What questions does JK Rowling need to answer in her last Harry Potter book?

Question

I reckon:

The mystery of the locked room
What is Harry's family relationship to Voldemort and Dumbledore
Will Tonks marry Lupin

Answer 1

Will Hogwarts reopen? And, if so, will Harry, Ron, and Hermione attend for their seventh year?
Is Snape good or evil? Where do his loyalties lie?
What is the significance of Harry having his mother's eyes?
What caused Dumbledore trust Snape so much?
Why was Voldemort going to allow Lily to live after he killed James at Godric's Hollow?
Who is R.A.B.?
Are Dumbledore and Sirius actually dead? Update: JKR confirmed in New York that Dumbledore is in fact dead - but we still don't know about Sirius!
What "worst memory" did Dudley experience when he was attacked by dementors in Order of the Phoenix?
Where are the remaining Horcruxes? And furthermore, was Dumbledore right about what the remaining Horcruxes are? If he wasn't, what are they?
Who will lead the Order now that Dumbledore is dead?
Is Bill Weasley a full werewolf?
Did Voldemort go to Godric's Hollow alone the night he tried to kill Harry? If so, how do people know the events of that night?
Will the two-way mirror that Sirius gave to Harry come up again?
Is the relationship between Ginny and Harry really over? Will they get back together in the end?
What was the "gleam of triumph" in Dumbledore's eyes at the end of Goblet of Fire?
Is there more behind Voldemort wanting the DADA teaching position so badly, or is it just because he simply wanted the job?
How will Peter Pettigrew repay his life debt to Harry?
What lies beyond the veil in the Department of Mysteries?
If Dumbledore and Petunia were in contact before Harry was taken to Privet Drive, then what were they discussing in their letters? Thanks, T.M. Howard
Who was "that awful boy" who Petunia referred to in OOTP? Was it James, or was it somebody else? Thanks, Pranav
Will Ron and Hermione's relationship finally come to be, or will something happen to prevent it?
What were Lily and James' occupations?
Will Dumbledore's portrait be of any use to Harry?
What will Percy do now that the Ministry has been proven wrong and Dumbledore is dead? Will he return to his family?
Where did Fawkes go at the end of Half-Blood Prince?
What did Dumbledore see or experience after he drank the potion in the cave in HBP? Thanks, Linda
How exactly did the Potters and the Longbottoms "thrice defy Voldemort"? Thanks, Kyle
Assuming Hogwarts will open in Book 7, who will be the DADA teacher? Thanks, Kimmi
Again, if Hogwarts remains open in Book 7, who will teach Transfiguration if Professor McGonagall becomes headmistress? And will Slughorn remain to teach Potions for a second year, even though he said he would only be there for one? Thanks, Alex Yee
Will the terms of the Prophecy be fulfilled? If so, will Harry kill Voldemort, or will Voldemort kill Harry? Thanks to Rachel and Kevan
On her website, JKR stated that "there IS a significant - even crucial - answer" to the following question: How and why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak? What is the significance of this? Thanks, Phil
What happened to Ollivander? And since there was no sign of a struggle when he disappeared, whose side is he on? And what about Florean Fortescue - are their disappearances linked? Thanks, Michael and Steph
Will Ron and Harry pass their Apparation tests? Thanks, Molly
What about Dumbledore's family? (JKR said in her interview with MuggleNet/TLC that Dumbledore's family would be a "profitable line of inquiry.") Thanks, Cycloneprime
If Voldemort lost his body at Godric's Hollow, then who retrieved his wand? Thanks, Matt
What's behind the locked door in the Department of Mysteries? Thanks, Kayleigh
Why did Regulus choose to leave the Death Eaters? Thanks, Kelli
Will we learn any more about Dumbledore's brother Aberforth? Will he have an important role to play in the book? Thanks, Andy
What happened to Dumbledore's wand after his death? Thanks, J.R.
What did Dumbledore actually see in the Mirror of Erised in the first book? Thanks, Vanessa
Who will reinstate the protective barriers around Hogwarts that Dumbledore removed so he and Harry could fly to the tower? Not just anybody could have taken them down or Hogwarts would be constantly attacked. Is Dumbledore the only one who knew how to perform those charms? Thanks, Ashley
How did Dumbledore know the details of Lord Voldemort's murder of Lily - how LV offered to spare her life and how the charm that protects Harry was formed - if no one else was there to witness it? Was Dumbledore actually there to witness it? Thanks, Shelly and Richa
What happened in the period of time between baby Harry's rescue from the ruins of Godric's Hollow and being left the NEXT DAY at the Dursley's doorstep? Thanks, Invidia
