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Let the dissection of the covers and summary begin! :D

http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org/#article:9653

The locket is on the front cover of the UK adult version and you can also see that Harry is wearing it under his shirt on the US cover.  The UK children's version is full of good stuff!  I just noticed that Dobby is holding a sword behind Harry.

WOW, the UK cover looks amazing!

Few things i noticed at 5 in the morning:

US cover: Harry & You-Know-Poo without wands. Graveyard/That-Hogwart's-Graveyard-JKR-told-Alfonso-about/Coliseum/MoMagic setting. The locket around Harry's neck. A curtain/veil framing the scene (THE veil?). Voldie looking as lovely as ever.

UK cover: Hermione & Ron in fancy robes and Harry in a tshirt/trousers (::)). They're in a vault of some kind (Gringotts? Secret Place owned by one of the 4 founders? Malfoy Manor? Uncle Voldie's house? Bill Gate's vault in Sweeden?), a helmet- an entire armour, a goblin/Dobby/Kreacher hiding behind Harry with Godric Gryffindor's sword. Hogwarts in the back cover (at least it looks like Hogwarts), a full moon (werewolves?), what looks like Dumbledore's "in essence divided" snake in the right flap or is that a crystal ball? nagini?.

From the summary im guessing: Harry leaves the Burrow after the wedding, he's back at Privet Drive and from there he will go alone on his journey, run instead of letting the order "escort him safely away" maybe? or head back to Headquarters and go from there. Hogwarts is featured in the back cover so i guess he'll be back. I suppose he won't be really "alone" all the time, they show Hermione and Ron in the cover with him and JKR said she was struggling with Dumbledore in Book 7 so he will be there with Harry at some point (as a portrait/time-travel-past-self/memory/something). And "apparently" Viktor Krum is back in Deathly Hallows (not related to the summary), will that push Ron to finally do something about the Hermione situation?.

too much info *implodes*

So what does everyone see in that cover?

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o OH MY GOD!

i so couldnt believe it when i logged onto leaky!!! i dont know what to read into it...i dont want to read anything too much, the summary is way too final!

well theres harrys patronus on the fold of the cover in the UK cover for a start... for dementors?!

oooh could the crystal ball be anything to do with trelawny?! maybe shes gonna make a crazy revelation or something!?

and the sword as well! its got to be godrics hasnt it?!

this is a bit too exciting i think  :rofl:

The locket on the UK adult version is quite apparently a Slytherin Locket with an S encrusted with emerald stones. Perhaps a horcrux? If it is indeed around Harrys neck in the US version this may be the final horcrux prior to meeting Voldemort head to head. The UK childrens version is interesting in the fact that there are different kinds of objects, perhaps belonging to Voldemort, since he has been a collector of sorts since a child. This could represent the treasures he has collected thru the years, and prehaps Ron, Hermione, and Dobby have joined Harry in his quest to discover the remaining Horcruxes. The robes that Ron and Hermione have on are almost Arabic looking and the picture of the castle appears to have more an Arabic feel. Just my humble observations at this point.                    dave

on the US cover version, it looks like the 3 of them are either being pushed out of the circle, or being sucked into it.... well dont to the people that designed the covers as they ar all very nice. can't wait for it now!  ^-^

My brain is overflowing, but there was something I noticed: the color of the British Children's version and the US version are a red-gold-yellow...the colors of Fawkes, maybe?  Every color seems to have some connection to the plot somehow.  It could be an indication of fire and destruction as well. I just wonder...I thought there was a hint that Fawkes would be returning.  Remember what Dumbledore said: So long as those who remain are loyal to him, Fawkes will help.

i agree with that!  ;D

im not sure if anyone else has noticed this..... look what i've circled:

(http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/8228/dhukfrontvh4.jpg)

I've just seen the US version and not much to go on. Why do they look like they are in the Colosum? And more interstingly they are looking at something else outside the frame not each other *scratches chin in wonder*

not sure if that is Dobby or Kreacher.
Also, what are they wearing?! Plus, who's to say that the people picture are Hermione and Ron?!  :-\
They are wearing green and purple robes...  ^-^

I think chances are it is them, not sure if Harry's got muggle clothes or robes, I think the trousers are Ron's. Interesting that Harry looks fairly bloody and tatty, while Hermione also has cuts and bruises

True, first thing i thought when i saw the UK background was "fire". Now, if this is a Gringotts vault of some sort, remember Hagrid in SS said that there were dragons there?

