel remorse, painful, probably wouldn't survive) I thought it was a PERFECT way for Voldy to exit. Right. Saving any further details for more than 7 hours after release...
Friday, July 20, 2007
Potter-Mania is getting ridiculous
And yes, I know I'm part of the problem.
But here's the other problem: Spoilers. I don't want 'em. Can't stand 'em. So my very lifestyle and habits are changing.
- Changed my alarm clock to not play 96.5 in the morning since their DJs are known blabbermouths (Lazlo dished the end to Book 6 last time).
- Won't do web surfing other than highly targeted sites. No blogs, no general forums, no user comments... hell, I won't even read any comments about THIS post until after I've finished the book.
- Radio is NPR only: they've already said they aren't going to talk about the book. Others? Hm, not so sure.
- My Google news feeds are quickly skimmed for troublesome key words first.
- I'm only watching DVDs or TiVo recorded programs from last week.
...it's getting bad. Fortunately, by the time I sleep next I will be well into the book. :)
But here's the other problem: Spoilers. I don't want 'em. Can't stand 'em. So my very lifestyle and habits are changing.
- Changed my alarm clock to not play 96.5 in the morning since their DJs are known blabbermouths (Lazlo dished the end to Book 6 last time).
- Won't do web surfing other than highly targeted sites. No blogs, no general forums, no user comments... hell, I won't even read any comments about THIS post until after I've finished the book.
- Radio is NPR only: they've already said they aren't going to talk about the book. Others? Hm, not so sure.
- My Google news feeds are quickly skimmed for troublesome key words first.
- I'm only watching DVDs or TiVo recorded programs from last week.
...it's getting bad. Fortunately, by the time I sleep next I will be well into the book. :)
Monday, July 16, 2007
Peru Blog: 6/6 - 7:36 am
We now return to diaries from Peru...
It's been a long couple of days, and I've neglected my writing terribly.
June 4:
Today was a more "normal" sort of day for our vacations. We had to check out of the hotel at 9am, and kill time until our train left Aguas Calientes at 4:45pm (hora Inka, not hora peruana). There was an optional 2nd day up to MP, but we hadn't bought it, we were on our own for the day. AC (calld Pueblo de MP by the locals) is a chill little place that reminds me a lot of Jacó. It's full of pizzerias and hostels, tourist trinket shops (artesanía) and abarrotes [little grocery shops]. Despite the abundance of tourists, locals can be found, too, and at night, they take over the Plaza Central. Adults watch while children run or play soccer or catch.
This town loves a parade. Some religious festival was going on today, and we saw at least four separate parades of girls in traditional costume, men in white masks, and people carrying religious icons and crosses. There are a lot of stray dogs here, which I expected. What surprised me was the number of stray children. Children of 3,4..6,7...years old running around alone, playing with stray dogs or rolling in the street were everywhere, even during the school day (and we saw kids in uniform, so it was a school day).
The restauranteurs and vendors are active and persistent, but I wouldn't say aggressive. They come out to you, 2 or 3 at a time offering menus, coupons, hats, sweaters, water bottle holders...
[At this point I interrupt my narrative about what happened two days ago with some observations on the present...]
[Cusco is interesting in its outlying regions. Homes of adobe sprout right out of the dirt, so it appears that the buildings just sprouted right from the ground.]
...It gets hard to be polite after awhile. I can't fault them for trying to make a living - or for trying to do something to make their establishment stand out from the 471 others just like it. The handicrafts really are pretty much the same. We figure there are probably a few factories (sweat shops?) making all of these "hand made" goods.
Eventually we wandered into the non-tourist areas of the pueblo, which were much more interesting. Pizzerias gave way to an open air market of produce and meat. Excuse me for a moment - gringa moment coming - RAW, UNREFRIGERATED MEAT! EW!
Gringo moment over. And the artesanias gave way abarrotes, soccer fields, schools, and darker skin. Really a very nice little town.
Then we took the train back to Ollantay and a heinous bus ride to Cusco. Eric was nearly sick.
It's been a long couple of days, and I've neglected my writing terribly.
June 4:
Today was a more "normal" sort of day for our vacations. We had to check out of the hotel at 9am, and kill time until our train left Aguas Calientes at 4:45pm (hora Inka, not hora peruana). There was an optional 2nd day up to MP, but we hadn't bought it, we were on our own for the day. AC (calld Pueblo de MP by the locals) is a chill little place that reminds me a lot of Jacó. It's full of pizzerias and hostels, tourist trinket shops (artesanía) and abarrotes [little grocery shops]. Despite the abundance of tourists, locals can be found, too, and at night, they take over the Plaza Central. Adults watch while children run or play soccer or catch.
