guys, i really think it is an opaleye, the landscape looks like the landscape in new zealand. thats where the opaleye lives, AND i looked up antipodean on google and found a wiki page with the title antipodes, heres what it says: In geography, the antipodes (from Greek anti- "opposed" and pous "foot") of any place on Earth is its antipodal point; that is, the region on the Earth's surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points which are antipodal to one another are connected by a straight line through the centre of the Earth. In Britain, "the Antipodes" is often used to refer to Australia and New Zealand[2] (and "Antipodeans" for their inhabitants), despite the fact that neither Australia nor New Zealand actually overlap the antipodal points of Britain. However, New Zealand (or more precisely the North Island and the northern tip of the South island) is antipodal to Spain, i think this is defidently a huge clue to the location of the last horcrux.

it has pupils. its not the opal eye. it is probably the chinese fireball. but it would be awesome if it was norbert. look at the boxart picture full size if you want to see the pupil. someone please look at the pupil on boxart picture full size and tell me what you think.

Yeah, this looks AMAZING! I still think the original Deathly Hallows cover is the best, but i like this too! It reminds me of the earlier works Granpre drew of kiddie Harry flying on his broomstick, or some creature, like in books 1-3, now she brought it again! lol. It also reminds me of Eragon...when has any character in HP ride a DRAGON?!? well, that must be one heck of a tame and kind dragon to let 3 teens ride on its back, hehe. The dragon kinda looks like an oriental dragon to me, and the village reminds me of those villages in Italy or something like that. Can't wait for this book!

The eye does have a red coloration that could be a pupil...but its still fuzzy enough to be unsure.

Casey---I actually think you might have a point! Joke or not. That would just be JK's style to have the words "never tickle a sleeping dragon" in latin at the front of every book, just as a reference only she understood to the last book. Maybe, just, maybe. =D

NORBERT??? OOOH SO EXCITED!

the imperius curse would explain the paled pupils though. if i recall right, in GoF, Krum's eyes were paled under the imperius in the maze. it may be that the dragon would be affect similarly

it mfits the opaleye description best. grandpre said herself that she put everything in the picture for a reason. if it was not an opal eye she would have had a clear, distinct, pupil. but instead we see a foggy, pearly, possible pupil. non of the dragon species have all these charictersitics that the opaleye has.

I don't like the idea that a dragon just six years old would be that large. This makes me believe that Norbert is this dragon. I also don't think that any of these three would use and UNFORGIVABLE curse on anything, magical creature or otherwise. I think if we see Harry doing things like that in the book, you're also going to see him die. It would be him going over the edge to Voldemort's level and basically being too far gone to survive in the end.

I'm not sure how fast dragons grow, but could it be Norbert? or as Shaun05 said, it could be a Chinese Fireball. Either way, I'm sure that Charlie hooked them up with that. Although I don't see why they would need a dragon to go to Godric's Hollow. Because in HBP, Harry said he would go to the Dursleys' then Bill and Fleur's wedding then to Godric's Hollow. So I'm thinking this takes place sometime during the Horcrux hunt, and they either escaped on the dragon from a fight or they just got rid of a Horcrux and they needed to get somewhere else? But I'm sure since they all know how to apparate, then this is a getaway dragon possibly. I just wish Deathly Hallows would come out already!!!!!! What's the difference between the deluxe edition and the regular edition? Anything extra?

You know... now that i look at this picture again. and actually study it. Harrys face looks tired, like he was just done with a fight but he is still not done yet he knows he is going to have to face voldemort soon. and hermy looks scared. like something is around them and ron sees it too, or he is just really like freaked out cuz they are on a dragon. the dragon looks blind but i doubt it is. and also, they didnt fight in this town becuz if they did the town wouldnt look so peaceful, i think they are just flying over it to get to where they actually have to be. ooo i cant wait.

