Have you read the book? I have and I'm aching to talk to those of you who have read the book too.

This is a discussion about the book so anyone who hasn't read it yet and doesn't want to know what happens, stop reading now.

************** SPOILER ALERT!!! *****************


First of all, I'm shocked about what happened to Dumbledore. But, that's not it, is it? I mean, all the Hogworts headmasters are in portraits in the headmaster's office. Dumbledore will be there too, right? He'll still be able to give advice to anyone, right?

And, for Snape to have cast the Avada Kedava spell. What was he thinking? Has he truly gone over to the dark side? How could anyone trust him after that? Who's left to trust him? Only Dumbledore had faith in him.

Love interests: I'm so glad that it looks like Ron and Hermione are getting together. They've been sniping at each other for way too long.

Ginny is the best match for Harry. I never thought he should be with a girl who wasn't a Gryphindor. He needs someone who is as brave and headstrong as he is, otherwise he'd get bored with her.

Will Harry really quit Hogwarts and spend his time searching for Voldemort's soul pieces?

i'm of the thinking that dumbledore's death was prearranged between him and snape, that if dumbledore thought himself too far gone then snape was to take him out...this prevented anyone outside the Order from doing it as well as keeping draco from becoming a killer...my kids pointed out that dumbledore "pleaded" but if the passage is read again, one can see that the "pleading" was harry's perception, not the reality of it...dumbledore said "severus, please" as if that was the code phrase between them...it didn't come across to me as dumbledore pleading for his life which frankly would be so uncharacteristic of him...


there's been no reason not to trust those who dumbledore trusts regardless of what that person has done...if dumbledore says they're good, i believe him...everytime it looks like snape just must be a bad guy, he redeems himself with dumbledore standing there basically saying "i told you so" everytime...second, when dumbledore and harry came back from the lake, dumbledore asked for snape a couple of times, and even when harry said he'd get someone else, dumbledore insisted on snape...
why he picked snape is a good question although i think it has something to do with draco...
while dumbledore was the only one who was vocal about his trust in snape, the other teachers aren't without their support as well, albeit reserved...lupin trusted snapes werewolf potions...sirius knew lupin was taking the potions that snape made and had no reservations about it...

there was no doubt in my mind about ron and hermione but i'm thrilled to see ginny and harry together as i just think they're perfect together and i've thought that since the second book...not only is she from the same house but she's got so many brothers, two at least being having trained her up in trickery just by living in the same house...also, she's a fiery and adorable redhead (i pictured her this way even before i saw the movies -- and was very disappointed that her role in the second movie was soooo downplayed since clearly, from the book, she was a major character)...as the only daughter of her family, i'm sure she knows how to handle guys...the "nobility" of harry telling her they'd have to break it off to spare her may sound good but i'm willing to bet she doesn't accomodate him...instead i think they'll pair up nicely and he's just going to have to get over it...harry may get the final shot on voldemort but he won't have gotten there alone or unprotected...i think ginny is going to become the family to him that dumbledore was, that the durselys never were, and that he lost with the death of his parents...the extension of family he gets from ron and hermione and the weasleys is all well and good but it will be ginny that keeps him in good shape...for this reason, i don't think he'll quit hogwarts...i don't think any of the other teachers are going to stand for it either, most decidedly lupin and mcgonagall...i think snape's contribution, in true form, will be to try and shame harry out of the idea of quitting...

You all carry on about Harry Potter. I only read the first book so I can't comment. But I do have soemething funny to share if you don't mind.

Once while my daughter was baby sitting two little neighbor children, I visited her. She was reading them a Harry Potter book. She asked me to read for a bit so I did. I continually mispronounced the character's names so the little 4 and 6 year old boys continued to correct me. I felt like such an idiot. My duaghter and I got a big kick out of it. To this day, when I see those guys running the neighborhood...I think Hermione, or however you spell that name.

to be honest, two books and two movies have been out since i caught the bug...i fell asleep during the first movie as i'd taken my kids in the dead of winter and the theatre's heat went out not 20 minutes into it...i put my coat back on and i was out...something about that second movie just got me and i was hooked...

as an adult i'm a pretty avid non-fiction writer and reader so i was most surprised to be taken in by it all...ah, but it is good!

er, two books and two movies until i caught the bug...ugh

You're right that Harry saw it from his perspective when he heard Dumbledore plead with Snape.

Dumbledore and Snape having a death pact might just turn out right. I hope so. We didn't really get to see any of the other teachers' reactions to hearing that Snape was the one that performed the curse.

The only mention about Dumbledore's portrait was that McGonagall saw it added to the wall when she went into the Headmaster's office, but that the Dumbledore figure inside was napping.

I too believe that Ginny won't let Harry take on Voldemort on his own and will stand by his side along with Ron and Hermione.

I'm still stumped about who got to the necklace first in the cave. Why would they leave their initials? Are we going to be introduced to a new character in the last book?

the RAB initials? i think that's from sirius black's family tree, the one on the tapestry in his house...i don't remember the first and middle name but i do remember they began with R and A...it's in the Order of the Phoenix somewhere...i only thought of that as i reread Order right before the Half Blood Prince was released...

[ July 20, 2005, 05:26 PM: Message edited by: msdiana ]

This is a discussion about the book so anyone who hasn't read it yet and doesn't want to know what happens, stop reading now.

************** SPOILER ALERT!!! *****************

I just finished the book late last night. What a ride! I had suspected throughout the book that Snape would turn out to be the half-blood prince. But I thought Draco's mission was to kill Harry, not Dumbledore.

I think the RAB initials belong to Sirius' brother, Regulas Black...I have to go back and re-read the 5th book to refresh my memory on his name, but I'm sure he's the RAB. He's supposed to be dead, but maybe the locket is hidden somewhere in the Black (now Harry's) house...maybe Kreacher knows.

Did anyone else notice that they never recovered Sirius' body? You know what that means in soap operas....

...and I really want to believe that the glimpse of Fawkes the Phoenix flying through the smoke just before Dumbledore's body was entombed means something...but that's probably just wishful thinking, isn't it?!

[ July 23, 2005, 03:54 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

I found a great article on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It's a Pastoral Counsel for Heartsick Muggles. It's very interesting reading and offers some ideas that we may not have considered.

http://www.beliefnet.com/dailyinspiration/108105.htm

thanks for the link vicki