Half Blood Prince - MASSIVE SPOILERS

[Beck]

IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK, DO NOT READ THIS THREAD. IT MIGHT RUIN PARTS OF THE BOOK FOR YOU. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.





















I can't believe JK had Snape kill Dumbledore. I kept hoping he would somehow wake up I still think Snape is on the good side though...why else would he get so angry with Harry? I'm confused. Dumbledore must have had a darn good reason for trusting snape...he's not gullible enough to fall for lies. Was he?

I do believe that there won't be much at Hogwarts next book. And Ron and Hermoine are obviously going to hook up. Goddamn, I want the next one!

[Lizzie]

I don't. He could never return back. He's gone too far.

HE BASICALLY KILLED HARRY'S PARENTS. The f**ker. I hate him so goddamn much.

I shall tell you how I found out about what happens..

So, Friday night. I was doing my massive modern assignment (due tuesday, eep!) and think, heey, I deserve a break. So, I wander around the Internet, checking things out etc. I'm on a site thats not Harry Potter related. I scroll down. There it is. A page from the book, with the lines "snape killed dumbledore" underlined. My heart almost stopped. Oh, dear god. It was absolutely horrible. A friend of mine (Xander, she used to be on BT) had also found it. We freaked out together. T'was like we were diabetics who needed insulin. Aaah, I shook so much. It was insane, really. It was like, well, what's the point in reading it now? I know what happens. I seriously tried to convince myself it was fake - surely, someone was really really good at photoshopping.

And so, I walked up to the store at 8.45. Was there when they sliced the boxes open (a girl, about my age burst into tears when she got her copy...hardkore fan!) and I literally ran home. Started reading. Flipped through, to check out the chapter titles, and...landed on THE PAGE. It wasn't real. I was crushed. Oh, dear me. It was hard reading it, knowing what was going to happen.

In retrospect, I should have stayed faaar away from the Internet. But the thing that really shits me off...it wasn't a Harry Potter site. Apparently, someone (I think it was more than one person, from different stores) had gotten hold of the books (according to them, not the people who'd bought the book by accident - the Canadians, the people in America) because the manager of the book store didn't care, and let them take a copy. That's illegal. I seriously hope something happens and the publishers press charges. The boxes said the time they were allowed to be opened, and the store people had to sign contracts saying they wouldn't. Massive breach of contract.

I did love the Harry/Draco bits. Especially the lines, "Harry was becoming quite obessessed with Draco." My inner fangirl squeee-ed at that. Despite the huge events, I really really liked this book. J.K has restored my faith in Harry - he's grown up. I expected him to be all angsty and whingy after Sirius' death. And Fleur, still wanting to marry Bill even though he got slashed by the horrible child eating wolfman Greyback , because she is "good-looking enough for both of them"!. And little Won-Won. Though I don't like Ron/Hermione, it's pretty obvious what will happen. She went after McLaggen just to annoy him. Mm, what else? Oh, and the new Minister Scrimgoeur seems capable. Seems intent on having Harry for the Ministry, but he's experienced, which is vital in these dangerous times.

Draco. There's hope for him. He couldn't kill Dumbledore, and he's had being a Death Eater forced on him. Yes, he's a mean little boy, but I don't think that deep down, HE is evil. He's been raised in an evil environment. I could be wrong, but...I kinda hope not. (desperate Harry/Draco fangirl)

This line made me so happy.

..."but Dumbledore is gone, Harry. He's gone."
"He will only be gone from the school when none here are loyal to him.", said Harry...

Oh, yes.

[aperson]

I was actually quite disappointed in this book. A really weak plot and unecessary story lines... Nothing significant happened until near the end. There was too much... day-to-day stuff in it. They go to classes, they play quidditch, they have love lives, they get detentions... etc etc. There was no plot until we get those slivers of Voldemort's past revealed, and yet we don't know WHY, thereby enforcing the weak plot it was. We aren't given reasons, which I understand, was for a reason. But there were other ways to go about it to make it a proper story line.

I was however quite impressed with the end - the cave and fight scene. I did think Dumbledore was going to die in this book so it didn't really shock me all that much. I figured that Harry needed some time to be in charge of his voldemort vendetta without dumbledore guiding him.

I didn't however foresee Snape killing him. At least I didn't until I talked to my brother for the first time in like a week and the first thing he says to me is "have you got up to where snape kills dumbledore?" which is even more annoying considering he hasn't actually read the book and found that out from the internet.

And I was so seeing Draco/Harry stuff going on. Harry was obsessed with him the whole book. I was like "get over ginny and go for your true love malfoy!"

Oh and that reminds me how much I didn't like Ginny and Harry's relationship. There was nothing leading up to it. It just sort of happened straight away, making it just seem wrong.
Oh and ditto Tonks/Lupin. That came from no where.

And even though I wasn't entirely against Ron/Hermione, I still think Hermione and Harry should be together. Or at least for a little while before Hermione leaves him for Ron.

So yeah, even though the plot was weak and it was mostly just tying up loose ends and setting the story up for a magnificant 7th book, I still think it was quite brilliant. I do however prefer books 3, 4 and 5 to it. But this will mostly likely change once I read it again. I seem to like books more the 2nd time round.

[magpie]

i loved it but at the same time hated it i cant help wondering if dumbldore will be back as one of the ghosts at hogwarts i also think harry will return to hogwarts maybe just for a while but i think he will definately be back there. also how cute him and ginny how much hotter does she seem now lol.. ok maybe thats just me

[Beck]

Dumbledore won't come back. Now I have this theory...I still think Snape is not on Voldemort's side. I trust Dumbledore's judgement of him above all else, its been stressed since the beginning that he has very good reason to trust him. why stress that if Snape is just going to turn into this cliche' bad guy? No. I refuse to accept that. Perhaps Snape was forced to kill him because of the Unbreaksble promise he made? Or perhaps it was all a part of Dumbledore's plan...he wanted Snape called straight away when he got back with Harry remember? Maybe he knew he would die as a result of the potion, and wanted Snape to do it to cement his place as undercover agent for Voldemort? or perhaps...perhaps there is a better explanation.

[Lizzie]

Regarding the death, it must be a cunning plan of Dumbledore's and Snape's. Sacrificing a chess piece to ultimately destroy the other side's King. Otherwise not onlyDumbledore but the whole Order of the Phoenix are made to look extremely stupid.

[Beck]

Yeah and if not, JK has completely ruined the character of Snape. Also, Snape not killing Harry, or at least injuring him, and the talk they had, makes no sense.

[Lizzie]

Just a thought- What did we learn from Slug's memories? Not only that they can be changed, but also, that they can include perspective, and probably, unspoke thoughts. So there may be memories in Snape's head of what he and Dumbledore had plotted regarding Draco and Snape killing Dumbledore and if there is ever going to be a way for Harry to see that as true it'll have to be via memory.And if Snape is playing on the Order's side to defeat Voldemort, he would have bottled his memories to avoid him finding out. So that would mean there is a little vial somewhere with the conversation between Snape and Dumbledore that will show Snape's level of involvement. This is what we need to find. With Snape's skills at Occlumency, we will never get it from his mind but from his memories.

We don't really know how Lily/James died. I'm reluctant to view those scenes in PS film as canon because we see them as part of Hagrid's account - therefore they are part of his image of what he was told - nobody witnessed it. I have to wonder if those dreams Harry has about his parents' murder aren't based on Voldemort's memories and their connection. Harry was 15 months old at the time after all. Even as a "repressed" memory, that's awfully young to be remembering things so clearly.

OH! OH! I've been re-reading it. And I was thinking...For Harry, the Half-Blood Prince isn't Snape. The Half-Blood Prince is this idealised figment of his imagination, a perfect teacher because he can't argue with Harry and always slips him the answers. So while Snape is the Half-Blood Prince, the Half-Blood Prince is not Snape.

That's the point of the whole book, isn't it? Harry's illusions crashing around him. His perfect teacher is Snape; Dumbledore will not always protect him - it's time to stop being a schoolboy and fight the war.

[aperson]

Your post made me laugh.


I don't know why...


Okay I've been wondering if it's possibly that Ginny could contain one of the parts of Voldemort's soul. She did get controlled by the diary, and it was like a part of voldemort was inside her. And if the diary contains part of the soul, wouldn't Ginny have too?
Or was that removed from her when she was found unconscious and then the soul piece was back in that young voldemort? But as Voldemort at that time was just a memory, could that piece of soul be stored in him?
I'm really not sure... I think I just confused myself.
I just think that it would be interesting if Harry was forced to kill Ginny in order to kill Voldemort...

[chosengirl16]

I thought it was good....anyway i was wondering how long it took people to read and if they went at midnight to get it??

JK was right that clues to the ending were in the chamber of secrets book. All makes sense now.

[aperson]

well us awesome aussies didn't have to get it at midnight because it came out at 9am. Which is the time I got it. (well actually it was more like 9.01 or 9.02 depending on the clock you were looking at...)

[Loz]

admin said:

Dumbledore won't come back. Now I have this theory...I still think Snape is not on Voldemort's side. I trust Dumbledore's judgement of him above all else, its been stressed since the beginning that he has very good reason to trust him. why stress that if Snape is just going to turn into this cliche' bad guy? No. I refuse to accept that. Perhaps Snape was forced to kill him because of the Unbreaksble promise he made? Or perhaps it was all a part of Dumbledore's plan...he wanted Snape called straight away when he got back with Harry remember? Maybe he knew he would die as a result of the potion, and wanted Snape to do it to cement his place as undercover agent for Voldemort? or perhaps...perhaps there is a better explanation.

No i think you are pretty dead on. I think Dumbledore made Snape kill him - that was what the whole pleading thing was about. This probably sounds really weird but i think theres no way Dumbledore would plead to someone NOT to kill him.
Snape killing Dumbledore has indeed cemented his place as Voldemort's number 1 Deatheater and has put him in prime position to help Harry take him out in #7.
Romance wise I really like Harry and Ginny and i love Ron and Hermoine. They are the couples i've always wanted. The Tonks and Lupin thing, while it did come out of nowhere, is cool in my book too- I love Lupin.
I just have to say I hope JK doesn't kill Harry. After reading HBP i really love him again.

