MEANINGLESS WARNING TO TAKE UP SPACE ON THE HOME PAGE SO PEOPLE DON’T GET INADVERTANTLY SPOILED… That should do it. So, Snape was a baddie after all, huh? On one hand I’m absolutely infurited by him. How COULD he? How COULD he? But on the other hand, I applaud JK Rowling for going there. I thought for sure that after five books of “Harry thinks Snape’s evil but really he’s not” there’d be some cop out where Alan Rickman still got to play the secret good guy. But nope… That bastard. I did feel a little pity for Draco too. I thought all along that his task was to kill Potter, and it wasn’t until the very end that I worked it out. (I’m totally gullible watching/reading stuff; I never guess the surprises ahead of time.)

Just talking more to the Snook about the Snape issue. (He hasn’t cracked his copy yet so I’m trying to keep him unspoiled.) He was like, “So, was the Prince someone completely new? Or who you expected?” And I said, “No, he definitely WASN’T someone new, but at the same time, it wasn’t someone completely unexpected either. But it’s like you didn’t exactly suspect them either, because the secret was pretty much hiding in plain sight.” I never suspected Snape because it just seemed way too obvious. And he was like, “Okay, but then the Prince’s identity was irrelevant, right?” But I said that it totally wasn’t, and that in fact, the title was a pretty good one because the whole point of the book really was about the Prince, setting him up for the final act. It’s like in Phantom Menace, where most of what goes on is just hand waving while the real story is just a little bit at the beginning and the end, when you realize who the baddies really are and just how the situation has been manipulated. And then you realize that the whole point WAS that little bit of plot. Book 6 was about FINALLY figuring out who Snape is and what the big finale’s going to encompass.

That said, I did have a few complaints. I got really tired of the repeated plot device (repeated over several books now) of Harry telling everybody that he thinks something evil’s afoot, and nobody believing him. This time it was even worse, what with Hermione and Ron totally not buying his “Draco is up to something” routine. I just got a little bored with it. Ditto with the big explosive “whiz bang” shootout battle at the end. I hate reading fights. I don’t understand them and I read too fast to keep the whole action clear in my head.

You know what I did like though? ALL THE SNOGGING. This was totally NOT a kids book, now was it? I was like, “Whoa, Snookums, I think we just had the first documented use of the word ‘slut’ in the Harry Potter series!” I loved that Ginny and Harry finally got together, and (even though I was sad that it hurt Hermione), good on Ron for finally getting some! I imagine there’s going to be some outrage from idiot conservatists about how eight-year-olds are going to get all corrupted and stuff, but really, the protagonists are sixteen-year-olds and that age group does a lot worse in Judy Blume books. Right?

So… Dumbledore’s death. I sniffled a little bit, definitely more than for Sirius. I think I was affected by the adventure on the lake though. I didn’t like seeing him all weepy and shaky and getting-poison-poured-down-his-throat. It’s like, give the man some dignity, you know? And then seeing him all weak… and finding out that he’d made a mega-serious mistake in trusting Snape. And them finding him all crumpled up on the grass… He’s supposed to be all mysterious and dignified! I think I was just a little too shocked to get seriously upset. (And hey, we never did get the story of how his arm got all black, did we? I wonder if it will remain a mystery.)

Okay, so who the hell is RAB? I’ve been racking my brain and I can’t think of anybody other than the other Black brother. Didn’t his name start with an “R”? (I can’t be bothered looking it up.) But the note seemed to indicate that he’d destroyed the original locket, so Harry should only have three to locate. I’m worried about her having enough space to wrap up the plot though. It reminds me of the final book in “The Dark is Rising” series, when they’ve only managed to find, like, one of the six magic objects and you just know that they’re gonna have to rush through the other five at breakneck speed just to finish on time. That’s what I worry about. And dammit, there needs to be some room for the Ron-and-Hermione-get-engaged subplot! I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR YEARS!

Okay, I think that’s everything for now.

I think (hope?) it’s possible Snape’s not entirely evil. There are all sorts of wild theories flying over at Fiction Alley Park (e.g. that Dumbledore and Snape arranged D’s death for the ‘greater good’, etc). I don’t know why I’m so eager to redeem Snape… Perhaps I just don’t like the feeling of Dumbledore being betrayed so horribly, and trusting so blindly and being so… fallible! *sniffle*

Oh, I’ve got so much more to say, but I’m so tired I can’t form coherent thought. Need sleep.

(And yes, Regulus Black is a possibility being discussed on a bunch of HP message boards.)

(And the shipping… oh my!)

OK, forgive me for spamming. I’m going to get that comment off the front page! (please delete all comments when you see them, Kris!)

Man, do I feel like an idiot.

…

OK, I think this one will do it… so sorry, once again, folks!

Spoilers here too.

Yup, spoilers I say.

Spoilerama.

Ok, anyway, I definitely liked it, and it was good to see the war that’s been hinted at in IV and V finally start to rage.

I do think Harry was far too trusting of the Half-Blood Prince book, given all the talk of horcruxes, the half-blood emphasis of his Pensieve visions, and his previous experience with Riddle’s diary. The kids seem to be getting less quick-witted as the books move on, but perhaps it’s due to all the hormones.

