Episode #35: Deluxe Dragon Drawings…Draco?
Just in time for Episode #35, Scholastic released the cover for the Deluxe edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. At first glance, the picture seems quite unassuming (even austere, but certainly not threadbare). So we have Harry, Ron and Hermione riding a dragon…but then, the wheels begin to turn, and bits and pieces of information from various parts of the Potter-verse start to collect, theories start to form…and we have interesting ideas on our hands. In this episode, we review the discussion started on our last post about the draconian figure adorning the cover.
Also, we’re announcing our Second HPProgs contest! Anyone is eligible to enter this one, and there’s a really, really, really cool prize. Listen to the episode (near the end) for the details.
Vote for HPProgs on PodcastAlley! Subscribe on iTunes!
In the news:
- HBO to feature a “First Look” at the OoTP movie.
- ABC Family will air Potter movies till we puke.
- Deluxe Edition cover art for HP and the Deathly Hallows has been revealed.
- See the Death Eater Masks (a.k.a. MRI images) on the official OoTP website.
- Good interview with HP producer, David Heyman about Potter series.
- New Competition for French HP fans to win tickets to French Premeire of OoTP.
- OoTP Soundtrack announced and now available (link to HPPROGS Bookstore).
- Scholastic Question 5: Where are the Horcruxes?.
You can listen to the podcast using the player below, or download it directly as an mp3.
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June 13th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Ok I have listened to this and want to know if anyone else can see an amulet around Harry’s neck on the delux cover. I don’t see one as in the regular American cover and think it would be an item made a little more obvious to show standing out a bit more. That’s just me. There are lots of great points brought up about the symbolism of the polar opposites. The symbol on the cover, the instrument in dumbledores office and how this dragons name means polar opposite as well. I don’t want to dig too deep into that as the one thing I do know this cover says to me is how I have no clue to what is gonna happen. I mean like Star Wars episode 3 was written before it was ever made. Not a lot of surprises but this has been a well orchastrated tease to be sure.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Oh yeah Greg you mentioned Draco as Harry’s polar opposite. The key slitherin to bring the houses together as the sorting hats song kinda pleaded about. I had always thought Snape being the head of the house was the one to fill that hole but if Draco survives that is a really interesting thought. Pretty cool episode. Kinda made me wonder what the other subject saved for next week will be.
June 13th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
I have A couple reasons why I think Draco is not on Voldemorts side. Draco could not kill Dumbledore, all the death eaters who are on Voldemorts side wood not have stopped to think. If Draco could not kill Dumbledore it shows that under that mask of indifference there is a hart. Any thoughts?
June 13th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
I haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but I have to comment on one thing — Potter movies till we puke? I disagree.
We own all of the DVDs. I’ve got whole sequences of dialog seemingly memorized (not on purpose, just by osmosis). Yet, it seems that each time these movies are on TV, we watch them again. Maybe because we have kids. And because we have a TV. And because, well, it’s often better than whatever else might be on.
When I heard they were going to have the movies on, I thought it would be perfect. Three movies in 3 nights, the next night we watch the DVD of movie number 4, we get one night off (to watch NCIS, my favorite show) then we can go see movie number 5 on Wed. because of the new earlier release date. Do I have my calendar set up correctly?
Almost as good as our Star Wars marathon, when we watched episodes I and II, then went to the theater to see episode III, then came home and watched IV, V and VI.
And not once did we puke.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:29 pm
Hmmmm Draco not bad. I dunno. My personal thoughts on this is while he may be a product of his background and upbringing I still think of him as a pretty nasty little brat. There has been a lot of character developement thru the books showing the little rich kid who gets his way and favors thru his father. We already know Lucias is capable of using threats and curses to influence others and Draco is portrayed as a chip off the old block. Forgive me but my background keeps to the KISS philosophy of keep it simple stupid. While reluctant to kill Dumbledore this was as more from being a coward than being torn between good and evil. His two prior attempts to kill Dumbledore in an underhanded cowardly way didn’t seem to have any such moral struggle. True enough he was motivated by fear but so are many other deatheaters. No I feel that if there is to be any possible redemption in he or his father it well may take the death of one to force the change of heart of the other. Mrs. Luvgood. May the Force be with you! I like to marathon the movies as well and still have yet to get too much of a good thing.
Penny I know you talked about Draco being smart enough to accomplish the animagus thing when compared to the intelligence of the Marauders but they were a team and surely helped each other master this skill. Crab and Goyle wouldn’t seem like much help and I go back to how the animagus seems to mirror that individuals personna. Is Draco a dragon? Other than the name reference? Draco seems like a sinister name as does Lucuis. Apology to all who share those names.
