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Spoiler-FILLED Half-Blood Prince discussion

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GDJustin

stuck my tongue deep inside Atlus' cookies
WARNING!!! THIS TOPIC IS ONLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE FINISHED THE BOOK, OR DON'T MIND HAVING VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT BOOKS 1-6 POTENTIALLY SPOILED FOR THEM!

Anyway, this topic exists because the last two pages of the HBP topic have literally been all blacked-out text. It was getting a bit silly. So, no spoiler tags in THIS topic, heh. Anyway, there's a lot to discuss.

Personally, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I hadn't realized that when Dumbledore was pleading that he wasn't pleading for his life. That he knew and was prepared for what Snape had to do. In hindsight, after having this pointed out, I'm certain you guys are right.

That being said, Snape agreed, on pain of death, to help Draco kill Dumbledore, or kill him himself. That's a little TOO deep cover, don't you think? If he truly was on the side of good, do you think he just immeadiately went to Dumbledore and said "uhhh... yeah. I'm gonna have to kill you."

Probably th most interesting thing that transpired, IMO, was Malfoy shaking and talking to Dumbledore and losing his nerve. I'd always wondered what Rowling was going to do with the Draco character. In the first few books Harry's adventures are innocent enough and Draco serves as a perfect antagonist. But as the shit started to get heavier, and you found out things like his dad being a death eater, etc., it just didn't make sense for them to be merely calling each other names are slinging "bat bogey" hexes at each other anymore. I'd always kinda assumed Draco would falter when faced with doing something TRULY evil.

The second most interest thing I've seen brought up is the potential connection between Lily and Snape. Obviously they were both incredibly good at potions, and someone mentioned that the letters in their names can be rearranged to make the other's. Perhaps that's what made Snape turn to good? He hated James because he (Snape) was in love with Lily, so when Voldemort killed her, he turned double agent. It would also explain why he hates Harry so much. Harry is the reminder that lily picked james over him, shoved in his face every day.

EDIT:

Forgot to mention my thoughts/theories for the next novel. A lot of you seem to believe that there is going to be a big. grandiose war. I just don't see that happening. Well... it might HAPPEN, but that isn't book 7, I don't think. That's not what the book will be about. For them to fit a "harry leading an army against voldemort" story arch in, they'd have to cut the horcrux collection pretty damn short.

In my opinion, book 7's contents are already really clear. Harry tracks down the remaining horcrux's, along with RVB, and then kills Voldemort. Obviously there's more to it than that, but that Horcrux hunt is going to be the period on the end of various substories/story archs.
 
thanks for creating this thread... i'm going to speculate a bit on some stuff when i catch up with everything.

but damn, what a great book. the setup for book 7 is just fricken amazing!
 
I think, especially after this book, that Malfoy will turn against Voldemort. Why? He's a perfect example of one of the main themes in the book -- that it's not who you're born as, it's the choices you make. To reinforce this point, Malfoy will probably disobey Voldemort at a crucial moment.

This doesn't mean he'll fall in love with Harry and they'll get married or anything, just that his natural tendency toward being a douchebag doesn't necessarily make him a murderer.

And after re-reading and thinking a bit, it seems to me that Snape was on Dumbledore's side all along. As has been said so many times, DD doesn't fear death. And Snape wouldn't have been fearful and revolted at DD. He'd have been elated at having served his master. He wouldn't have let Harry get away. He wouldn't have been telling Harry how to defeat Voldemort (non-verbal spells combined with occlumency).

There are too many things that don't fit. But if you look at it as something Snape wanted to do for DD, everything fits. He nearly couldn't bring himself to do it. He saved Harry. And that conversation he spied on (with Snape telling DD he didn't want to do "it" anymore) makes perfect sense too.

So if Snape is really with the Order, that means DD is telling the truth about why Snape switched sides. And that is certainly a big hint that he really liked Lily. Sure, he called her a Mudblood, but it was probably easier to insult her than admit he liked a girl who was a Muggle-born. And he never, ever, insulted Harry's mom to his face. Ragged on his dad constantly, but never Mom. Probably jealous of James. (However, "Persues Evans" is almost definitely a coincidence inasmuch as it's spelled wrong.)
 
