Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince--SPOILER ALERT!!!

me | July 17, 2005 | grellis

[grellis]

THIS THREAD IS INTENDED FOR READERS THAT HAVE COMPLETED THE BOOK! If you have not yet read the book, consider yourself warned: There will be spoilers on this thread.

For my fellow FReepers who have no intention of reading the book but would like to discuss the more controversial issues related to the work, I am asking you as politely as I can: DO NOT HIJACK THIS THREAD. We are all members of this forum and as such, it is not up to me to disallow anyone from participating in the discussion. That is why I am asking you--please do not hijack this thread. If you would like to discuss the more controversial aspects of the book, maybe you could start your own thread and ping us over there. If we are interested, we'll come.

[WV Mountain Mama]

It is when a soul is split and stored in an object. That way, if the person is killed, he isn't really dead. Half of his soul (or 1/7 of the soul in Voldemort's case) is still intact. It can therefore, be released and strengthened (like he was trying to do in the Chamber of Secrets with Ginny. Notice how his form was getting stronger and clearer until the Diary was destroyed.) Then he can become human again. At least that is my understanding.

[Quinotto]

Would you please add me to your HP ping list? Thanks!

[retrokitten]

Good point. Sounds like Severus was projecting his own self-loathing.

[retrokitten]

Done!

[littleleaguemom]

But how does he get out? I mean if all the other 6/7th of him is gone. DD went on and on about how V wanted to work alone and not be dependent on anyone.

[Quinotto]

My 2 cents into the apparent Snape betrayal: I think Snape and DD set it all up, I think that DD saw it coming and he was becoming weaker and weaker (by his own admission, everysince the failed Avakadevra spell which ended up hitting his "wand hand") and got Snape to earn Voldemort's complete trust by killing him. Harry was no use to Voldermort anymore, he got his blood in order to assume human form again so Harry's death would have been welcomed by Voldermort. Snape went out of his way to protect Harry and just remember his reaction upon Draco's mother request to vow to protect Draco at all expense...and DD's insistence in asking Harry not to be concerned with what Malfoy was planning...I do think DD is dead but I think it was a well-planned, well-thought sacrifice in behalf of Harry and final destruction of Voldemort.

[Bella_Bru]

Yeah, we are definitely thinking the same here.

Let's ge to the 7th book already so we can see how it plays out!

[Bella_Bru]

I thought Petunia was a squib, but it was mentioned that Lily is indeed muggle-born so Petunia is just a muggle.

[Bella_Bru]

I have always been a softie for Snape. :-)

[saveliberty]

:) Big print, double spaced, lots of drawings ...it goes fast. Especially as it's a novel. If it were tax code, on the other hand, that would be a guaranteed non artificial cure for insomnia. :)

[WV Mountain Mama]

The diary started controlling/possessing Ginny when she wrote in it. If he would have completed the transformation, she would have died. I would think that DD's hand turned black when he put on the ring (horcrux) because the ring started to control him and Snape had to kill the hand and destroy the ring to get it to stop. I would not want to be the one to drink from Hufflepuff's cup or put on the locket.

I think he is dependent on someone opening the horcrux but then he takes over and kills them in the end. I am not really sure if I am right, but this is my understanding of how it works.

[saveliberty]

I agree with everything you said.

[saveliberty]

I think that you are on target. That's what I was figuring too.

[saveliberty]

Wow! Great catch!

[saveliberty]

Remember that Snape saved Harry once. I think that DD was right that he had reason to believe in him. I also think that it was out of compassion that he took the oath to protect Draco Malfoy. Snape is a nasty man, but I still think that it's a ploy to fight the dark side. Else why would Snape himself be applying for the Master of the Dark Arts position that you know who wanted?

[Not A Snowbird]

I have since been corrected, by those who have children who started school a year late because their birthdays were in late September.

If Hermione is a year older than Harry, that would explain the birthday thing.

[littleleaguemom]

Makes sense, yes, he needed Snape's help to destroy the hand/ring.

[backinthefold]

the only remaining relic of Griffendor's is his sword, in the Headmaster's office. DD supposed that Voldemort was interested in a position at Hogwarts so he could have a shot at the sword,

 

But how could he have enchanted it in the first place? Ah me... isnt this fun :) Kreacher knows what the items are, or at least some of them, and shall we guess that they are in his "space" at Grimauld Place?

 

I will go with Petunia being a squib, that makes a whole bunch of sense to me. I started rereading the books to be up to snuff when this one came out, She is too aware of the wizarding world, for all her hatred of it, not to be a squib...

[saveliberty]

Yet you noticed the possible discrepancy immediately. I still think that's a great catch :)

[Cyclopean Squid]

Something I thought was weird was that Voldemort was using Nagini as a Horcrux. I think it's bizarre to use a living thing as a container for one's soul. What happens when the snake dies? Is the bit of soul destroyed? Is there a chance to put it somewhere else? Does the snake live forever, so long as the other Horcruxes and Voldemort are intact?