Speaking of which, I myself could have done without all the Sweet Valley High teen angst, but I also expected it. Ginny Weasley? That’s your friend’s sister, yo (even if it has been building for 5 books now.)

As for Snape being evil, well, even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Snape has some part to play yet, for good or ill, before this is over.

And Draco now joins Neville Longbottom as a serious wild card in the final battle.

Regulus Black as RAB is an excellent, excellent call.

I have harbored a pet theory about how it’ll all end since finishing Book V, and the business with the horcruxes definitely strengthens it. But I’ll say no more for now. All in good time, as was dear old Dumbledore’s wont.

On the Neville tip, I was thinking the same thing for awhile…but J.K. Rowling herself seems to throw water on that idea in this FAQ entry.

Also intriguing is this answer about Sirius’ mirror.

“spoiler space blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah b…” (I figure that if I just copy-and-paste someone else’s filler from the main page… 😉

I was completely expecting to get online after I finished to say, “Yeah, I knew Snape was really just a double (triple?) agent. Dead obvious from the way he talked about Harry in that first scene.” But no, J.K. Rowling, as you say, “went there”. The first really treacherous character in the series– very adult.

Speaking of which, I’m glad that I’m not the only person for whom the word “slut” jumped off the page. Wish she had put in a little more colorful language, just to flesh out the now-sixteen-year-old characters a little more. The constant makeout party was good, though. Does that mean (implied) hot teenage wizard sex in the next one? (I kid, of course.) The teenage angst lends a little more credibility to the characters; I just wish JKR hadn’t made it so predictable and formulaic.

You’re right, Kris– all of that completely sets Snape up to be the Gollum character in the final volume: bad, then pretending to be good, then really evil, then (in VII) inadvertantly doing a lot of good.

Ah, that’s it for now. If I think of something that everyone else hasn’t already said, I’ll probably share again.

Holy crap, Heather. Excellent, excellent call on a lot of that stuff. You’ve seriously set my head spinning. I figured there’d be some Snape apologists trying to tease out a possible Snape-Dumbledore alliance, but your explanation actually seems pretty plausible. Here’s the thing though: What’s the point? I mean, it’s a pretty risky maneuver when Harry could just as easily go nuts and go after Snape, leaving Voldemort to run free. If Dumbledore hasn’t told anybody else about his plan to keep Snape on V’s good side, then what use is Snape as a spy? It’s not like the Weasleys or Tonks or any of the other Aurors are going to believe him if he tries to pass on any information. So does he have some super secret mission, something to do that he hasn’t done yet? I guess I’m saying I buy into the possibility, but I can’t satisfy myself that there was a real motive for doing it.

I’ll have to keep your theory in mind as I go through the book a second time…

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER (I’ve learnt my lesson) SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER (really, I have) SPOILER…

Heather, you’ve articulated beautifully the essence of what I believe regarding Snape. Your arguments have put it all together in my head – the hostility between Dumbledore and Snape overheard by Hagrid; the uncharacteristic “pleading” from Dumbledore just prior to his death, etc.

Though Kris, you raise a valid point. Such an agreement between Dumbledore and Snape leaves Snape incredibly vulnerable. Unless Dumbledore has somehow left iron-clad proof that he and Snape were in cahoots, the whole Order will be out for his blood. Presumably, Dumbledore believed that Snape can take care of himself should this eventuate.

I’m so dizzy (with theories) my head is spinning.

Also, has anyone looked in the Order of the Phenoix for reference to Sirius’s brother’s middle name on the family crest wall hanging thingy?

I feel silly leaving the blah blah blahs, because HOW HAVE YOU NOT FINISHED??? 🙂

I jumped to Regulus Black pretty quickly (and yes I checked book five). Because I remembered Harry challenges Snape saying only Death Eaters refer to Voldemort as “Dark Lord” (how the note in the locket was addressed).

I blubbered the whole way through the end, but couldn’t help thinking it was a little ObiWan – like Dumbledore will become much more powerful in death.

There’s also talk of Harry (or his scar) being the final Horcrux. Interesting.

My sister has always seen some ending where Draco & Harry have to work together. After having his mother threatened, who knows? And who knew Malfoy was such a weeping little girl? >:)

Only thing to do now is read it again – once I get it back from my waiting list of cheap friends

Dude, you gotta leave the blah blah blahs! My sister chewed me out this morning for having spoilers on my site. I was like, “But I didn’t! I hid them!” But apparently it’s enough to even mention that they’re there, because she had no willpower and clicked and learned about Sirius. So I told her that it’s actually rather up in the air right now, the whole “he’s a baddie” thing, so hopefully she hasn’t been too ruined for it…

MEANINGLESS WARNING TO TAKE UP SPACE ON THE HOME PAGE SO PEOPLE DON’T GET INADVERTANTLY SPOILED… I like the idea that he doesn’t have to necessarily bite it to destroy Voldemort, but why would he lose all his magical powers? It’s not like they *all* came from Voldemort. His parents were both wizards and we don’t really have any reason to believe that baby Harry was a squib, do we? So maybe he won’t lose everything…

Good to see that the discussion continues (I’d thought it had wrapped up Sunday night before I’d finished the book).

