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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
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To: phoenixfeather26
re: the horcruxes

The Sorting Hat seems unlikely. First, how would he get access to it. Also, he'd have to kill someone inside Hogwarts to do it. He did that to create the notebook, but have we heard of anyone else dying way back when that he could have done it?

Also, it would have set up a peculiar incident where Harry called upon the Sorting Hat and withdrew the sword of Gryffyndor to fight Tom Riddle. This essentially pit two parts of Riddle's soul against each other. (And, IIRC, unlike the movie when Harry pulls the sword from the hat, in the book he puts on the hat and reaches for the sword from inside the darkness. Surely, Voldemort's soul, had it been there would have had something to say about that.

As for Harry's scar, that presents a problem. It would explain Voldemort's order that no one kill Harry, but V knows that he must kill Harry and thus a part of himself. Possibly, he's planning to retrieve that piece before killing Harry.

But it seems problematic that V would have made Harry a horcrux. Now the prophecy said that he would leave his mark on him, and so he did. Did he accidentally create a horcrux when he killed Harry mother and was blasted with his own spell? If so, did he know about that creation?

If he did so accidentally, then he would have had to have known that he did it, otherwise, he would've created an eighth piece of his soul. You know.... I'm starting to believe that this is what actually happened, which is why Harry could see V's thought and also see from the perspective of the snake. The snake is another horcrux and the three are connected. Hmmmm, I'm not sure that I like this development and I wonder if I should stop thinking about it because I'll ruin too much of the last book when it finally comes out. (I don't want to figure out too much in advance. Then again, I thought before reading the book that the HBP would be Hagrid, but as soon as I saw it connected with the Potions book, I realized that it wasn't going to be a person showing up with that title in the present. And, of course, I wondered about Snape, because it was a Potions book.)

On an entirely different note: anyone figure out anything about the origin of the name Merope? The names of characters usually mean something. I mean, did anyone not make a connection between Sirius Black and the big, black dog that kept showing up?

TS

681 posted on 07/24/2005 2:53:00 PM PDT by Tanniker Smith (When you're ready to have a mature discussion about the Green Lantern, you have my email address.)
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To: Tanniker Smith
"Sirius" is known as the "Dog Star". Learned this in 5th grade when our teacher read us the very strange sequel to "A Hundred and One Dalmatians". Even so, I was not astute enough to connect the big black dog with Sirius Black. I thought POA was one of the finest of the series - it totally blew me away with all of the strange little connections - Scabbers, etc., and I was fooled to the very end.

Merope: Merope[mer´upE] Pronunciation Key, in Greek mythology. 1 One of the Pleiades. She was the wife of Sisyphus, king of Corinth, and the mother of Glaucus. According to one legend she became the lost Pleiad because of the shame she felt for having married a mortal.

682 posted on 07/24/2005 5:21:19 PM PDT by Mygirlsmom (Celebrating 20 years of wedded bliss this year. And yes, I took his name!)
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To: Tanniker Smith
The snake is another horcrux

I have one problem with the snake being a horcrux. SHe is with Voldemort when he first appears in GOF. Why couldn't he "resurrect" himself at that point if one of the horcruxes was readily available?

683 posted on 07/24/2005 5:25:16 PM PDT by Mygirlsmom (Celebrating 20 years of wedded bliss this year. And yes, I took his name!)
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To: grellis
Some things to ponder...

What will happen to the Malfoy family since Draco was unable to fulfil LV's request? I'm pondering a guess that Snape (who I believe is still on Dumbledore's side) will save Draco's life using the 'unbreakable vow' when LV goes to kill the Malfoy family. I'm even guessing that Snape may even give his life to save Draco...

Thoughts anyone?

Here's another thought...who IS "the enormous blond wizard"?!?!?!?

684 posted on 07/24/2005 6:01:47 PM PDT by Maximus_Ridiculousness
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To: Maximus_Ridiculousness; JenB; sockmonkey
"the enormous blond wizard"?!?!?!?

A Malfoy on steroids...er, I mean, after having drunk a whole case of skele-gro. I don't think we've seen the last of him. He got quite a spotlight, but nobody mentioned his name.

