My theory about how Deathly Hallows will begin

A couple of things have been whirling around in my mind, and today they settled down and formed themselves into this theory. I think it makes a lot of sense, I wonder what anyone else thinks?

First, Dumbledore did not discuss Harry's inheritance from Sirius in front of the Dursleys by accident. He had a reason, even if we were to distracted by floating drink glasses to notice. Dumbledore had so many opportunities to speak to Harry that year, including in the Weasley's broom shed, that I just think it wasn't by chance that Vernon Dursley has now heard that Sirius is dead, Harry is his heir, the address of his ancestral home, the name of the Wizarding bank and that Harry has an account there with gold in it, and that a group calling itself the Order of the Phoenix has, and plans to again, use the aforementioned home as their headquarters. Remember, Dumbledore is the Secret-Keeper for the Order of the Phoenix. No one can find the place if they aren't told about it by Dumbledore, right? But now all three Dursleys have been told.

Second, fast forward to the end of HBP. Consider the fact that, according to formula, in every other book, we see Harry take the train all the way back to Platform 9-3/4, Harry goes through the barrier back into the Muggle part of King's Cross station and sees the Dursleys. He's always going off with them back to Number 4 Privet Drive when we last see him, right? But not so at the end of HBP. Why not?

What if Vernon has spent the year since we've last seen him trying to find out as much as he can about Harry's inheritance? What if he makes an attempt to get money from Harry, as payback for having raised him? As Harry's guardian, he'd be legally entitled to take charge of Harry's assets, even if it wouldn't be ethical. So that's one thought that I had.

Whether Vernon makes Harry take him to Number 12 Grimmauld Place, whether Vernon has already visited it during Harry's sixth year at school (and whether he'd be able to see it, given the anti-Muggle charms the Blacks may have put on it), or whether the Death Eaters just decide to attack the Dursley's house once Harry comes of age, I think it's very likely that the entire Dursley family will be in for an extended stay at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, for their own safety. Maybe their house gets blown up. Maybe one of the Death Eaters tries to kill Dudley.

Oh, to see Aunt Petunia in her rubber gloves attempting to scrub and scour the place from top to bottom! The aptness of this fate makes me laugh out loud every time I think of it!

What would ruin it for me

I've been thinking about various ways the last Harry Potter book could end and wondering if I could be severely disappointed. I've come up with a short list of things that, if they happened, I'd be so severely disappointed I'd feel it was a waste of time to obsess over these books for as long as I have.

First, if Dumbledore turns out to have been lying to Harry or manipulating things, using Harry as a way to save the wizarding world without regard to Harry's feelings. I don't think that'll happen but I've heard theories that amounted to as much. If it turns out Harry's faith in Dumbledore is misplaced, I'll be extremely disappointed.

Second, I really think I'll be pretty disappointed if Harry dies. Ditto for Ron, Hermione and even Ginny. It would have to be for a very, very convincingly good reason for me not to be disappointed.

Third, I'm kind of expecting a big surprise, along the lines of what we learned about Sirius Black and Scabbers in PoA and how Moody turned out not to be Moody in GoF. I've been expecting that ever since, when I read both OoP and HBP, and I was rather disappointed. True, I was spoiled for HBP, I never got to read the lightning-struck tower chapter without knowing what was coming, so maybe I'd have felt differently if I'd been surprised by that. So, if there's no big surprise, I'll be disappointed.

Fourth, if, after it's all over, there's a sense that it was all senseless (I felt this after OoP -- If Harry had just used the mirror to contact Sirius, if he'd not been fooled, it needn't have happened. I hope there isn't a death in DH that feels like that, I hope it feels like there was a purpose, like if the person hadn't died, Voldie would have triumphed.

I hope after I read the last book, I immediately want to go back and read them all over again. That's what I hope.