Speed

If time keeps speeding up at the rate it's been going, I'm going to be ninety-five, retired, and playing with my great-grandchildren by the end of the year.

I've been wanting to change the title of my blog for a while, and the perfect thing came to me last week - I just haven't had time to implement until now. Good advice to live by. Kind of along the same lines as what my dad always says: "Remain calm." Only better, because it's from HHGTTG by Douglas Adams, may he rest in peace.

I am starting my complete media blackout tomorrow morning - no NPR, no radio, no TV, no newspaper, no surfing the internet, nothing. I'm taking my CDs into work and in the car etc. so that my chances of hearing anything at all about Harry Potter are as minimal as possible.

I get a sad feeling in my tummy when I think about HP being all over...but it's been so fun to live through something like this, and epic fantasy being written in my life time - now I know what it was like to live through the original releases of LOTR and Star Wars. The anticipation and discussion and mania, and sharing it with all the other fans! It's so fun and exciting.

Tomorrow night I'm headed up to Hanover, PA to the Dunlop's for pre-Harry Potter snacks, and then to a Harry Potter bookstore party with all the PREPs, Connie, my mom, Hannah, and all the other HP fans! It will be so exciting.

Then the PREPs are sleeping at the Dunlop house and all going to David's Bridal Saturday morning to try on dresses for the Kelly's weddings. I'm so excited to spend so much time with them! Hopefully by the time I get to Camp Hill in the afternoon, my copy of HP7 will have arrived at my parents' house so that I can start reading that night. omg omg omg, I'm so nervous about finding out what happens! I swear, if Harry, Ron, Hermione, or Ginny die, I will be so so so so SO so so so SOOOOO angry. Anyone else, just not those four.

My predictions:
Snape and Wormtail will both play major roles in helping Harry defeate Voldemort, and at least one (probably both) will die to save Harry.
Hermione will be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, a post she will keep for her entire career.
Kreacher will end up being helpful in some way, altho against his will.
R.A.B. is Sirius's brother Regulus Black, but I think pretty much everyone agrees with that.
Harry is NOT a Horcrux.
Snape is GOOD, although still a complete jerk.
Harry & Ron will pass their apparition tests after Harry's birthday, and then all three of them will be able to apparate places, which will be cool.

Things we know from the covers of the various editions:
Today I discovered a new US Deluxe edition cover that shows Harry, Ron, and Hermione flying on the back of a dragon, and their robes and the dragon's wings are all in tatters.
I think the regular US edition cover tells us very little, except that Harry and Voldemort confront each other (possibly without wands?) in front of a crowd of people (possible the death eaters, including Snape and Wormtail?).
The UK children's edition shows Harry, Ron, and Hermione falling into a bunch of treasure (possibly in Gringott's?), and peeking over Harry's shoulders riding on his back is a pair of House Elf ears, and the elf's hand holding a sword. I think Dobby has played his role, so I think this must be Kreacher.

I wanted to get those writting down so that once we all know what really happens, I can see how close I was, and prove it to everyone if I hit any nails on the head! My only specific prediction is Hermione becoming DADA teacher, and I know it's not too original, but whatever. Hannah asked an interesting question about what happens to Dumbledore's memories in the Penseive now that he's dead, and I think we agree that they would just stay there. I wonder if we'll even find out, but it was an interesting question to ask. We'll know if Harry re-visits any of the memories to help him on his search.

And now I'm done. Packing for the long weekend - Monday I pick out flowers at the florist's, and Tuesday morning Paul and I are getting our marriage license! OMG! 43 days...!