What were Dumbledore and Snape arguing about that Hagrid overheard at the edge of the forest in HBP? Was it about spying on Draco, or was it something else? Thanks, Denise
What will become of the Malfoy family? Specifically, will Draco remain loyal to Voldemort, or will he change his mind and fight for the other side? Thanks, Lisa
Where did Snape and Draco go at the end of the sixth book? Thanks, Keith
Are we going to see the Ford Anglia in the Forbidden Forest again? Thanks, Jeanette
In Chamber of Secrets, Lockhart says that he transformed a werewolf back into a man using the "immensely complex Homorphus Charm." Now we know that Lockhart didn't actually do this, but he did steal the story from another wizard. So, is there a way to cure Lupin? Thanks, Jessica
Did Dumbledore mean anything significant when he said that the Dursleys had "mistreated Dudley"? Thanks, Beatrice
Will the giants and goblins take a firmer position about the war? Will they ever choose a side? Thanks, Ashley
Are we going to see SPEW again? Will the house-elves' rights be improved by the end of the series? And what will become of all of the house-elves that we know so far in the series? Thanks, Roque and Mary Pat
What happened to Sirius's motorbike while he was in Azkaban? And where is the motorbike now?Thanks, Kim and Marshall
Do we know the whole story behind Dumbledore's hand injury in HBP? Thanks, Matias
Assuming Hogwarts stays open, will the curse that Voldemort presumably placed on the DADA position ever be lifted? Thanks, Kunal
What are the twelve uses of dragon's blood that Dumbledore discovered? Will these discoveries be important to the story in any way? Thanks, Alena
Who helped R.A.B. retrieve the locket from the cave? (Dumbledore made it clear that two people were needed to get past Voldemort's enchantments.) And where is the locket now? Thanks, Andy
What significance is the fact that Mundungus Fletcher has been stealing things from Grimmauld Place going to have to the plot of the next book? Did he take the locket from Grimmauld Place, and if so, who did he sell it to? Will Mundungus be playing an important part in the next book?Thanks, Michaela and Griselle
JKR said that someone will manage magic very late in life in Book 7: who will it be? Filch, perhaps? Thanks, Melissa
Did Dumbledore have a will or anything equivalent to a will? Thanks, Sam
Did Hagrid have to be able to see thestrals in order to train them? If so, whose death did Hagrid witness? Thanks, Jo
When Harry was taking Occlumency lessons from Snape in OOTP, he put more than one memory into the pensieve. What other memories did he want to hide from Harry? Thanks, jme
Is there any significant reason that wizards come of age at age 17? Thanks again, jme
When Snape is about to kill Dumbledore, Dumbledore says, "Severus... Please..." Was Dumbledore asking Snape to kill him or was he asking for mercy? Thanks, Jillian
What was the potion that Dumbledore had to drink in the cave? Thanks, Joesephine
How did Dumbledore become such an "extraordinary magic user, even at a young age" (a quote from an OWL examiner in OOTP)? Was it just study and hard work, or is there something different about him? Thanks, Kevin
If Hogwarts is opened again in the seventh book, who will be Head Boy and Head Girl? Thanks, Sukhraj
How will Harry find his parents' home in Godric's Hollow? After all, Wormtail is the secret-keeper, and as far as we know, the only way to find the home would be for Wormtail to tell Harry its location. Thanks, Chuck
Will Luna have a prominent role in Book 7? Will she live through the war? Thanks, Madisen
Is there a connection between Godric's Hollow and Godric Gryffindor? Thanks, Robbie
Do we know the full reason that Voldemort decided to try to kill Harry instead of Neville? Thanks, S.M.R.
How did Hagrid retrieve Harry from the ruins of his parents' house if he was not told the location by the secret-keeper? Thanks, Natalia
Now that Dumbledore is dead, who is the secret-keeper of the Order of the Phoenix? Is the spell broken? Thanks, Mikako
Is there more to the curtain that Sirius fell through in Order of the Phoenix? Thanks, Matt
Where did the Potter family's wealth come from? Thanks, Sara
Why did Dumbledore give Snape the DADA job if Dumbledore suspected there was a jinx on the position? Thanks, Laurel
Will Voldemort be angry that Snape killed Dumbledore rather than allowing Draco to do it himself? Thanks, Abby J.
What truly determines whether or not someone becomes a ghost? Is there more to it than what Nearly Headless Nick said there was? Thanks, Joana
What is Grawp's role going to be in Book 7? Will he even have a role? Thanks, Debbie
When Dumbledore is explaining to the Dursleys that the magic protecting Harry will cease to operate on his 17th birthday, each of the Dursleys reactions are given, and the book says that Aunt Petunia "was oddly flushed." What is the significance of her reaction?

