Can you conjure an ending for Harry?
Oh, the questions we all have about our hero, Harry Potter. Will he survive?
Will Snape pay for Dumbledore's death?
Will He Who Shall Not Be Named be defeated?
Of course, our curiosity won't be satisfied until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out July 21. But that won't stop any of us from speculating.
We'd love to hear from kids about how you would conclude the final chapter (We know adults are fans, too. But we prefer to hear from the younger Potter fanatics).
In 200 words or less, tell us how Harry's story should end. Harry can live or die. He can find his true love. He can go on to lead Hogwarts. It's up to your imagination. We may publish our favorite entries in our paper or Web site. And as a bonus, the writers of the top five endings (subject to sponsor verification) will get a free copy of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (ARV: $35).
To enter, write an ending and send it by owl to Associate Editor Mike Cetera, 101 S. River St., Aurora, IL 60506. Please be sure to include your name, age, address and a contact phone number. Please do NOT send entries via e-mail.
Entries must be postmarked by Friday, July 13 and received by Tuesday, July 17.
Rules: Entries will be judged by the Beacon News using the following criteria: originality (33%), creativity (33%) and appropriateness to the topic (34%). Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. In the event of a tie, the entrant with the highest score in the creativity category (or, if there is still a tie, then the appropriateness to topic category and then the originality category) will be the winner. Sponsor: Beacon News, 101 S. River St., Aurora, IL 60506. Neither J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Press nor Warner Bros. are affiliated with or sponsors of this contest.