After finishing up the 6th book, I'm both excited at the prospects of the final book and saddened that the final book has been pre-emptively turned into a collect-a-thon of sorts. This is probably why Rare has been lagging behind in their videogaming efforts; they've teamed up with JKR to make the game based off the final book.

This should be interesting.

Seriously though, the whole forcing Dumbledore to drink that 'stuff' was messed up. The movie based off this book is gonna make the young ones scream.
 
i kinda had to wonder though... why did A.D. have to drink it? why not just poor it out?

also, Snape handled everything Potter could throw at him with the greatest of ease... like he wasn't even having to try. which begs the question then... in Azkaban, how did Harry do the Expelliarmus on Snape so easily? which makes me think of another question... why, when all expelliarmus does is disarm a foe, did it knock Snape out?

i could probably nit-pick like that a lot... and i do a lot while reading, but just let it go for the sake of immersion.
 
shpankey said:
i kinda had to wonder though... why did A.D. have to drink it? why not just poor it out?

It probably wouldn't have poured out. Or if it was poured out, would have magically reappeared in the basin.

in Azkaban, how did Harry do the Expelliarmus on Snape so easily? which makes me think of another question... why, when all expelliarmus does is disarm a foe, did it knock Snape out?
Because it wasn't just one Expelliarmus IIRC. I think he got hit with upwards of three jinxes at once.
 
It's worth re-mentioning, but I think Mejilan's theory on the final Horcrux is right on. It makes sense now that Rowling is elevating Potter and Ginny's relationship. Taken into consideration with the quotes, I am compelled to feel it is the correct theory.


A side question: Maybe I missed it, but how do the elfs disaparate all around Hogwarts? I know for a fact it's banned except in those small areas during Apparation lessons. Is the magic that versatile to selectively allow the house-elfs to be able to do that, or did they explain it and I just missed it?
 
Kobun Heat said:
It probably wouldn't have poured out. Or if it was poured out, would have magically reappeared in the basin.
well, she didn't say in the book... which leaves one to wonder. probably should of gave it a sentence or two. but your idea is certainly logical. it is however hard to believe that Harry wouldn't even try to instead poor it out.

Amir0x said:
A side question: Maybe I missed it, but how do the elfs disaparate all around Hogwarts? I know for a fact it's banned except in those small areas during Apparation lessons. Is the magic that versatile to selectively allow the house-elfs to be able to do that, or did they explain it and I just missed it?
they explain it in the book... although i forget exactly where. but it is explained. had something to do with them needing to do their jobs if i recall.


Kobun Heat said:
Because it wasn't just one Expelliarmus IIRC. I think he got hit with upwards of three jinxes at once.
ahh.. I think you're right. now that i remember back. this question came to me after watching the movie, where (only in the movie i suppose) Harry does it alone. the movie threw me off.
 
Amir0x said:
It's worth re-mentioning, but I think Mejilan's theory on the final Horcrux is right on. It makes sense now that Rowling is elevating Potter and Ginny's relationship. Taken into consideration with the quotes, I am compelled to feel it is the correct theory.

Yeah, especially with "I put a bit of my soul into her"... the more I think about it, the more likely it seems.

Damn. :(

A side question: Maybe I missed it, but how do the elfs disaparate all around Hogwarts?

They have very strong powers. That's something that'll come into play in the last book, too.
 
DJ Brannon said:
After finishing up the 6th book, I'm both excited at the prospects of the final book and saddened that the final book has been pre-emptively turned into a collect-a-thon of sorts. This is probably why Rare has been lagging behind in their videogaming efforts; they've teamed up with JKR to make the game based off the final book.

This should be interesting.

Seriously though, the whole forcing Dumbledore to drink that 'stuff' was messed up. The movie based off this book is gonna make the young ones scream.

I'm not too concerned about the collecting. The journey to The Cave was one of the greatest segments in HP so far, IMO. Of course, the Dumbledore/Harry connection definitely had something to do with that... But it was great.