Answer 2

A number of these have been answered, previously, but to clarify for a bunch of people who seem unsure, and to provide the known answers for others:

The locked room (I assume) refers to the locked door in the Department of Mysteries, the room in which exists the power Harry has in abundance (Allegedly, Love).

Harry is neither related to Voldemort or Dumbledore. If he was related to Dumbledore, he would not have been with the Dursleys - they are his only relatives. Voldemort is the last heir of Salazar Slytherin, so can't be related to Harry either.

I don't expect Tonks/Lupin to marry - there's already a wedding in Deathly Hallows, and I doubt JKR will write 2 in one book where there is so much ground to cover already.

Harry does not HAVE to die to kill Voldemort. The prophecy does not state that, it says either must die at the hand of the other. It does not, however, say he won't either.

James and Lily's wealth includes the accumulated Potter money - as an old pureblood family, they were well off.

The 'awful boy' in OOTP was James.

Regulus tried to leave the Death Eaters because he became afraid of what he was being asked to do and wanted out.

Most likely person to help Regulus past the horcrux protections would be Kreacher - also explains why he's nuts.

According to how the Fidelius works, Hagrid must have known already where the Potters were hiding in order to retrieve baby Harry. Wormtail could have provided the Potters with a piece of paper with the secret written on it so that they could show people they trusted.

According to HBP, Bill will not be a full werewolf though it doesn't say he won't suffer some effects close to the full moon.

Neville and Luna will not hook up - says so on JKR's site.

I'd like to know:

After the blood ritual for Voldemort's resurrection, shouldn't the blood wards at Privet Drive be useless if Voldy has Harry's blood in his veins? If so, why does Dumbledore send him back there?

If you read the prophecy with the phrase "Neville Longbottom is The Other" in mind, does it change all your expectations?

Answer 3

Boy you opened a can of worm, didn't you. Well, I will try to attempt this although a lot will be repeated in the other answers.

First off, I noticed that some people seem to think that Harry and Voldemort are related. I don't know where everybody got this idea. If anything, there might be a possibility that he is related to Dumbledore more than Voldemort. Voldemort is the last heir of Slytherin. It is hinted repeatedly that Harry may be the descendant of Gryffindor. This is yet to be confirmed, but I think she needs to tie up the relationships of the characters to the founders in some way.

