Fan-fiction

Before the seventh book: A mild albeit active community with plenty of dedicated readers and an equally generous writing community.

After the seventh book: A roaring sea of hungry readers failing to catch up with an exponentially increasing writing community.

There was no doubt fan-fiction would finally make its mark once the seventh book hit the stores. The millions of dedicated readers were left wanting for more. Surely they couldn't go long without tasting the pleasure of fan-fiction. Thousands and thousands of stories flooded various websites and it was just an appetizer for those who were finding it too hard to say goodbye.

Podcasts

Before the seventh book: An enjoyable past time that also gave us some food for thought by providing analysis of the books and the movies.

After the seventh book: Still as engaging, although some podcasts have wrapped it up, and are now putting out episodes occasionally.

Fansites

Before the seventh book: A boom in user traffic as the final book neared. Even the non-obsessive fans couldn't resist taking a peek.

After the seventh book: Recent surveys have indicated that the number of visitors have decreased. The forums aren't as active as before. But they are not entirely abandoned by their loved ones.

Movies

Before the seventh book: Fans were ecstatic to see their favorite characters brought to life on screen and some hardcore fans also dissected every frame to find out clues that could help predict the ending.

After the seventh book: They still generate the same frenzy and most people view it as the final offering for the fandom.

Conventions

Before the seventh book: A platform for fans to meet an interact with each other. A thrilling and fun way of meeting with each other and discussing various aspects of the series.

After the seventh book: Still held with just as much excitement. The latest of them being Terminus which was held at Chicago, Illinois earlier this year. These conventions have the potential of sticking around for many more years, and will be seen by many as an annual tribute to the series.

Miss JK Rowling

Before the seventh book: No other living author has managed to do what JK Rowling has done. To engage an entire generation of people and create a folklore that will forever be ingrained in the history of literature. Need statistics? How about this one. The first 24 hours saw a whopping 32 crores of Deathly Hallows being sold out.

After the seventh book: Still as modest, maybe even more. Despite the ugly legal battle she had to dig into( with one of her own fans ironically), reports state that she has begun work on her next book. So the question remains, will lightning strike twice at the same spot? JK Rowling says its quite unlikely. However her fans think otherwise.

There are plenty of other books out there that contain witchcraft and magic in them, yet religious leaders don't attack them. Plenty of our fairy tales contain mentioning of magic, but those are a perfectly acceptable thing to read to our children. Most of the fairy tales that contain magic are aimed at a much younger demographic than those of the Harry Potter series. If we take the same reasoning that we take with Harry Potter, than we should all get together and have a good old fashion book burning and try to undue the damage that has already been done.

When it comes to the issue of Harry Potter and Satan using them to draw young kids into witchcraft and away from the Lord, it makes me want to hurt myself since the whole idea is riddled with fallacies. The “witchcraft” in Harry Potter is completely different from that of real witchcraft or Wicca. Many followers of Wicca itself denounced Harry Potter since it gives people a false portrayal of what it really it is. Anyone who compares the witchcraft in Harry Potter to Wicca. is either functionally retarded, or knows nothing about the book series at all except that is contains magic and is popular.

That brings me to my next point, Harry Potter's popularity. I think that's one of its main reason it's been attacked by religion and religious leaders. Religion has always condemned what's popular. Look at rock and role, people thought it was the end of our youth. Same goes for comic books, radio, and TV. The church has always feared what's new. Its always had an opinion on what popular and new, even it doesn't concern them in the least bit.

Many people will defend Harry Potter with the morals and good teachings it possesses If you've even. Some people however, twist this defense into an offense. The people who do this have it ingrained into their very soul that Harry Potter will give birth to the end of the world and inspire the some young kid to eventually become the anti-Christ. They say Satan puts this small grain of truth and morality in it in order to deceive us even further. Honestly, if these people weren't condemning Harry Potter, they would be condemning something else, these people are just bigots.

There are plenty of other books out there that contain witchcraft and magic in them, yet religious leaders don't attack them. Plenty of our fairy tales contain mentioning of magic, but those are a perfectly acceptable thing to read to our children. Most of the fairy tales that contain magic are aimed at a much younger demographic than those of the Harry Potter series. If we take the same reasoning that we take with Harry Potter, than we should all get together and have a good old fashion book burning and try to undue the damage that has already been done.

