We’re getting pretty close the end game. Zero hour. The End of Potter. And we’ve got plenty of unanswered questions. Earlier, we solicited your thoughts on what questions still need to be answered in Book 7. We had a great response, and, in this podcast, we go through some of the questions and give our best guesses as to how they’ll be resolved. So tune in, and let us know your thoughts in the comments.

The questions we covered are:

• Who will end up a teacher at Hogwarts? (from Greg in Toronto)
• Why did Bellatrix Lestrange go after the Longbottoms? (Nancy)
• What does the symbol mean? (Aaron from HPPC)
• How did the Wizarding World find out the Potters were killed? (from Mrs. Lovegood)
• What connection does Dumbledore vs. Grindelwald have to Harry vs. Voldemort? (Greg in Toronto)
• Why did Snape turn against Voldemort? (Ajit)

Keep sending in your questions, we’ll cover more next week.

In the news:

• HBO’s First Look at OotP movie looks pretty cool.
• Amazon books 1 million preorders for Deathly Hallows in US. July 17th is deadline for first-day delivery.
• Harry Potter virus infecting computers.
• Wizard Rock in the Garden. Hear great music and meet HPProgs!

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

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Hey everyone- Are there any questions in the Harry Potter series that you feel MUST be answered in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? If so, please send them to harrypotterprogs at yahoo dot com (e-mail format) ASAP so we can include them in one of our next episodes. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Penny

Here is the letter I sent to MSNBC this past Monday:

Dear Mr. Olbermann and MSNBC,

Last week, news outlets reported that a computer
hacker hacked into Bloomsbury Publisher’s computer and
was posting spoilers from Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows online
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6225910.stm).
Most Harry Potter related websites (including the
website that I run called Harry Potter Prognostications – http://www.hpprogs.com) reported
this story but purposely did not include any information
that the hacker revealed.  Most of us true Potter fans
have been surfing the web with our hands half covering
our eyes because we didn’t want to see any of the
spoilers.

It has been almost a week, and I hadn’t seen the hacker’s spoilers.  I sat down tonight to watch Keith Olbermann’s “Countdown” and thought I would enjoy the
segment on “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”.
Until Mr. Olbermann so cavalierly and nonchalantly
mentioned what the hacker had revealed in his
spoilers.

Mr. Olbermann said that the spoilers seemed
unbelievable.  I agree.  However; be that as it may, I
was grossly appalled at the ease in which Mr.
Olbermann revealed a major spoiler that most credible
news outlets have been avoiding for the past week. 

I can only assume I will only be one of the many Harry
Potter fans to complain about this and I certainly
hope Mr. Olbermann will take fans into account when he
delivers news segments in the future.  I am extremely disappointed
in the integrity of both Keith Olbermann and MSNBC.

Penny

Baltimore, MD

Feel free to send similar letters.  I am still angry.  Grrr.

With Book 7 just a month away, we here at HPProgs want to make sure that comments and discussion can continue without fear of spoilers. As such, we’ve taken a proactive step to make HPProgs a spoiler-free site. All comments on all posts are now moderated. While this may slow down the flow of discussion (as Penny and I will have to approve all comments before they are posted to the site), we think it’s a worthwhile trade-off in order to ensure that everyone can continue to visit, read/listen and contribute to HPProgs and our discussions without fear of having Book 7 spoiled.

If you left a comment, and it hasn’t appeared on the site for some time, feel free to email us at harrypotterprogs AT yahoo DOT com.

Please note: as of right now, this only applies to the blog; we are working on getting some kind of moderation in place for the message boards as well.

Comment moderation will be removed sometime after Book 7 is released. Thanks!

We were all quite excited when the title for Book 7 was announced. The initial reaction (Whoah!), was followed by questions (Huh?). What is the meaning of “Deathly Hallows?” Many have speculated as to what it all means, we’ve proffered our theory as well.

In this episode, we discuss some new possibilities based on some of the foreign title translations of Deathly Hallows.

We also recapped our Knight Bus experience. Try not to laugh at our extreme lameness.

Don’t forget to enter the Logo contest (entries due by midnight Saturday).

Want a chance to win a free copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

And in the news:

• JK Rowling to tour the US in October. Remember my birthday.
• Many Hispanic countries change OoTP release date to July 11.
• JK Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe,and Emma Watson land on Forbes Magazine’s annual “Celebrity 100″ list.
• Canadian fans to have a special OoTP special.
• You can take a virtual tour of 12 Grimmauld Place.
• Computer Hacker in UK announced what he claims is the ending to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (remember, NO spoilers allowed!!).