She did say that we will know everything that we need to know for the story and that we will learn a lot more about Harry's family. I have been burning to find out what happened to his grandparents that are barely mentioned at all.

We need answers about Neville too. We need to know his significance in the ending, but it would be nice to know what is up with that ward at St Mungo's. There are a lot of unanswered questions surrounding that. Why is Malfoy donating money to the hospital? Why didn't the nurse recognize the plant that killed a patient in that ward? Why does Mrs Longbottom keep giving Neville candy wrappers.

Is Sirius even dead? Can he be brought back through the veil? If so, how will the wizarding world regard him?

Who will be the new DADA teacher? Will they need a new Potions professor too?

How in the world will Harry be able to do what he needs to do if McGonagal is the new Head Mistress? She tends to want to protect him (in a motherly sort of way) more than Dumbledore who was more of a father figure.

What are all of the Horcruxes and how will they be destroyed. How will Voldemort be destroyed? Harry can't use his wand against Voldemort's, or can he? What really is happening when they meet like they did in the cemetery?

What is the scene of the fountain? How does Hermione manage the interspecies cooperation?

Who is going to die? How will Bill handle being a werewolf and what will become of that situation?

Why did Snape kill Dumbledore really? What will happen to Malfoy?

What will Harry find at Godric's Hallow? What was Lily working on at the ministry? How does Petunia fit into the story now, or are some people barking up the wrong tree? Do we get to know what Dumbledore's last was?

What is the significance of Dumbledore's brother?

How can they have a prison for Death Eaters now?

What is the significance of carrying first years across the lake?

What side are the trolls going to take?

That is all that I can think of, but I know there are a ton more.

Answer 4

Will Hogwarts reopen? Who will be the new headmaster?
Who is RAB and how did he/she get the horcrux?
Why did Voldemort really pick Harry as his equal? What are Voldemort's reasons?
Are Sirius and Dumbledore really dead? And if so, how did Sirius die, what did the archway do to him?
What does the Department of Mysteries do?
Will the wizarding world colaborate with the muggles for stopping Voldemort and any remaining Death Eaters? And will the muggles ever find out that magic is real?
Will Lupin be cured of his werewolf condition and marry Tonks?
Will the Dursleys get cured of their anti-wizard mania?
Is Snape really a rotten egg?
Why did Voldemort pick Draco to kill Dumbledore, was it really because of Lucius?
Will Voldemort marry Bellatrix Lestrange? Or is she in love with him? Why is she the only female Death Eater?
Will Ginny get together deffinitely with Harry? And Ron with Hermione?
Will Fleur and Bill get married with so much going on?
Will the Weasleys become rich?
Will Percy see his mistakes and stop being such a stuck up?
Will Scrimgeour be a better Minister than Fudge?
Will Hagrid marry Madam Maxine?
Will Grawp become civilised?
Will Harry and Hermione be Head Boy and Girl?
Will Harry become an Auror and/or professional seeker?
Will Luna Lovegood stop being loony and will people like her?
Will Neville stop being nearly a squib?
Will Dobby become the Weasleys house-elf? And will he get together with Winky?
Will Lockhart get his memory back?
Will Hagrid get his pet dragon at last?
Will Harry really be grateful that he saved Wormtail's life?
What is the meaning of Harry's and Voldemort's wands having the only feathers of Fawkes? Why is Fawkes Dumbledore's pet and how come he gave two of his tail feathers to Ollivander? How does the wand chose the wizard?
Who did Voldemort kill to make the horcruxes?
Will the curse on Defence Against the Dark Arts class ever be finished?
What happened to Sirius's mirror?
How close was Dumbledore to the Potters?
Will Filch get together with Madam Pince?
Will someone tell Trelawney she is a hopeless seer but has made the two most important prophecies in the story?
Will Firenze be accepted again in the centaur herd?
Will Slughorn get together with Professor Sprout?
Will Lupin kill Greyback?
Is Draco not so bad?
Why have so many people died?

