Hogwarts will reopen ... sorta.
For once, I agree with my esteemed colleague, Mr. Haddock. I too believe Hogwarts will reopen _ just not for Harry's seventh and final year. With Dumbledore gone and a war begun, Hogwarts isn't safe for anyone, let alone Harry. But never fear, Hogwarts will have a prominent role to play in the next book.
It is my belief that "The Deathly Hallows" is Hogwarts.
Schools are often referred to as hallowed, and In the last book, "The Half-Blood Prince" we were let in on the not-so-inconsequential fact that Tom Riddle/Voldemort had an somewhat unhealthy attachment to the school and its founders. Being an orphan with special gifts, a young Tom Riddle found his true home at Hogwarts; he found friends, mentors and a place to be himself. He loved it so much that upon graduating, he went back to try and become a teacher. Granted, Voldemort also had the special gift of being eeeeevil, and so it stands to reason that he'd want to make the school his home base of eeeeevil. His Death Eaters managed to penetrate the school that was said to be charmed and enchanted _ and unpenetrable. Indeed, when Dumbledore was killed, any enchantments he made to the castle were likely made null and void. So, I think we'll see a school under new management.
The founders, the sorting hat, the chamber, the history, the staff, the students are all a part of what makes Hogwarts such a special place. It accepts pureblood wizards, it accepts muggle-born wizards, it accepts squibs (feebly magical types) and even dangerous creatures, and thusly that quality of inclusiveness makes it ground zero for an ultimate lesson in tolerance and goodness.
J.K. Rowling once said in an interview that there is vitally valuable information in the second book, "Chamber of Secrets," that has huge implications for the end of the series. In that book, we learn about the founders. We learn about their desire to keep the school open to anyone -- regardless of pedigree. Well, everyone except Salazar Slytherin. I firmly believe that just as Harry destroyed Riddle's Diary (widely considered to be one of the six horcruxes), there will be a destruction in the last book, too -- the end of Voldemort and FINALLY, a destruction of the house system and an end to bigotry.
The school will reopen when all is said and done. I'm sure McGonagall will be the headmaster (that woman is formidable and could survive ANYTHING). But Hogwarts will reopen to become a symbol of tolerance to the wizarding world.
Comments
Amazing that we agree on anything. This may be a first. But I still have to disagree with one point, that the house system at Hgowarts will be dismissed or destroyed.
That's such a unceremonious end to a integral part of the charm at Hogwarts.
The House system will survive. It will most likely be the reason Voldemort is defeated.
The creation of Dumbledore's Army was just a taste of what a united Hogwarts can accomplish. Students from different houses pooled their talents to create a powerful challenge to Voldemort and his death eaters. If the combined power of such a small group of students from different houses can be so potent, imagine what a larger united group can accomplish.
The house system will not go away. It illustrates a basic lesson of tolerance and community. No matter how different the students appear, they all have a common goal: to preserve the tradition of the school.
The stakes have been raised with the rise of Voldemort, but the foundation remains the same.
A united Hogwarts that includes students from all houses, including Slytherin, will prove extremely beneficial in the fight against Voldemort.
Posted by: Tim | July 4, 2007 10:23 AM