What really makes me sick about the people who have nothing better to do than to condemn Harry Potter, is that they are hypocritical. They condemn Harry Potter because it contains Harry Potter and turns the morals and principals it teaches into seeds of the devil's deceit. Yet they praise Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia because of their Christian symbolism. If you applied the same reasoning to these series the one they do to Harry Potter, then we ought to build a time machine, go back and time, and stone Tolkien and Lewis for such blasphemy. Because following this logic, they are even worse. They dare to mix Christianity with witchcraft and sorcery! Hypocrites I say!

Most of the arguments people present as to why Harry Potter is wrong and evil are either stupid, full of bias, or full hypocrisy. So we should either start concerning ourselves with something more important than warding of the so called evils of Harry Potter, or get to work on a time machine.

1. Eric Carle

   He is one of my favorite children's book authors. He wrote The Very Hungry Caterpillar (about the transformational changes from egg to cocoon to butterfly), The Mixed Up Chameleon (about self-identity) and many more. The Very Busy Spider was also written for the visually impaired in mind with its raised printing.

2. Dr Seuss

   This author is well-known for his rhyming text such as in his books The Cat in the Hat and Green Eggs and Ham. He also stimulates children's imagination with his unusual creatures. Great books for beginning readers!

3. J.K. Rowling

   Some parents may be wary of this woman. She writes about witchcraft and wizardry. I personally have read all the Harry Potter series and I don't find anything wrong if my children read them. Rowling writes good English and that's what I want my children to be exposed to. Kids nowadays could learn a thing or two about the intricacies of long-lasting friendship.

4. Enid Blyton

   I grew up with Enid Blyton, reading The Famous Five series, the adventures at Malory Towers and St. Clare's, The Wishing Chair adventures, and many more. She also created the character Noddy. Her books have enjoyed great successes in many parts of the world. If your kids love adventure stories, you could introduce them to some of her books.

5. Roald Dahl

   I love this author! James and the Giant Peach, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Twits, The BFG, and The Witches are some of my favorite children's book. His wickedly funny tales are cherished by children all over the world.

6. Joanna Cole & Bruce Degen

   If you want something educational for your children, try reading The Magic School Bus science series written by these two brilliant authors. They dwell on scientific explanations about everyday matters such as Inside the Human Body, On the Ocean Floor and Inside a Beehive. They bring young readers deep into the topic, literally. Sort of like a CSI cinematographical experience!

7. C.S. Lewis

   He wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, a wonderful collection of seven stories that will develop your children's vivid imagination. The most popular of the chronicle has to be The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Its tales of fascinating creatures and great battles between good and evil will continue to fascinate many generations to come.

8. E.B. White

   His two famous books, Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little, are often regarded as classics in the field of children's genre. Many kids will grow up recalling the memorable tale of Wilbur, the little pig who became famous, with the help of his clever friend Charlotte.

9. Lewis Carroll

   His most famous books include Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. Some considered his genre to be literary nonsense. But he really is one of the best writers and his books are often analyzed for its underlying messages. Children need not understand that; they could just enjoy the fantasy stories.

10. Roger Hargreaves

    Working with people who have different traits is one of the things children will have to learn in their lives. The Little Miss and Mister Men series are great books to showcase varied characters in people. Examples include Little Miss Shy, Little Miss Naughty, Mr. Mischief and the like. Children need to learn to accept people for who they are. Not only do your children learn about other people, they also learn something about themselves too.

If your children have not been exposed to these authors, make sure you get some books suggested above on your next trip to the bookstore. Their books are a must-have in every home.

She was about five foot seven, approaching middle age with elbow length wavy hair in a center part. Hair Straighteners and gel had passed her by in the midst of time. She needed a trip to Specsavers, too. Her flower printed skirt was stretched over a barrel of a waist and hung down to her nobbled knees. Jesus sandals covered her lily white feet at the end of her sausaged cankles. It was, however, her mode of passing the time that labeled her out as sad.

The grown woman was engrossed in the final installment of Harry Potter. It is a children's book for crying out loud. To want to read the final book means that at some point you have got yourself into a stew over the antics of an 11 year old boy. It isn't alone in its ability to create new worlds. The world of Gormanghast, the writings of Terry Pratchett and the Lord of the Rings trilogy are all acceptable adult fiction in the same vein. The Greek classics, the works of Euripede's, Dante's the Divine Comedy and Shakespeare all offer brilliant scenarios, albeit harder to understand.