I can't say enough how much I loved HP6. People were complaining about a lack of characterization, but that's almost entirely all this book was. People complained about how Harry acted like a brat in OotP, but HBP shows emphatically that he's turned into a cool kid, and he's learned from his mistakes. Short of the time he yelled at Dumbledore because he found out Snape was the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy, Harry manages to his control his temper, act like a peacekeeper, and express himself to his fellow students and teachers in better ways.

As a final peace of speculation, I can't help but think of "Gandalf the White" everytime I think of the name for the last chapter... But I know it's probably just my imagination. I'm also curious to see how Sirius factors back into the plot. JK said he still had a role to play...

Oh, and about Snape getting cursed in TPoA. In the book, Harry, Hermione, and Ron do it simultaneously. The movie just has it as Harry.
 
I think Harry is pretty stupid about breaking up with Ginny. He should know that Snape and Draco got away to Lord Voldemort and that last both of them seen Harry, he was hooked up with Ginny. So despite wether he's with her or not, they will think he still is; and at the very least, know he likes/loves her.

Besides... Harry also loves Hermoine and Ron and he allows them to help him still. Ginny has proven herself to be a very powerful witch with some serious attitude and courage.

To be honest, I expect this stupidness to be resolved quickly by Hermoine in the start of the next book... she usually brings logic to the equation. Otherwise it is just really sloppy writing on Rowlings part.
 
as far as Sirius goes... he can very easily be brought back into the story. look at his old house and his mothers painting. think about this... Sirius sat around the house bored a lot, you know he wasn't just doing nothing. he was preparing for some shit like him dying, just in case... for Harry's sake.

Harry will no doubt go back to (what is now) his house (the Black home) after a short visit to the Dursley's (only fullfulling his promise to Dumbledore) where he will no doubt encounter Sirius.

I also believe he will talk to Dumbledore in the (now) headmistress's office [in the painting of course].

so both these characters are not out of our story yet. remember, this is the magical world... where dead people are around all over the place (think of the ghosts in Hogwarts).
 
Also, is there a reason why when Voldemort was lookin' for a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor relic Horcrux he didn't just get someone (or himself) to whip up one of them Felix luck postions? I mean, that seems to solve Potter's problems quick...
 
Amir0x said:
Also, is there a reason why when Voldemort was lookin' for a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor relic Horcrux he didn't just get someone (or himself) to whip up one of them Felix luck postions? I mean, that seems to solve Potter's problems quick...
Who says he didn't?

However, I'm not actually sure that Felix Felicis works that way. It seems to lead you toward things that are attainable and possible, not make Gryffindor's sword magically pop out of the Sorting Hat.
 
Amir0x said:
Also, is there a reason why when Voldemort was lookin' for a Ravenclaw or Gryffindor relic Horcrux he didn't just get someone (or himself) to whip up one of them Felix luck postions? I mean, that seems to solve Potter's problems quick...

It's a matter of tweaking circumstances, as Hermione says. It can't completely change something, or make something happen.
 
Kobun Heat said:
Who says he didn't?

However, I'm not actually sure that Felix Felicis works that way. It seems to lead you toward things that are attainable and possible, not make Gryffindor's sword magically pop out of the Sorting Hat.

Perhaps, but it seems like with Voldemorts overwhelming desire for malice that he could certainly "push" towards the attainable harder than perhaps even Potter could. In short, I just don't see such a thing failing. He could have took the potion when he went into Dumbledore's office to ask for the teaching job and perhaps received it...

But ah well, minor quibbles.
 
Amir0x said:
He could have took the potion when he went into Dumbledore's office to ask for the teaching job and perhaps received it...
But not if there was no way in hell DD would have given him the job.
 
Amir0x said:
Perhaps, but it seems like with Voldemorts overwhelming desire for malice that he could certainly "push" towards the attainable harder than perhaps even Potter could. In short, I just don't see such a thing failing. He could have took the potion when he went into Dumbledore's office to ask for the teaching job and perhaps received it...

But ah well, minor quibbles.