This town loves a parade. Some religious festival was going on today, and we saw at least four separate parades of girls in traditional costume, men in white masks, and people carrying religious icons and crosses. There are a lot of stray dogs here, which I expected. What surprised me was the number of stray children. Children of 3,4..6,7...years old running around alone, playing with stray dogs or rolling in the street were everywhere, even during the school day (and we saw kids in uniform, so it was a school day).
The restauranteurs and vendors are active and persistent, but I wouldn't say aggressive. They come out to you, 2 or 3 at a time offering menus, coupons, hats, sweaters, water bottle holders...
[At this point I interrupt my narrative about what happened two days ago with some observations on the present...]
[Cusco is interesting in its outlying regions. Homes of adobe sprout right out of the dirt, so it appears that the buildings just sprouted right from the ground.]
...It gets hard to be polite after awhile. I can't fault them for trying to make a living - or for trying to do something to make their establishment stand out from the 471 others just like it. The handicrafts really are pretty much the same. We figure there are probably a few factories (sweat shops?) making all of these "hand made" goods.
Eventually we wandered into the non-tourist areas of the pueblo, which were much more interesting. Pizzerias gave way to an open air market of produce and meat. Excuse me for a moment - gringa moment coming - RAW, UNREFRIGERATED MEAT! EW!
Gringo moment over. And the artesanias gave way abarrotes, soccer fields, schools, and darker skin. Really a very nice little town.
Then we took the train back to Ollantay and a heinous bus ride to Cusco. Eric was nearly sick.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Starting to Hate Apartment Life
I get home last night from work to find a couple of guys from the landscaping company in our front "yard" ...they tell me that I have no water right now. K, that's fine. Just getting back from the gym, about to go out with some friends. We get home from that, there's still a big hole in the yard and plumbing detritus scattered around, but hey -- we have water.
Fast forward a few hours.
Alarm goes off. Buh buh buh... flush. Shower on. Ah. Warm. Shampoo...soap... gurgle hiss hiss --
and gone.
And I'm standing in my shower covered with shampoo and facial scrub without one hint of water coming in through the pipes. Fortunately, I read webcomics, and I knew what to do. But hey, with a start like this to the day, it can only get better...
..right?
Fast forward a few hours.
Alarm goes off. Buh buh buh... flush. Shower on. Ah. Warm. Shampoo...soap... gurgle hiss hiss --
and gone.
And I'm standing in my shower covered with shampoo and facial scrub without one hint of water coming in through the pipes. Fortunately, I read webcomics, and I knew what to do. But hey, with a start like this to the day, it can only get better...
..right?
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix
A movie review
*** Warning: Contains spoilers about the movie and the book. ***
Overall, I thought it was a very good movie. They started with the longest book (about 870 some pages in the US hardcover edition) and made a movie that was a "mere" 2 hours, 15 minutes (or so). By and large, the edits they made were good. I felt that, for the first time since the first book, they didn't cut anything crucial. Now, a great many people and things didn't get nearly as much screen time as I would have liked. Being a big fan of the books, though, I'd want all my favorite characters to have lots of screen time, and it just didn't happen.
The two people who got massive amounts of screen time were Harry and the new professor, Dolores Umbridge. This isn't a bad thing; they're both REALLY central to the book. However: (1) Harry's time absolutely dominates. Ron and Hermione are relegated from secondary characters to darn near extras. I felt these two were particularly neglected. (2) Umbridge's time is essential, and the few changes they made from the book (for example, 10's of educational decrees instead of about 5-10) worked really well. But she still is just a one book character, and some of her development could have been used to making other people and ideas develop better.
Great parts:
- I loved Grawp in the movie, where in the book I could have taken or left him.
- Luna Lovegood is spot on.
- The finale sequence at the Ministry of Magic is very well done. It is faster than in the book, but honestly, I think the scene in the book drags on a bit. Putting it all in one room works.
- Special effects are terrific. I LOVE the look of the Order and the Death Eaters dueling in the last battle.
- Radcliffe's acting is absolutely wonderful. Gone are the days in "Prisoner of Azkaban" where his crying makes me cringe. He really runs the emotional gamut here, and pulls it off beautifully.