We ridicule grown men for being immature enough to buy porn, yet some adults think it is respectable to stand in a queue reading a book aimed at adolescents. It isn't. Like High School Musical and Myspace, it belongs to our youth. How the hell can we help them grow and mature if we won't do it ourselves? Let's applaud JK Rowling for getting more and more children to read but let's keep her as a children's author - or, if you must read children's books, keep the shameful secret to yourself. As my former teacher would say - it ain't big and it ain't clever.

What's this have to do with anything? It's the basic plot for both Harry Potter and Star Wars; two detestable franchises from two different generations. What's worse than two geeks going at it with fake light sabers? I don't know. Maybe two more geeks twirling a wand about and screaming odd words at the top of their lungs pretending they can do magic.

The story-line between the Harry Potter books and George Lucas' Star Wars are so similar it makes me wonder if perhaps Mrs. Rowling didn't have Lucas on speed dial, so she could make sure her dialog was as cut and dry as possible, written in a slovenly manner that reuses the same formulas for story-telling over and over, and the same useless side stories that don't have anything to do with the rest of the book.

Mrs. Rowling's poor writing really shines through in her supposed close to the series, where many die-hard fans are upset by her story-telling. My question to them is why haven't they been upset all along? She's used the same cut and dry techniques, giving characters wooden dialog, bumbling about in a half attempt to tell a story and sum it up nicely… only to have written around 300 pages of nonsense before the whole book is over.

But it's just a children's book! Of course it is. That's exactly it. A children's book. The fact that so many adults have read the stories and acclaimed them as the best that the fantasy genre has to offer really sickens me. Especially when drivel disguised as a children's book soars high, while great works of fantasy, such as those written by Neil Gaiman, Terry Goodkind, and even Anne McCaffrey, pass under the radar of the same adults.

What about the movies?! What about them? They do well enough for the thinly veiled attempt they are to hide Rowling's flaws. The actor who plays Harry is going to have to try extra hard to keep that beard in check the longer the series goes on. Seriously. Children's books? Then leave them to the children. Stop going on and on about it because it's the first book you choose to read. Honestly. It's not that great.

JK Rowling, a master storyteller, returns us to the wizarding world, a magical world in a parallel universe that is so fully and richly described you cannot help but immerse yourself into that magical world, caring deeply about the fates of the many characters we have met and embraced along the way. We have been kept entranced with the independent story lines of each individual volume and now find the cleverly phenomenal author has left us clues scattered like breadcrumbs along the way as cunningly intertwined story threads that tie the seven volumes into a truly extraordinary tale of the continuing battle of good and evil.

IF YOU HAVE NOT YET READ THE BOOK AND WISH TO AVOID SPOILERS,YOU SHOULD STOP READING NOW.

Book Six, The Half Blood Prince, concluded with the beloved headmaster's shocking murder by an unforgivable curse. In an effort to avenge Dumbledore's assassination by Professor Snape, the three heroes Harry, Ron and Hermione plan to leave school and take up the search Dumbledore began for the remaining horcruxes. It is time for Harry to fulfill the prophecy and finally end the Dark Lord's attempt of returning to power.

Book Seven, The Deathly Hallows picks up the story. It is just prior to Harry's 17th birthday, a significant age in the wizarding world as this is when they "come of age" and pass into adulthood.

After Snape killed Dumbledore in book 6, there appeared to no longer be a question which side the greasy dark haired professor was truly on as he has spent the previous volumes as an apparent spy, or perhaps more accurately, a double agent. The beginning of book 7 seems to support this idea but with the expert storytelling ability of the author, you again begin to have some doubts and questions to his true allegiance. This question was very decidedly answered near the end of the story.

This series has been getting darker with each passing story and this final installment was no exception. Deaths began early on with a secondary character, a teacher from Hogwarts we have not gotten to know from the series. The deaths that follow are pointedly thought out and play crucial roles in the moralistic story.

The Order of the Phoenix attempts to move Harry to safety before he reaches the age of 17 and will become traceable by the Death Eaters and Ministry of Magic who are now quite intertwined. Six of Harry's friends have transfigured themselves to look like Harry to serve as decoys as he is moved to safety but they find they have been betrayed and the Death Eaters are waiting to attack as the move begins. A bloodthirsty battle begins as broomsticks fly frantically through the skies of England, curses flying everywhere. In the course of battle is the extremely unexpected killing of Hedwig, Harry's pet owl, yet another casualty in this bloody battle. A devoted member of the Order is also killed in this battle and a Weasley twin is maimed and loses an ear from a dark curse.

