Does Diagon Alley give away spoilers re: the books/movies?

[Music City Mama]

By the time we go in June, my younger DS will probably have only read and seen through Order of the Phoenix (maybe Half-Blood Prince). Is there anything about the new Diagon Alley area that would give away what happens in the series?

I think on the Gringotts ride there is a scene with Voldemort and Bellatrix (which is obviously a made-up scene), but my older DS is worried that his younger brother is going to find out how it all ends before he has read the Deathly Hallows.

Are there any obvious spoilers? We're going to US/IOA regardless, but just didn't know if we need to be prepared about anything in particular. Thanks!

 

[angryduck71]

I haven't been yet to DA, but my boyfriend's daughter has been and she has only read/seen through Order of the Phoenix and she rode Gringotts. She doesn't seem to know anything about the later books yet after riding. (And, btw, she is going to be CRUSHED when shen finds out about Hedwig and Dobby....)

 

[marauder]

I personally didn't see any spoilers but things may be around that don't make sense to everyone. You will probably find some Deathly Hallows items, but nothing that spoils it. My DD only read the first book and saw several things that she never heard about (Knight Bus, house elfs, Knockturn Alley, etc.) but nothing spoiled it for her.

 

[Music City Mama]

Thank you, both. I just want to make sure that there isn't anything obvious about what happens with Dumbledore, Snape, etc. Or anything that explains what a horcrux is -- that kind of thing.

 

[marauder]

I personally didn't notice anything like that. Of course that doesn't mean you won't have the person next to you on Gringotts shout something like "Why is Voldermort when he was killed in the last movie/book?" The only disclaimer is that I didn't do tons of searching through all the stores, but nothing out in the open that I saw.

 

[BrinkofSunshine]

Thank you, both. I just want to make sure that there isn't anything obvious about what happens with Dumbledore, Snape, etc. Or anything that explains what a horcrux is -- that kind of thing.

They don't explain what a horcrux is (that I recall), but in the Gringotts queue there is a silhouetted scene of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook discussing the horcrux in Bellatrix's vault. Although most of the WWoHP is "timeless" (meaning most, if not all characters are presumed alive), Gringotts' storyline directly correlates with the trio's break-in during Deathly Hallows.

Also, there's a stage show of The Tale of the Three Brothers, but I haven't seen it. Not sure how big of a spoiler finding out what the deathly hallows are.

 

[bumbershoot]

I haven't been yet to DA, but my boyfriend's daughter has been and she has only read/seen through Order of the Phoenix and she rode Gringotts. She doesn't seem to know anything about the later books yet after riding. (And, btw, she is going to be CRUSHED when shen finds out about Hedwig and Dobby....)

Isn't it the worst to know, and to watch someone else go through it? Circumstances resulted in me reading the books to first DH, and then later DS. The way I read I can see ahead, paragraphs before I read it. Even that was hard. Then reading it to DS. So hard.


I like how it was described here...that it's "timeless".

 

[Music City Mama]

Of course that doesn't mean you won't have the person next to you on Gringotts shout something like "Why is Voldermort when he was killed in the last movie/book?"

You're right, this is probably what I'd have to worry about most, but there is nothing I can do about that.

They don't explain what a horcrux is (that I recall), but in the Gringotts queue there is a silhouetted scene of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Griphook discussing the horcrux in Bellatrix's vault. Although most of the WWoHP is "timeless" (meaning most, if not all characters are presumed alive), Gringotts' storyline directly correlates with the trio's break-in during Deathly Hallows.

Also, there's a stage show of The Tale of the Three Brothers, but I haven't seen it. Not sure how big of a spoiler finding out what the deathly hallows are.

He has heard the term "horcrux" from us talking -- in fact, older DS has the locket and and I think younger DS knows it's a horcrux, but he just doesn't know what a horcrux represents. I'm not too worried about the ride itself -- I'm sure he'll assume it has something to do with a yet-to-be-read book, but I think it will be okay. Regarding the Tale of the Three Brothers show.... thanks for the heads-up. Not sure if he'd piece it together (he'll have just turned 8 at the time we go), but it might be something to avoid.

Isn't it the worst to know, and to watch someone else go through it? Circumstances resulted in me reading the books to first DH, and then later DS. The way I read I can see ahead, paragraphs before I read it. Even that was hard. Then reading it to DS. So hard.

I like how it was described here...that it's "timeless".

I am not an emotional person in real life, but books and movies really get me. I watched The Goblet of Fire twice this weekend and cried both times when Amos sees Cedric (although I've seen this movie several times and have read the book twice). When I read The Deathly Hallows to older DS a couple of years ago, I got so choked up at a couple of parts that I had to take a break because I was sobbing uncontrollably.

 

[Cheesehead9]

Don't look at the newspapers and pamphlets in the hallway after going through the bank lobby (before Bill Weasley's office). My son and I were trying to avoid spoilers and caught some major ones at that part ... **SPOILERS**.. such as D's death, S become headmaster, and the M going bad.

 

[bumbershoot]

Backing up a bit, are you sure he hasn't already heard all the spoilers? Not sure how old he is, but I know that DS had heard of horcruxes and all sorts of other things well before we got to them in the books. And he's homeschooled, so it was just the kids at the YMCA talking. I imagine a kid going to school has heard of these things quite easily. So it might not be truly spoiled.

And of course we have to remember that when we're personally avoiding something, we have to recognize that no one else is obliged to keep it spoiler-free once more than a couple years have gone by. And while I haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, NOTHING would keep me from going, not even if someone in my party hadn't read a single book. Hogsmeade is too great, and DA has got to be equal if not better. Very much worth it to go, even if a little bit is spoiled.

 

[Threeboysandachickie]

We are speed reading the books with my DD9 to get her ready! The movies are on all the time in our house with her older brothers, so I know she has a general idea of the plot and ending! She wanted to understand the details better and started reading Philosophers Stone on her own in October. She is in the middle of Prisoner now. I am pretty sure she will not be done with the series by the time we arrive in FL...but she is sure trying!

 

[Music City Mama]

Don't look at the newspapers and pamphlets in the hallway after going through the bank lobby (before Bill Weasley's office). My son and I were trying to avoid spoilers and caught some major ones at that part ... **SPOILERS**.. such as D's death, S become headmaster, and the M going bad.

This is exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for -- thanks! We'll make sure he avoids looking at those.

 

[Chalmers3716]

I mean, it kind of depends on what you consider to be a spoiler.

Technically, the dragon on top of Gringotts could be considered a pretty big spoiler, and it's kind of hard to miss.

Overall, if he's the type of person who will question any detail he doesn't already know/expect to see, then yes, there's a pretty good chance something will be a spoiler for him. If, however, he is more likely to simply be amazed and allow himself to be wrapped up in the experience, then it's not likely to be a big deal.

 

[spideymike]

My son is only 9 and we just had him read and watch the first movie in time for our trip this weekend. I'm sure there will be things he won't get but he loves what he read and saw so far.

 

[marauder]

My son is only 9 and we just had him read and watch the first movie in time for our trip this weekend. I'm sure there will be things he won't get but he loves what he read and saw so far.

My 10 year old was the same way. Only read the first book and saw the first movie, had to explain Knockturn Alley to her, what the Knight Bus was, and what a house elf was but she was fine with everything else. She loved playing with the wands. The Hogwarts Express shows the Knight bus running through the city expanding and contracting and things like that but she just thought it was part of the magic like everything else. She looked at the "Spoilers" in Gringotts and didn't even question them, just looked at the fact that the newspapers had moving pictures. 2 years ago she saw the Hogsmeade section without ever reading the books including riding Forbidden Journey and she had no problem with that.