Great HP blogs I've just discovered

I'd read books by John Granger before (having been delighted to discover that not all Christians hate Harry Potter), but I just recently discovered he has a couple of new books, one that he wrote (Unlocking Harry Potter: Five Keys for the Serious Reader) and one that he edited (Who Killed Albus Dumbledore?) -- I've just bought them both, they look very good but I haven't had a chance to read them yet.

Then I discovered that Mr. Granger has a blog which has some very interesting posts indeed.

I also found another blog/podcast created by another Christian Harry Potter fan -- the Sword of Gryffindor. He does a very good job with the podcast and I highly recommend it. His blog has links to other Christians who are Harry Potter fans. I was very glad to find I'm not the only one.

more questions and ramblings about the US cover art

I've had a few more minutes to think about (and look at) the cover art, specifically the US cover. Here are some random thoughts:

• It's probably not a dementor, it's probably Voldemort. I checked the US chapter art with the dementor, the face wasn't shown at all. And the face on the DH cover, with red eyes and a snakelike appearance (what you can see of it) fits the description of Voldemort. So, is this the final battle between him and Harry?
• They're wearing identical, and rather tattered, robes. Brown ones. Not black. What's up with that?
• They don't have wands.
• There are curtains hanging on the sides. That gave me the impression it's an arena, almost like the one where the veil is located except this one appears to be outside. That looks like a sky, albeit a strange colored one. So I thought the black blobs in the background were heads. They reminded me of the heads looking up at the Dark Mark on the cover of HBP. Then I looked again and I thought the blobs were headstones. Like in a graveyard. Then I looked again and thought they really look more like heads. Well, so look like heads, some look like headstones. But it's likely that they're all the same thing (or are they?). Who knows.
  

What's Uncle Vernon up to?

Last night, before I knew I'd have cover art to distract me, I started thinking about the beginning of DH and what might happen while Harry was still at Privet Drive (I just started re-reading CoS and am just up to the part where Harry is rescued by the Weasley boys).

And I started thinking about how Uncle Vernon, if he was paying attention and not too distracted by the glass of mead hitting him on the head, knows that Harry has inherited a house. He knows the address of the house and he knows Harry has an account at Gringotts. It's occurred to me that Dumbledore wanted the Dursleys to know this, but I haven't yet figured out why.

So, what would Uncle Vernon do with the knowledge that his nephew isn't penniless as he had previously thought? When DH opens, Vernon will have had almost a whole year to dwell on this. I can just see it now:

Maybe he Googles "12 Grimmauld Place" to see where it is located.

Maybe he makes some phone calls, trying to track down a copy of Sirius' will, the deed of the house, the location of Gringotts. I figure he'll have most luck in finding Grimmauld place at least. I can picture him skulking around, getting very frustrated when he discovers there isn't a number 12 (because of the anti-Muggle charms and all, he won't be able to see it). He might interview the neighbors, and discover that they have noticed vaguely strange goings-on, though they won't be specific enough to help him. Vernon could drive himself crazy trying to find out more about Harry's inheritance, and convince a lot of others he's crazy in the process. That ought to be funny.

I also got to thinking that Vernon is likely to sit Harry down and try to make him pay him back for the expenses he's incurred in raising Harry. Though Harry will only be able to offer to pay in Wizard's gold, which won't do Vernon much good.

Then I remembered that on PotterCast they talked about how maybe Privet Drive will become unsafe for anyone related to Harry and the Dursleys will have to move to Grimmauld Place to stay. The thought of Petunia in her rubber gloves, trying to make the place spick and span, shining and spotless, just makes me want to laugh and never stop!

first thoughts on cover art

I thought I'd come here before I've read or heard anyone's comments on the cover art and just ramble on for a bit.

First, the letters are red! I thought the background would be darker, but the letters that say Harry Potter at the top of the US edition cover are indeed red, which I thought would be true ever since they weren't red for the Half-Blood Prince.

Second, the UK cover -- does that look like Gringotts to you? Here are three reasons I think so:

• There's what looks like a Goblin-made tunnel or archway in the background
• There is treasure and gold coins all over
• Is that a Goblin I see peeking around from behind Harry?

So far, two of my predictions have come true.

Questions:

• Is that a dementor on the back of the US edition?
• Why do they appear to be waving (both Harry and the Dementor or whatever it is)?
• Where are they (on the US edition cover), why are people watching, what's going on with the floor (seems to be breaking up)?
• What's up with the snake medallion on the UK adult cover?

And about the text on the UK cover -- Harry is waiting for the Order of the Phoenix to come and take him safely away from Privet Drive? Do you feel a bit like deja-vu? Haven't we seen something like that happen already? I can only assume it won't proceed as safely as it did last time.

Well, at least we have something to think about while we wait for the pages between the covers to be printed.