1st Chapter of HBP

[Phaerie]

Whilst i know this prticular issue will definately be resolved in just over a week. I couldn't ehlp but wondering what itsgoing to cover. JK said on her website that it was nearly used in PS, PoA and OoP. This brings me to 2 possible scenarios.

The first is the more obvious that it'll cover the night Harrys parents are murdered. This works for PS as it sets the path for Harrys life. It really is the start point of Harry's storey, until then he was just an ordinary wizard boy with potential.

In PoA i'm not sure it works so well. We get flashes of what happened that night via HArry when hes near the dementors. And whilst giving the reader the whole story first possibly so they understand just how traumatic being near the dementors is for Harry. But there is also the problem of how Sirius fits in. up untiil the end of the book Harry though Sirius Black was responsible for handing his parents over to Voldemort. And we the reader are also meant to believe it. So if we'd seen a scene of the death, then we'd know that Sirius hadn't betrayed them. Although the traitors involvement could have been left out. But the potters knew who their secret keeper was andi'm sure a "peter betrayed us" would have been said at some point.

In OoP it is quite hard to see how it would fit. After Voldemort has just risen again, showing his last downfall straight away in the first chapter of the next book seems a little strange- we know that hes not due to fall again till the end of book7.. As well as Harry obviously fixating on the recent events of what happened in the graveyard rather than the night his parents died. As he did see his parents come out of Voldemorts wand it is possible that could lead him to fixate on him, but i seems unlikely that he'd really remeber much more of what happened. if he was it would have had to have been when the dementors attacked rather than at any other time.

In HBP,the idea of the death scene would fit. Harry is going home looking back on the death of his godfather.

My second choice for a first chapter is showing Harry's parents wedding or harrys christening (if he had one). In PS, It shows the set up for what will become Harry's life- if Voldemort hadn't intervened. It would have revealed information about Lily and James and possible Sirius (who we first see at the end of PS in the photograph album Hagrid makes) The photograph album is another piece of evidence pointing towards this idea. it would make the storey have come full circle sort of we started with a wedding and now heres theconcrete evidence of it.

In PoA, the focus is on Sirius. best man to James at his wedding. What better way to introduce him. Make us wonder what caused his fall from grace, what turned him into a murder. Increase Harry's shock when he finds out Sirius betrayed his parents.

Then OoP again maybe a little hard to place. But Harry did just see his Parents come out of his wand, so it makes sense that he would be thinking about them. Plus with all the order members around, maybe even sirius himself is reminiscing on the Potters wedding/Harry’s christening.

In terms of HBP. Harry has been wondering about his parents for a long time now He still knows very little about them. So maybe this could be part of him finding out more about them. After all there is a lot about Harry’s parents that we don’t know yet but seems important.

Anyone else have any ideas?

[Phinea Rogue]

I was thinking about Sirius's funeral that Harry could possibly attend, but such a chapter wouldn't fit in with the Chamber of Secrets. Still I would like to see a funeral and see how wizards treat death.

I like the idea of Harry's parents' deaths too or something else from their lives too. Then a scene about Griffindor and Slytherin is possible, I think, or a scene about all the four Founders of Hogwarts. We've learned some things about Slytherin in the Chamber of Secrets, so maybe now it's time to learn more about Griffindor?

PS: Are you Rosie?

[darkcloak]

Just to throw a totally different idea into this thread:

Perhaps Spinnets End (chapter 2 title) is where Hermione lives?

[Eol]

I was thinking about Sirius's funeral that Harry could possibly attend, but such a chapter wouldn't fit in with the Chamber of Secrets. Still I would like to see a funeral and see how wizards treat death.

What kind of funeral could they have for Sirius? The body is missing, he's a wanted fugitive and the knowledge of his death is unknown to many. A public ceremony, or one in the tradition of wizards wouldn't be possible. The only thing they can do is hold their own memorial service, in secret and among themselves

[Phinea Rogue]

I don't know, even if the body is missing, in my country we always have funerals, but then the coffin is placed empty into the earth...

[Eol]

It would be good for Harry to get some kind of closure on the situation, and a funeral, even with an empty coffin would provide that. However, with the Veil still playing a part in the stories, I don't think he'll be allowed to get it.

[carsten]

Funeral:I don't think we will see one, because JKR has avoided religion so far, and she would have to make some statements about it. Maybe a non-religious ceremony? But what is that good for? And since book 6 is expected to start with a happy event, we can leave that one out.

[Phoenix in the Ashes]

Although a darker event would probably fit it more, right after OoTP when the entire wizarding world knows He's back.