The idea of mine--"Snape IS Regulus"--was so ridiculous I had to share it. Just shows what can happen to a mind while stuck in traffic in this heat!

I'm still not ruling out Lily as RB's coconspirator. If he had turned his back on the Death Eaters, knew his death could be imminent, and wanted to destroy the horcrux, he would need help. It seems likely, to me, that he would turn to someone who was clearly not involved in the Death Eaters. Lily could have told someone what she'd done--she could have told James, she could have told Pettigrew. Without knowing when the horcrux was taken in relation to other events--RB's death, the death of the Potters--all we can do is speculate. Remember--Voldemort didn't want to kill Lily--why not?

I think the Malfoy family will figure prominently in the next book. My prediction: Draco and Narcissa v. the rest of the psycho clan.

685 posted on 07/24/2005 6:28:38 PM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
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To: Maximus_Ridiculousness
What will happen to the Malfoy family since Draco was unable to fulfil LV's request?

Malfoy's failure could be attributed to the fact that Snape did it first. Had Snape not done so, there's no way of knowing whether Malfoy would eventually have gotten up the nerve.

686 posted on 07/24/2005 7:14:25 PM PDT by supercat (Sorry--this tag line is out of order.)
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To: grellis
Just shows what can happen to a mind while stuck in traffic in this heat!

LOL! I dreamed last night some friends came to pick me up for Mass in a flying car (it looked like our old nash rambler only better).

687 posted on 07/24/2005 7:18:14 PM PDT by sockmonkey
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To: Mygirlsmom
I have one problem with the snake being a horcrux. SHe is with Voldemort when he first appears in GOF. Why couldn't he "resurrect" himself at that point if one of the horcruxes was readily available?

LV didn't really have much of a body then. I don't think it would have done him much good. He didn't get a body back until the end of GOF.

688 posted on 07/24/2005 8:14:40 PM PDT by Dianna
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To: sockmonkey
The three things that keep puzzling me are: 1. the reference in one of the books (Goblet of Fire, I think) to how Harry thinks a "look of triumph" crosses Dumbledore's face after he learns that Voldemort now can touch Harry without harm; 2. the two way mirrors that Sirius gave Harry: I think those have to play some role later, don't you? Otherwise they were rather pointless, since Harry didn't think to use them to check on Sirius at that critical juncture in Order of the Phoenix. And 3: where have we seen the name "Peverell" (from Marvolo's ring) before? I have been looking. The closest I can get is Nicholas Flamel's wife "Perenelle" so maybe that was what I was thinking and the Peverell name was only introduced in Half Blood Prince. But the Peverell name keeps nagging at me somehow.

I am also wondering if somehow Snape is related to the Potters (specifically Lily Evans) on the Muggle side.

689 posted on 07/25/2005 4:07:31 AM PDT by GraceCoolidge
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To: GraceCoolidge
things that keep puzzling me are: 1. the reference in one of the books (Goblet of Fire, I think) to how Harry thinks a "look of triumph" crosses Dumbledore's face after he learns that Voldemort now can touch Harry without harm;

I remember trying to figure that one out (unsuccessfully) when I did my reread. I need to take notes of these things when I'm reading, except I don't have the will to stop reading them for almost anything. I have come to the conclusion I am a really lousy Harry Potter detective/theorist.

2. the two way mirrors that Sirius gave Harry: I think those have to play some role later, don't you?

I also remember thinking the mirror would play some part in the future, but then HP broke it.(OOTP, Page 838)-does "Reparo" work on broken magical objects, or just regular objects?

But the Peverell name keeps nagging at me somehow.

Peverell was the name of William the Conqueror's illegitmate son (some insist Peverelle was his illegitimate brother, not son).

690 posted on 07/25/2005 4:46:45 AM PDT by sockmonkey
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To: kellynch
Way back on post 480 you said:

Cleaning house? What's that? ;-)

Well, now that I've not only read HBP, and reread GoF, and OoTP my house is getting beyond the pale.