You can listen to the show using the player below, or download an mp3 directly.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

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.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Scholastic has revealed the cover art for the Deluxe Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Of course, the art was done by Mary Grand Pre.

There isn’t too much to prognosticate on but I wanted to offer my one major opinion. It could be bogus or not but here goes. Harry, Ron and Hermione (I think that’s Ron and Hermione) are riding a dragon in the picture. Call me crazy, but I think the dragon is the animagus form of Draco Malfoy (Dragon of Bad Faith). Look at the white blonde hair and the grey eyes on the dragon. I think it says it all.

Opinions?

Penny:)

By the way, if you’re thinking of ordering the Deluxe Edition, why not order it through the HPProgs Bookshelf?

This week’s podcast is a sort of amalgamation of a bunch of different stuff. On the one hand, Penny and I have come up with the Top 10 Alternate Endings for The Deathly Hallows (assuming it was written in the vein of other popular stories). Then we’ve got more speculation on what is going on on the US cover. And finally, we’ve unveiled our first-ever HPProgs contest! You’ve got to listen to get the details, but I’ll give you one clue.

In the news:

• People in the UK are betting on the end of Harry Potter.
• Harry Potter won the 2007 Nickolodeon Kid’s Choice Award!!
• Do you live in the “Harry-est” city?
• Bloomsbury financial future is on the rocks.
• Daniel Radcliffe to appear on American Idol.
• You can win tickets to the Hollywood premiere of OoTP.

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

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

We’ve got our own theory as to how the Harry Potter series will end; but there’s always a chance that JK Rowling will go with another ending, one that is perhaps based on other popular books, movies or TV shows. Without further ado, here’s our list of the top 10 alternate endings to Deathly Hallows:

• 10. Scooby Doo ending – Voldemort is captured, and is revealed to be Filch wearing a mask. As he is hauled away, he shouts, “And I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids!”
• 9. South Park ending: After defeating Voldemort, Harry and Ron address the audience, saying, “You know, I’ve learned something today.” Suddenly, Ginny is run over by the Knight Bus, prompting Ron to shout, “They killed Ginny!” Harry responds, “You bastards!” Neville laughs and says it’s because Ginny was poor.
• 8. Star Wars ending; Voldemort reveals himself to in fact be Harry’s father.
• 7. CSI: Miami ending: Harry, Ron and Hermione collect evidence linking Voldemort to the murder of Albus Dumbledore. When confronted, Voldemort challenges Harry to prove he did it; Harry puts on his sunglasses, holding up a single strand of Voldemort’s hair, responds, “I don’t have to, you already did.”
• 6. 24 ending: It is revealed that Voldemort was really just working for the French, and Madame Maxime was really behind the entire plot to destroy the wizarding world. At the last second, Harry is able to diffuse the device Maxime had planted that would neutralize all wizard’s power in all of England. Just as they begin to celebrate, Harry is captured by the Chinese and when we last see him, he is on a boat to China.
• 5. Brokeback Mountain ending: After wishing he could “quit him,” Harry finally finds out that Draco was beaten to death with wands by a group of angry Deatheaters. The book closes with Harry gazing longingly into his trunk, in which he has Draco’s Slytherin robe wrapped around his own Invisibility Cloak. Harry mumbles, “I swear, Draco.” and sheds a single tear.
• 4. Lord of the Rings ending: Harry and Ron finally destroy the final horcrux by throwing it into a bubbling lave pit deep beneath Hogwarts, killing Lord Voldemort in the process, but at the same time weakening the foundations of Hogwarts, trapping Harry and Ron miles beneath the surface. where they gaze into each others eyes, too afraid to talk of the love that dare not speak it’s name. Just as they pass out, Fawkes rescues them and they both live out their lives married to their respective spouses
• 3. A Few Good Men ending: In the process of defeating Lord Voldemort, Ron and Hermione accidentally kill Draco. They are brought to trial before the Wizengamut, and Harry must act as their lawyer. Harry believes that Ron and Hermione were only following orders from Percy, and so he calls Percy to the stand. After a few hours of intense questioning, Harry finally tricks Percy into admitting he ordered the attack on Malfoy. As he is led off to Azkaban, Percy remarks, “All you did was weaken the wizarding world today, Potter. That’s all you did.”
• 2. Back to the Future ending: Harry, Ron and Hermione defeat Voldemort by traveling back through time to 1955. While there, they befriend a young, and not yet evil, Tom Riddle. By showing him love and friendship, Tom grows up to be a swell guy, in fact, he’s Dumbledore’s personal assistant. Just as we think things are going to be OK, Mad Eye Moody shows up, grabs Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny and herds them to his nuclear powered broom time machine. When Harry asks what is wrong with them in future, Moody replies, “You turn out fine…it’s your kids!”
• 1. Harry Potter ending: It’s the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. ‘Nuff said.

