Riding a Dragon??????

[halliemei]

Well, the Deluxe US cover is quite a new treat. The trio on a dragon?!?!?!? Wonder where they got it? Wonder if it's Norbert? And, notice the clothing. I can't believe it, but it looks like perhaps Harry doesn't necessarily return to Hogwarts, but clearly Ron and Hermione seem to -- of course, Harry could have left and came back to get them. In light of the new Mary GrandPre interview and how everything on her covers is meaningful, this is an interesting turn of events. WHY would they be flying on a dragon???

 

[keeron_man_boy]

the dragon looks like its seen better days.. but yeah looks like harry doesnt go back to hogwarts

 

[notposs]

hear is the image incase anyone has not seen it.

 

[Sirius Potter Fan]

You know . . . kinda funny but . . . didn't I say something about Harry riding a flaming dragon in another thread the a few days ago, and then someone answered that "Dragons could not be tamed or trained", so Harry would never ride a dragon???? Does anyone have a link to a high res pic?

I just found this link to a high res. shot of the full cover on the Snitch

http://www.thesnitch.net/site/images3/USDeluxeEdition1.jpg

Harry and all look like they've been through the ringer . . . including the dragon! I'm not certain if Harry's lack of a robe means he doesn't return to Hogwarts though . . . Ron and Hermionie's robes look torn bacly, and it could be that Harry's were so torn that he just removed what was left. Just a possiblilty, guess I want him to return.

 

[Seeker615]

From another sight a person had looked up the dragons description in the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them and she identified the dragon.
a Antipodean Opaleye-is a native of New Zealand,though it has been known to migrate to Australia when territory becomes scarce in it's native land.Unusuallyfor a dragon,it dwells in valleys rather than the mountain.It's of medium size (between 2&3 tonnes.Perhaps the most beautifultype of dragon,it has iridescent,pearly scales an glittering,multi-coloured,pupil-less eyes,hence it's name.

So could it be possible that Charlie obtained this dragon to aid the trio? It looks like they are all worse for wear in the picture. Harry's absence of robes is interesting. Hermione looks a bit frightened, Harry looks determined and I am not sure what to make of Ron's look.

 

[happy_hannah]

before reading that description of the dragon i thought it looked a bit like the dragon used to be a statue , cause of the dragons eyes, and harry and the trio somehow brought it to life. the valley below looks a bit like where tom riddle senior lived, in HBP its said that tom riddle and cecelia(i think that was her name) could be heard going in their carriage over a bridge, a bridge is seen in the valley below.

 

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Seeker you're right on the breed of dragon. I pulled my book out and looked them all over, and it is definately an Antipodean Opaleye. I realy wanted it to be Norbert, but he is a Norwiegen Ridgback. I'm really curious as to why, if she was going to use a dragon again in the story, that she didn't bring back Norbert? It does say that the antipodean Opaleye is the least agressive, so that could have something to do with it. hmmmm

 

[Dr Winterbourne]

Looking at the village below, I thought it looked more European - possibly Gallic - rather than English. Maybe they're heading to Beauxbaton, or possibly to where the giants are. Or maybe they're just laying waste to New Zealand because the Lord of the Rings films are better than theirs, and they left out Smaug.

I'm with you, SPF; I want Harry to go back too. And I'd like to Norbert.

I don't know what I think about the fact that Harry is there with Ron and Hermione. I was thinking about the climaxes this morning: in the PS, it is the 3 of them until the final confrontation. In CoS, Ron comes as far as he can. In PoA, it's Hermione. In GoF, it is Harry very alone, and he fails to defeat Voldemort for the first time. In OotP, it is all his chums, and the Order. In HBP, he's with Dumbledore.

I thought that this one would have him alone - but then again, we don't know where this is in the story.

There's no sign of swords or armour, which I thought might come into it. Harry appears to be wearing a dragon-skin coat, with the other two in their uniform. Maybe Harry cruises up on his dragon, hangs around out the front of the dchool, smoking, and takes them for a spin on his dragon.

 

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Maybe Harry cruises up on his dragon, hangs around out the front of the dchool, smoking, and takes them for a spin on his dragon.

Ummmmmm . . . I think we can say no on that one!

Or maybe they're just laying waste to New Zealand because the Lord of the Rings films are better than theirs, and they left out Smaug.

