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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.

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.