Okay, so based on the HBP covers just released...

[rj_anderson]

We know a few new things:

1. From the UK Adult Cover: Harry will be in Snape's advanced Potions class after all (though was there really any doubt?) I'll be interested to find out how this happens. I suspect McGonagall may follow through on her promise in OotP to make sure that Harry passes all the requisite courses to become an Auror if she has to tutor him herself... of course, this also implies that there will be lots and lots of Snape in the book. Excuse me while I curl up and purr for a bit.

2. From the UK Children's Cover: There will be an important scene, possibly the climactic one, in which Harry and Dumbledore fight together against Voldemort. The fire could be Fawkes flying around them, or (judging by the looks of alarm on their faces) it could be some spell cast against them. In any case, my prediction remains that at the end of all this Dumbledore will be dead, dead, dead. Also... my, that Harry is growing up, isn't he?

3. From the US Children's Cover: More crunchy Pensieve goodness! And another affirmation that Dumbledore will play a crucial, central role in this book, as opposed to just popping in and out and twinkling now and then. I wonder if the Pensieve scene being depicted here has something to do with Snape, and/or The Awful Truth About Lily and/or James? (Because there is no doubt in my mind that there is an Awful Truth to do with Harry's parents somewhere...)

I was kind of meh before this, but now I'm pumped. Especially now I've seen that UK adult cover. Whee!

Comments

[sienamystic.livejournal.com]

Wow, the UK adult cover is lovely. Very evocative. I love old books, and old books with magic recipes in them are even better.

[absurdwords.livejournal.com]

I'm also purring now. More Snape is a good thing.

[hedda62.livejournal.com]

From the UK Adult Cover: Harry will be in Snape's advanced Potions class after all

Well... I bet he will, and I'm sure there will be lots of Snape in the book - but that book looks kind of old and worn-out to be Harry's required textbook. I wonder if it's Snape's textbook from when he was a student - which would go along with the Pensieve cover.

[zoepaleologa.livejournal.com]

I am so buying both versions now.

Squees madly.

[owl]

I can't decide! I have the children's cover for all the others, but I do like the adult one this time...

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

The UK cover immediately made me think that Snape was the Half-Blood Prince. Which opens up some interesting speculation.

[serenasnape.livejournal.com]

Oh my! I hadn't thought of that! How exciting :D

[mandrill.livejournal.com]

Could the flames on the UK Children's cover have something to do with Fawkes the Phoenix? Some sort of protective flame?

Love the UK Adult cover. Snape! Hooray! :=)

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

I want the UK Adult version.

Excuse me while I curl up and purr for a bit.

*Joins you*

[penwiper26.livejournal.com]

*bounces* Ooh, my mentor-kink is being hit in a major way. I look forward to this one.

[telepwen.livejournal.com]

GLEE (that is all my brain has left now)

[mingbutterfly.livejournal.com]

~Excuse me while I curl up and purr for a bit.~

Permission to squee embarrassingly? (And also to converse excitedly with every Snape fan I know who didn't hear about this in the first 4.5 milliseconds?) Oh, yes, and to curl up and purr for a bit? While attempting to regain a modicum of dignity. ;-)

Thanks for your always-awesome posts.

[telepwen.livejournal.com]

Did you see the interview of Arthur Levine in which the interviewer nearly got violent when Levine wouldn't tell him about Snape?

[telepwen.livejournal.com]

I lied. Al Roker (said interviewer) *did* get violent, but only a little.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I hadn't bothered to watch it until you mentioned this, but now I'm glad I did. "IS IT SNAPE?!?!?!?" Hee! It's always nice to see someone as obsessed as we are.

[jdcarson.livejournal.com]

Oh the joy! I was looking at the other adult covers and each one depicts something that is absolutlely pivotal to the book. For PS it was the Philosopher's Stone, for CoS it was the Anglia, for PoA it was Azkaban, for GoF it was the Goblet of Fire, for OotP it was a Phoenix. Advanced Potion Making must be very, very important....*purrs right along with you*

Cheers!
Julie

[drmm.livejournal.com]

If Snape turns out to be the prince, I will laugh with glee. I was totally mocked on HPforGrownups (ages ago) when I suggested that Snape was half-blood rather than pure-blood. If Snape had a similar background to his (horrible muggle father and all), it was the only way I thought that Voldemort would still trust Snape. Dumbledore will probably end up dead (I always thought book 6 would be the time).

So excited. Snape. Yum.

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

I still think hope desperately that the Awful Truth About James and Lily involves Snape in some way.

I must be feeling some fandom love; I spent this morning plotting out a new fic -- a Mad Eye Moody/Narcissa Malfoy comedy in the style of hardboiled detective fiction. It doesn't matter that I may never write it -- the idea alone makes me happy.

[theatresm.livejournal.com]

Oh.... Damn. Just... damn. *throws the pet Snape-muse raw meat*

I'd really been hoping to starve the bugger to death.

Why do I live in America, again?

[(Anonymous)]

The UK adult cover is so gorgeous! It's so deliciously vague, and a lovely bit of still-life photography, too...

A friend and I were actually talking last night about just how completely indifferent we are about the US cover. As a matter of fact, I find it fairly uninspired and, while it's cool to see the Pensieve will come into play prominently in the novel, I don't like it. It's dull and not terribly visually interesting, especially when compared to the other series covers (esp. the first four, which were much more collage-like and, therefore, hinted much more about the story and characters). It did not get me excited about the book. The UK cover does. So thank you for the pic-link, RJ! :)

*trots off to Amazon.co.uk*

ISJ