Thanks for all the insight, I think you have some good insight and valid points there.

Harry dieing?

I think he will be willing to die, to sacrifice, like his parents for the greater good. BUT, here comes the Phoenix…remember the healing tears? Possible need for ashes and a Phoenix rising scene, could Hogwarts burn?? I think Harry’s “dieing” may be the removal of his magic but the “resurrection” of his physical form. Is it possible that Harry has a horecrux of his soul that was hidden by Dumbledore with the Durdsleys? Is Aunt Petunia a squib, non-magical, but certainly in contact with that community at one point until she was “tested” and found only to be a squib? How much information do we have about “squib-ism”? Also, Rowlings is a mother and was a mother when she imagined the ending…would she kill really kill the hero??

Dumbledore?

Dumbledore is the elder parent.grandparent figure that could die without too much worry. He and Snape, I believe had an “unbreakable vow” between them. For Snape to follow Dumbledore’s directive, even unto death. Dumbledore stays dead so that the dead is forever thing is out there without “children” thinking you only need magic to revive. I like the Dumbledore advice but think instead it comes in a form we haven’t seen yet, such as advice that was magically “pre-recorded” to give to Harry, from Snape, which makes Harry suspicious of the advice…especially if it says to “trust Snape with your life, like I did, Harry”.

Snape,
Is a good guy with a nasty attitude. He is deeply undercover and will die due to his unbreakable vow. He will be honored rather than dishonored in an ending scene where all the fallen heroes are euligized. He is Dubledore’s man.

Sirius
I’ve tohought for sometime that Sirius is returning but…I had thought about all the ghosts that have played such a part in Hogwarts. and in the movies…also, the ghosts were imagined before the characters when Rowlings was still teaching in Spain. Will Sirius become a ghost- teacher like they’ve already shown you can be…the old professor who teaches History??? The idea of god-father is a lovely play on words to be part from the “god” world of the dead and part from the present world of “fathers”. Get it??

Norbert
Dragon fan here! I have known, or believed, since his quick introduction and equally rapid exit, as well as the Charlie Weasly connection to Norbert ,that he will be back, one because why else was he introduced? and two look at the dulux cover, arent’t they on a dragon?? Norbert will be the Buckbeak of this book.

Ron
Faithful, usually a bit afraid, but …if by chance Rowlings really kills Harry, Ron is the Horatio to Harry’s Hamlet. You have to have the student/soldier left to lead the army (DA) and the Student (Herminone) to be the brains.

Herminone
Remember, Herminone is the character that Rowlings identifies herself with! So…how about Herminones obsession with SPEW isn’t her care of the house elves similar to Hagrid’s care for giants? Herminone also has always been shown to be a much better wizard, spell do-er, than any other character. How will this work out?
Surely there are all sorts of protection spells that have not been explored.

Neville
Not to be overlooked. Neville and his plants will play an important part. The one he had on the train, the pustulated cactus which in book 5 also became the pass word? There are qualities of that plant that were never explained except to say it had never grown in the area of Hogworts and an uncle got it specially for Neville…therefore, Voldemort would have no expectation of it.

Voldemort
Evil has to lose, but how much good goes down with him? How does he lose. Must say, I’m impressed with Brian’s Harry is a horecrux theory. I had postulated the idea that the 7th Horecrux is in the amulet that Harry wears around his neck on cover #7. so if Voldemort kills Harry, he kills himself.
I have also always thought that the ending could echo the great Indian myth of good and evil. In this myth the good god allows the bad god to become a part of him not knowing what the result will be. The good god has left others who were in the battle instructions to continue the battle against evil even if he is the “new enemy”. Using this “absorbtion” theory, Harry taunts Voldemort to “come and get him” at the arenea battle for the fate of the whole magical power, battle of the Champions, .
Also, do no overlook the magic wand, Phoenix feather, connection that has been spoken about when the wand was first chosen by Harry (remember it is Faux phoenix feather that both Harry and Voldemort have) Remember how the wands worked differently against each other. Surely we’re gong to hear something about magic from the same source cannot destroy each other, rather like magnetic attraction and repelling.

Ginny
Like the ideas of defending Ginny out of love. Ginny will not die. Ron will not die. Bill Weasley may die, or chose to die since he was bitten by the werewolf. Bill and Lupin may become some sort of new allies.

Hagrid
My personal favorite, loyal unto death. He may die like a giantic hero of ancient times aka Achilles battle of Troy. His may be the great funeral at the end,rather an afterword idea, maybe even Viking like flown to the mountains to be buried with his giant family, on the back of Buckbeak.

The ending
Great areana battle with evil guys, werewolves,deatheaters, etc.
Holding back the forces of the good guys, the DA is the new Order of the Phoenix, the rebirth of the order so to speak, since many of them are the sons and daughters of the original order which banned together to thwart Voldemort in the first time around.
Harry, as I said alive but maybe not magical, not sure about that part but it does allow the story to end…at least the Harry Potter series and to make room for the Order of the Phoenix series to start with who is the new evil…???

Just some thoughts…but always remembering that Rowlings was a teacher and mother when originally planning this. Would she kill her child? Harry??? or would she give him what he wants most in life? Love, a family and not being stared at by people, not being the One.
Hogwarts is Harry’s family home.
P.S. Neville becomes a teacher at Hogwarts with Professor Sprout and maybe Harry gets the possition of Defense Against the Dark Arts Teacher???

(drops to knees and bows repeatedly).

Never in a million years would I have thought of that.

I do think that Sirius is as you said regarding Dumbeldore “dead as a doornail”.

Also with you on Severus, saves me having to write it down.

I thought it interesting in the Order of the Phoenix movie that they never referred to Regulus during the tapestry scene, makes me wonder if it is not as important as we think, or maybe just chalk it up to one of the million “important” things that they cut out.