"They say there's dragons guarding the high-security vaults ... Gringotts is hundreds of miles under London ... deep under the Underground"

I go with the theory that that is a Gringotts vault. And look at Harry's eyes, there's something bright like fire reflected on them, they have cuts in their arms and the armor itself has a dragon (hint?). Now whose vault could that be?

I remembered there was something about Tom R. and an armor and look at what i found in wiki!

"Riddle therefore took a job at Borgin and Burkes, purveyors of dark magical objects. In the course of his work there, he came into contact with two relics of the Hogwarts founders. Salazar Slytherin's locket had once been an heirloom of the Gaunt family, but had been bought by Burke for a tiny sum of ten galleons when Merope Gaunt had been homeless and starving. It was sold to Hepzibah Smith. One day, when Riddle visited Hepzibah to make a request from Mr. Burke regarding a piece of goblin-made armor, Hepzibah showed Voldemort the locket, as well as her own family heirloom, a cup bearing the Hufflepuff badger which had once belonged to Helga Hufflepuff,[HP6] of whom Hepzibah was a distant descendant. Riddle, it is presumed, murdered Hepzibah two days later, after stealing the two artifacts. Again, he implanted a false memory so that someone else would admit her responsibility, this time Hepzibah’s house-elf, Hokey."

So, if that goblin-made armor is the same armor in the UK cover, that could be Hepzibah's vault. And there's a house-elf there named Hokey. I still think that might be Dobby in the cover but what if it isn't?. The armor, the cup, the locket and she's related to all three of them.

Galea! Great information! I absolutely agree with you that they are in a Gringotts Vault! They seem to be surrounded by jewels and treasures, which makes sense that they would be in a secret vault!

I think, from the covers alone, this book is shaping up to be one heck of an intriguing conclusion!

I think the circle that is in the UK children's cover may be the arch that Sirius "disappeared" into at the end of OoTP. I also suspect that it is Kreacher and not Dobby - the house-elf's hand looks like it's pulling him back...

Just my two cents :)

One thing I noticed too in the US version Harry and Voldy are in the foreground, but if you look closely there are alot of shadowy people in the background standing around...

On the UK cover it is hard to tell if it is dobby or kreacher..it could be kreacher as the hand on Harrys shoulder looks quite menacing but then again the sword being held upward makes it look like it is Dobby and he is going into battle with Harry.

....so interesting

I'm hoping it's Dobby, but it could be Kreacher.  I was also thinking it's Dobby because of the way he's holding the sword--kind of battle bound or even triumphantly.  :o=

I saw the shadowy figures on the US version as well...are they wearing cloaks with hoods? If they are, maybe they are death eaters?  ??? :-\

It really is interesting!  :D

Um, is it just me, or does some of this speculation need to go into the speculation thread???

I won't be reading this thread again until after the release...

It's undoubtedly Gollum ;) On the upside I really like the idea of Dobby arming himself with a sword to defend our hero, and standing behind him (or is Harry escaping from a fight there?) but I definitely do not like the idea of that little maniac Kreacher having a sword.. :-\ You do have eagle eyes to spot him Cindy :)

I agree it's tempting to assume that it's Hermione and Ron in the background there but Hermione is NOT as I have ever pictured her :rofl:

It doesn't sound from the summary like Harry gets back to school... but surely he must or there'd be no obvious linkage to the school years? I know that he said he'd leave... but...

JK is supposed to have said that one of the people in Harry's class will become a teacher at Hogwarts. Not Harry, not Ron and not 'the one you think' (Hermione?) so what about Neville? I like Neville and feel he has tremendous untapped potential hidden behind his lack of confidence.

Oh don't ask me I'm currently in the middle of OOTP (Dumbledore's just been accused of gathering an army and disappeared), but this time Mr Stephen Fry is reading them to me :)

You lucky thing :D

Harry looks very much an adult on the UK children's cover.

Arthur Levine, the Scholastic editor who unveiled the US cover on Wednesday's Today Show, said he sobbed when he read the book.  I don't even want to think what that might mean. :-\

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that the creature behind Harry isn't a house elf, but a goblin.  Remember the goblin wars the kids had to learn about?  And someone, maybe Dumbledore said that the time will come for everyone to choose sides?  Rons brother works for Gringotts.  Why would J.K. even mention it if it's not important?  Also, the statue in the wizard gov. building (can't recall the name) that showed centaur, goblin and house elf subservient to wizard?  I think the wizarding world is going to have to convince those 3 groups to join up with them in order to defeat Voldy and his crew.

