General discussion of the Half Blood Prince - for once you have finished reading

[Guest]

[Sharon]

Yes you are right; Harry has no idea how to destroy the  horacruxes.  If indeed it was that which destroyed Dumbledores hand, how on earth will Harry destroy 4 more 

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Riddle's diary - just before Harry destroyed it, JK said that Harry 'instinctively knew what he had to do' before he plunged the basilisk fang into it - maybe it will be the sme with the rest of the Horcruxes...

Also - I know that DD said not to rely on the prophecy, but maybe Voldemort and Harry are destined to destroy each other and if only one can destroy the other, perhaps it is only Harry that can destroy the Horcruxes without injuring himself in the progress. A wild guess, but we have 2 years to formulate more weird ideas

[Morningangel-Iola]

Maybe the fact that Harry maybe one might have something to do with it.

[Sharon]

I think I need a bit more convincing that Harry is a  horacrux.  I wonder how you can tell something is one?  Even Dumbeldore was having problems.

And I am also confused (not unusual for me) about why DD got so cross at Harry about the prophecy.  DD had been the one to make it 'important'.  By giving his memory to the Ministry of Magic he was the one to put the prophecy on record.  If he had said nothing more about it, Trewlaney remembered nothing, it would have just remained an incomplete mystery.

Which also brings me onto why Voldemort never went after Trewlaney?  If Snape knew she was the one who gave the prophecy, surely he would have told Voldemort who, at some time in the many years that followed, could have gained acces to her.  Certainly much more easily than the record in the Hall of Prophecies.  And deep down she would probably have remembered something (Snape or Voldemort would have been able to drag something out of her).

Anyway back to the prophecy.  Why had DD changed his mind and say the prophecy was not that important?  What had he found out?

And what does he know about Snape that we don't?  The fact he was sorry about passing on info about the Potters is not enough.  There has to be more and I bet it is all tied up with his mother.

Oh this is so good to get this off my chest  .  The only other HP fan in the family (my Dad) has only just started the OotP.  And I booked the week off work so I could read the book.  A week! I should have just booked today to get some sleep 

[Morningangel-Iola]

Lol sharon I did double studies last week so I could have this week to read it but I read it all at the weekend anyway.

Harry as a horacrux;

* He speaks Parceltonge passed on from LV

* He has massive powers possibly passed on from LV (encluding dark magic)

* He could see into LVs head and was affected by it

* He knows when he's near

* Brother wands

* Harrys mother had just died (a death)
Thats why I think he is  Although I don't think he indented to do it 


"As to your question...from CBBC: Sarah Wallace for the Irish Independent - How did you think of the bond between Harry and Lord Voldemort?
JK Rowling: That is another one of those questions that goes right to the heart of the series. I can't answer. It touches way too closely on book 7. Sorry. Good question."

[allender]

I am so pleased some of you had thoughts on RAB.  I was drawing a complete blank.

My thoery why Dumbeldore told Harry to tell no one of the  horacruxes is that he knew one of the inner circle was a Death Eater, just not which one (and no not Snape  ).

And I'll raise the theory stakes. Maybe you don't need a Death Eater in the Inner Circle, if Kreacher holds Regulus Black's horacrux.

Further, are we 100% sure that Snape was the Half-Blood Prince? You believe what he says, when he speaks for his own unknown purposes? I thought somebody said the writings were at least 50 years old, which might have made Hermione right all along. (Against that, it would be a bit extreme for JKR in the misdirection department, but I'm bothered by that too-ancient comment.)

[Morningangel-Iola]

The book was snapes mothers thats why the date.

[greenpaw]

Harry as a horacrux!
 
Wow well done whomever thought than one up.
Have no idea if its tru but Bliney if it is!
What a twist that would be.
I need a little emoticon for falling backwards off my chair here...
I'll have to go away and think about that.

[Morningangel-Iola]

Sorry it came from me. I don't mind if he is and long as he can get rid of it without deing himself 

On the Snape thing, do you think it is telling that he didn't snear and tell Dumbledore how wrong had had been about him and laugh at him before killing him? Although he did have hate and loathing on his face, but was that because he had to do it?

[Morrisap]

Well, I finished the book last night and am a bit shocked-not surprising. 
I had the thought of RAB as Black's brother too.  Guess we'll find out.
I'm concerned that Lord V. will use some people who died as Inferi or whatever.  How does he get a hold of them?  What if he used Dumbledore or Sirius against Harry?   kinda unnerving.

Kinda weird that in all the books up to this point Harry wouldn't really tell any "adult' anything and in this book it seems he was telling anyone who would listen his thoughts.

So, if Harry doesn't go back to school, will he be a registered wizard after 17 or no because he didn't complete his training?

Very interesting what people think about Harry being a Horacrux.  I think the last book is going to be horrible in the sense that everything will come tumbling down for the good of all in the end.

[Sharon]

I have a horacrux question.

If Voldemort is mortally injured in battle does the piece of soul in his body at that time die so that he has to go and get another piece?

If this is the case couldn't Harry just attack Voldemort, wait for the next horacrux to take up residence and repeat as necessary?  I think I was sort of thinking along the lines of a cats nine lives.

