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The Daily Prophet

Cover art clues

Posted by: Carol Lombardi

Friday, June 15, 2007 11:06 PM

Cover art is the one part of Deathly Hallows that does not seem subject to the secrecy provisions surrounding everything else about the books. It's a good thing to talk about because it's one of the few things we know for sure.

As you can see in the above link, the UK cover art is different from the U.S. version, and one writer discovered a disturbing clue in the UK version. I'm glad I read it there first, rather than have the reappearance of Dobby hit me upside the head like the rotting carcass of a flobberworm.

The artist of the cover art for the U.S. deluxe version depicts a favorite scene including three kids on a dragon. A dragon? I didn't see that coming.

So, we have Dobby and dragons. With any luck, Dobby will get eaten by a dragon in chapter one and we won't have to deal with him any more.

Back to the dragon. The deluxe edition, with the trio riding a dragon, brings to mind a couple of things. First, two of the trio are sporting Hogwarts robes. So either they're making a fashion statement, or Hogwarts has reopened and, at the very least, those two enrolled for a time.

Second, we haven't heard from Norbert for some time. Could it be Norbert? Is this a Norwegian Ridgeback? I don't know my dragons well enough to tell.

Third, Ron would certainly have access to dragons through Charlie, and that could come in handy. Perhaps a Horcrux is hidden in the forests of Albania, where Voldemort spent many years. It's just a hop, skip and a jump from Romania to Albania via a fast dragon. But then again, they are all old enough to apparate now. Why ride a dragon? Unless that is not THE trio, but Harry and two other people.

Ok, then. Only 36 more days.