Just when you think you’re out of topics to podcast about, along come The Deathly Hallows covers!  Scholasitc and Bloomsbury today released images of the covers for Harry Potter Book 7, and we’re on the scene with our first impressions as to what is going on.  What is around Harry’s neck?  Who’s holding the Sword of Gryffindor?  Will Bloomsbury the Dog save the day?  Tune in for our gut reactions.

Check out:

• Scholastic’s interaction version of the US cover. 
• Bloomsbury’s UK covers.
• Large hi-res versions of the covers, courtesy of HPANA.

In other news:

• The Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Audiobook will be available on July 21- pre-order is available.  
• The Golden Trio will stay the same in the Potter films. 
• The soundtrack for the OoTP film now available for pre order through Amazon- will be released on July 10 in the U.S.
• Hogwarts Express has been vandalized.

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

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Those of you who tuned in to last week’s post-podcast comment frenzy undoubtedly did a head smack when reading Virigina Mama’s prognostication connecting Snape to Godric’s Hollow and the invisibility cloak. If you didn’t, you need to read it right now. Or listen to this week’s podcast, ‘cuz we took the ball and ran with it.

The news:

• #7 is #1 (on Amazon, that is).
• JK Rowling, in excitement, defaces Balmoral bust.
• Waterstone prepares for mass Potter-induced depression hysteria.
• No Deathly Hallows e-book.
• Potter wins Nick Kid’s Choice Award.
• JK Rowling not upset about release date.

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

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

By now I’m sure you’ve heard the news: the day we’ve all been waiting for has been revealed. That’s right, on July 21, 2007, my Deathly Hallows prognostications will finally be proven correct! Also, Book 7 will be released. In this week’s podcast, we delve into what the end of the Potter book’s means for Harry Potter fans, and how this summer will play out as the Summer of Potter.

You can pre-order Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Amazon.com. We’ve got links to both the standard edition and the deluxe edition.

In other news:

• The Challenges facing Harry Potter translators.
• Yahoo announces BrandUniverse, will launch Harry Potter site (Yahoo: want to include our podcast?).
• Daniel Radcliffe bares all in Equus.

Also, mad props to Yamil for starting an HPProgs forum! Thanks Yamil!

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

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Amazon has now put 2007 in parenthesis next to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. Phew. Despite all of the commotion and discussion that came with the March 31 date, I am very happy. I enjoyed speculating but let’s be honest, I am completely not ready for this book to come out yet.

So, now we shall see whether March 31 is the date that the pre-order will be made available. Luckily, we will always have proof of Amazon’s March 31 debacle thanks to Greg’s quick screen saving abilities.

I wonder if there is a former Amazon employee on the streets today after having been fired for that horrible error. Sorry, Amazon employee- you are better than that. Don’t you know that We, the Harry Potter fans, will pay attention to every little nuance and clue out there?!? We will latch onto anything. To quote Michael J. Fox in The American President , “They’re so thirsty for it, they’ll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there’s no water, they’ll drink the sand.” OK fine, this quote has nothing to do with what I wrote above- but taken completely out of context, it works. (This is my blog, I’ll write what I want).

Just to note, I firmly believe that one of our listeners (who shall remain nameless at his/her request) affected this social change (yes, it is a social change- we all have to do what we can for society!). He/she was relentless with Amazon and called them on their March 31 date. They finally caved and changed the date. Well done! Hpprogs listeners are the best!

Penny:)

Ruth left a comment pointing out that the search results page for Deathly Hallows on Amazon.com shows Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as available March 31, 2007!!! See screenshot below.  Not sure if this is the date of publication, or perhaps the date that it will be available to order; the page for Deathly Hallows itself does not appear to be updated, still allowing only email alert signups.

(click on image to enlarge)

Is this the end for Harry Potter? 

We’ve got a brief podcast with a few quick thoughts on the news.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Penny picked this up whilst listening to MuggleCast. The Wikipedia entry for The Hanged Man reads:

It is a card of profound but veiled significance. Its symbolism points to divinity, linking it to the death of Christ in Christianity and the stories of Osiris (Egyptian mythology) and Mithras (Roman mythology). In all of these stories, the destruction of self brings life to humanity; on the card, these are symbolized respectively by the hanged man and the living tree from which he swings. Its relationship to the other cards usually involves personal loss for a greater gain.

Recall the game of hangman behind the locked door on JKRowling.com. And there was something about the words hallows and gallows meaning the same thing in days of yore…

As we were saying…