EB McCoy after the BAT

[Kimmy T]

I must respectfully disagree with the idea that Eb would die by the council's hands.  I just don't see him dying that way at all.  I think that Ebenezer McCoy is a prime candidate to die in Peace Talks.  I predict that Harry and Thomas will confront Eb about their mother during the peace conference and that a major side story in Peace Talks will be the three of them hashing out their relationship and Eb coming to accept Thomas as his grandson.  Just as they are about to resolve their issues, the Peace Conference inevitably collapses into violence and Eb sacrifices himself to save his grandsons during Peace Talks's big final battle.  That is how I think Ebinezer McCoy will go out.

[Arjan]

There's also standing in public support for a "traitor," and rather than providing the evidence to the Merlin before the trial, opts for showmanship that results in an Outsider being released in a crowded amphitheater and fifty (50!) wizards getting dusted.

He did not foresee that but neither did Ebenezar.

As far as Harry staying alive for the Greater Good, I fully, absolutely, entirely expect an "It's a Wonderful Life" sequence from Uriel at some point, which shows Harry precisely what would have happened to the world if he had died or never been born. In fact, I think that's part of what Mirror, Mirror will be, though in a different way, showing the consequences of different choices.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

If things turn out better in Mirror Mirror world for everybody but Harry that would kill Harry's drive to do his best in bad situations.

Or maybe make him do some much-needed re-examining of what doing his best actually means; trying his hardest in the wrong direction is less use than it could be.

Now wouldn't him getting past that be a whole different scale of interesting and challenging from yet another long-drawn-out brawl ?

[Arjan]

We already know the Harry in the mirror universe made a bad choice compared to the Harry here. So the only thing we can learn from it is the Harry here did something right.

[wardenferry419]

Or maybe make him do some much-needed re-examining of what doing his best actually means; trying his hardest in the wrong direction is less use than it could be.

Now wouldn't him getting past that be a whole different scale of interesting and challenging from yet another long-drawn-out brawl ?

If Harry does any more self-examining, he'll turn into Hamlet.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

If Harry does any more self-examining, he'll turn into Hamlet.

If you think that's off-putting, you're talking to the wrong person.  Me, I just get frustrated that all that reflection is so slow to turn into actual serious change of approach.

[jonas]

If you think that's off-putting, you're talking to the wrong person.  Me, I just get frustrated that all that reflection is so slow to turn into actual serious change of approach.

Ditto. Was so Happy he actually pre-empted the Baddie in SG, way to wizard it up..

[wardenferry419]

Ditto. Was so Happy he actually pre-empted the Baddie in SG, way to wizard it up..

That part I was all for. Harry had ran across Nico twice prior to SK; so, him predicting some of Nico's behavior was well within his purview. Guessing Lash would have been a stretch due to his usual behavior with women.

[Emeraldblade]

Somehow with how the story is progressing I can see this series of events unfolding, because the mentor dying is cliche now and Jim loves abusing Harry.  Sorry if this isn't fully coherent, it is just my thought process in view...

1. Big event happens at "the wall" say book 18, with Molly and Harry at the spearhead. Refer to step 10 for the rest of this...
2. Meanwhile, Langley is accused with another good frame job of being with the outsiders or black council
3. Langley escapes, to fight the battle his way and leaves the council in chaos.
4. EB is then nominated and accepts the position of Merlin which means
5. EB has to give up the Blackstaff mantle
6. EB then gives the only Wizard he can trust that will accept the burden (LTW says absolutely no!) Harry
7. So now Harry has the Winter Mantle with Mother Winter's walking stick, which then really powers him up
8 But also has the urges that go along with Winter magnified, oh and the licence to do the wrong thing without punishment.

10. Harry is winter's general at the wall, and Molly is starting to turn more Wintery as well and being more of a frienemy to Harry, accomplishing Mab's goals at the expense of Harry.
11.  Harry works with the gatekeeper, and realizes even with his help they are doomed to lose this.
12. Harry has an ulterior motive while all of this is happening, trying to do his duty while getting in something under Mab's nose.
13. Molly "betrays" Harry, accomplishing Mab's goal and further complicating Harry's defense.
14. Harry fights back, after finding out Molly has been using subtle mind magic to make Harry more agreeable.
15. Then Harry with the blackstaff, turns the tide, but draws deeply on winter to do so, causing him to fracture even further towards the dark side.

So in the end of this series of events
EB is Merlin, and also leader of the grey council
Harry is the winter knight and the blackstaff
Molly is becoming more fully involved with winter, and loses Harry's trust

[wardenferry419]

That's alot for one book.

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

That's alot for one book.

Yeah, and it assumes that the Winter stuff we saw in CD is actually going to be much more important in the BAT than I am willing to; my money's on there being many more equally big pieces yet to be discovered between now and then.

[wardenferry419]

Like a Black Court revival and whatever plan Nico has going?

[the neurovore of Zur-En-Aargh]

Like a Black Court revival and whatever plan Nico has going?

Definitely the latter; I have doubts about the former, but I think we are going to find out something important about Drakul which may well tie in to the Black Court incidentally.

[Bacchus]

i sorta hope something totally out of left field happens to Ebenezer, maybe he falls in love and lives out his life or something,
 maybe hes injured in a coma for a few years so he cant help too much when dresden needs face the worst baddies.

i mean just about all of us expect him to have some heroic death before the series end and Jim must know this so i halfway expect him to go a totally different route.
maybe cowl knows a of a way to take the staff and make decades of black magic smut hit him?   i don't have any concrete ideas but i do hope its something we don't all expect to happen

[jonas]

Like a Black Court revival and whatever plan Nico has going?

Just one I think... and revival is a very good word. Cause of the whole you are what you eat thing, the idea of Mavra eating a bunch of hereness, some honest to goodness life, might make here more than she currently is as undeath. What if mavra's whole gig is how to properly return herself to, well, not so much life as existence beyond stuck in a decaying corpse?
 plus, as far as thematics and mirroring goes

(click to show/hide)

they've been trying to intentionally create an INside identity composed of a young, powerful wizardess who's gone off the deep end. Molly, Ivy, ect. and of course, Titania and Mab without division would resemble thus too(and Kali the destroyer. another Name for 'anti-matter' reaction in this case)