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Those book covers
Mar. 29th, 2007 02:06 amDamn, I always seem to be out when the news breaks. :)
So what can we infer from the covers, if anything (given that it would have been a Hall of Prophecy-worthy feat of prediction if anyone had got near to explaining the significance of the UK covers for OotP or HBP, although the US HBP cover at least was relatively straightforward)? A few random thoughts off the top of my head:
UK adult version
This is Slytherin's locket from 12GP, apparently. Well, quelle surprise. Doesn't seem to be much more to say about this one, as that was spottable even before HBP came out!
UK standard version
Text: First of all, this is interesting. It looks like we start with a earthquake and gradually work our way up to a climax -- i.e. a battle of some kind at Privet Drive looks very likely, as a result of which no doubt any Dursley secrets will be revealed. And the description of Harry's path sounds surprisingly like a lot of the angsty stories we've seen (and indeed those we saw post-OotP). The emphasis on him leaving the safety of The Burrow and feeling alone probably doesn't mean him missing Ron and Hermione (especially as they're on the front cover with Harry), but it might indicate a need for Ginny that he'll eventually figure out.
Back cover: this seems to be Hogwarts, as it's like the pictures of the castle on previous covers. That ominous full moon in the sky suggests another fight there in which werewolves -- presumably Greyback's pack -- are involved. Since it's on the cover, this may well be very near the climax of the book.
Front cover: this could be anywhere. It seems to be the Trio and a house-elf (presumably Dobby, but just possibly Kreacher?) in some kind of treasure cave, facing something that causes Ron and Hermione to be looking alarmed -- Ron in particular seems to be based on the movie version! (Cool robes, btw.) I presume this is along the same lines as the UK HBP cover where you couldn't really guess that Harry and Dumbledore were on an island in a cave facing Inferi. It might be Gryffindor's treasure chamber, I suppose -- that sword surely has to be his (it has the ruby the size of an egg in the hilt as described in CoS).
I hope it is Dobby helping out, just because it would piss off 75% of the fandom who can't stand him. But the little fellow's popped up in every book from GoF onwards to do something useful, and I don't see why that should change now. I like him, on the whole.
Spine and flaps: I've no idea what that triangle-and-circle thing is, although it could be some secret sigil or whatever. The fact that we have Prongs the Patronus there looks interesting, as it suggests some vital role, although I can't see what exactly -- unless of course they're fighting off Dementors a lot, which seems very possible. Quite what the snake-in-a-bubble is I'm not sure -- if it's meant to be Nagini, then it looks as if Dumbledore's guess was right.
US version
All one picture, Harry and Voldemort in an amphitheatre of some kind under a red sky in what is presumably the Final Battle (is it just me who sometimes gets a little irritated by that Narnia-import term, even if it is convenient?). One of my longstanding theories has been that the Veil is the key to Harry disposing of Voldemort, and those curtains certainly back that up. Unless the artist has got the design wrong, however, that amphitheatre isn't the room in the Department of Mysteries, because that was described as rectangular, not circular.
As for what's going on, Harry appears to be summoning or warding off something(?), and they seem to have an audience. There are also some odd things in the middle which appear to be rocks but could be a tree stump -- there are broken beams too. I'm reserving judgement here, but on the whole I hope it's not a Battle Beyond The Veil surrounded by the shades of Voldemort's victims or whatever -- JKR might be able to pull this off (I was really impressed by the way she handled the 'love is the key' bit in HBP) but it has the potential to suck majorly.
Just noticed that neither of them seem to have a wand -- lends weight to the suggestion of it being somewhere away from the normal world. Hmm!
Ah well. Roll on further rumours. Having posted this, I can now go and look at other people's theories and see what I missed. :)
So what can we infer from the covers, if anything (given that it would have been a Hall of Prophecy-worthy feat of prediction if anyone had got near to explaining the significance of the UK covers for OotP or HBP, although the US HBP cover at least was relatively straightforward)? A few random thoughts off the top of my head:
UK adult version
This is Slytherin's locket from 12GP, apparently. Well, quelle surprise. Doesn't seem to be much more to say about this one, as that was spottable even before HBP came out!
UK standard version
Text: First of all, this is interesting. It looks like we start with a earthquake and gradually work our way up to a climax -- i.e. a battle of some kind at Privet Drive looks very likely, as a result of which no doubt any Dursley secrets will be revealed. And the description of Harry's path sounds surprisingly like a lot of the angsty stories we've seen (and indeed those we saw post-OotP). The emphasis on him leaving the safety of The Burrow and feeling alone probably doesn't mean him missing Ron and Hermione (especially as they're on the front cover with Harry), but it might indicate a need for Ginny that he'll eventually figure out.
Back cover: this seems to be Hogwarts, as it's like the pictures of the castle on previous covers. That ominous full moon in the sky suggests another fight there in which werewolves -- presumably Greyback's pack -- are involved. Since it's on the cover, this may well be very near the climax of the book.
Front cover: this could be anywhere. It seems to be the Trio and a house-elf (presumably Dobby, but just possibly Kreacher?) in some kind of treasure cave, facing something that causes Ron and Hermione to be looking alarmed -- Ron in particular seems to be based on the movie version! (Cool robes, btw.) I presume this is along the same lines as the UK HBP cover where you couldn't really guess that Harry and Dumbledore were on an island in a cave facing Inferi. It might be Gryffindor's treasure chamber, I suppose -- that sword surely has to be his (it has the ruby the size of an egg in the hilt as described in CoS).
I hope it is Dobby helping out, just because it would piss off 75% of the fandom who can't stand him. But the little fellow's popped up in every book from GoF onwards to do something useful, and I don't see why that should change now. I like him, on the whole.
Spine and flaps: I've no idea what that triangle-and-circle thing is, although it could be some secret sigil or whatever. The fact that we have Prongs the Patronus there looks interesting, as it suggests some vital role, although I can't see what exactly -- unless of course they're fighting off Dementors a lot, which seems very possible. Quite what the snake-in-a-bubble is I'm not sure -- if it's meant to be Nagini, then it looks as if Dumbledore's guess was right.
US version
All one picture, Harry and Voldemort in an amphitheatre of some kind under a red sky in what is presumably the Final Battle (is it just me who sometimes gets a little irritated by that Narnia-import term, even if it is convenient?). One of my longstanding theories has been that the Veil is the key to Harry disposing of Voldemort, and those curtains certainly back that up. Unless the artist has got the design wrong, however, that amphitheatre isn't the room in the Department of Mysteries, because that was described as rectangular, not circular.
As for what's going on, Harry appears to be summoning or warding off something(?), and they seem to have an audience. There are also some odd things in the middle which appear to be rocks but could be a tree stump -- there are broken beams too. I'm reserving judgement here, but on the whole I hope it's not a Battle Beyond The Veil surrounded by the shades of Voldemort's victims or whatever -- JKR might be able to pull this off (I was really impressed by the way she handled the 'love is the key' bit in HBP) but it has the potential to suck majorly.
Just noticed that neither of them seem to have a wand -- lends weight to the suggestion of it being somewhere away from the normal world. Hmm!
Ah well. Roll on further rumours. Having posted this, I can now go and look at other people's theories and see what I missed. :)
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