I had also come up with a similar theory as Heather about the fact that D. knew that Snape would have to kill him, not as a betrayal (on Snape’s part) or a desire (on Dumbledore’s part), but as something almost inevitable, thus he prepared Harry as much as possible.

One of the things I found interesting was Rowling’s conjecture about how dark times can cause such reactions by the government that something evil is almost sure to rise up in reaction to it. JR’s getting a little political! (Or maybe she always was and I’m just picking up on it now).

Also interesting is how she (through Dumbledore) explains how Voldemort fulfills upon the prophesy by trying to avoid it, like Oedipus or any other classic myth.

And finally, Ginny has firmly established herself as the coolest character. I like her more and more every book.

I’m still sad thinking that book 7 will not take place in Hogwarts. I think that makes me sadder than losing Dumbledore (although I’m sure that we’ll get advice from him a lot via his portraits).

The book was good. Ive read it four times in four days(dont ask me how). its a good book, and i only hope for two things in the seventh book. 1. Harry finds a steady girlfriend (one he doesnt spend a month with then break up) and 2. blast Voldemort into oblivion. heh… i cant belive the book has only been out for a week and im already impatient for the seventh….. ah well. Dumbledore dying was a bit of a shock, but Snape revealing his colors a traitor, well, lets just say that if you asked me about him and i hadent read the book, id still say he turned out to be evil…. about the R.A.B thing… i caught the “dark lord” and the “i face death” clues and it pointed to only one person in the whole series…. Regulus Black, Sirius’ brother.
wont say anymore now, but i find more details, ill try and post em.

and by the way, the date thing for this forum (the thing that says what date the post was err posted…. [no pun intended]) is out of whack… im posting this on the 22 no the 23.

SPOILERSS SPOILERSS SPOILERSS SPOILERSS
SPOILERSS SPOILERSS SPOILERSS SPOILERSS

After reading the other books leading up 2 the day i got the book (yesterday) beacuase the dang store got my pre-order screwed up which stunk but oh well at least ive read it and I personally have to say that J.K.R is a very gifted writer and that each book has me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what comes next.
SPOILER”S START HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my main therios from the start was concluding with harry that no matter what happened snape was always on Voldemort’s side and from the beginning had only been doing these things so things so that he could still be under the wing of Voldemort but also in that of dumbledore for when he returned. and man was the HBP thing was very well put together. But the fact that dumbledore never said please don’t. make’s me wonder and as for the ginny-harry thing i suspect that in the case of harry killing Voldemort. He marries ginny gets ethier a job as an auror or on a quiditch team as a seeker and blah blah blah blah happy ending. JUST MY THEORY
in the case of Harry dieing Ginny will have been killed by Voldemort beacause malfoy would know that harry and ginny had been dating and have told Voldemort this and there fore he would have taking her to lure harry before all the horecruxes had been found and he kills ginny just as harry arrives and then somehow harry dies. In a morbid way its still a happy ending that although harry never got revenge he would be reunited with his parent’s sirius, Dumbledore, and the woman he loved who had just died before him.

I’m really leaning on the hopeful first choice although the second one would be more interesting and after coming to this point i realize that the ginny thing could still happen and that give harry even more of an urge of revenge. and as for the Horcruxes as if you infact read the books we know that two are gone the diary from the second book and the locket. As i have gathered from what the book has said one of the items owned by etheir godric or hufflepuff ithink may be ravenclaw my minds a little blank at the moment and the snake so that accounts for 4 of them i may have missed sumthin but, for the other thing they may be stuff from previous books. like that dagger used 2 take blood from harry to revive voldemort to full.

Well whatever I think up with theories and more 2 discuss ill write it

R.A.B I know ive seen that in a diff book think maybe one before the 5th but its been so long since ive read those that I cant remember and she said she wouldnt add any new charecters

SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? SPOILER? I’ve no idea…
Oh by the way kris, I just realized that there would have been absolutely no point in Draco tring to open the chamer, as Harry had killed the basilisk 3 and half years previously.

so i finally finished reading HP, and I don’t want to be spoily mcspoilerson so i will blah blah blah spoiler for a while…. okay, i think that might do it, no?

So here’s my two cents worth…I thought the book was great- I dug all the snogging too and the way they do seem to be growing up. I agree that Harry breaking things off with Ginny really was a little too Peter Parker. I think Snape is geuninely a baddie and won’t be redeemed in the next book. I don’t want to hold out hope that he was really just acting in some plan for the greater good, because then I’ll be all the more upset if/when I find out it’s not true. If anyone is going to be redeemed, it’s Malfoy. The other Black as RAB is a good call. Dumbledore dying was so sad, way sadder than Sirius. Almost as sad as when the girl died in Bridge To Terabithia.

Um, it’s not a forum. It’s just my weblog. Discussions usually don’t continue after more than a few days.