That's interesting about goblins.  Did any of the UK books have an illustration of Dobby we could use to compare?

JK almost never mentions something that isn't important later on. :)

There is a small picture of a house-elf on the back cover of the British version of OoTP. It's of the statue in the fountain in the Ministry.

Sorry, I'd link a picture, but my computer's acting strangely - it doesn't want to load any pictures :( If someone else could find a good pic of the cover, it would be greatly appreciated :o=

Looking at the British Childrens' cover more closely, I wonder if this is our 3 heroes falling thru the Pensieve into the treasures of Godric Gryffindor. It seems the jewels and even the jewel encrusted on the Helmet are a ruby red the gryffindor color.

Scholastic has released the cover image for the deluxe, special edition version of the book.  There's lots of speculation ahead for this one!

http://media.the-leaky-cauldron.org/gallery/books/coverArt/usa/books_covers_us_deluxed_dh_1.jpg

Man, oh man, where to begin!  :o

First of all, Hermione and Ron's robe look tattered, so maybe they are coming from some kind of battle.

What kind of dragon is that?

I have to try and wrap my mind around this...

I want to check with the Fantastic Beasts book and see what kind of dragon it is.  It might be one from the Triwizard Tournament or even Norbert.  There might be a connection to Charlie Weasley, too.

It looks like a chinese sort of dragon to me.

It could very well be Norbert.  That would be a nice way of bringing things full circle. 

It looks like a Chinese dragon to me as well... wasn't Norbert black?

From the descriptions of all the dragons, the one in the picture is probably a Chinese Fireball.

I wonder if that is Godrics Hollow they are flying over?  Just because of the name I got the impression it would be in a valley.  Also I wonder if that is a dragon.  Everything we have been told so far would make it impossible to ride a dragon ie they are far too fierce and wild.  Maybe it is an animagus  >:D

Who would be a Dragon? Who's firey enough

How about Fred, George, Charlie, or even Molly?

I like the idea that it's Molly :D

I thought of the Weasleys because of the red hair myself. I think maybe the twins would have the nerve to learn to be an animagus. As for Molly I don't think so, remember there's a book withe registered ones, which Herminone had had a look at.

Ah, but who says she has to be registered? ;)  She and Arthur used to stroll around the Hogwarts grounds after hours.  She might have other secrets.  Plus, James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Rita were all unregistered animagi.

So wouldn't it have to be Bill? Seems like it would be an occupational benefit. But I don't see an earring in the picture. ...

I guess after Bill got bitten, he'd be more of the wolf persuasion :)

Yeah Bill came to me when I was thinking about it. But then perhaps if he's an animagi he could change into that instead of a wolf at the full moon.

I think a lot of people might enjoy this:
http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/covers/art7.htm


OK look under the S7 tab.
What has Harry got around his neck? Is it the timeturner?
If it is what is to say that Harry isn't going back to find where the Horcruxes are being hidden?

Just a thought I had a second ago?! :)

Nice theory! That would make a lot of sense, I wonder of the MoM would let Harry have one?

Also, weren't all the time turners smashed in OoTP? When they were being chased by the Death Eaters in the MoM?

I think it looks a bit like a locket - Helga Hufflepuff's, anyone? :)

I thought it might be the Slytherin locket, since that is what is also on the cover of the adult version of the book.  :-\


LOVE the idea of a Time turner! It would be fun if that's what it is....imagine all that could be done with that.  :D

That's what I assumed it was, too.

Yeah, like spin it a bunch of times and bring back Sirius and Dumbledore.

Or even better, "I promise not to touch the Triwizard Cup this time. Maybe he'll leave Cedric alone!" 8)

Yes but remember you can't go forward in time again you would have to live through everything all over again but avoiding yourself.

I think Harry would be willing to relive 2+ years in a cave somewhere if it meant he wouldn't have visited the Riddle Graveyard and to avoid what came after. He'd have a bit more time to search for horcruxes too. Maybe study a bit of Occlumency.  ;D

It sure did seem like a setup in Book 5 in the Ministry when Harry thought one of the overturned cabinets looked like it had been occupied by time turners, though.