Since December 21, we’ve all had pretty much one question on our mind: what is the meaning of “Deathly Hallows?”  We recorded some of our initial thoughts last time, and followed up with two blog posts with a more fleshed out theory: that the “Deathly Hallows” is the name for the magic that Lily used to protect Harry from Lord Voldemort by dying for him out of love.  In this podcast, we go into greater detail on our theory and discuss how all the pieces fit together, incorporating many loosed ends, including horcruxes, occlumency, legilimens and that gleam in Dumbledore’s eye at the end of Book 4.  It’s our theory, and we’re sticking to it!

You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

I think I know how Harry Potter will end.  I’m almost 100% certain that I’ve figured it out, based on the title of Book 7.

As I said before, I think the “Deathly Hallows” is the name for the magic by which Harry became protected from Lord Voldemort when Lily died for him out of love.  Lily’s performed a “deathly hallowing” of Harry, making him immune to Voldemort’s powers.  In Book 7, Harry will learn this magic, and devise a way to use it so that he, Harry, is killed by Voldemort.  The key: Harry’s deathly hallow will be on behalf of the entire world, rendering the entire world immune to Voldemort’s power.

The beauty of this is that, in Book 4, when Voldemort used Harry’s blood to reincarnate himself, he undid the protection provided to Harry by Lily’s original Deathly Hallow.  Voldemort can now kill Harry, allowing Harry the chance to die on behalf of everyone, leaving Voldemort helpless.  This is why Dumbledore smiled upon hearing that Voldemort used Harry’s blood:  Dumbledore understood that Voldemort, in his wanton determination to destroy Harry (mostly out of vanity), had opened the door for Harry to defeat him with the one weapon he could not wield: Love.

So that’s it.  That’s how it’s going to end.  It’s the prognostication to end all prognostications (we’ll still podcast, of course).

After thinking about this a bit more, I think it’s likely that the Deathly Hallows refers to what happened to Harry when Lily died to save him, i.e. Harry became consecrated by Lily’s death for his sake.  Keep in mind that this took place in Godric’s Hollow, on All Hallows Eve.  So perhaps Harry is going to be finding out more about the nature of how his mother’s death protected him, and how he can use that to defeat Voldemort.  Methinks we will finally find out what Dumbledore was smiling about at the end of Book 4.

I think the title says it all.  Penny and I made a quick podcast of our thoughts on the new title.  Check it out (or download as an mp3).

We’ll definetly be talking more about this in future episodes.  Some things we missed in our quick podcast:

• Dictionary.com entry for hallows. - hallows is a transitive verb, which means it requires a direct object.  Grammatically, the title is very interesting.
• Keep in mind: Halloween is more formally known as All Hallows Eve.

BREAKING NEWS: JKRowling.com just updated, you can open the door to reveal the title of Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

What does it mean?  I have no idea.  But it sure is ominous and spooky.  And now I’m all excited.

To open the door:

1. Goto www.jkrowling.com
2. Click on the eraser.
3. Click on the top of the mirror to reveal the Christmas tree.
4. Click on the top half of the door to reveal the wreath.
5. Click on the top of the mirror to reveal the Christmas decorations.
6. Click on the spider web.
7. Click on the fourth windchime from the left.  It becomes a key.  Drag the key to the door to unlock it.
8. Play a game of hangman to see Book 7’s title.

I guess we’ll be talking about this in our next episode.

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of wizards like a Death Eater. These minions of the Dark Lord do his every bidding, or they suffer the consequences. The worst part is: no one knows for sure the identities of these dark wizards; shrouded in mystery, their chief weapons are fear, surprise, a ruthless efficiency, and an almost fanatical devotion to Lord Voldemort.

Who are these masked men? We now know the identities of most of the Death Eaters. But what lies in store for them? What is their raison d’etre, as it were? What is their task, come Book 7, and by extension, what is the task of their master, the Dark Lord himself? All this and more are discussed in this week’s installment of Harry Potter Prognostications.

And the news:

• Potter OK in Georgia; take that, Laura Mallory!
• JKRowling.com: Harry and Voldemort will NOT perform a mutual mind meld.
• Somewhere on the web, more pictures of Daniel Radcliffe.

Blog post of the week goes to Rob from At the Core, who links to the HD version of the Book 5 movie trailer.

Also, get out and vote!

• digg just added pages for podcasts; click here to digg HPProgs.
• Stumbleupon allows you to review sites; give HPProgs a thumbs up.
• Reivew/Subscribe to HPProgs on iTunes.
• Make us your friend on MySpace.
• Help Harry Potter podcasts take over Podcast Alley.

You can listen to the podcast with the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.

Who doesn’t love Hagrid (besides Penny)?  Only those that are unable to see the beauty that lies beneath his gruff exterior.  And that’s kind of the point.  Tune in as we dissect Harry’s hairiest friend to uncover just what his role in the Potterverse is, was, and will be.

And in the news:

• Potter under fire in Georgia.  Hopefully everyone down there is reasonable.
• Potter Publisher Share Price Plummets.  Perfect Opportunity to Pick-up a Position.
• Radcliffe thinks Potter Must Die.  I think he just wants to ensure seven movies is all he’ll have to do.

Blog post of the week: A Blog Around the Clock points to a Canadian medical journal article on the ethics of magical healing.

You can listen to the podcast by using the player below, or download an mp3.

Although we typically focus on a character for our prognostications, thanks to a suggestion, we’re going to focus on a place.  Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry is an integral part of the Harry Potter books, so much so that one might even consider it a character.  With Harry and The Gang’s final year at school up in the air (due to the impending Horcrux hunt), Hogwarts future role in the books is up in the air.  What role with their revered educational institution play in the final installment, and what does the history and nature of Hogwarts tell us about Harry’s ultimate mission (besides, you know, vanquishing the Dark Lord)?  All this and more is the topic of this week’s prognostication.

And the news:

• JK Rowling and Dan Radcliffe have a lot of money.
• Kids Pick Potter (and Captain Underpants).
• Conde Nast says Movie 4 is a good travel flick.

You can listen to the podcast by using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.