Answer 5

1. Why the hell did Snape Kill Dumbledore?
2. Will Draco turn out good?
3. How is Tom Riddle (Voldy) associated with Harry?
4. What is the Truth about Lily Evans (Lily Potter)?
5. Is Sirius alive? If he is, what curse did Bellatrix hit him with?
6. Will Harry and Neville fight together against Voldie as both being born when the seventh month died away?
7. If all Horcruxes are correct as predicted by Dumbledore, then which is the last Horcrux?
8. Ron and Hermione?
9. Harry and Ginny?
10. Fawkes?Why is he in DD's office?
11. Who's R.A.B? Regulus Black?
12. Which is the locked room?
And..
I dont think that Harry's scar is a Horcrux...

Answer 6

There are sooo many. What about is Snape really bad? Did he plan with Dumbledore to kill him? What about the significance of the colour and shape of Harry's eyes. Who in the Dursley household is magic?

I am not sure that there is a family relationship to voldemort and dumbledore and harry.

I hope rather than believe that Tonks will marry Lupin. I think one or the other or even both will die in the war

The Locked Room mystery is important in power not necessarily needing to be solved.

The Power of Love is the power behind it.

Answer 7

1. I'm actually inclined to disagree. As a writer myself, I understand how fun it is to write about the secondary characters. My main characters do have their own issues, of course, but it's important to make it known that the whole universe doesn't revolve around their life struggles. Their friends are trying to get through life, too, and it's not like they'll just throw away their own problems to help the main character with whatever they need, like a tool or slave at beck and call, because they're not tools, they're meant to be actual, well-rounded, developed characters, however secondary they may be. Neville's toad wasn't mandatory, but it did set the atmosphere for Neville's problems. He had trouble fitting in, he was quite attached to his toad because it symbolized his grandmother's pride, he struggles to uphold his family's name, etc. Many Goodreads reviewers get quite upset when the novel is written so that it seems like the main character(s) are self-absorbed in their own worries and don't seem to reciprocate their friends' loyalty. 2. The dialogue in Harry Potter, I noticed, improved. In the first few books, when Harry was young, everyone's speech seemed quite stiff, I agree. But I notice that as the series evolved, the writing seemed to gain more fluidity. Harry would shout, lose control, others would berate him, they'd stutter and pause, everyone talked more normally. The first few books captured, in my imagination, a British accent in the characters, and that was a little lost as Harry grew. There was quite a bit of irrelevant information tossed about, and I can't truthfully tell you why without it being one-hundred-percent guesswork, but it set great atmosphere, provided a good mood. They tell us a bit more about the minor characters too, which, as I mentioned above, is crucial to a story no matter how much anyone tries to tell you otherwise. 3. There were two Harry Potter books which I disliked for this reason - the second and sixth. I didn't like their events, but I liked their endings. However, regarding the main mystery, Harry Potter books never really had seven separate mysteries, it only had one - that Harry would have to find out the truth behind his birth before he could successfully kill Voldemort. The other books were series of events, as you say, that led up to a clue about this. I'd say that seven books is definitely much, that the story could have been relayed in probably four or five, but Harry Potter is more than just a mystery, it's a coming-of-age story, a growing-up story - formally called a Bildungsroman, a genre that deals with the growth of a protagonist, psychologically and morally, from youth to adulthood in which character growth is extremely important. In more direct crime or other mystery novels which aren't necessarily Bildungsroman works, the random events would be less effectual.

Answer 8

Most of the questions I would have asked have already been asked!! Cant wait till next month!
Just a little thing that I have a pov on. Are Harry & Voldemort related? I believe they are but very very (very!) distantly! To quote Sirius 'The pure-blood families are all interrelated', James Potter was a pure blood and so was Merope Gaunt.If there was a major family tree of all pure bloods we might see some kind of connection.
Do we actually know Dumbledore is a pure blood?
How did they know where to find Tom Riddle when Dumbledore visited him to induct him in Hogwarts?
I have an idea on the answer on this question....MAGIC!!