June 13th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Potters Number one fan- I don’t know if Draco has a heart but I like the idea that under the mask of indifference there is something there…I guess we’ll see
Mrs. Lovegood- my Harry Potter movie induced puking is more from the fact that ABC family shows Harry Potter ALL THE TIME and now they are doing this whole potter marathon- I am thinking, what’s different? Our cable provider has USA right next to ABC Family. It is pretty good bet that you can turn on the t.v. and have Harry Potter next to Law and Order. It is just too predictable.
Aaron- Wow. Your last comment was really well done. I agree with you to some extent. I don’t personally think that Draco is all of a sudden going to become a nice guy and the golden trio will become the golden quartet. In some ways, I agree with you that he remains a bratty kid. But I don’t think that will stop him from realizing what the right thing to do is and regretting his past actions (including the failed assassination plots on DD’s life) and in some way- even if it is a small way, helping out the light side in Voldemort’s defeat.
Sort of like at the end of my all time favorite movie, The Karate Kid, (spoiler alert from 1984)- when Daniel Larusso wins the karate match, Johnny- the guy who has been bullying him (to the point of danger) the entire movies, hands him the trophy and says, “You’re alright Larusso!”
-ok really not so similar but the guy who played Johnny looks a bit like Draco.
June 13th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
i can’t believe that no one has said this yet, if the dragon is an animagus i tcould be snape, i thought of that when you were talking about it being old an dwarn looking. i tend to think that the dragon is just a dragon, but it’s a thought.
June 13th, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Hey…I have a question about this contest: You mentioned that a listener has come up with a slogan for HP Progs…Could you share it with us? (It be smart if the slogan and the logo went together, I think.) Maybe I missed it…sorry.
June 13th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
As I said earlyer, we know Draco through Harrys perspective, therefor we have to wonder what goes on in the mind of young Draco. As for Snape being the dragon verry possible. Snape does have a temper when provoked as do dragons. Even the most heartless person will rethink there ideals if loved ones are in danger, look at darth vader!
June 13th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
Kind of inspid contest question- do you want “Harry Potter Prognostications” in the logo, or just “Prognostications”? (Yes, I am blushing a little.)
June 13th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
Just hpprogs.com actually (or HPprogs.com whichever looks better). This is penny but I am too lazy to log out.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:04 pm
I normally don’t do logos for spec (that’s what we in the design business call design contests like this) However penny and greg have brought me hours of enjoyment so I’ll submit one
Just one question where do you want them sent.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Hi Angie (not the same one from above)- you know that will be your name here from now on!!! Welcome. You can send it to harrypotterprogs at yahoo dot com (e-mail format).
Tommorow, we will post the actual contest details on this site, we just wanted everyone to listen to the episode first
June 13th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Penny — so glad you’re doing better!! Herniated discs are terrible … just, blech!!
I don’t know if I agree with the idea of Draco being an animagus. Sorry … I just can’t see it! I am resigned to the fact that he and Snape are going ot end up good (blast ….) but I think it’ll end up being a more passive conversion (for want of a better word) than he flying the Trio all around the world. I think it’s the dragon down under … and how happy would that make Hagrid????!?
So, the WOMBATs are up on Jo’s site, and SPOILERS, you have to create the weird symbol to take the darn thing. What is that symbol??? I don’t really know if it’s the trio divided … it seems too close to asymmetry to me for that. I’m so confused!
Question on the Deluxe cover … is it just me, or does the Trio’s dragon seem to be chasing one of hte clouds? It looks a lot like the southern end of a ghost or some other ephemeral object than a cloud. Thoughts?
June 13th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
oh my god. Cara just made a really good point. And even the the thought normally wouldn’t have crossed my mind, Mary GrandPre always draws Severus with that ridiculus (sp? I should be sleeping right now…) little goatee thingie that always drives me crazy. And what does the dragon have? A crazy little goatee thingie. I still think it’s just a dragon, but this theory is interesting…
Penny: First off, I’m glad you’re doing better! Second of all, don’t feel bad about not having read the Hobbit– I only ever made it halfway through and I used to be a huge LotR geek.
I think there was something else I wanted to say, but my brain ceased functioning about 2 hours ago…
I’ll come back if I remember…
June 14th, 2007 at 7:43 am
I believe Dumbledore will be able to help Harry through the his portrit in the headmasters office. Every portrit in there can talk so why not Dumbledores. Also has anyone remembered that all those lessons about Voldemort in Dumbledores office where overherd by every portrit in that room, just a thought what do you think?
June 14th, 2007 at 9:27 am
I just want to thank Penny and her fellow podcaster for describing all the covers for the last Potter book. I am visually impaired so you have helped me know what the covers are like, thanks once more!
June 14th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
There’s a logo contest? I better hurry up and listen to the podcast, that sounds interesting.
