Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince--SPOILER ALERT!!!
me | July 17, 2005 | grellis

Posted on 07/17/2005 5:16:14 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Books/Literature
KEYWORDS: diary; halfbloodprince; harrypotter; horcrux; hufflepuffscup; locket; nagila; predictions; professorsnape; ravenclaw; ring; spoilersgalore
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 641-660661-680681-700 ... 1,001-1,015 next last
To: grellis
....is Bellatrix a sister or a cousin of Sirius Black? Did Sirius have any siblings besides Regulus?

Bellatrix is a cousin. Narcissa Malfoy is her sister, so also Sirius' cousin. And the third sister, I think, is Andromeda, who was Tonks' mother (and Sirius' favorite cousin). Per the tapestry, I believe Regulus was Sirius' only sibling. I think Dumbledore refers to that fact as well when discussing Harry's inheritance from Sirius; at least I do recall he mentions Regulus being childless.

I have to go back and re-read this whole thread; I am really enjoying it. Has anyone else wondered about Lily Evans' history? I've always wondered about her having red hair, like the Weasleys (of course, if they're related, bad news for Harry and Ginny!).

Finally, if Regulus did take the locket, who was with him when he did it? Wouldn't it have to be someone who was gifted enough to re-make that potion? I wondered about that, too, given Slughorn's rhapsodies about Lily's amazing potion making abilities.

661 posted on 07/23/2005 5:36:05 PM PDT by GraceCoolidge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 659 | View Replies]

To: GraceCoolidge
I hadn't considered Slughorn. I don't know, though...he knew DD was after information about the horcruxes--after all, he didn't want to part with the memory that cast him in a bad light for having shared information with Tom Riddle. Wouldn't he have told DD if he'd helped destroy one? Someone HAD to have been with Reulus. I don't see how he could have managed it on his own.

What about Lily? She was good at potions, after all.

I've just reread your post, now I realize that is exactly what you were saying, regarding Lily, not Sluhorn. Sheesh! I'm tired!!!

662 posted on 07/23/2005 5:42:49 PM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 661 | View Replies]

To: grellis
I'm still wondering about the sword being the only relic of Gryffindor. The sorting hat was Gryffindor's as well, I think. In one of the books, it sings about Gryffindor taking the hat off his head and the founders making it into the Sorting Hat. Does it not count as a relic? And the sword was delivered in the hat for Harry to use in battling the basilisk and the diary horcrux. Odd, isn't it? I always wondered why the sword didn't just materialize, but had to arrive via the hat.

I tend to agree that Dumbledore was telling Snape to kill him. Remember too, that at one point Hagrid lets slip that Snape and Dumbledore argued about something Snape didn't want to do anymore, and Dumbledore telling Snape he had to do it... did Dumbledore know what was coming? Seems likely to me that he somehow had made Snape swear to kill him if need be.

663 posted on 07/23/2005 5:55:46 PM PDT by GraceCoolidge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 662 | View Replies]

To: GraceCoolidge
That conversation Hagrid overheard is what makes me think that Snape and DD did, at some point, make an Unbreakable Vow or something else that would have absolutely cleared Snape. Is there anything else it could have been, besides a Vow?

Also, now that it's on my mind, remember how VM had no problem killing James but certainly seemed reluctant to kill Lily? He could not have forseen that Lily's sacrifice would protect HP--DD has said as much a number of times. Well, if she was the person who helped Regulus steal the locket horcrux, I can understand why VM wouldn't be so quick to kill her. If Regulus had been killed by then (and I'm certain he must have been) Lily would then be the only person who knew what became of the locket. VM tried to talk her out of standing in the way, but he eventually decides he has to kill HP and, therefore, he must kill Lily. Why did he decide this was okay to do? Because he didn't realize he was about to be separated from his body.

It's pouring here! We've been having heavy rain every night (except last) for the past three or four days. I bet those d*mned dementors are breeding again.