Again, it's about tweaking circumstances, not re-writing them. Slughorn was already fond of Harry, and was pre-disposed to tell him something if he could be convinced. Dumbledore NEVER trusted Voldemort, and Voldemort taking a drink of potion wasn't likely to change Dumbledore's opinion of him.

Kobun Heat said:
But not if there was no way in hell DD would have given him the job.

I HAT U LET ME TYPE
 
It probably wouldn't have poured out. Or if it was poured out, would have magically reappeared in the basin.

Yep. Note how after A.D.'s prolonged suffering, Harry tried to conjure up some water, but the strong magic around that area just wasn't going to have it. Dispelling a spell you know nothing about could be disastrous, as shown by A.D.'s hand. And seeing how the goblet was pre-placed there, the intention slowly became clear of what to do with the liquid. Voldemort made sure that if anyone other than him actually did get to the Horcrux, he would suffer greatly.

Which is par for the course because the dude killed rabbits. That's fucking evil...
 
i also thought it a bit dense for Harry not to suspect Draco was the one seeing Moaning Myrtle when she told him her story.

did anyone here not know it was Draco at that point? come on, everyone in here knew that shit... yet Harry (who has an incredible intellect usually) didn't even think of it. ;)
 
DJ Brannon said:
YAnd seeing how the goblet was pre-placed there, the intention slowly became clear of what to do with the liquid.
if i recall correctly, the Goblet was not pre-placed there. Dumbledore 'conjured it from thin air' i believe it said (?).
 
Soul4ger said:
Again, it's about tweaking circumstances, not re-writing them. Slughorn was already fond of Harry, and was pre-disposed to tell him something if he could be convinced. Dumbledore NEVER trusted Voldemort, and Voldemort taking a drink of potion wasn't likely to change Dumbledore's opinion of him.

I still don't know if I buy this. The luck potion is just that - it creates luck. Call it "tweaking circumstances" or whatever, failing to get the job after taking the potion would indicate bad luck. Why use the potion unless it was almost certain to change circumstances in someone like Voldemort's considerable favour?

If you remember the whole thing with Potter, the potion would sort of "fill him" with feelings on the right direction to go. Sort of like a dance dance revolution version of magic potion, hitting the right buttons when the feelings come.

But whatever, it's just these things that niggle in my mind.
 
shpankey said:
I think Harry is pretty stupid about breaking up with Ginny. He should know that Snape and Draco got away to Lord Voldemort and that last both of them seen Harry, he was hooked up with Ginny. So despite wether he's with her or not, they will think he still is; and at the very least, know he likes/loves her.

Besides... Harry also loves Hermoine and Ron and he allows them to help him still. Ginny has proven herself to be a very powerful witch with some serious attitude and courage.

To be honest, I expect this stupidness to be resolved quickly by Hermoine in the start of the next book... she usually brings logic to the equation. Otherwise it is just really sloppy writing on Rowlings part.


Actually a fully expect Ron to solve this one. It would be the final step in maturing Ron's character as well as concreting his aproval of Harry being with his sister. Overall though I think that Ginny is still going to be endangered and Harry will be rushing against time to find and destroy the last Horcrux so he can destroy Voldemort and save her. That's not to say that Ginny will play the damsel and distress role. Right now Harry's motivation is too much like Revenge, he needs to be fighting for the survival of someone he loves.
 
If I drank some Felix Felicis tomorrow morning and went out, this is what could happen: I might get to the bus stop just as the express bus is arriving, I might find five bucks on the back seat when I sit down, no homeless people will sit next to me or even get on, we'll hit all the green lights...

What won't happen, for example, is Emma Watson gets on the bus then announces that she'll go to dinner with anyone wearing a KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS t-shirt.
 
I didn't like the ending. Not because AD dies, but because JKR is bringing going to pull either a Jesus/Gandalf/ObiWanKenobi. Ya he's the phoenix man. He's going to be back in some form or another to help Harry in book seven.
 
Kobun Heat said:
If I drank some Felix Felicis tomorrow morning and went out, this is what could happen: I might get to the bus stop just as the express bus is arriving, I might find five bucks on the back seat when I sit down, no homeless people will sit next to me or even get on, we'll hit all the green lights...