Or is the piece of soul in the body the main one and the other bits just sort of anchors to this world?  One of the many things I thought of last night as I was drifting off to sleep.  I really need to keep a pen and paper handy    Any thoughts much appreciated 

[LikORish-Spider]

I don't think that Harry will leave Hogwarts. Here's some reasons why I think not:
1. It's a resource for him.
2. Dumbledore's WILL has not been revealed. Don't you think he has left a tool in the form of a "Advanced Potions" ala HPB by Snape. but titled "Advanced Defense Against the Dark Arts" annotated by AB. And don't forget there are secrets that Dumbledore knows about Hogwarts that I am sure he will pass onto Harry. Dumbledore knows that Harry is going to need his future help. Plus Dumbledore's picture is in the headmaster's office. I believe Dumbledore will leave a letter to McGonagall as well.
3. The Room of Requirements is full of things Harry will need, for example Snapes Potions book. Snape was bad, but not stupid.
4. He has his on D.A. that he trusts that can help him. We haven't heard the last of Neville and Luna, et al.

[Roz]

I agree. I hope he will go back too. He is still young and although powerful whenever we have seen him fight talented wizards like Snape he has failed badly.

However, who can teach him what he needs to know? Has McG got some hidden Occlumency talents we haven't heard about or who can we think of to help? McG is very talented but we don't really know her talents beyond transfiguration and although she was an excellent head of house and looked after Harry a bit in the early books we seem to have lost that connection between them a bit of late.

I really would love AD to have left him a DADA book, but it would be a bit too much to hope for but I am SURE he has been left some clues, it's now up to Hermione, Lupin and the Weasleys to help him back to Hogwarts, they are all he has left.

[LikORish-Spider]

Did you all notice that next year Hogwart's will again need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor?
I wonder if she wil bring Professor Moody back?
I'll bet we see at least a two part story. Happily, I think there is too much to tell in just one book.
He has to get quaified, find all the horacruxes and face LV.

[kbmum]

I was really bothered by the way McGonagall grilled Harry in her office after Dumbledore died.  It seemed to me that she was really pushing for info, even though Harry told her that Dumbledore didn't want him to discuss the matter.

[Roz]

You do have a point John - any bigger than the order of the phoenix and they'll be sending off for bible thickness paper and print

The DADA post seems to have been a one year only post since Lord Voldermort last applied

[Geek Boy]

Fantastic book - and it's great the adults get so much out of it.  The last 3 chapters were very sad, even I could feel the tears welling up and I'm not the most emotional person in the world.  Says something for JKR's talent as a writer that she can evoke that level of interest.  You really do care about the characters.

I agree with other posters that Harry is a Horcrux.  I was thinking maybe his scar is where Voldemort's soul is trapped.  It does all fit, what with the parseltongue, and reading Voldemort's thoughts.  I don't remember Slughorn telling Riddle that a living entity COULDN'T be a Horcrux.

Hard to believe Harry won't go back next year.  Mind you he may have no choice, there may not be a Hogwart's!  Don't know where he's going to learn what he needs to fight Snape and Voldemort though.

Maybe Dumbledore isn't dead after all.  The body Hagrid brought to the funeral was only wrapped in a robe and Hagrid moved DD's body from the foot of the Astronomy Tower as well so whose to say Hagrid didn't help DD to escape and recover his strength?  OK, so he's asleep in the picture in his study but that could just be a diversion.  He appeared in the chocolate frog cards and then disappeared so why not the picture in his office?

Maybe Sirius isn't dead either.  It's a while since I read OOTP but didn't he just fall into some netherworld?  Maybe Harry learns how to contact him or even bring him back.  Maybe Harry has to exchange the piece of Voldemort's soul inside of him for something of greater value.  Maybe Voldemort INTENDED to place a piece of his soul into Harry.  Maybe that's why he needs to kill him, to retrieve it.

[Morningangel-Iola]

Well Dumbledore reckon his pet snake had one, so why not Harry both are living things. I do think it would have been an accident though after all he wanted to kill Harry not leave a peice of himself. But He probably wanted Harry's death to create an other one but it all went a bit wrong.

[thor]

I have such mixed feelings about book six 

I hate the fact that Harry's feelings for Ginny came out of left field instead of developing like the others, however I ws very happy to find out that Lupin and Tonks were getting together (I love those two characters). I also have my fingers crossed that Snape is still on a secret mission for Dumbledore and killing him was part of the plan  (I like Snape,I just think he has a big stick up his butt half the time but I feel for him). Oh! Yeah! I also like the fact they didn't say mate half as much as they did in book five 

Well I am off to play Harry Potter Scene It, I just wanted to post my thoughts on the book and I may have to read it again to see if my feelings have changed from mixed to absolutely loved it.

[greenpaw]

Morningangel-Iola-thanks for bringing up the Horacrux idea (sorry i didn't acknowledge you before) what a fantastic concept and it  seems to make sense.
Perhaps thats why Voldemort wants to kill Harry himself (Chamber of Secrets/Goblet of Fire) -if anyone else were to do it perhaps the piece of soul would enter them or just be detroyed like the one from the ring that Dumbledore destroyed.

In regards to Harry's feelings for Ginny do you think they came out of left-field?
Maybe its just the movies impression on me but i certainly seem to have had the idea that there was something there previously.
Subtle but still there in a can't see the forest for the trees kind of way.

Snape's killing of Dumbledore was way too quick at the end for it to be a personal vendetta.
Its almost as if he had to just do it so his resolve would not weaken.
I think if it had have been personal he would have gloated a bit.
JKR likes her quick deaths doesn't she-Cedric, Sirius and now Dumbledore.
One minute they are there then...
Cheers
Inger