Some interesting speculation... note that when they talk about the cave where the horcrux (locket) was in, they say that 2 people are needed to breach the security and only one of them can be a wizard...definitely not true!!
Potter wizards on the hunt - 'Half-Blood Prince' cliff-hangers have fans re-reading the series, hoping for clues to book 7
September 8, 2005
Now what?
Almost two months after the unveiling of J.K. Rowling's sixth and penultimate chronicle of the wizarding world, diehard fans are coping with severe "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" hangovers.
Eager for some more hair of the three-headed dog that bit them, many wonder how to occupy themselves over the next couple of years before the arrival of still-unnamed book seven. The logical choice? Time to re-read the entire canon in a hunt for overlooked passages and illuminating clues.
To that end, here are some theories about the most vexing questions that remain, culled from message boards and fan sites. But be forewarned: Hagrid-sized spoilers follow.
How many horcruxes? One major revelation in "Half-Blood Prince" is that Lord Voldemort tried to ensure his immortality by splitting his soul, then embedding the pieces in objects or individuals called horcruxes. Tom Riddle's weird diary from "Chamber of Secrets" was one; a ring originally belonging to Salazar Slytherin and destroyed by Dumbledore in "Half-Blood Prince" was another.
Seven being a magic number, Dumbledore theorizes that Voldemort created six horcruxes, the seventh piece of his shattered soul still residing in You-Know-Who himself. In the final book, Harry will need to destroy the four remaining horcruxes before attempting a facedown.
Since a murder is required to make a horcrux, one speculation is that Harry was inadvertently made into a horcrux when Voldemort killed his parents, which explains why he has acquired some of Voldemort's powers. Another iteration has Harry's scar as the actual horcrux, leaving open the more pleasant possibility that only it, and not all of Harry, need be destroyed in order to off Voldy.
Other possible horcruxes, some more likely than others: Nagini the snake from "Chamber of Secrets," Hufflepuff's goblet, the Sorting Hat, the sword of Gryffindor (like the hat, located in Dumbledore's office), even Wormtail's magical silver hand.
Who is R.A.B.? In "Half-Blood Prince," Harry and Dumbledore travel to a mysterious cave in the hopes of finding a horcrux; instead, they recover a fake horcrux - an empty locket - and a note taunting Voldemort that is signed "R.A.B."
Do those initials belong to the now-dead Regulus Alphard Black, brother to Harry's godfather, the much-mourned Sirius? It's a conclusion Rowling herself has called "a fine guess." Since breaching the cave's magical spells requires two people, only one of which can be a wizard, many have speculated that the Black family house elf, Kreacher, helped Regulus retrieve the original horcrux-locket.
In "The Order of the Phoenix," a heavy locket that cannot be opened is found among the Black family possessions. Hmmm.
Will Dumbledore pull a Gandalf? The ultimate spoiler - don't blame me if you don't stop reading now - is that at the end of "Half-Blood Prince," ill-tempered professor Severus Snape murders beloved Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
Though a proper funeral was had and Dumbledore's snoozing image has appeared in a portrait on his office wall of departed headmasters, some fans advance the argument that, like the popular "Lord of the Rings" wizard, Dumbledore will reappear after his death, whether real or faked. For convincing arguments, visit the bereaved fans at www .dumbledoreisnotdead.com.
More likely to surface in book 7: Dumbledore's low-key brother, Aberforth, who had been prosecuted for practicing "inappropriate charms on a goat" (don't ask), and is the barkeep at the Hog's Head Inn.
Snape - good or evil? The answer to this hinges on whether you think Dumbledore's death was a pact between the two, a necessary sacrifice to ensure Voldemort does not suspect Snape's betrayal. Or whether you believe Snape was a double-double agent, convincing the wise but trusting Dumbeldore that he was defying Voldemort's orders to spy on Hogwarts, but in truth keeping his promise to the Dark Lord.
Then there is the "crush" theory. Rowling has hinted there was someone else at Godric's Hollow the night Harry's parents died. And it was out of character for cranky Voldemort to give Lily Potter so many chances to step aside before he attempted to kill her son.
Was Snape at Godric's Hollow, and was it at his request that Voldemort agreed to spare Lily? And is that why Snape resents Harry so deeply - because Harry, with his mother's green eyes, reminds Snape of the woman who died in order for Harry to live?
Will Harry survive book 7? Optimists look to a line in "Goblet of Fire" in which Harry sees a "gleam of triumph" in Dumbledore's eyes after the old wizard learns Voldemort used a drop of Harry's blood to regenerate himself. Dumbledore has told Harry that wizards saved by another of their kind have a "life debt." Perhaps now Voldemort has this magical IOU to Harry - with happy-ending-inducing results.
On the Web, just wild about Harry
There's no shortage of sites where you can find Potterheads prognosticating. Beware of wild theories - Neville's crazy mother is not sending him secret messages on those candy wrappers, and Snape is not a vampire - and maybe concoct a few of your own:
www.jkrowling.com - Herself's very own site. Lots of tidbits if you poke around, including why Harry's wand is made of holly (tradition is, it repels evil), while Voldemort's is yew (long lived, but its sap is poisonous).
www.mugglenet.com - Talk about juice: Emerson Spartz, the 19-year-old founder of this authoritative fan site, was one of only two people granted a private interview with Rowling when "Half-Blood Prince" debuted. The discussion forums can get as weighty as a grad class, from "Voldemort, the Ourobouros Worm, and the Legend of Kronos" to "Fudge & Machiavelli."
www.hp-lexicon.org - What Rowling herself has called "my natural home," and an indispensable destination if you need to brush up on characters and plot lines. Searchable by key word ("butterbeer," "Slughorn") or category ( "Wizards A to Z," "Magical and Mundane Plants"), it's positively encyclopedic.
http://scholastic.com/harrypotter/books/ pronunciation/play.htm - Who knew Voldemort has a silent "T"? Before you botch "boggart" and "animagus," too, consult this Scholastic guide.
www.quick-quote-quill.org - A compendium of interviews and quotes from the reclusive author, who often debunks theories on her own (including the two mentioned above).