What won't happen, for example, is Emma Watson gets on the bus then announces that she'll go to dinner with anyone wearing a KNOW YOUR MUSHROOMS t-shirt.

But if you specifically went to meet Emma Watson somewhere...
 
Amir0x said:
But if you specifically went to meet Emma Watson somewhere...
...it still wouldn't change her attitude towards dating slovenly journalists ten years her senior, which I am reasonably sure is "not especially inclined."
 
ahhh Emma Watson... ::heart pounds::

Question:

Who does everyone imagine in their minds eye as Dumbledore? I see Richard Harris (from the first two movies).
 
Kobun Heat said:
...it still wouldn't change her attitude towards dating slovenly journalists ten years her senior, which I am reasonably sure is "not especially inclined."

Perhaps not. But maybe she'd feel more receptive to you. Maybe the luck potion would cause you to act a certain compulsive way which turns out to be a lot of things she likes. Such as, saying "Oh, do you like such and such?" and she says "Wow, I've never met a guy who liked such and such before! That's cool!" And then conversation flows, and who knows... she might just be willing to take a chance, even with slovenly journalists!
 
Amir0x said:
Perhaps not. But maybe she'd feel more receptive to you. Maybe the luck potion would cause you to act a certain compulsive way which turns out to be a lot of things she likes.
Don't go getting my hopes up. The point is, I'm trying to illustrate something that's not going to happen. If there wasn't a single thing Voldemort could have said to convince DD, then that's that.
 
Anyone imagine the actor in the Azkaban movie when reading? Or someone entirely different? Someone your mind created?

To me Richard Harris is, and will forever be, the true Dumbledore. His performance was straight out of the books and was done to absolute perfection. And the way he looks... just... perfect.
 
Amir0x said:
Perhaps not. But maybe she'd feel more receptive to you. Maybe the luck potion would cause you to act a certain compulsive way which turns out to be a lot of things she likes. Such as, saying "Oh, do you like such and such?" and she says "Wow, I've never met a guy who liked such and such before! That's cool!" And then conversation flows, and who knows... she might just be willing to take a chance, even with slovenly journalists!

Yes, but she'd have to be moderately receptive in the first place. Dumbledore NEVER ONCE trusted Voldemort, after first meeting him. He always felt he had to keep an eye on him, and when the former headmaster told him Tom Riddle asked for a job, Dumbledore immediately advised against it. There was never a part of him that thought having Voldemort teach at Hogwarts a good idea. For LUCK to possibly make a difference, there has to be some sort of PROBABILITY that a result is possible. Dumbledore giving the job to Voldemort was IMPOSSIBLE.
 
Soul4ger said:
Yes, but she'd have to be moderately receptive in the first place. Dumbledore NEVER ONCE trusted Voldemort, after first meeting him. He always felt he had to keep an eye on him, and when the former headmaster told him Tom Riddle asked for a job, Dumbledore immediately advised against it. There was never a part of him that thought having Voldemort teach at Hogwarts a good idea. For LUCK to possibly make a difference, there has to be some sort of PROBABILITY that a result is possible. Dumbledore giving the job to Voldemort was IMPOSSIBLE.

Even if you consider that event "impossible" - which it really doesn't seem to be to me, even if probability was super low - when Voldemort was 18 he wanted to teach. That was before Dumbledore was headmaster. And if you remember correctly, Dumbledore said much of the Hogwarts staff trusted him and thought him a great student. If it wasn't for the fact that the Defense Against Dark Arts position was filled, that Dumbledore advised against it and that he was too young... he would have got the position. Especially since the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher was on for fifty years. Tom Riddle could have been given another role until she retired. So considering that Hogwarts has many times allowed unorthodox staff members, I don't see age being a hinderance with the luck potion. Not as a persuasion, which Voldemort was great at.

Anyway, no use arguing this. I just feel it's a thing that seems silly to me not to explore.
 
-We don't know that he DIDN'T drink some luck potion. Maybe it just didn't give him enough luck, eh?