Major beefs:
- The first 10-15 minutes are pretty bad. The plot the way it's been cut works well, but there is almost NO emotion. You're not terrified by the dementors, Mrs. Figg gives no sense of urgency, the anger of the Dursleys isn't pronounced, you're not worried by Harry's expulsion... things don't stop being scene-scene-scene-scene until Harry arrives at Hogwarts.
- Bellatrix avada kedavra's Sirius into the veil; this is a major flaw since in the book he's only stunned before falling through, leaving us to wonder if he's really quite dead or not.
- Fred and George's escape scene is not nearly as delightful as in the movie...and it really wouldn't have taken any more minutes to do it right. Part of the fun is seeing the other professor's not trying to help and watching Umbridge try to magic them away. While seeing her squeal is cute, it loses a lot.
- Harry's scene in Dumbledore's office at the very end has lost nearly all of its emotional depth. We see a calm chat versus Harry's true rage and guilt and sorrow at losing Sirius. Still, we get plenty of angst at other times, so maybe this isn't a huge deal.
I would say that if you haven't seen this yet, you may want to reread or rewatch book or movie 4, but don't reread book 5 just before going, or your brain will be tallying up every little discrepancy. :) Still, fabulous movie. I'll be seeing it again before it leaves theaters.
*** Warning: Contains spoilers about the movie and the book. ***
Overall, I thought it was a very good movie. They started with the longest book (about 870 some pages in the US hardcover edition) and made a movie that was a "mere" 2 hours, 15 minutes (or so). By and large, the edits they made were good. I felt that, for the first time since the first book, they didn't cut anything crucial. Now, a great many people and things didn't get nearly as much screen time as I would have liked. Being a big fan of the books, though, I'd want all my favorite characters to have lots of screen time, and it just didn't happen.
The two people who got massive amounts of screen time were Harry and the new professor, Dolores Umbridge. This isn't a bad thing; they're both REALLY central to the book. However: (1) Harry's time absolutely dominates. Ron and Hermione are relegated from secondary characters to darn near extras. I felt these two were particularly neglected. (2) Umbridge's time is essential, and the few changes they made from the book (for example, 10's of educational decrees instead of about 5-10) worked really well. But she still is just a one book character, and some of her development could have been used to making other people and ideas develop better.
Great parts:
- I loved Grawp in the movie, where in the book I could have taken or left him.
- Luna Lovegood is spot on.
- The finale sequence at the Ministry of Magic is very well done. It is faster than in the book, but honestly, I think the scene in the book drags on a bit. Putting it all in one room works.
- Special effects are terrific. I LOVE the look of the Order and the Death Eaters dueling in the last battle.
- Radcliffe's acting is absolutely wonderful. Gone are the days in "Prisoner of Azkaban" where his crying makes me cringe. He really runs the emotional gamut here, and pulls it off beautifully.
Major beefs:
- The first 10-15 minutes are pretty bad. The plot the way it's been cut works well, but there is almost NO emotion. You're not terrified by the dementors, Mrs. Figg gives no sense of urgency, the anger of the Dursleys isn't pronounced, you're not worried by Harry's expulsion... things don't stop being scene-scene-scene-scene until Harry arrives at Hogwarts.
- Bellatrix avada kedavra's Sirius into the veil; this is a major flaw since in the book he's only stunned before falling through, leaving us to wonder if he's really quite dead or not.
- Fred and George's escape scene is not nearly as delightful as in the movie...and it really wouldn't have taken any more minutes to do it right. Part of the fun is seeing the other professor's not trying to help and watching Umbridge try to magic them away. While seeing her squeal is cute, it loses a lot.
- Harry's scene in Dumbledore's office at the very end has lost nearly all of its emotional depth. We see a calm chat versus Harry's true rage and guilt and sorrow at losing Sirius. Still, we get plenty of angst at other times, so maybe this isn't a huge deal.
I would say that if you haven't seen this yet, you may want to reread or rewatch book or movie 4, but don't reread book 5 just before going, or your brain will be tallying up every little discrepancy. :) Still, fabulous movie. I'll be seeing it again before it leaves theaters.
Monday, July 9, 2007
Peru Blog: 6/3 5pm, Aguas Calientes
Dude. Machu Picchu. Wow. "Majestic" is really all there is to say (though I'm sure I'll say more). The whole place makes the most wondrous photographs and memories. I took 133 photos today (Still below my daily quota of 170!)