The three crusaders put their lives on the line time and time again throughout the story, gathering horcruxes to destroy, and, in turn destroy the Dark Lord. A major turning point in their quest was when a devoted house elf sacrificed his life to help wizards and witches escape the death eaters. This endearing character idolized the boy wizard.

The young wizard recognized the mistreatment that not only these little magical creatures endured but those wizards and witches that were not "pure bloods." These heroes tried to change the way the wizarding world treated any magical being that was not pure blood. The very touching scene of the house elf's sacrifice and the gratitude of his self sacrifice, the love the trio had for the small creature and honor that was shown the little elf as Harry hand digs his grave is a very emotional point in the story. The heroes say a very emotional goodbye to their friend and Harry walks away, no longer a boy, but a man with a prophecy to fulfill to save the wizarding world he has loved so.

Reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings, an epic battle ensues, lines have been drawn and you were either with the Dark Lord or standing shoulder to shoulder with the comrades in the battle against his minions. Much bravery is shown as the resistors take their stand to defend their beloved Hogwarts castle.

The question of Snape's allegiance is finally definitively answered. It becomes clear why Dumbledore trusted Snape implicitly. Snape, at the point of death, draws Harry near to look deeply into his eyes, or from Snape's perspective, his beloved Lily's eyes. His profound love for Lily is what bound him to look after her son. He, in the end, gives Harry a memory to view which is a montage of memories regarding Lily and his unrequited love for her.

He also shares memories of conversations he had with Dumbledore to further clarify things for Harry and to let the young wizard know he had killed Dumbledore as a prearranged request from the headmaster, himself, another area of protection for one of the artifacts Harry needs to complete his quest. With viewing this memory, Harry gains a new perspective of Snape and, in the end, refers to him as one of the bravest men he has ever met, for Snape's life sacrifice was critical in enabling Harry to complete his quest.

In perhaps the most crucial chapter of the book, Harry marches into the Dark Forest alone to face Voldemort. He knows what he must do, and he is ready. On his long walk into the Dark Forest, he is joined by the spirits of his parents and Sirius telling him how proud of him they are; they tell him they will be with him as he faces his nemesis for they are part of him. The “boy who lived” sacrifices himself for the world he loves so deeply so Voldemort and the evil that ensues in his wake can, at long last, be destroyed. At this point this young hero becomes the Master of Death.

Voldemort forces Hagrid, Harry's first friend in the wizarding world, to carry Harry's limp, apparently dead, body out of the forest and up to the castle for everyone to see. Neville, who has done an extreme amount of growing himself in this last story, in a very heroic effort still stands up to Voldemort and is punished in a very sadistic and cruel manner that is typical of the Dark Lord. Neville escapes his fate, and quite unexpectedly, the sword of Gryfindor comes to him allowing him to kill Nagini, the final horcrux.

With a very Christian flair, Harry has resurrected and Lord Voldemort is destroyed as a result of Voldemort's own rebounding death curse.

The epilogue takes us 19 years into the future of our heroes and a small glimpse of where their lives will lead.

JK Rowling has said she will, in all likelihood, write an encyclopedia of sorts, to tie up additional details for the fans. It will not be tomorrow though, as she is now taking a well deserved break.

It has been an incredible ride.

What is so appealing about Harry? What are factors responsible for the popularity of these books? The appeal of Potter is known only to the readers. A lot of articles have been written and a lot of discussions have been held all over the world regarding the popularity of Harry Potter. The child readers have grown with Harry, their own growth being reflected in each year Harry spends in Hogwarts and grows. Thus, they have identified with their beloved boy wizard hero. Adult readers have relived their own long lost childhood through the enticing tales of Harry, his friends and their thrilling adventures.

Harry's popularity has created two sharply divided groups, which have opposing schools of thought about Harry. One school of thought strongly advocates the banning of the Potter books on grounds that each page supports the devil and his doings and is opposed to Christianity and also that the Potter books have the capacity to lure innocent children into the dark, forbidden territories of the occult. The fact that Harry Potter features on every annual list of most-banned books doesn't upset the author, JK Rowling. On the contrary, she considers it an honour as it puts her in the list of great writers like Harper Lee, Mark Twain, J.D Salinger, William Golding, John Steinbeck and other writers she reveres. The other school of thought is of the opinion that Harry Potter not only inculcates the habit of reading among a youthful generation, which-specially boys-finds more pleasure in video games and movies, but also teaches timeless positive values such as friendship, love, truth, honesty, courage, tolerance and self-reliance.

