Quote Originally Posted by Rantzien View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Ouch! View Post
There's a difference between putting your world inside a box and setting down some ground rules. Rowling's only rule was that magic can't bring people back to life. Otherwise, there were very few specifications to its limitations. That aside, the rules for a given system of magic never have to be made clear to the reader. In the end, I just think that explaining away the ending with a vague, "Nobody could have known!" is one of the worst cop-outs ever.

That aside, there are other (and arguably better) ways to be unpredictable without resorting to such an unsatisfying technique as a deus ex machina.
But really, nobody in Rowling's world could have known. Harry's relation to Voldemort is unique; no one has ever experienced the same situation before. To propose that some character could have predicted how such events would unfold is bizarre! Even the range of what simple spells and can be "invented" is unknown, it's really no surprise that the effects of such arcane magic is unknown.

Either way, I suggest we call it a matter of differing opinions before this turns into a discussion of literary technique. :)
I'm not quite so sure what's wrong with a discussion of literary technique when we're talking about a book. On a final note, I understand why it was able to go unexplained. That's exactly what makes it a deus ex machina. It came out of absolutely nowhere because there was no reason for a good explanation of foreshadowing. I think this is weak storytelling. Even if it works due to the way the whole system was set up, I just think it was poorly done.