Also want to point out that Harry is wearing something different on the back of the flying scaly creature (will not commit to a specific creature) than he is on the cover of the original US cover. Though he may have the same green under shirt. But on the original cover he has robes (color is debatable. black to dark brown...) and on the back of the creature he has a weird sort weird jacket. It almost looks like it's made out of skin... makes me think of the grey uniform Aunt Petunia was making for Harry at the beginning of book one. It's not the same clothing, but it reminds me of that. So maybe (so pulling theories out of the air) Petunia gave Harry that sweater? Plus they all still look worried (Harry looks very determined) for the battle to already be over. I think unlike the other books there's going to be more than one big fight. Because Harry, at least, isn't going back to school. And he has so many people he wants to go after (Peter, Snape, Bellatrix, Voldemort) that it's almost impossible to keep everything down to "The One Big Fight" Wow. Okay. Done with the novel...

this is so cool! but why isn't it listed under big news? this is gigantic news! i think the dragon is norbert and they are flying over godrcis hollow...omg i am just too too excited!

We see it we see it, come your self down. So what does that mean then? And are you sure?

That looks so cool! I thik the village in the bottom is Godric's Hollow. and the dragon, I have no idea about.. It's very weird, because in Book 1 Philosopher's Stone Jo wrote that Dragon are intameable( they can't be tamed) So, my guess would be that they have lent a dragon, which Charlie in some way has gotten tame. To Sarah_Louise, abot the imperious on a drgon: How would that be? It takes eight men or so to stun a dragon, then how are they supposed to use an mperious curse on it?

They're doing that on purpose just to make us more eager to buy buy and buy. So far many people have purchased the first edition and now the're releasing another one ;P it's better to be patient :P it will pay,eventually. BTW.What d'ya think about the GB cover?

the mountain ranges and the architecture of the houses do not match great britain. i do not think in anyway that this is godrics hollow. it just doesnt fit.

Judging by the discription from scholastic this seems to be after the battle. "Set during a highly dramatic sunset, Harry, Hermione, and Ron--clothes in tatters--cling atop a flying dragon in this astonishing artwork created by Mary GrandPré for the deluxe edition. As mist creeps down towering hillsides to a village below, questions arise about where the trio is headed and what has led them to this spellbinding moment." It sounds like this is right after the battle and they all got through and they are flying to saftey. I still think Harry will die, but this is interesting.

OMG!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait until this comes out. July 21 seems like forever!!!!!!!!!! I'm so scared for Harry. What's going to happen?! This cover looks AWESOME! Thanks Mary GrandPre!

Oh, Todd I see what you mean, but I am pretty sure that it is only the reflection of the sun, not the pupil. SO the theories are still valid.

that red colration is definetly a pupil. just look at box art full size. i just know its a pupil. if we all agree that it is a pupil, and it it to old looking to be norbert, and also that it has a chinese look makes it a chinese fireball. Although still i hope it is norbert casue that would be really great to see norbert again. ive always wondered what happend to that little stuffed animal eating dragon in all these years.

wow that dragon picture is so awesoem!!! i think the dragon is norbet too to all you people who tihnk that. that was the first thing i thought! and harry's shirt/cloak/whatever that brown thing he's wearing is looks kinda funny.. idk what it is. wow i'm so excited!!!!!!!!!!

At first, I thought maybe the dragon was blind. I didn't know about opal eye dragons. Interesting. Someone said Harry's scar is visible, but I don't see it. I thought maybe the village was the one near the Burrow. It looks like a small farming village. And maybe the dragons wings are tattered for the same reason the trios clothes are tattered. Perhaps they were all in battle together? And I guess maybe Harry isn't attending Hogwarts after all since he's not wearing a robe like Ron and Hermione, but that's pure speculation of course.

OMG! i think it might be norbert ALL GROWN UP!

Did anyone else notice that Harry is the only person NOT wearing wizarding robes. Ron and Hermione are but Harry totally isn't. Maybe that means he doesn't go back to Hogwarts but they do? Oh man. I can't wait.

The trio is exactly seen "after" the duello of Harry vs. Voldemort (at the cover of US edition), which means that Harry defeats Voldemort, him, Ron and Hermione get enough damage so that their clothes become dirty and old. The deluxe edition shows exactly the things after all the book, nearly the end...

Look at their robes!!! They are kind of shabby or torn apart even burnt, like they are just after something perilous.There must have been some kind of commotion or something.Doesn't it seem strage the way Harry's wearing? His pullover or whatever he has on is just like the dragon's skin? It might be protective?

that red colration is definetly a pupil. just look at box art full size. i just know its a pupil. if we all agree that it is a pupil, and it it to old looking to be norbert, and also that it has a chinese look makes it a chinese fireball. Although still i hope it is norbert casue that would be really great to see norbert again. ive always wondered what happend to that little stuffed animal eating dragon in all these years.

