My brief thoughts before HP 7....

I'm not going to be on the internet tomorrow... in fact after tonight I won't be back online until AFTER I finish Harry Potter 7 which I expect to finish on Sunday.

I'm cutting myself off from the world. No Internet, No TV, No phone, No radio, for the most part, no wife, no kids.

The book has already been online for a few days in one form (digital pics) or another (scanned in OCR).

I've resisted any temptation in downloading these, even though oddly enough, CNN provided links to both in an article yesterday.

It has been my contention for years now that this will be the most spoiled book release in history. If some of things that happened at the HP6 launch are any indicators, odds are you will be spoiled by Monday morning if you don't finish the book by Sunday night.

That's ain't gonna happen to me! I was SUPER close from having major events in book 6 spoiled. I've been waiting for 7 years for this book and I'm going to do whatever I can to limit the possibility of being spoiled.

Here's the plan. Tomorrow morning I'm driving to my local Barnes & Noble to get in line for the wristband that will guarantee me a copy of the book... but more importantly, one of the audiobooks on CD. (I will be able to pick up the book anywhere... even some gas stations!) but there are FAR less audiobooks printed and my local B&N will have less than 50 copies on Friday night.

After that I will head to work. Once the struggle of being at work without surfing the web has ended, I will head home, pick up my kids, grab a bite to eat and then head back to Barnes and Noble a bit early for the Midnight Magic Party.

I will most likely have a VERY low wristband number so I will be able to get out of there around 12:05-12:10am I imagine.

After that I will head home, import a couple of the CDs and depending on how I feel, start the first few chapters. If I'm too tired, I will begin when I'm all fresh and awake on Saturday morning.

Craig's meager predictions... (Don't read anymore if you haven't read 1-6)
.
.
.
.
.Spoilers from books 1 - 6 below.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Spoilers from books 1 - 6 below.
.
.
.


I fully expect this book to absolutely excellent and I'm greatly looking forward to Voldemort getting his ass kicked!

I'm also hoping that none of the trio (+ Ginny) die but I suspect that Ron may.

I expect Grawp will play some important part (get the Giants to stand with them?) in 7 since he's been pretty worthless since his introduction in book 5.

I can see by the end of book 7 that Draco and Harry will be fighting on the same side.

Snape is good and killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders because having someone on the inside of Voldemort's circle was more important than Dumbledore living. And if Snape didn't help Draco finish his plan, he would have died due to the unbreakable vow.

Won't happen but I'd like to see Umbridge die.

I'm looking very forward to the wedding.

School WILL be in session at Hogwarts.

Wormtail will repay his life debt to Harry.

Let's see how I do.