The Origin of Harry Potter

JK Rowling's website reveals the fact that the idea for Harry Potter “simply fell into her head” as she was traveling on her own from Manchester to London on a crowded train. Greatly excited about the idea, she thought about it for four delayed train hours and started writing “The Philosopher's Stone” that very evening. It took her five years to write the first book, though at that time, she was also planning and writing parts of the six sequels. She had always conceived it as a seven-book series because she decided it would take seven years from the ages of 11-17, inclusive, to train as a wizard, and each of the books would deal with a year of Harry's life at Hogwarts. The theme of Harry Potter is the age old combat between Good and Evil, resulting in the ultimate triumph of the Good. The writer has warned, right from the beginning that as her books would deal with evil in all its ugly aspects there would be many casualties and that each book would be darker than the previous one. There is absolutely no doubt that the Harry Potter books are the result of intensive, meticulous research into the occult. Most of the intriguing names of places and characters that delight readers so much come from Rowling's imagination and some of them are products of her research.

Harry Potter Reaches the Heights of Success

As a single mother living in poverty and writing most of her first Potter novel in cafes, JK Rowling did not even dream that her hero would be a source of such great wealth. First, the Scottish Arts Council gave her a grant to finish the book. The book was rejected by a series of publishers, including Penguin and Harper Collins. It was Bloomsbury who finally accepted it. Bloomsbury Chairman, Nigel Newton, gave a chapter of the manuscript of “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,” to Alice, his then 8-year-old daughter. When she kept pestering him for more, he realized that he was on to a winner and decided to take the crucial step of publishing the first Harry Potter novel.

After its sale to Bloomsbury and Scholastic Books, Harry Potter zoomed to the zenith of success. The novel won the British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year and the Smarties Prize, and attracted reviews from either side of the Atlantic. Book rights were sold to several European countries.

A new Harry Potter novel appeared every year for the next three years. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban (1999), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2000), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)-all hit the shelves of bookstores all over the world and sold like hot cakes. In 2005, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released. On the first day, 6.9 million copies were sold in the United States alone, that is, about 80 copies per second. The books have been translated into more than 60 languages and more than 300 million copies have been sold around the world

Thanks to her wand wielding wizard, the year 2000 saw Rowling as one of the top earners of Britain. She received an OBE (Order of the British Empire), a medal of achievement from the Queen, in March 2001. In 2003, she earned 125 million pounds from “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and profits from the “Chamber of Secrets” film. Rowling earns a 15% commission on the full price of each Potter book sold, a 5% cut of the licensing income on Harry Potter branded books and toys, and her share on films is 1% of the box office take, which is worth around 5 million per film. In 2004, the Forbes Magazine estimated that she was worth one billion pounds. This would make her the world's sixth wealthiest woman-the first person ever to make a billion just by writing books.

The Warner Bros, have signed a contract to produce motion pictures based on each of the seven Potter books. The first four books have been made into films. The “Sorcerer's Stone” made more than 950 US dollars, the “Chamber of Secrets” made more than 850 US dollars, the “Prisoner of Askaban” made more than 780 US dollars, and the “Goblet of Fire” made more than 890 US dollars.

What will happen to Harry?

Harry Potter fans all over the world now wait with bated breath for the last Potter book, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to be released one minute after midnight all over the world on Saturday 21 July, 2007. The fans have to guess what is going to happen to Harry. Is he going to be killed in the final book? Many die-hard Potter fans hope not, and many wouldn't care otherwise. The writer has dropped a few hints that she may have to kill off one of the main characters. This may break the hearts of not only Harry's fans worldwide but also of the publishing companies, booksellers and licensees who have made a lot of money on the international Potter Phenomenon, since its inception with "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone"

The writer claims that, though she loves each of her books, the last one is her favourite. She says: "I always knew that Harry's story would end with the seventh book, but saying goodbye has been just as hard as I always knew it would be. Even while I'm mourning, though, I feel an incredible sense of achievement. I can hardly believe that I've finally written the ending I've been planning for so many years. I've never felt such a mixture of extreme emotions in my life, never dreamed I could feel simultaneously heartbroken and euphoric."

According to an online news source, JK Rowling finished writing her last Potter novel in the room of a five-star hotel in Edinburgh on 11th Jan 2007. She had scribbled a note in black marker on the back of a marble bust in Edinburgh's five-star Balmoral Hotel, which read: "JK Rowling finished writing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in this room (652) on 11th Jan 2007.” A worker captured the message on a mobile phone camera. Rowling's representative confirmed that she had been writing the novel at this hotel.