664 posted on 07/23/2005 6:14:21 PM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 663 | View Replies]

To: grellis

I really did like TMD! Hubby took longer to warm up to the show than I did, (I heard him muttering something about "chick flick") but even he started chuckling when she was renting videos for the dead guys, and said at the end it was an "incredible" concept. I thought so many parts of it were sweetly funny, like all the men in her life suddenly in love with her as they worked on the disaster of her flat.

It was kind of a sad shock to me when I realized Jamie really wanted to leave, and it was her holding him back. You're right: Rickman does make an unlikely, but compelling, love interest (when he wasn't being annoying, that is, LOL!). I was prepared to not like him, after Snape, that is, but I could see his appeal right away.

I already know which friends will LOVE this film! Thank YOU for the recommendation! In return, I do recommend "Dear Frankie", if you can get your hands on it. The performances of Emily Mortimer and Gerald Butler, not to mention Jack McElhone (the child), and Sharon Small (the friend), are delightful and absolutely perfect.


665 posted on 07/23/2005 7:45:00 PM PDT by alwaysconservative (FReepers are the BEST people!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 660 | View Replies]

To: retrokitten
I can't resist replying (late) to your post:

What makes it gross is that [dementors] breeding creates a freaky mist over the entire country.

I think it's the cigarettes they smoke afterwards!

666 posted on 07/24/2005 5:21:05 AM PDT by GraceCoolidge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 621 | View Replies]

To: GraceCoolidge

LMAO!!!


667 posted on 07/24/2005 6:29:50 AM PDT by retrokitten (www.retrosrants.blogspot.com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 666 | View Replies]

To: sockmonkey
but how can it be regulus black b/c in the OOTP sirius said that regulus was killed by V b/c he didnt do something that he had asked and tried to back out maybe thats y he killed him cuz he found out bout him stealing the horcruxes idk we shall c in the next book i cant wait till it comes out
668 posted on 07/24/2005 7:49:09 AM PDT by phoenixfeather26
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 667 | View Replies]

To: alwaysconservative
WHEW! If your hubby could withstand it, so can mine. As many times as I've seen the movie, he never has. I'm pretty certain that he'll see beyond the "chick flick" aspect of it and enjoy the film. I'm heading off to Barnes & Noble this afternoon, I'll defintely see if they have "Dear Frankie" on hand and, if not, have them order it for me.

Have you ever seen "The Secret of Roan Inish"? It's another great movie, my hubby's absolute favorite. After having been married so long, I sometimes forget just how Irish he is; the first time we saw Inish, he was desperately trying to hide the tears, then declaring "We have to go to Ireland!"

My nearly 8-year old finished HBP yesterday. I told him all about the discussions I've had about Professor Snape et al. He didn't doubt for a moment that DD is really dead. We'll be discussing the book a lot in the next few weeks.

669 posted on 07/24/2005 9:09:26 AM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 665 | View Replies]

To: phoenixfeather26
Sirius was pretty vague about how Regulus met his end. He said that RB became frightened of the Death Eaters' activities and turned his back on them--that's an imprecise timetable right there. Sirius also said that RB was not important enough to have been killed by Voldemort himself but was more likely killed by one of his followers. We don't know who and we don't know when. What do you make of Professor Snape's actions?

Welcome to Free Republic!

670 posted on 07/24/2005 9:14:25 AM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 668 | View Replies]

To: grellis
Someone HAD to have been with Reulus. I don't see how he could have managed it on his own.

Ooooh! What if.... Regulus took Kreacher along and made him drink the potion? Wouldn't THAT be a twist?

671 posted on 07/24/2005 9:14:46 AM PDT by JenB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 662 | View Replies]

To: JenB
House elves are completely enigmatic to me, Kreacher in particular. They're powers are alluded to throughout the books but never spelled out completely, so we don't really know what their capabilities are. Kreacher gives me the creeps! No good can possibly come from him. He's evil! I'd be happy knowing that RB made him drink the potion. The nasty piece of work deserves it.

The more I think about it, though, the more I'm convincing myself that Lily had a hand in the theft of the locket horcrux. I finally bookmarked this thread so, in a few years' time, I can enjoy how wrong I am about everything!