And yes, I thought it was pretty clear at the time that it had been Malfoy Mertle was talking about. In fact, I meant to bring that up. Malfoy had been in there all the time crying, she said. And didn't she also call him very sensitive, etc?

Kobun - nice reminder about the snape/DD argument. I'll have to reread that myself, to see if it fits with our "SNAPE BE TEH GOOD!" theory after all. Do we actually KNOW what the "iron-cast" proof DD had about Snape's alliegences? One of the teachers was talking about it, at the end of the book.
 
Amir0x said:
Even if you consider that event "impossible" - which it really doesn't seem to be to me, even if probability was super low - when Voldemort was 18 he wanted to teach. That was before Dumbledore was headmaster. And if you remember correctly, Dumbledore said much of the Hogwarts staff trusted him and thought him a great student. If it wasn't for the fact that the Defense Against Dark Arts position was filled, that Dumbledore advised against it and that he was too young... he would have got the position. Especially since the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher was on for fifty years. Tom Riddle could have been given another role until she retired. So considering that Hogwarts has many times allowed unorthodox staff members, I don't see age being a hinderance with the luck potion. Not as a persuasion, which Voldemort was great at.

Anyway, no use arguing this. I just feel it's a thing that seems silly to me not to explore.

Well, that is a good point, taking the potion when he asked the former Headmaster for the job. But there are always going to be circumstances when there are coulda/shoulda/would events.

GDJustin said:
Kobun - nice reminder about the snape/DD argument. I'll have to reread that myself, to see if it fits with our "SNAPE BE TEH GOOD!" theory after all. Do we actually KNOW what the "iron-cast" proof DD had about Snape's alliegences? One of the teachers was talking about it, at the end of the book.

I really don't think there's any doubt that Snape is still good. Voldemort wanted Malfoy to kill Dumbledore, and that didn't stop Snape from doing it immediately. Him giving Harry instructions on how to cast spells and Occlumency, him saving Harry from the Cruciatus Curse, him not taking Harry hostage... It's too easy to see he'll redeem himself in some way.
 
i've always wondered... does anyone know why the name of the book 'Philosopher's Stone' was changed to 'Sorcerer's Stone' in the USA?
 
What an amazing book, i just finished it a few moments ago.

I picture Dumbledore very similar to the illustrations in the US books. That's how I had pictured him prior to seeing Richard Harris and I've managed to retain that image.

But when he speaks, I deffinitely hear that soft, quiet, poetic style Harris brought to the role.
 
Just for reference, the passage in question about "tweaking circumstances" in case anyone wants to have another look...

"Luck can only get you so far, Harry. The situation with Slughorn was
different; you always had the ability to persuade him, you just needed to
tweak the circumstances a bit. Luck isn't enough to get you through a
powerful enchantment, though. Don't go wasting the rest of that potion!"

"You'll need all the luck you can get if Dumbledore takes you along with him..." She dropped her voice to a whisper.
 
On more random thinking, Bill getting bitten by an unchanged werewolf, Fawkes possessing healing tears. I was adding those two together right up to the point where Fawkes flies away. Damn it JKR. That situation was different from regular bites. But I guess we wouldn't see Fleur finally recieve a warm reception from the Weasley household then.
 
i tell you what... i'm kinda worried. what if something, God forbid, happens to JKR? man, we need to put people all around her guarding her life and looking out for her. i need my book 7! :D

man, I loved this book. i need a Harry Potter avatar to commemorate. can someone here whip me sumfin' up? pretty please.
 
shpankey said:
i tell you what... i'm kinda worried. what if something, God forbid, happens to JKR? man, we need to put people all around her guarding her life and looking out for her. i need my book 7! :D

Hahaha, funny you said this. I was thinking the EXACT same thing to myself. Selfish, true. But whenever someone starts a long series of books I always worry that they will die before he/she finishes them, leaving me forever stuck in a universe without knowing the "true" ending.

shpankey said:
man, I loved this book. i need a Harry Potter avatar to commemorate. can someone here whip me sumfin' up? pretty please.

What do you like? I'm not particularly good at this, but I can try.
 
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