This got me so happy! And hi, everyone! Let's look at the facts. Look at the mists, and the dragon is either blind or staring right at it. But if you look more closely in the UK Cover, there is mist in the Hogwarts Grounds. The dragon is following the mist which apparently is coming from Hogwarts itself. I'm pretty sure. And I am not sure if it's Ron or Malfoy, but who cares? What's wrong with Hermione?!?!?! I love her so much. I hope she doesn't feel pain. They are flying over Bristol, probably. The Dragon is NOT under the Imperius Curse, I think it's the reflection of the mist. What do you think?

guys,what about the mist= they might be being chased by the dementors! it's sunset,so the mist is not usual at that stage of a day.

Oh, Shiiiiiiiiiteeeeeeeeee. That has to be Norbert. I am guessing they are in Bulgaria.

yeah,sure thay are about to cross the Egipt border,aren't they:P:P:

Could they be headed towards Dumstrang? That description by Krum in GoF sure sounds like that.

Well, hmmm...one would think it was Norbert (anything else wouldn't make much literary sense...well, except for a Hungarian Horntail), but it's eyes have no pupils, which would make it an Opal-Eye (FBWTFT), not a Norwegian Ridgeback. However it also has a mane that makes it look awful lot like a chinese dragon (read description of such also in FBWTFT). (This is probably getting over-analytical, but that looks an awful lot like a Germanic village they're flying over. [Perhaps they're off to visit Vicky? :-P ])

this is exciting! it doesnt really matter what kind of dragon it is, but my guess is its an opaleye because its eyes, look like opals... so yah. but i definatly think thats godrics hollow. its a village, and that's what jk said it was. i doubt this is an ending scene of the book; harry looks determined to do something. oh but i like the theory the dragon is an angimagous or how ever you spell it!

I want the Deluxe Edition!! I can't wait for the book now!!!

I'd love for that to be Norbert, but it looks like an Antipodean Opaleye... Cause of the eye... Hmmm. No shiny-ness though. How exciting!

if you look at the picture there is somthing in the sky. ron and hermione see it and the dragon looks like his head is tilted in the direction of where ron is looking. and harry looks determaned to his task. what is in the bottom right hand coner of the village it looks brown mabye burnt?

Just wanted to comment on an earlier post about plans for a graveyard in PoA. We have seen a graveyard in the series since then. It was at the end of Goblet of Fire when Voldy was reborn.

wait so is this the cover for the box or the actual book i am so confused. and iam DEFiantly getting it YAY!

Somebodys going to Romainia.....lol. This is torture, I want the book now lol. Are Ron and Hermione in School Robes? Scholastic is killing me!

I'm thinking....yes...the dragon looks tattered....but so don't the trio. Who's to say that they dragon hasn't been in battle like they have been? True, dragonhide is said to be very strong, but DE's are very powerful wizards using very dark magic.Just a thought.

Amazing, 42 more days!!!!

what is with you guys thinking it is the opal dragon???? it has a pupil looking straight ahead. you can only see it if you look at the boox art picture in full resolution. its a redish pupil. so it is probably a chinese fireball or hopefully norbert. i am postive it isnt the opal dragon though

D-d-d-d-DRAGON!! Uh, why are they with a DRAGON?? Hmm...

harry's gotta something black on his face.Definitely it's Malfoy who's next to Hermione.Then,I suspect Ron had been killed by Voldy and the deatheaters are doing their job in Hogwarts.

An wild guess, but what if Hagrid is an unregistered animagus and he transforms to a dragon. Hagrid would love to be a dragon in his animagus form. And unless it is a dragon which can understand, isn't it impossible to ride or control a dragon.

Is that Norbert? that would be awsome!

My friend and I are talking about the feature's of the dragon, and he made a excellent point------what if that's the way he is??? Tattered wings aren't made in battle....he could have just been born like that. I have to go back to SS movie to see if wings look similar, JK toying with us. Nemo the fish had a short fin, why couldn't Norbert have tattered wings?

This is really interesting, and at the same time, confusing! I have lots of theories about the final book, but none of them involve this scene. I am soooo excited to find out how this scene ties in!