672 posted on 07/24/2005 9:22:39 AM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 671 | View Replies]

To: grellis

I don't think that theory works at all. First off, apparently the whole of what remains of the Order thinks Regulus died a coward. Second, even if he did heroically decide to try to thwart Voldemort, it's just not likely he'd ask Lily. She's a couple years older than him, was in a different House at Hogwarts, married his (probably hated) older brother's best friend, and was Muggle-born. Remember how the Blacks, other than Sirius, felt about Muggle-borns.

Also Lily would have left some sort of clue, or told someone else, about something so very important, no?


673 posted on 07/24/2005 9:43:40 AM PDT by JenB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 672 | View Replies]

To: grellis
Dang! Here are two incomprehensibly outlandish ideas I had while stuck in construction traffic today:

Professor Snape IS Regulus Black

That is pretty outlandish. I reread GoF, and have about ten pages left on my OOtP reread.

I think Snape is Snape, but there was something I read in OOtP that caused me to wonder if Dumbledore is really dead-I've thought from the get-go that Dumbledore IS dead. It wasn't Bellatrix Le Strange's comment that you have to really mean the unforgiveable curses, it was something else. (which I forget at the moment, but will look up after I finish the whole book)

674 posted on 07/24/2005 10:11:38 AM PDT by sockmonkey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 659 | View Replies]

To: JenB
i dont think kreacher had nething to do with the locket horcrux that's very unlikely but not totally out of the question and kreacher is so loyal to his mistress a.k.a sirius's mom that helping regulus to defeat voldermort by stealing the horcrux would be against his character except if regulus ordered him to b/c he cannot disobey an order from a family member of the blacks so that isnt a bad thought
675 posted on 07/24/2005 10:34:04 AM PDT by phoenixfeather26
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 673 | View Replies]

To: grellis

and if dumbledore is really dead than dont u think harry is a little bit screwed because he doesnt know powerful enough magic to defeat voldemort and i thot that those lessons that harry and Dumbledore were having were gonna be about dumbledore teaching harry some powerful stuff its gonna be a tough road for harry with out dumbledore around</p>


676 posted on 07/24/2005 10:39:04 AM PDT by phoenixfeather26
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 675 | View Replies]

To: grellis
do u think hogwarts is going to open again next year? just curius cuz i dont think we will be hearing much about it b/c harry said hes not going to go back next year and ron and hermione r going with harry so . . .
677 posted on 07/24/2005 10:43:11 AM PDT by phoenixfeather26
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 676 | View Replies]

To: grellis

there is no way that snape can be regulus black his father was eileen prince and his father was a muggle and the blacks r pure blood family so that cant be


678 posted on 07/24/2005 11:41:26 AM PDT by phoenixfeather26
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 677 | View Replies]

To: phoenixfeather26

I would tend to think that there's something special about the Portrait Gallery in the Headmaster's office. After all, the portrait of Dumbledore that appeared upon his death was hardly the first picture of him. I suspect Harry will be doing a lot of talking to Dumbledore's portrait, and wouldn't be surprised if the portrait tells Ms. McGonagall when it's time for Harry to learn the truth about Snape.


679 posted on 07/24/2005 1:45:58 PM PDT by supercat (Sorry--this tag line is out of order.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 676 | View Replies]

To: supercat; retrokitten; SandyInSeattle; All

They may very well make McGonagall the new Headmistress of Hogwarts, but I am beginning to doubt it.

Scrimgeour is apparently not a big fan of Dumbledore's, and with MM being a good friend and collegue of DD's, I am not so sure they will allow her to take over permanently.

Besides, it would be a nice little plot device to make it a bit more difficult for Harry to be able to talk to DD's portrait. He's growing up, and DD was preparing Harry to act on his own as it was, before he was killed.

Prolly just a silly idea, but hey...JK is fond of throwing obstacles in Harry's path for him to overcome.


680 posted on 07/24/2005 1:53:39 PM PDT by exnavychick (There's too much youth; how about a fountain of smart?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 679 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 641-660661-680681-700 ... 1,001-1,015 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson