Not sure if I should put this in the volume thread or here. But here is a pattern I see with the current chapters
Volume 61
519 - Erza cover - Conclusion of Erza's battle with Irene
520 - Lucy and Natsu cover (
Lucy wearing Natsu's scarf which was made by Anna) - I truly believe this was symbolizing a connection between Anna and Lucy........
521 - Gray, Happy, and Lucy cover (
These three are together right now and about to open END's book) - I believe this is symbolizing a team up of these three in the future.
522 - Colored opening page of Gray vs Zeref; August vs Gildarts; Natsu, Lucy, and Happy (
Two of these subplots have been concluded - Gray's trump card and August's defeat, but Natsu/Lucy/Happy have not had any closure) - I believe this is foreshadowing the a switch in goals with Alvarez being defeated.... And Zeref being promoted.
523 - 2nd chapter that week - Happy and Charla with a dragon behind them
(ok, don't see a parallel here, but it was also released same week as other chapter; although there is a dragon behind them, and they seem to be celebrating a festival) I believe this is a symbol of the dragon king festival...
524 - Cana with the background spiraling behind her -
(Symbol of the environment wharping for some reason?)... I think this background looks like someone is waking up from a dream or everything being reset..... Which I think is symbolizing either END's awakening or that Zeref will reset everything or Lucy waking (
see below theory)
525 - Memoirs chapter 1 - Happy, Lucy, and Natsu meet
(Lucy and Happy leave Natsu for Gray) - I believe this was connected back to why Mashima always refers to their meeting as a fateful encounter. Sidenote: Natsu caused the spell on Lucy to break in chapter 1; this time I think Lucy will cause the spell on Natsu to break.....
526 - Memoirs 2 - Daybreak with Natsu, Lucy, and Happy- (
Initially I thought this Daybreak was parallel to August and Larcade and their father issues because of Daybreak being a book left by a Father to his son; but now I think this was foreshadowing that just like Daybreak ended up in Lucy's hands before she read the book to unlock its secret; I think this was foreshadowing that she would open the book soon)(Sidenote parallels : Natsu wishing to destroy Daybreak's book; Gray at one point wanting to destroy END's book)
527 - Colored Natsu, Lucy, and Happy cover - No memory cover - (
Mavis gives Lucy END's book) - This correlates with the END of Volume 61 so I think Mashima was concluding the Dragneel family storyline...
And think 527 means that Hiro will be moving on to all the things he foreshadowed - Anna (520), Gray/Happy/Lucy team up (521), Zeref as major villain (522); Dragon king festival (523); END awakening or Zeref resetting world (524); Lucy breaking the spell (525) on END's book (526);
Volume 62
528 - Memoirs 3 - Eisenwall with Gray/Erza and Natsu, Lucy, and Happy playing with the tornado in the background
Anna appears.
We continue with Acnologias POV
Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were not in this chapter
529 - Memoir 4 - Galuna with Gray, Lucy, and Natsu (in ice)
More about Anna is revealed
Lucy is distraught over END's book; Gray and Happy are in shock
Natsu vs Zeref continues
530 - Memoirs 5 - Phantom Lord
with Lucy as the prize between Natsu vs Gajeel, while Gray gets Juvia as a prize and Makarov is still single - The PL arc was about Lucy's background..... while chapter 530 explained what happened to Layla and how Anna came to the future; Lucy and Gray are also about to open END's book
So unlike the previous chapters and the previous memories, these chapter covers don't fit with the chapter as well except for Phantom Lord's cover being about Layla/Anna. You can stretch that Erza had the main role of the Eisenwall arc as the "fairy queen" so she appeared in chapter 528, but that doesn't explain the lack of Gray in chapter 529 which only had a small panel of him.
But look at the parallels to the previous chapter covers.
Therefore, I predict that volume 62 will center around the Heartfilia's (like with the previous volume being about the Dragneels).... To know if the chapter covers have some pattern beyond being memories. We will have to wait and see.....
So in theory, the next 6 chapters should center around either Anna or Lucy or Both....
My previous prediction was that Mashima was being a troll and counting down to END's awakening (as oppose to the end of the series) with these being
Natsu's memories......
But now I wonder if we are counting down to the climax and these are
Lucy's memories....... Or even
Star Memories.... Like in this early chapter cover...
So it will be interesting to see how Mashima does Fairy tail zero as a chapter cover since that had neither Natsu or Lucy in it. I am also awaiting to see the Tower of Heaven's chapter cover since unlike Galuna island where Natsu and Lucy supported Gray.... Tower of heaven revolved around Jellal, Erza, and Natsu.
So I think ToH chapter cover will be the true key to see if there is a pattern or if these are just general reviews of the arcs.