[Beck]

Yeah I don't want Harry to die either. And I agree about the pleading, it would be totally out of character for Dumbledore to plead for his life. No. Also, I think the RAB on the fake horcrux stands for Reginald Black (or whatever Sirius' brothers name was.) yup. and i do believe that the real pendant was mentioned already - it was one of the things stolen from the Black house. Anyone else think so?

[Lizzie]

From an interview with JK ---

MA: OK, big big big book six question. Is Snape evil?

JKR: [Almost laughing] Well, you've read the book, what do you think?

ES: She's trying to make you say it categorically.

MA: Well, there are conspiracy theorists, and there are people who will claim -

JKR: Cling to some desperate hope [laughter] -

ES: Yes!

MA: Yes!

JKR: Well, okay, I'm obviously – Harry-Snape is now as personal, if not more so, than Harry-Voldemort. I can't answer that question because it's a spoiler, isn't it, whatever I say, and obviously, it has such a huge impact on what will happen when they meet again that I can't. And let's face it, it's going to launch 10,000 theories and I'm going to get a big kick out of reading them so [laughs] I'm evil but I just like the theories, I love the theories.

ES: I know Dumbledore likes to see the good in people but he seems trusting almost to the point of recklessness sometimes.

[Laughter] Yes, I would agree. I would agree.

ES: How can someone so -

JKR: Intelligent -

ES: be so blind with regard to certain things?

JKR: Well, there is information on that to come, in seven. But I would say that I think it has been demonstrated, particularly in books five and six that immense brainpower does not protect you from emotional mistakes and I think Dumbledore really exemplifies that. In fact, I would tend to think that being very, very intelligent might create some problems and it has done for Dumbledore, because his wisdom has isolated him, and I think you can see that in the books, because where is his equal, where is his confidante, where is his partner? He has none of those things. He’s always the one who gives, he’s always the one who has the insight and has the knowledge. So I think that, while I ask the reader to accept that McGonagall is a very worthy second in command, she is not an equal. You have a slightly circuitous answer, but I can't get much closer than that.

ES: No, that was a good answer.

MA: It's interesting about Dumbledore being lonely.

JKR: I see him as isolated, and a few people have said to me rightly I think, that he is detached. My sister said to me in a moment of frustration, it was when Hagrid was shut up in his house after Rita Skeeter had published that he was a half-breed, and my sister said to me, “Why didn't Dumbledore go down earlier, why didn't Dumbledore go down earlier?” I said he really had to let Hagrid stew for a while and see if he was going to come out of this on his own because if he had come out on his own he really would have been better. "Well he's too detached, he's too cold, it's like you,” she said!" [Laughter] By which she meant that where she would immediately rush in and I would maybe stand back a little bit and say, “Let's wait and see if he can work this out.” I wouldn't leave him a week. I'd leave him maybe an afternoon. But she would chase him into the hut.

....veeery interesting!

[Bre]

So, my predictions are:

1. Dumbledore's not dead (HE BETTER NOT BE) or if he is, see #2 theory
2. Snape is obviously not evil. For the reason being, in the order of the phoenix, I believe, Dumbledore said something along the lines of "Are you willing to do it". Talking about is Snape ready to fake being on, for lack of a better term, the dark side. Also if Snape is evil, it makes Dumbledore look so stupid for trusting Snape. And we all know that Dumbledore isn't dumb.

Does anybody have any ideas on what or who all the Horcruxes are?

What are your theories on who the mysterious RAB is?
Here are mine. I've posted them on several sites, but I love to share to people the research I've done that I'm so proud of.

RAB - Rupert "Axebanger" Brookstanton and Rosalind Antigone Bungs
(Although Hermoine didn't know how they were connected with Voldemort)
RB - Regulas Black (Sirius' brother) - good possiblitliy
AB - Ali Bashir (flying carpet dealer, highly doubtful it's him), Alphard Black (Sirius' uncle. And he was on good terms with Sirius), Amelia Bones (but her M.I is Susan), and Amy Benson (one of the kids that were with kid Voldemort in the cave)
Also, Mr. Borgin. He could have some grudge or envy for Voldemort maybe?

[Beck]

I am fairly certain RAB is Regulas Black. And one of the horcruxes was already found. In Order of the Phoenix there was a lot of description into the cleaning of the black house...and...

from page 116 also a heavy locket that none of them could open..

Who bets this is the horcrux that was already taken?

[Bre]

Oooooh. That's brilliant! Wow, I bet that's it. And if you notice, JKR writes it so we just read it likes it means nothing.

[Beck]

Yeah there are probably loads of other hidden clues as well.

[Lizzie]

admin said:

I am fairly certain RAB is Regulas Black.

That's been confirmed by JKR, apparently.

[Bre]

Really? Where'd you hear that?