I am considering bringing my leaf blower in from the outdoor shed, and just trying to blow all the mess out the front door. It works so good on my back deck, it seems like it should be helpful indoors, too (note to self-keep away from Pilot lights on the stove and hot water heater).

If it works I'll get back to you. If not, be watching for the news story: Harry Potter fan accidentally blows up house.

691 posted on 07/25/2005 5:02:31 AM PDT by sockmonkey
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To: DTogo

So, you've read the book...now you have to read the thread!!! How did you like it? How 'bout that mean ole Snape?


692 posted on 07/25/2005 5:38:02 AM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
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To: sockmonkey
Peverell was the name of William the Conqueror's illegitmate son (some insist Peverelle was his illegitimate brother, not son).

Never knew that, but I meant that I feel like I've read the name elsewhere in the books. Though I may be imagining that. I didn't remember the mirror breaking; I will have to go back to Order of the Phoenix (admittedly my least favorite of the series) to re-read that section.

693 posted on 07/25/2005 5:57:14 AM PDT by GraceCoolidge
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To: Mygirlsmom

I think Dumbledore explained the Dark Lord using Harry as he wanted to use Harry's blood to break one of the protection spells on him. Plus, he was going to kill Harry and didn't expect to survive. Maybe he didn't want to "waste" a Horcrux, since the plan was for there to be no surviving witnesses to his coming back. He also wanted to call his death eaters to witness his destroying of Harry to prove to them he was back and call them to see who was still loyal. Also, Voldemort doesn't know that Dumbeldore or Harry knows that he even has Horcruxes, let alone that any have been destroyed.

I am not sure that the snake is a Horcrux, doesn't Dumbledore say that he isn't sure, it is a hunch? Maybe since Voldemort used the diary and it got destroyed, he didn't want to attempt to use a Horcrux and have anything go wrong again.


694 posted on 07/25/2005 6:13:46 AM PDT by WV Mountain Mama ("Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" never has better advice been given.)
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To: All
saveliberty pointed me to this article. The author has a theory that Snape may be the hero in book 7. He also has some other interesting theories. He seems to think Harry will die in book 7 and I definitely do not agree with that.
695 posted on 07/25/2005 6:32:37 AM PDT by retrokitten (www.retrosrants.blogspot.com)
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To: WV Mountain Mama

VM knows that one of the horcruxes--the diary--has been destroyed. Lucius told him. I'm not convinced that Nagini is a horcrux...but what do I know?!


696 posted on 07/25/2005 6:59:11 AM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
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To: retrokitten
That's a really good article! I agree with most of it (not especially about the part regarding Snape loving Narcissa) and I found the point about DD insisting on seeing Snape when he and HP returned from the cave very illuminating. DD knew that other Order members were at the castle--he had insisted on their presence before he and HP left Hogwarts. He wanted Snape for a reason.
697 posted on 07/25/2005 7:12:01 AM PDT by grellis (Funkle Queen)
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To: retrokitten

Very interesting article, indeed. I was wondering, could Snape put his memories in a pensieve before going to be with Voldemort. That could be how Voldemort doesn't know Snape's true intentions.

I am not sure I want to believe that Harry's scar is a Horcrux. I do believe that Voldemort did plant a Horcrux in Dumbledore's office when he went for the interview. It could be the sword, could be the hat, it better not be Fawkes, if the bird never dies, could the Horcrux ever be destroyed? Are there pictures of the founders in the office? Could he put one in Gryffindor's picture?


698 posted on 07/25/2005 7:18:37 AM PDT by WV Mountain Mama ("Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" never has better advice been given.)
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To: grellis

Yeah, he knows one was destroyed, but he doesn't know that they know what it actually was. If the snake is one, maybe that is why Voldemort didn't want to waste another one in GOF.


699 posted on 07/25/2005 7:20:22 AM PDT by WV Mountain Mama ("Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus" never has better advice been given.)
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To: WV Mountain Mama

Bookmark. And V. should know that his diary is gone, it was implied Malfoy Sr. told him so.


700 posted on 07/25/2005 7:21:19 AM PDT by JenB
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