Answer 9

I guess that Jk Rowling needs to answer the questions-
1. Why does Volemort have to use Harry as a horucrux? They are so many young boys and girls of his age. Why cant he forget Harry and go to them?
2.Will Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter join forces to defeat Voldemort?
3. Is Sirius Black really dead?

Answer 10

1)What did Dudley see when he was attacked by the dementors?
2)Who is RAB? (just in case it isnt Regulas A. Black even though it's obviuosly him)
3)What are the other horcruxes?
4)Are Regulas Black (if he isnt RAB) and/or Dorcas Meadowes (dead Order member killed by voldie) important?
5)What ever happened to Harry's grandparents?
6)Will Ron and Hermione get together?
7)Will Harry and Ginny get together (again)?
8)what is pertunia's secret?
9)are harry's eyes inmportant?
10)WHY DID HARRY ALWAYS GO ON ABOUT HIS DAD BUT NEVER BOTHERED TO FIND ANYTHING OUT ABOUT HIS MUM!?
11)who were lily's mates at school?
12)who else gave hagrid the pictures of james and lily apart from remus?
13)is luna's mum important?
14)who are the heir's to ravenclaw, gryffindor and hufflepuff?
15)what side is snape on?
16) is tonks and/or flitwick evil?
17)WHO WILL DIE AND WHO WILL LIVE!?!??!?!?!?!?!

Answer 11

What is the veil and who created it?
Who is RAB?
Why did Voldemort offer to spare Lilly Potter but killed James Potter without a second thought?
Whose loyalty does Snape belong to?
Did Dumbledore ask Snape to kill him?
What was the point of Hagrid and his daft brother?
What crawled up Percy's backside and made him such a git?
Will Harry and Ginny get back together (Gosh I hope not, they make me want to vomit)?
Who will survive?
Will Ron and Hermione ever get together and will they stay together?
How will Neville play out in the final battle?
What was with the mirrors Sirius gave Harry?
What are the final horcruxes?
What is the importance of Harry and his mother having the same eyes?
Is there any importance regarding Harry's scar and why did he get it?
Will Harry have to die to defeat Voldemort?
Can Harry possibly have a happy life after all he's been through (IF he survives)?
Will Hogwarts open and will Harry or any of his pals return?
Why did Dumbledore have James' invisibility cloak (surely James should have kept it)?
What were James and Lily's jobs and why were they so rich?
Will Bill be a werewolf?
What will become of Draco, will he come over to the good side or will Voldemort make sure he dies?
Why did Dumbledore have a 'gleam of triumph' in his eyes when he heard about Harry's blood ritual with Voldemort in GOF?
Will Peter Pettigrew kill any werewolves with his silver hand?
Will Peter Pettigrew repay his debt to Harry?
Will Dumbledore's portrait be of any use to Harry?
What will become of Fawkes?
What was Dumbledore experiencing when he drank the liquid in the cave?
Did Dumbledore intend to die?
Will Dumbledore's brother Aberforth play a part in the final book?
Who retrieved Voldemort's wand at Godric's Hollow?
Was anyone else present at Godric's Hollow the night Voldemort killed Harry's parents?
Has Dumbledore used his pensieve or a timeturner to go back and visit events in Voldemort's life regarding his mission to kill Harry (i.e. going to Godric's Hollow on the night of the Potter's murders)?
Will Hermione's crusade regarding SPEW prove of any benefit to the final battle?
Has Mundungas got the locket now and if not did he have it and who has it?
What else happened in Snape's past to make him turn out like he did (was there any significance to Harry witnessing Snape's parents being abusive or was it just a domestic row)?
What the hell is the Dursley's problem and will they all survive?

JK has already said that Harry isn't related to Dumbledore or Voldemort,