We arrived at about 10 am (no sunrise rush here!), wandering a bit at first. We knew from the guidebook that it was possible to climb Huayna Picchu, the mountain behind the town in all the photos, so we were headed that direction. Hiked it. About an hour up. It was very steep -- in one place, there were just stone stairs as wide as my shoulders and steep like a ladder. We were on all fours a good part of the last part up. It was also VERY worth it. That trek really made the trip to MP for me. Just... breathtaking views of MP (the city). Once at the top, everyone was part of this great community of sweaty, smelly, tired hikers and amateur photographers. Find a rock and have a seat - you've earned it. Only 400 are allowed up per day, so it's one great way to avoid the ~3000 people in MP at a time.
While there are a lot of people, it's not very dense. So, no, you don't get the place to yourself, but I wouldn't say it was crowded. Plus, there are so many individual rooms, nooks, terraces, and backside staircases, it is possible to feel isolated. So yes. Arrive early (I'm sure sunrise would be great), stay late, climb Huayna Picchu, take a guided tour...it's great. Amazing. Truly.
Ali, our guide, took us around in the afternoon to see the sights and explain. The sad...and impresive... thing is hot little there really is to explain. We just don't know that much! Archaeologists have excavated, studied, surmised, and conjectured. But since the Inca themselves have left no records of the place, the sad truth is we'll probably never know.
We arrived at about 10 am (no sunrise rush here!), wandering a bit at first. We knew from the guidebook that it was possible to climb Huayna Picchu, the mountain behind the town in all the photos, so we were headed that direction. Hiked it. About an hour up. It was very steep -- in one place, there were just stone stairs as wide as my shoulders and steep like a ladder. We were on all fours a good part of the last part up. It was also VERY worth it. That trek really made the trip to MP for me. Just... breathtaking views of MP (the city). Once at the top, everyone was part of this great community of sweaty, smelly, tired hikers and amateur photographers. Find a rock and have a seat - you've earned it. Only 400 are allowed up per day, so it's one great way to avoid the ~3000 people in MP at a time.
While there are a lot of people, it's not very dense. So, no, you don't get the place to yourself, but I wouldn't say it was crowded. Plus, there are so many individual rooms, nooks, terraces, and backside staircases, it is possible to feel isolated. So yes. Arrive early (I'm sure sunrise would be great), stay late, climb Huayna Picchu, take a guided tour...it's great. Amazing. Truly.
Ali, our guide, took us around in the afternoon to see the sights and explain. The sad...and impresive... thing is hot little there really is to explain. We just don't know that much! Archaeologists have excavated, studied, surmised, and conjectured. But since the Inca themselves have left no records of the place, the sad truth is we'll probably never know.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Peru Blog: 6/2 5:25 pm, Yucay
Continuing with the Peru logs...
I wasn't in Urubamba before.
This hotel used to be an hacienda -- a town within walls -- before it was a fancy tourist town within walls. But that's what it is; there's a restaurant, two bars (w/live music), a church, a museum, and even our own handicraft market. There's another "unsanctioned" market outside the hotel featuring very insistent saleswomen and girls. They tend to swarm, and we've had to be quite firm.
I particularly remember one little girl selling these awful finger puppets. She was the most insistent of the lot...
We started in Pisac, a huge handicraft market. There are hundreds of stalls, but really much less variety of goods. We did all find some nice gifts and souvenirs, though. I'm disappointed that it was all we did in Pisac. My guidebooks tell me there are some great ruins just beyond the city.
I was very put off by the hard sale tactics. It's difficult to get used to; I guess it's what they feel they have to do. They can be so plaintive, so desperate. There was one fellow who offered to sell me "real, original Inca pottery"! It was adorable, really. He walked to the back of the shop, crouched under the counter, moved aside some rags to show... The Secret Trove! Sadly, after talking to Bob it seems he reveals his secrets to everyone, not just his special friends like us.
We then went to Ollantay (the town) and Ollantaytambo (the fortress). It's amazing how much of the Inca town has survived - not just the archeology and ruins, but the town itself. Many of the homes are built on Incan foundations and the aqueduct that waters the town, too.
The Inca aqueducts are still present and running, but they count on ice and snow runoff from the Cordillera Blanca. Want disturbing evidence of climate change? It hasn't snowed in those mountains for 25 years. (I should note here that Eric heard what our guide said differently. He heard that the quantity of snow had been diminishing for 25 years. Caveat lector).
