Everyone from McClaggan to Godric Gryffindor has been mentioned for this character, and most of them I disagree with completely. Like it has been mentioned, Gryffindor lived a thousand years ago. McClaggan appears to me to be just a name she put in for a minor character. As far as being the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor--or the Half-Blood Prince himself--well, he could be. My thoughts are, however, that he is likely the new Minister of Magic.

Fudge has stepped down from the position, and due to Ron's humor, many had been questioning whether it was Arthur Weasley that would take his place. Since J.K. Rowling told us flat out on her website that it was not, I've been wondering who would step into this role at a time when the wizarding world desperately needs strong and stable leadership. When I read the passage behind the door about the lion-like man, nothing struck me at first--until I thought about that very comparison.

A lion has long been one symbol of royalty; and to be royalty is to be a leader to many people...or even a nation. Lions are also known to be strong and they won't back down easily from a fight. The new Minister of Magic has nothing short of a war on his hands. He's going to need to be a rock in order to weather the storm he's facing. From the description given by Rowling, this man also sounds older and dignified (wire rimmed glasses, or something of the sort, I believe, and walking with grace): exactly what the wizarding world needs at this time--someone that's going to keep their head.

Another reason my mind jumped to this character being the Minister is because of a character found in the Chronicles of Narnia. Now I will admit, as much as I love a good fantasy story, I have only read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. That was enough, however, because it is the character of Aslan that reminded me of Rowling's character. Seeing she's mentioned reading Lewis, and all of the other comparisons you can make between the book and the series, I don't think this too much of a stretch.

Narnia is under the icy enchantment of the White Witch (who many fear), when Lucy and her siblings enter the picture. (Dementors? Voldemort? Harry and his friends? I'm sure you can connect the dots). Aslan is a lion that is thought of as a king or god in Narnia, and it his return that brings about the hope that seemed lost. It is his return that helps the four Pevensie children defeat the White Witch.

With the Lion-like man being the Minister of Magic, he in a sense would be thought of as a king because he obviously has the whole of Great Britain to worry about. And as the head of the magical world, he would be in the position to help Harry, by any means possible, to defeat Voldemort. Who's to say this Lion-like man wasn't a very key figure in the first fight against Voldemort and that this possible return (since we haven't heard of him before) won't be a big relief to a lot of witches and wizards? With so much connection between Lewis' story and Rowlings' series, I wouldn't be surprised a bit.

Of course, I also wouldn't be surprised if I'm way off. But the more I think about it, the more I believe it's a great possibility.

I also believe, though not as strongly, that even if the Lion-Man is the new Minister, that he could be the Half-Blood prince. Think about all the book titles before now. The Sorcerer's Stone...mentioned many times, seen only once in the entire story. The Chamber of Secrets...the same. The Prisoner of Azkaban...technically seen more than once (the "Grim"), but didn't make a known physical appearance until the end of the book. The Goblet of Fire...mentioned a handful of times, but only seen twice in the beginning. The Order of the Phoenix...members were seen enough, spent time at headquarters, but you didn't see them in full force until the battle at the Department of Mysteries. Each of the title characters or objects were integral to Harry facing his climatic battles at the end.

Being a new minister of magic and going through a war...there's a great chance Harry's not going to get to see a lot of the man. And if the Lion-Minister is a strong leader like I predict, he's going to be a target of Voldemort's. The last thing the Dark Lord needs is someone keeping his enemies under control and organized. Chaos and fear are what he thrives on. And where there is danger, there is Harry Potter. The Lion-Minister would be the integral part of how Harry gets to face Voldemort yet again.

And even with all this, there is still the possiblity that the Lion-Minister could be called McClaggan. Maybe he's none of these people, or maybe he's three rolled into one. We'll just have to wait to see, but I know it's going to be worth that wait. Rowling has proven that over, and over, and over again...

9/16/04