Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince Discussion

[DolphinChicaDDD]

Ok, I just got through the entire thread. My thoughts:

* I think one of the Horcruxes is something from Ravenclaw and something from Gryffindor. It just makes perfect sense; the moment LV took the Hufflepuff trinket, my thoughts went to the other founders of Hogworts.

*For some reason, I still can't shake the feeling that Snape isn't evil. I despise him for killing DD, but there is something that is urging me to believe he isn't totally evil. He hesitated while making the Unbreakable Vow with Draco's mum/aunt. He hesitated with the part about picking up Draco's deed, should Draco fail. I think we can all see obviously that Draco did not want to kill DD- he would have done it in the first few seconds. Basically, Snape was in a room with all DE and I think he had to, and that DD was telling him to do it. Snape also escaped with Draco but without the DE. Snape also didn't kill Flitwick or any other OotP members. If he isn't killing in cold blood, I don't think he is truly a DE nor is Draco.

*I want to know what is up with the mirror as well. I remember reading somewhere that JKR said it was important, but nothing happened in this book.

*Hogworts has to open. As pointed out by someone ealier, even in times of war schools have to remain open. You will knock out an entire generation from learning, and I think the governor's of hogworts will realize that. There will be a hit in enrollment, but I think it will still open. I also think Harry will return as well.

I can't think of much else right now, my brain is fried. I'll probably go back and skim through certian parts of the book again.

[MysticCat]

If this was posted somewhere above and I missed it, I apologize, but folks might find This 3-part interview with JK Rowling of great interest. (The link here is to Part 1; links to Part 2 and 3 are at the top of Part 1.)

[uwkappa]

I don't think the photo album Harry has of his parents is a horcrux...Hagrid said he asked all of his parents friends to send him pics so he could put it together...

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally posted by uwkappa
I don't think the photo album Harry has of his parents is a horcrux...Hagrid said he asked all of his parents friends to send him pics so he could put it together...

That's what I'm remembering too.

[blueangel]

Another theory about DD...

At his funeral he burst into flames. Then you heard the phoenix. Do you think DD will rise from the ashes???


I'm starting to read the series all over again, and I'm combing each book for clues.

[MysticCat]

Actually, I think it was more that flames burst out around him, and his tomb appeared from the flames. A white phoenix rose from the fire and flew away -- that was his patronus.

I think Dumbledore is indeed dead -- on the next great adventure, if you will. JKR has made it very clear; in the heroic genre that she is following, the hero must at the last go on alone. Think, for example, Luke Skywalker having to go it without Obi Wan Kenobi; Frodo Baggins having to go without Gandalf. (Of course, Gandalf did come back from the dead, but he did not return to Frodo.)

I think we will still "hear from" Dumbledore. His portrait will be in the headmistress's office, and he may have had other ways of preserving his memory. (Might Harry spend some time with Dumbledore's bottled memories in the Pensieve?)

[DolphinChicaDDD]

Originally posted by MysticCat81
....
I think we will still "hear from" Dumbledore. His portrait will be in the headmistress's office, and he may have had other ways of preserving his memory. (Might Harry spend some time with Dumbledore's bottled memories in the Pensieve?)

The first thing I tought of when Dumbledore died was his portrait in the hedmistress's office and all those wizard cards that come with the candy (the chocolate frogs, I believe). But then I thought about the portrait of Mrs Black (Sirus's mum), and thought how come she went crazy in the picture but other paintings remain "sane." And how long does it take for the picture to be able to function- I think DD is sleeping in his picture now (or something like that, can't check now, my mom is reading the book). Is there is time before the picture can be "active?" What I'm thinking is perhaps there has to be a time period between when a person dies, so DD maybe won't be as helpful as I hoped orginally.

Good call on the pensive. I didn't think of that.

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by DolphinChicaDDD
But then I thought about the portrait of Mrs Black (Sirus's mum), and thought how come she went crazy in the picture but other paintings remain "sane." And how long does it take for the picture to be able to function- I think DD is sleeping in his picture now (or something like that, can't check now, my mom is reading the book). Is there is time before the picture can be "active?"

I'm doubting it's too long -- maybe hje was "sleeping" until his funeral. I seem to recall DD once saying that all of the former headmasters and headmistresses have a solemn obligation, through their portraits, to assist the current headmaster or headmistress.

As for Sirius's mum, she goes crazy in the portrait because that's how she was in real life, especially after Regulus died.

[sugar and spice]

Rowling has said that the people in the portraits are not fully realized -- they are essentially shadows of the people they were in life. They can repeat "catchphrases" from their lives and give off the same attitude, but they are not like ghosts in the sense that they think/process information/et cetera. So I'm not sure how helpful Dumbledore's portrait will ultimately be.

However, I do think Dumbledore will help out in another sense (pensieve or otherwise).

[MysticCat]

Originally posted by sugar and spice
Rowling has said that the people in the portraits are not fully realized -- they are essentially shadows of the people they were in life. They can repeat "catchphrases" from their lives and give off the same attitude, but they are not like ghosts in the sense that they think/process information/et cetera.

I don't know. The headmasters and mistresses in the portraits certainly are shadows of the people rather than ghosts or something similar, but they do seem to be more realized than, say, the Fat Lady or Sir Cadogan. Think of Phineas Nigellus and his reaction upon learning of Sirius' death, or the reaction of the other potraits to Nigellus's reluctance to do something DD asked him to do. There seems to be at least a shadow of memory associated with the portraits.

[docetboy]

For anyone interested in rereading the books and having a little fun, everytime there word "wand" is used, replace it with "wang."

The book becomes so much more interesting...

[Lindz928]

Originally posted by docetboy
For anyone interested in rereading the books and having a little fun, everytime there word "wand" is used, replace it with "wang."

The book becomes so much more interesting...

Haha. That one actually had me laughing out loud! (But I will suggest that rather than saying that they become MORE interesting, just say that they become interesting in a DIFFERENT way. )

[SigmaChiCard]

Dumbledore hasn't really left - he's still with us.

Buy this at eBay!

edit: it's actually up to $90!

[JenMarie]

Originally posted by SigmaChiCard
Dumbledore hasn't really left - he's still with us.

Buy this at eBay!

edit: it's actually up to $90!

I saw that this morning and laughed my ass off because it looks "strangely" similar to the Jesus toast.

[MysticCat]

I'm having a real slap-my-forehead, "duh!" moment.

Am I the only one who has just now put together the significance of the fact that Harry's parents were living in Godric's Hollow (as in Godric Gryffindor) when they were killed?