Wellllllllll . . . cute idea, but . . . no

On some of the possible locations, it could be. With the mountains around it could be the giants, but then we would expect to see Hagrid or Grawp to help. Beauxbatons . . . possibly

Trying to put together a timeline suggests that it may be between the UK childrens cover event, and the US event. In the UK children's we see Hermionie and Ron in slightly tattered robes, Harry in a very tattered robe. On the dragon Ron and Hermionie are stil wearing robes, but very tattered, and Harry wears no robe (perhaps it was so ruined he took it off.) but under the jacket you see the same green sweater that is seen in the US cover, you can't tell if the locket is under the jacket or not.

MGP's cover illustrations, with the exception of the first and fourth, show clues to the final conflict. The third, shows a scene after the conflict is over. So I'm thinking that the US deluxe cover could also be showing that. Perhaps what Harry and Voldemort are both looking at in the sky above them in the US cover is the same dragon? and the scene in the Deluxe cover is the trio leaving safe and sound after Voldemort's defeat?

The robes on Ron and Hermionie, and lack of a robe on Harry do not necessarily mean that Harry does not return to school, in the UK childrens, Harry wears a robe, as in the US cover as well.

 

[cj633]

I agree Harry's lack of a robe may indicate he does not return to Hogwarts. I admitt I hope he does. I want to know about what's else is in the room of requirement after getting a quick peek when Harry hid his potions book there among other secrets that Hogwarts may have. I bet Lord Voldemort wants to go exploring in there too.
Maybe Charlie learned the secret to taming a dragon and taught Harry. Now that Dumbledore is gone, the only one Voldemort ever feared, being able to tame a dragon might at least give him pause when considering Harry.
Is that the ill fated locket Harry has on a chain around his neck?

 

[happy_hannah]

what is with the smoke in front and around them? it looks like their chasing whatever it is, kind of looks like dementors, i cant see close enough to tell if harry is wearing the locket, i just turned 20 so my eyesight must be failing already!

 

[happy_hannah]

in support of my theory that it is tom riddle seniors hometown i have to state the idea that voldemort made a horcrux when he killed his father and grandparents? JK included that chapter 'the riddle house' at the beginning of GOF for a reason, it would seem likely that the trio would go looking for horcrux's and harry would think it could be there, perhaps even at the riddle family gravesight?

 

[cj633]

I saw a life size poster of Harry and he is wearing a brownish robe, not a school robe obviously, and he is wearing a locket.
I think the Riddle grave site is important. Killing his father was significant enough to warrant a horcrux. He would hide it there or in the Riddle house. After all he hid the ring horcrux in the Gaunt house.

 

[Alz]

I would suggest from looking at that picture Ron and Hermione are in robes and that could be Hogsmeade they are flying over?
The hills etc remind me of Hogwarts.
Harry does look a little battered there as well - so perhaps a battle did take place at Hogwarts and the trio are flying off to somewhere else?

 

[Vold. E. Mort]

Actually, my money says that dragon came from Gringotts. Think about the covers we've seen? One was Harry and the gang standing in a room full of treasure. In book 1, Hagrid says that the high security vaults are guarded by dragons, and makes a big deal out of how crazy you'd have to be to rob the place. Ok, he was talking about the break-in of vault 713 that occured later in the book; but since when did Jo go to such lengths unless it was something quite important? I think one of the horcruxes is located in Gringotts, and they escape on a dragon.

Furthermore, Bill Weasley is a curse breaker for Gringotts... Who better to help with destroying a horcrux? And as a Gringotts employee, he'd be able to get in, and possibly command the dragon.

12 more days, just 12 days...

 

[happy_hannah]

ive been thinking that myself lately, hagrid said in the first book 'gringotts would be the safest place to hide anything, except maybe hogwarts'
and remember that creepy poem on the doors to gringotts? i dont have the book with me but ill check, im sure we can find something in there!

 

[horcruxfinder]

Ok, so to summarize, one horcrux at gringotts, one in hogwarts, one in godrics hollow, possible harryor possible nagini who hangs out with LV, locket whose whereabouts are unknown (possible #12 or with dung), diary gone, ring gone. Did I get 7? Where do we think the blood bath that JKR spoke about on the Jonathan Ross show takes place? So fun to predict.