I finally got to sit down and read the book while on vacation last week.

Some random thoughts..... forgive me if I get some details wrong, I don't have the book in front of me.

I don't think Harry or his scar is a Horcrux. I seem to recall that the point was made that it's risky to use a living being as a Horcrux because it gave the soul fragment a way to take action on its own - which is why Harry and DD were uncertain about Nagini being a Horcrux. Plus, the Horcruxes have to be destroyed before V can be killed, and if Harry is destroyed, it's kinda hard for him to kill V. ;)

V wanted to use baby Harry's death to create one of his Horcruxes, but Harry did not obligingly die. I suspect that V had his soul fragment all prepared for "Horcruxification" at that time - and somehow, that allowed something of V (like the ability to speak Parseltongue) to be imprinted on the victim, Harry - but it's not part of V's soul.

On to lighter topics... I liked the aspect of various characters getting together, especially the part with Ron and Lavender sucking each other's faces off while Hermione gets pissed. When I got to that part of the book, all I could say was "Oh, my" every couple of paragraphs... I knew when my husband had gotten to that part of the book because all HE could say was "Oh, my!" :p It gives a nice added dimension... they're witches and wizards in training, but they're still horny teenagers.

Back to some heavier stuff... About Hogwarts. I think (I hope) it will stay open under Prof. McGonagall's leadership. My guess is that a lot of parents will pull their children out (we've seen some of this already), but there will still be some students there, including Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. I hope Harry returns... Hogwarts is really his only viable option for a home base.

Another random thought... Harry has V. GreekChat has the V's. Coincidence??? ;) :D :p

Ok, I decided to read the series of books again (yes, I've now lost count of how many times this is) and I just finished Book 4.

(this has been brought up). At the end when Harry is recounting how V can now touch him because he has some of Harry's blood and then Harry "saw a gleam of something like triumph" in DD's eyes. Maybe there's something else in Harry's blood that will work negatively towards V?

I also think that in the end, Snape's going to turn out to be good.

I also thought of something that would make a very cool (in a weird, sick sort of way) horcrux. The sorting hat. Yes, I realize that it's highly unlikely, but it did belong to Godric Gryffindor. It says so during the song in Book 3.

I have yet to read the whole series again, for some reason I am avoiding that task.

I plan to do a really deep reading with all my "supplemental" readings.

I had to order the first 3 books again, because I've worn them out by reading the so much. Good thing that I have 2 of books 4, 5 & 6

After I do my deep reading, I do promise a novel of thought...so be prepared!

Ok, here's another...........

In book 6 we learn about the (most likely) jinx V placed on the DADA job causing all teachers to only last a year, and Dumbledore knows this. Yet, he gives the job to Snape. SO that would tell us that he already knows at the time he gives him the job, that Snape will only be around another year.......

I just got thru with Goblet of Fire. I didn't know Crabbe and Goyle were Death Eaters!:confused: I'm going to start on OOP later on today. Maybe that'll clarify some things.

That's Crabbe and Goyle's fathers. They are Death Eaters, just like Malfoy's father.

^^^^
Thanks for the clarification (what was I thinking?)!:)

Has anyone reread the book yet? Has it clarified anything or given you any new perspectives on what we know. I want to reread but I can't seem to find the time.

I'll probably be there in about a week. I'm rereading Order of the Phoenix right now and I just reread Goblet of Fire...it def. put things in a better perspective after rereading it.

I'm about 70 pages from the end of reading it the 3rd time. I started the whole series about 2 weeks ago. One of the benefits to being unemployed (maybe the only one).

I think Snape is good.

At the end of book 5, Dumbledore tells Harry everything. He also makes a lot of references to his "plan". He comments that he didn't tell Harry before because he always thought Harry was too young. But he also comments that he had started caring too much for Harry. That he "cared more for your life than the lives that might be lost if my plan failed".

I think his death is all just part of the plan. The whole "there are some things worth dying for". And making Snape out to be evil is also part of the plan. Yes, he is now hated by everyone on the side of good, but he is LOVED by Voldemort and is now fully in his inner circle. I think we will see in Book 7 that getting Snape back in V's inner circle was all part of the "plan".

I'm in the process right now. One interesting thing I've noticed the second time is this bit of symmetry -- Malfoy petrifies Harry under the invisibility cloak toward the beginning of the book on the Hogwarts Express. DD, of course, does the same thing at the end, during his encounter with Malfoy.

That is bad. I haven't read all 15 pages but I felt after reading that is made someone cry for the 16th time I had to respond.

I was bawling too. I was mad cause these aren't even real people. I have to admit DD death caught me by suprise. I wasn't even expecting it even in the 7th book, but I suppose it had to happen in order for Harry to grow up.

I don;t think Harry will die in the last book because I feel it would be unjust, considering he never knew his parents, to never experience fatherhood.

*raises hand*

I cried too when I read that part. I got teary eyed when Harry was forcing DD to drink that potion but I really sobbed when he died. :(

Ok, I'm about 3 pages from the end of OOP. I'll have to reread HBP, because so much has been clarified.

Unless I'm missing something - I think Harry will find a way to speak to the voices behind the veil in the whatever of Mysteries - without dying himself. Actually, he may find a way to release the people there and bring Sirius back. What if JKR is setting it up that Sirius died so that he & Dumbledore can either return or help together in some way....

I still think Snape is good underneath it all. I think it'll be a fight between Neville and HP on who gets to torture Bellatrix, but Neville will win because like she said - you have to really mean the Cru - whatever curse for it to stick (sorry for the whatevers - my book is upstairs and I AM NOT going up there to get it :) ). I think Neville will turn out to be a very powerful wizard. Hermoine has the knowledge, but she doesn't seem to do well in DDA. I don't think she'll be a very good Auror - she's too sympathetic (look at how she stopped Harry from getting the Death Eater when it had a baby's head).