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...