One may not be sure of the above bit of news. JK's last Potter novel might be finished or not. But it is quite certain that millions of Potter fans all over the world are eagerly waiting to know the fate of their favorite hero, in a state of almost breathless suspense--will Harry live on or die?

Realizing You're Asking the Right Question

It's a question fans have been asking each other, at least, since the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Sorcerer's Stone to Yanks), was published. Speculation on fan forums has run the gamut from Dumbledore is James Potter's real father (a theory shot down by Rowling in the past) to James must have left it with Dumbledore intending to retrieve it later. It seems unlikely however that anyone thought it was a point 'crucial' to the series.

Connection Between Dumbledore and Invisibility Cloaks

There has been speculation in the past that Dumbledore is part Demiguise and this is what allows him to become invisible at will. This theory is based on the additional similarity that Demiguises (described in Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them (page 9), though never mentioned in the novels themselves) have long, silvery hair as does everyone's favorite elderly wizard. It is Demiguise hair that is spun into invisibility cloaks.

Lines Of Thought To Pursue

If there's any merit to this line of thinking about Dumbledore and invisibility cloaks, suppose Dumbledore had some skill in making and repairing invisibility cloaks. James' cloak may have been torn or tattered in any number of escapades. He was a Marauder and a member of the original Order of the Phoenix, after all. We do not know what, if anything, he did for a living but there's a good chance he was an auror as well. What if Dumbledore was repairing the invisibility cloak for James with the intention of returning it to him in the near future? Once James died, Dumbledore just held onto it until giving it to Harry in his first year at Hogwarts. How would this be significant though or 'crucial' to the series though?

Is it possible that Dumbledore deliberately deprived James of the invisibility cloak, with the purpose of leaving him more vulnerable to Voldemort? No. Rowling has confirmed in various interviews that Dumbledore's character often speaks for her and is the embodiment of all that is good within the world of her novels. So there must have been a reason for his possession of the cloak which is not only innocuous but actively intended for the good.

Another interesting fact from the description of the Demiguise is that this creature can be seen - even when in invisible mode - by certain wizards who hunt it for its hair. We also know that Mad-Eye Moody's mad eye can see through invisibility cloaks. In the fifth novel, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Mr. Weasley is attacked while wearing an invisibility cloak - by Voldemort, who was possessing a snake at the time.

If Voldemort and/or certain others can see through invisibility cloaks, perhaps Dumbledore deliberately kept the item from James to keep him from doing something rash out of a false sense of security. Perhaps taking the invisibility cloak away from James ensured that he would stay in his hidden location with his wife and child, instead of running out to try to get to Voldemort before Voldemort got to the Potters. This thoughtful plan of course would have backfired when the Fidelius Charm was broken and the Secret Keeper, Peter Pettigrew, told Voldemort where the Potters were hiding. Then there was nowhere to hide, not even under a cloak. It would be an ironic twist if Voldemort could not in fact see through invisibilty cloaks. The snake sensed Mr. Weasley's presence and the invisibilty cloak had slipped off Mr. Weasley entirely just before he was bitten.

Alternatively, what if Dumbledore had borrowed the invisibility cloak from James to give to someone else in the Order to use - someone who was also at Godric's Hollow the night the Potters were killed. Snape or Pettigrew? Or were both of them there? Pettigrew with Voldemort and Snape under the cloak spying for the Order? How Dumbledore would have known something was going to happen that night, we do not know. Nor do we know how he or Sirius even knew where the Potters were hiding since neither was chosen to be the Secret Keeper. We do know that invisibility cloaks are rare and they are handed off amongst Order members as needed for dangerous assignments.

This last line of thinking in particular may lead the sharper theorists amongst Harry Potter fans to figuring out what the crucial mystery is surrounding Dumbledore's possession of the cloak at the time of James Potter's death. It's certainly a tantalizing clue to wrestle with between now and the publication of the final volume in the series, coming straight from the Mistress of Mystery herself. The last time Rowling directed fans towards a specific line of inquiry, she encouraged consideration of why Voldemort survived the night he attempted to kill baby Harry and why Dumbledore did not attempt to kill Voldemort when they met in the Department of Mysteries. The answer to those questions was at the heart of the sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as well as earlier volumes - unbeknownst to readers at the time. It is expected to anchor the plot of the seventh and final novel as well.