The Ollan. fortress, in my experience, is pretty much a bunch of stairs. This altitude is murder. 20 stairs and my heart was pounding. Eric said the interesting thing was that your muscles don't ache, but your heart is racing and you're gasping for air.
Speaking of hiking, Machu Picchu is tomorrow.
I wasn't in Urubamba before.
This hotel used to be an hacienda -- a town within walls -- before it was a fancy tourist town within walls. But that's what it is; there's a restaurant, two bars (w/live music), a church, a museum, and even our own handicraft market. There's another "unsanctioned" market outside the hotel featuring very insistent saleswomen and girls. They tend to swarm, and we've had to be quite firm.
I particularly remember one little girl selling these awful finger puppets. She was the most insistent of the lot...
We started in Pisac, a huge handicraft market. There are hundreds of stalls, but really much less variety of goods. We did all find some nice gifts and souvenirs, though. I'm disappointed that it was all we did in Pisac. My guidebooks tell me there are some great ruins just beyond the city.
I was very put off by the hard sale tactics. It's difficult to get used to; I guess it's what they feel they have to do. They can be so plaintive, so desperate. There was one fellow who offered to sell me "real, original Inca pottery"! It was adorable, really. He walked to the back of the shop, crouched under the counter, moved aside some rags to show... The Secret Trove! Sadly, after talking to Bob it seems he reveals his secrets to everyone, not just his special friends like us.
We then went to Ollantay (the town) and Ollantaytambo (the fortress). It's amazing how much of the Inca town has survived - not just the archeology and ruins, but the town itself. Many of the homes are built on Incan foundations and the aqueduct that waters the town, too.
The Inca aqueducts are still present and running, but they count on ice and snow runoff from the Cordillera Blanca. Want disturbing evidence of climate change? It hasn't snowed in those mountains for 25 years. (I should note here that Eric heard what our guide said differently. He heard that the quantity of snow had been diminishing for 25 years. Caveat lector).
The Ollan. fortress, in my experience, is pretty much a bunch of stairs. This altitude is murder. 20 stairs and my heart was pounding. Eric said the interesting thing was that your muscles don't ache, but your heart is racing and you're gasping for air.
Speaking of hiking, Machu Picchu is tomorrow.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Some predictions
Right-o. I've been rereading Harry Potter books 5 and 6 in preparation for Movie 5 and Book 7. I'd like to record some official predictions now before the book is released so that when they're true, I can say I told you so. Now, these are *original* predictions, though they are not unique. That is, I came up with them myself (or in conversation with others), and didn't read them off the Internet, though I'm sure I'm not the only one to have come up with them.
Rowling has confirmed that two major characters will die.
I'm fairly confident one of them will be Hagrid, and that he will die protecting one of the Big Three (Harry, Ron, Hermione).
I don't think any of the Big Three will die. Rowling said in an interview "like I'd kill Harry's best mate" and "Hermione is really me." If any of the three must die, I think it will be Harry. Ron & Hermione are an item, and she just couldn't split that up. Plus, Harry really has to die. The whole savior archetype thing. It would probably be most fitting if Harry and Voldemort killed each other and died together at the end. They're just that tied together. And ALSO, what on earth would Harry do with his life without the dark side around? Just go off and have a job? Have kids? Doesn't fit. That said, I still don't think she'll actually kill any of them off.
Still, that leaves me one more major character death to account for. She's said it will be someone big, someone important. That the bad guys here are truly evil, and that they don't just go after extras. I think one of the Weasley parents is a likely candidate here, or maybe Bill Weasley. Cho Chang or Neville Longbottom also seem possibilities. Or Lupin. Major, likable, but not TOO major. I'd count most of the rest of the Weasley family (the twins and Ginny) as being hopefully too major to really bump off. I know it's getting darker and all, but seriously, this is a kids' book, and you can't go 'round wiping out the good guys TOO much!
Other predictions...
After rereading book 5 and most of 6, I think Snape will be redeemed. No idea how. But we've all been led down the "Snape is evil!" path too many times...and been proven wrong at the end every time (except 6 where we're kind of left in the dark). I know Dumbledore isn't into making yourself a slave to prophecy or anything, but I bet there was some sort of good reason he had to die. Still sucks.
