Harry Dresden's New Apprentice!!?!

[g33k]

We have a new novella coming, "Out Law" (see the thread here in the Forum).  And now we  have a blurb for it, revealing (among other things) that Harry has a new apprentice!  A snippet from the blurb reads:

He’s ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and training an eager new apprentice.

^{-- https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/out-law-jim-butcher/1148099903?ean=9798347030026#}

Someone was griping about "oh no, not another New Character" -- there's already so many plotlines & loose-threads to wrap up!  That's fair.  But Jim will write what he writes, and may well have planned the advent of this New Character since early days...

But I thought -- what if it's not a new character?

For example, maybe one of the Ordo Lebes wants (or manifests new powers, and needs!) some advanced training?  What if it turns out Morty isn't just an ectomancer (that's just his strongest schtick)?

Not another Carpenter kid, tho -- unless Jim has changed his mind -- WoJ has previously been firm that the kids after Molly had no more potential than any other suburban kid.  Maybe a scion of the Murphy clan?

What about li'l Faith Astor, all growed up?

Etc...

Of course, it legit could be an all-new character (or a tiny bit-player being elevated... remember Waldo Butters was originally a throwaway, a combo of comic-relief + audience-surrogate (to whom Harry could lore-dump (thus informing the readers))).

Anyone else wanna toss an idea into the ring?

[RobReece]

It's possible that the publisher is overhyping the storyline and that it's not a new 'apprentice' whose story would extend beyond the novella.

[Mira]

  It makes sense in some ways, Harry needs help and someone to confide in.  What if the new apprentice is Maggie?  If she is starting to show her talent, it could be.  Would Harry make the same mistakes that Eb made with his mother?  Or it could even be Bonnie, which very much would make sense because at the moment she really has no function.  Yes, as the child of Harry and Lash, she knows a lot of stuff, but she has no clue as to how to apply it.

[Lord Kinbote]

Well, given Harry's status or lack thereof with the White Counsel, it's got to be someone already estranged from the White Counsel and/or has no interest or hope of getting in their good graces.

I also think that Butcher is unlikely to intro a major new character at this point.

Looking back, I'm going with Fitz from Ghost Story.  Certainly seemed like that character was going somewhere.  Took up a subplot and a lot of ink but then exited midway thru that book, and haven't seen him since.  Fitz felt like groundwork, and you know how Butcher drops stuff in books from left field and then uses the stuff later.

There was some young girl that showed some talent - maybe in one of the short stories, don't remember her name - but I don't think Butcher is likely to give Dresden another female apprentice,  another female with magical/supernatural abilities, or another female in his life - with Mab, Molly, Maggie, Bonnie, Laura, etc.  Dresden has enough female bosses/allies/friendlies in his life he has to deal with basically every day. Also, with Thomas out of a picture for a while, Dresden needs a replacement male for some balance.

[pcpoet]

my bet it is tamara the girl in the story AAAA wizardry that served as a case file that Dresden used to teach young wardens about taking care of supernatural problems.   in the story Dresden says that she has possibility of substantial talent and someone to watch over because of the potential to be a warlock because of how her talent manifested itself.

[Regenbogen]

I was always wondering why we never heard from Fitz again after Ghost Story. I thought, he would be interesting. And just think about his ability to hear dead people after the Battle of Chicago. Poor kid. He would go crazy without Harry's help.

Or the young warlock Harry met in Zoo Day. Aiden? Or something other with A.
Edit: Austin! I think it was Austin.

I don't think it will be Faith Astor, because I already casted her as Kumori, lol.

[magnuskn]

Fitz and his disappearance after Ghost Story was definitely one of the flys in the ointment for my enjoyment of that book. The side story about him seemed such a pointless waste of pages, compared to the many other things Jim could have written about. If he turns out to be the new apprentice, that would change things a bit retrospectively.