June 14th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
Potters Number One fan- We are glad we did something worthwhile for you, thanks for letting us know!
June 14th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
you are You are welcome. Have you listened to Jim Dale’s audio versions of the Potter books he is great with the voices!
June 14th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
What a typing arror in the comment earlyer, I type as Professor Querell spoke!
June 14th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
I am a huge fan of Jim Dale audio versions of the books. I have heard them all and I have listened to different parts of HBP more times than I can even say.
June 14th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Hi Greg,
Please never do your aussie accent again it was terrible! Really enjoyed the last show by the way.
June 15th, 2007 at 8:38 am
I wanted to quickly explain my timeline question further: Harry’s sleeves are tattered in a similar manner on both the deluxe Scholastic cover and the UK children’s cover, yet Hermione and Ron are clearly wearing different robes. So, do they have an experience that gets them all tattered (maybe it’s just attempting to ride the dragon that does it), then do they go somewhere where Ron and Hermione are able to don dress robes but there isn’t a third set for Harry, and then later Harry puts on the robe he’s wearing on the regular Scholastic edition, which doesn’t have holes in the sleeves like the other two, but appears to be the same color as the one on the cover with the dragon.
Or, maybe Harry wears the brown robe to the confrontation with Voldemort, then rides the dragon after that because it’s tattered on the dragon cover but not on the other one.
What I’m getting at is coming up with a sequence that explains the difference in clothing between the 3 covers. Obviously I haven’t come up with a really good fit yet.
About the contest: did you post details online too, or not? And, are you going to tell us the slogan or don’t you want that part of the logo? Even if you don’t want it as part of the logo, I’d still find it helpful to know what it is. I’m assuming it’s different from the “if you think HP is just for kids, think again” one. And, one more question, can we submit more than one logo? I had an idea in mind, (actually, two, though I don’t know if I can make both of them, the second one might be beyond my ability) but I liked Greg’s idea, too, so I wondered if I could do both as separate entries?
I really enjoyed the podcast. I have more comments but no time right now, maybe later.
June 15th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Does anyone no if the audio version of the last book is the U.S is comming out on the same day?
June 15th, 2007 at 3:13 pm
Could Hagrid be the dragon on the Deluxe edition?
I like the idea that Draco could be the dragon, but remember, Hagrid was Norbert’s adopted “mummy”.
June 15th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
I found out that the audio book is coming out on the same day! At least something to brighten my friday night seeing as the Yankees lost to the mets (not happy).
June 15th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
I wanted to say I loved the Rocky Theme Song at the beginning of the podcast. I was walking and listening to podcasts. I’d just finished up Pottercast and I’d just gotten to the top of the big hill when the Rocky song came on, it was very inspiring, and kept playing in my head even after it stopped playing in my ears.
I’m sure everyone who saw me walking thought I was crazy. I kept talking back to you guys. At one point I shouted out “timing” just a couple of seconds before Penny said the same thing. I laughed out loud (very loud) when Penny didn’t know who Smaug was (mostly laughing at Greg’s reaction). I found myself continuing to laugh at Greg’s impressions, though I don’t have a clue who several of them were. Toward the end I found myself muttering about how the Wombats hinted that there might be some kind of Inter-country Apparition prohibition, thus necessitating the need for alternate methods of transportation, and hence the dragon.
Thanks for making my walk go quickly and pleasantly.
June 16th, 2007 at 10:37 pm
Hey y’all!! Everyone feeling Potter fever??.. a little more than a month to go folks!! Just wanted to throw out a quick prognostication in the dragon-animagus theory. While I think that Draco is a great choice for the dragon animagus- and would actually be pretty cool to see in the final book- my prediction is that the dragon is Mr. Ollivander. Rowling describes Ollivander in the first book: “An Old man was standing before them, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.” Further down the page, Rowling adds, “Mr. Ollivander moved closer to Harry. Harry wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.” (Sorcerer’s stone, U.S. ed, pg.82). Rowling also goes on to describe his eyes as being “pale” in Goblet of Fire when Ollivander shows up for the second time in the story to preside over the Weighing of the Wands ceremony before the start of the Triwizard tournament.
They also made a point of making actor John Hurt misty/pale eyed in the first movie as well in his portrayal of Ollivander. His eyes were more reminiscent to me of the translucent look of the dragon’s eyes on the deluxe cover. The dragon looks to be a bit on the aged side as well- which may be another clue that we might be dealing with an older person. Ollivander will proabably have an important part to play in the last book and im pretty sure we will hear from him again as he will probably be crucial in the explanation behind what makes a wizard most suited for their particular wand and perhaps even the nature of wandless magic itself.
Hermione makes mention in Prisoner of Azkaban that seven people (again the number 7!!) were registered as animagi and perhaps Ollivander can be found on that list as well.
