I refuse to read the spoilers but I have read some interesting stuff that sort of leads me to get over my grief and realize Dumbledore really IS dead. Plus, now that I reread the older books, it brings back to me the fact that the former Headmasters can come and go as they like in their portraits. Recall in HP and the Order of Phoenix that at least two of them go to find out what's wrong when Harry has the vision of Mr. Weasley being attacked by a snake. So Minerva will have Dumdledore in his various portraits (surely there will be more of him, one at Hogwarts, one in Sirius' home and elsewhere) so that he can still give advice to harry. Dumbdleore himself states past Headmasters are "honour bound to give service to the present Headmaster of Hogwarts." So, that means he will help Minerva and one assumes, Harry (Page 48 - Cdn edition)
I would like to know what happened to Fawkes though since one of his fathers is in Harry's wand? I do think it interesting that we will learn more of Lilly and her sister (Petunia) - Petunia is not a squib, as someone pointed out but maybe we will discover that she knows magic but is hiding it from her husband? Or maybe she is on the Dark side - how could she have treated Harry so badly and been on the good side? That I am anxious to know! (even if she is a wizard - JK Rowling has said in an interview that we will lean something about her.)
I forgot about that horrible (hem hem) Delores Umbridge. She apparently makes a return in the last book too - presumably as a Ministry official. I was rather hoping we'd seen the last of that - witch!! (Tho witch is too good a word for her. A witch is a good thing in Harry Potter.)
It is unlikely,also on 2nd thought, Harry will become an auror because as Minerva explains to him - it takes 3 years. But he will certainly be acting like one, taking on You Know Who!
I won't repeat any other rumours I have head - I try not to read them and then patients tell me various "stuff" they have heard, sigh! I hope some are wrong and some I hope are correct, lol One of them told me she'd read some good stuff on MuggleNet tho one thing made her sad. I think I am staying away from it, lol
And yesterday - at the dentist - the dental hygienist - who is older than me- said "you know there are only 12 days left before the book is out." -and she is older than me so there, lol Now of course, it is 11!