You're gonna be bothered by how cool I am.

UK Adult Front & Back (Front only)

Obviously, this is a locket (duh). Almost certainly either THE locket or the subsitute that Harry and Dumbledore retrieved from the cave, and my guess would be that it's THE locket. This object appearing on the cover would seem to bear out the theory that "hallows" refers to the horcruxes.

The locket looks very different from how I imagined the locket, though. For some reason I had it in my head that there was red in it somewhere.


UK Children's Front & Back (Front only)

This one is my favorite. Okay, I'll take it a bit at a time...

JACKET FLAPS (pictures only - I'll get to the blurb later)
1) Crystal ball with the image of a snake. Possibly Nagini, though that's not certain. There are also some interesting reflections in the orb apart from the snake, such as what are clearly windows. Is the location of this orb significant in any way?
2) What looks to be Prongs, a.k.a. Harry's Patronus. This is interesting, because we haven't heard much from JKR about James in Book 7; it's all been about Lily.

SPINE
Some kind of rune symbol? No idea what it is or what it means. The triangle brings to my mind the delta symbol, which means change (in math, at least, which I admit is not a likely source for JKR to draw from). Whatever it is, it's probably important, like the ring on the spine of HBP.

BACK COVER
Hogwarts, obviously. That may or may not be the Whomping Willow on the left, though I'm inclined to think it is. Having Hogwarts feature on the cover makes it clear to me that we'll be spending a good amount of time there, even if Harry won't technically be going to school.

FRONT COVER
WOW! SO much to look at, I hardly know where to begin. Let's start with the characters. Harry is looking pretty hot, if I may say so (and slightly windblown, eh?), wearing a black sweater, just like on the HBP Bloomsbury cover. Something is reflecting in his glasses, though it's impossible to see exactly what, though it does resemble fire (which would explain the redness on Harry's, Ron's and Hermione's faces). All three of them look like they're falling backward (or perhaps being blown backward), and they all have cuts and scrapes (Ron's are a bit harder to see, but his face has been cut and scratched).

Hermione looks ... vaguely porn star-ish, to be honest, with the full lips and wild (though not particularly bushy) hair. She and Ron both look much more terrified at whatever they're looking at than Harry does (though Harry is clearly scared as well). Hermione and Ron also appear to be wearing some strange kind of ceremonial tunics or something. I joked to myself this morning that Harry must have burst in on them and that was the first thing they could grab to put on before rushing to meet danger. :P Those are rather strange things for them to be wearing, though, right? I'm not obsessing for nothing, am I?

And then there's Crouching Tiger Dobby(?), Hidden House-Elf. I can't think of anyone that would logically be other than Dobby. It doesn't look nearly as old and crotchedy as Kreacher should be (isn't he described as having tufts of hair coming out of his head?), and I can't imagine WHY Kreacher would be with the Trio on a quest of any kind. The elf also appears to be holding Gryffindor's sword, and that just doesn't seem like something Kreacher would be doing, given his clear preference for the Slytherin way of thinking. I can't really imagine why Dobby would be there with them either, but it fits more with his character and what we've seen about his investment in the Voldemort situation. Plus I like the idea of him being there much better, especially as it looks like he's trying to be brave in brandishing the sword but he's still kind of hiding behind Harry.

The place looks like a Gringotts vault at first glance, and it very likely is. I see Galleons, rubies, platters, goblets, a suit of armor, a helmet, and what appear to be potion bottles. I can't tell what that is under Harry's left arm. My first thought - laughingly - was "Toaster! OMG we're going to see Voldemort in a thong!" :P But seriously... I think it's interesting that the only jewels in the place among the Galleons and embedded in the goblets and things are rubies. I think the vault may have to do with Godric Gryffindor in some way. wahlee_98 suggested that Bill might help them to get into it somehow. Although it might not be Gringotts at all.


US Cover, front & back (Front only, with the title)

I had predicted greyish tones for the US cover, but I like this orangey look - much more Apocalyptic Doom. The curtains don't look remotely veil-ish to me; if anything says "beyond the veil" about this artwork it's the people who seem to be watching, and who remind me of what Luna said about the voices. But ... I don't think they're in the Veil room. It looks very much like a coliseum, and it's open-air. I'm not sure what that rubble is at the bottom, though.

Harry and Voldemort are obviously looking at something off to the side, and it looks to me as if they're both reaching for something. Harry, especially, looks as if he's trying to catch something. I kind of feel sorry for Voldemort - he's obviously outmatched in this test by Harry's mad Seeker skillz. :P

It feels weird to look at all of these pictures and realize that they were drawn by people who now know the whole story, who know for a certainty what happens to Voldemort and whether Harry lives or dies. It's also maddening to think that they're leaving little clues for us, but we have no way of recognizing what they are. So they're not really giving anything away.

Which brings me to the UK jacket blurb:

"Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety , and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him…

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectactular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven narrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again."

And on the back of the adult edition:

"Harry is waiting in Privet Drive. The Order of the Phoenix is coming to escort him safely away without Voldemort and his supporters knowing – if they can. But what will Harry do then? How can he fulfil the momentous and seemingly impossible task that Professor Dumbledore has left him with?"

This is very much "Here's where we left off" without much of anything about what's in store. A couple of details stand out to me, though. The Order comes to pick Harry up from Privet Drive, but Harry leaves the comfort, etc. of the Burrow. So ... they're escorting Harry to the Weasley-Delacour wedding, or what?

The Scholastic blurb is typically more spoilery, which is why I think they're not releasing it. Anyway, much more to gnaw on as we enter the final four months. :D