June 17th, 2007 at 9:52 am
Greg what a great idea! Remember Olivander was missing in book 6 and there was no sign of a fight in his shop.
June 17th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I thought I would bring this up
Could his be the love room?
“There is a room in the Department of Mysteries,” interrupted
Dumbledore, “that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there. It is the power held within that room that you possess in such quantities and which Voldemort has not at all. That power took you to save Sirius tonight. That power also saved you from possession by Voldemort, because he could not bear to reside in a body so full of the force he detests. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you.”
June 17th, 2007 at 1:21 pm
Just from “Greg Recommends”- I LOVE Eragon and Eldest!!
June 17th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
When I first saw the Deluxe edition cover, I felt really happy! For some reason seeing it made be believe that the entire trio will survive the series. I know, it’s not rational, but some things just aren’t. Call it woman’s intuition.
The animagus theories are all interesting. The Olivander guess is particularly inspired! Especially (as Greg said) the dragon does appeared aged. One of the reasons I think the dragon may be an animagus is that I have a difficult time imagining that the trio will travel “down under” where the Antipodean Opaleye is native. An animagus Opaleye could live anywhere. So much plot to fit into less than 800 pages.
I agree that Draco must have an important part to play in book 7, but I have trouble imagining him as a dragon. Seems to me his animagus would more likely be something like a fox (cunning and stealthy and proud). Or possibly a ferret, since that’s what he was turned into by Madeye Moody. I wonder if the spell Moody used would turn a person into whatever animagus form they would take if they did the long and complicated work required, or if it was just a “turn this person into a ferret” spell?
Keep up the wonderful prognosticating!!!
June 18th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
a bit off topic and I was not sure where to post. but i just had a brain-fart and was wondering if this is an original thought:
I am not sure if anyone else has thought of this, but I just had a possible conniption.
Lord Voldemort is actually the last horcrux. If this is an original hypothesis, I would like someone to look into this in more detail (I don’t have much time on my hands to research and prognosticate on this). Here is my general thinking:
Lord Voldemort accidently created a horcrux in Harry on the backfired avada kedavra curse, thereby instilling his soul in Harry’s blood (not his scar). When Voldemort returned in GOF, he used Harry’s blood to reincarnate. When the transfer of blood occured, Voldemort’s final horcrux also transferred back into Voldemort, without Voldemort’s knowledge. This may be the meaning behind the “twinkle of triumph” in Dumbledor’s eyes at the end of GOF.
Thereby reasoning, when Harry kills Voldermort at the end, he is eliminating 2 souls at once, and thereby eliminating Voldemort for good – without Harry dying.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
Corey (aka webbyswim, webby, etc.)
June 19th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I think this is really interesting, and I agree that the dragon looks like Draco. I just know that there will be fifty bad responses to this, but I fell sorry for the kid. I mean, Voldemort BLACKMAILED him into doing all that stuff, and he really had no choice. Like Penny said in one of the podcasts, his house is about saving yourself, not other people. So it’s kind of natural that he did that, and almost killed Dumbledore. ALMOST. Keep in mind that SNAPE killed Dumbledore, and Draco didn’t. Please remember this.
June 19th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
I feel verry sorry for Draco to. We do not no what goes in the Malfoy house so we can not forget that maybe Lucious forces his son to think a sertent way. In book 6 Harry saw Draco crying in other words showing emotion. To quote Luke Skywalker “there is still good in him”. On another thought remember Dumbledores damaged hand? I really think that Dumbledore didn’t have long to live and that is why he told Snape to kill him (asooming he did). I still think Harry will be able to talk to Dumbledore through the portrit. Any way have to go now I have a Yankees game to watch!
Potters Number one fan
June 20th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
Thank you potters number one fan!!! I finally have some who didn’t say, “are you kidding me?!?!” Sheesh.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:54 pm
Ok now that time has passed I shall tell you all about the delux cover art. What you are looking at is actually located in Egypt. The mountains are the Great Pyramids which mark the entrance to the greatest unplottable magical reserve. The Qattara Depression which appears as a vast soft unavigatable desert to muggle types. It is actually a lush jungle full of magical life and hiding place of something of extreme importance. The reason for Ron and Hermine wearing robes is due to the fact they returned to Hogwarts as prefects and did not change when reunited with Harry to aid in his fight against the dark lord. Now I will see who really is a die hard Progs fan by giving this scoop of information. If you don’t believe me all you have to do is ask Penny what the definition of the word hooie is.
June 20th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Oh yes you must ask yourself why the locket on Harry’s neck in the regular american cover is curiously missing in this depiction or scene. What better way to end the series than to show the three friends riding into the sunset on a dragon.