This one's sort of random, but if it happens, I'll be most proud, since I haven't read it anywhere else and have been calling it for years. Draco will attempt to go to the good side. Not sure what his provocation for that will be. He'll try, but be tragically unable in the end (who's ever managed to leave Voldemort's side and lived?). In fact, and here's the best part, I think it'll be his dad who kills him -- accidentally, of course, and Lucius will have to live with the horrible guilt of killing his traitor son. Or he might not feel guilty. In any case, though, Lucius kills Draco, who's trying to go good. Now, that might count as a second major character... little loss, though.
So Harry has to manage to kill or destroy Voldemort. Now let's face it: Harry hasn't KILLED anyone (Quirrell died on a technicality, and the baselisk isn't a person). None of the children has. I think that's important, keeping them unsullied. So the big weapon that Dumbledore kept insisting that Harry has over Voldemort is love. Somehow Harry has to destroy Voldemort with love. We also remember from book 4 that when Harry tells Dumbledore that once Voldemort got some of his blood (protected by Lily's sacrifice), V could touch H again. Dumbledore's eyes flashed with something that looked like a "gleam of triumph". I think this fits in with V's end. Somehow... not quite got this figured out yet... Harry's gift of love from his mother will end up being V's final undoing (again). What, Harry's just gonna look at him and go "I love you, Tom Riddle"... and Voldemort vanishes in a pink puff of heart-shaped smoke?
Percy will quit being a prat and come back to fight with his family and the rest of the Order.
I'm such a freaking nerd...
Rowling has confirmed that two major characters will die.
I'm fairly confident one of them will be Hagrid, and that he will die protecting one of the Big Three (Harry, Ron, Hermione).
I don't think any of the Big Three will die. Rowling said in an interview "like I'd kill Harry's best mate" and "Hermione is really me." If any of the three must die, I think it will be Harry. Ron & Hermione are an item, and she just couldn't split that up. Plus, Harry really has to die. The whole savior archetype thing. It would probably be most fitting if Harry and Voldemort killed each other and died together at the end. They're just that tied together. And ALSO, what on earth would Harry do with his life without the dark side around? Just go off and have a job? Have kids? Doesn't fit. That said, I still don't think she'll actually kill any of them off.
Still, that leaves me one more major character death to account for. She's said it will be someone big, someone important. That the bad guys here are truly evil, and that they don't just go after extras. I think one of the Weasley parents is a likely candidate here, or maybe Bill Weasley. Cho Chang or Neville Longbottom also seem possibilities. Or Lupin. Major, likable, but not TOO major. I'd count most of the rest of the Weasley family (the twins and Ginny) as being hopefully too major to really bump off. I know it's getting darker and all, but seriously, this is a kids' book, and you can't go 'round wiping out the good guys TOO much!
Other predictions...
After rereading book 5 and most of 6, I think Snape will be redeemed. No idea how. But we've all been led down the "Snape is evil!" path too many times...and been proven wrong at the end every time (except 6 where we're kind of left in the dark). I know Dumbledore isn't into making yourself a slave to prophecy or anything, but I bet there was some sort of good reason he had to die. Still sucks.
This one's sort of random, but if it happens, I'll be most proud, since I haven't read it anywhere else and have been calling it for years. Draco will attempt to go to the good side. Not sure what his provocation for that will be. He'll try, but be tragically unable in the end (who's ever managed to leave Voldemort's side and lived?). In fact, and here's the best part, I think it'll be his dad who kills him -- accidentally, of course, and Lucius will have to live with the horrible guilt of killing his traitor son. Or he might not feel guilty. In any case, though, Lucius kills Draco, who's trying to go good. Now, that might count as a second major character... little loss, though.
So Harry has to manage to kill or destroy Voldemort. Now let's face it: Harry hasn't KILLED anyone (Quirrell died on a technicality, and the baselisk isn't a person). None of the children has. I think that's important, keeping them unsullied. So the big weapon that Dumbledore kept insisting that Harry has over Voldemort is love. Somehow Harry has to destroy Voldemort with love. We also remember from book 4 that when Harry tells Dumbledore that once Voldemort got some of his blood (protected by Lily's sacrifice), V could touch H again. Dumbledore's eyes flashed with something that looked like a "gleam of triumph". I think this fits in with V's end. Somehow... not quite got this figured out yet... Harry's gift of love from his mother will end up being V's final undoing (again). What, Harry's just gonna look at him and go "I love you, Tom Riddle"... and Voldemort vanishes in a pink puff of heart-shaped smoke?
Percy will quit being a prat and come back to fight with his family and the rest of the Order.
I'm such a freaking nerd...
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