Happy "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Release Day!

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Spoiler:

"Aside from higher considerations, charity often operates as a vastly wise and prudent principle - a great safeguard to its possessor. Men have committed murder for jealousy's sake, and anger's sake, and hatred's sake, and selfishness' sake, and spiritual pride's sake; but no man, that ever I heard of, ever committed a diabolical murder for sweet charity's sake. [Hence, Severus Snape is a nasty, horrible, evil no good git, and you can take that to the bank!]

I love how eloquent Melville was at the end. That's right. You heard it from Melville. And how could Melville be wrong?

(I love Bartleby, the Srivener Actually JKR reminds me of Bartleby. "I'd prefer not to give you ANY uselful information, because I'm manipulative and evil!")

[Prudence]

Spoiler:

Ah, but does the murder in question really qualify as diabolical? If it was planned and considered necessary for final victory by the forces of good (TM) then I submit that it wasn't diabolical at all.

[Morrigoon]

I feel like I need to read the whole series over again to catch all the details that are starting to mean something

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Prudence

Spoiler:

Ah, but does the murder in question really qualify as diabolical? If it was planned and considered necessary for final victory by the forces of good (TM) then I submit that it wasn't diabolical at all.

Spoiler:

Well, we can hope. We can hope! FYI, Mugglenet is posting a series of interviews with Rowling that are quite wonderful. Two parts have been posted thus far, and there's some really interesting, enlightening discussions.

[Eliza Hodgkins 1812]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

I feel like I need to read the whole series over again to catch all the details that are starting to mean something

Spoiler:

I've got such an extended reading list as it is, but I've started rereading them. It's the third read, and I always pick up new stuff. I forget how simple, funny and delightful the first book is. But this time I'm sleuthing my way through the series, slowly, looking for clues. Because I've gone completely mad.

[tracilicious]

Spoiler:

I finished a few days ago, and I'm so so sad. Dumbledore is possibly my favorite character ever. Michael predicted early in the book that Dumbledore would die. I vowed that if he did I would never read another Harry Potter book again. I lied. I've restarted the series. I nearly found myself crying at Dumbledore's first start of school speech.

I expected Dumbledore to die. I just thought it would be at the end of the next book. I pictured him dying in some grand way. In a way that gave Harry a final leg up at beating Voldemort. Because, frankly, I don't know how Harry is going to do it. I don't even know how he's going to manage to get past the Horcruxes. With a lot of help from Hermione probably.

This thread has given me hope that maybe Snape isn't all bad. I had just assumed that Dumbledore was pleading for Severus to do the right thing. To make his final choice as to dark or light and to make it the right choice.

When I found out that Snape might as well have killed Harry's parents himself, I figured that perhaps he's been so horrible to Harry because he serves as a constant reminder of he had done. Though I fear I might be wrong and Snape might just be really really bad. But then I think that would make Harry right all along. And what are the chances of that? I don't buy Harry being right the whole time and Dumbledore being wrong for years.

I'm glad that JKR gave Dumbledore such a nice sendoff in this book. I loved him going to the Dursleys and telling them off. I was also glad to finally get a glimpse into how powerful he was. This is by far my favorite book for the sole reason of seeing so much of Dumbledore.

In every book I find myself thinking that if Harry had only told Dumbledore everything then disaster could be avoided. If only he had given Dumbledore the spell book maybe things would be different. Harry is such a slacker for the most part. I think I'd work a bit harder if I were to fight Voldemort.

I am sooo excited that the three are going off on their own in the next book. Should be quite intense. As for the Ginny thing, I'm glad he ended it for now. He needs to have a clear head. No distractions.

I agree that these aren't really kids books anymore. When such a large portion of her audience are adults then the books should grow with that. She always said they'd get darker.

[€uroMeinke]

Heh - I love how almost this entire thread is in spoiler tags - especially since I don't even have a copy yet.

[DisneyFan25863]

Spoiler:

I really really really hope Hermione doesn't die in the next book, but I have a feeling she will. She will be the one to help Harry discover the Horcruxes, and Voldy may kill her off because of it. Which would suck, since she is my favorite character out of all the books..

[tracilicious]

Spoiler:

Something just occured to me. Snape met Luna and Hermione in the hall after knocking out whoever the professor was that came to get him. If he really is a death eater, than why didn't he just kill them instead of telling them to check on the professor? Surely he would want Harry's greatest helper gone. In fact, he could have just killed the professor.

On mugglenet it lists the facts we know about books 6 and 7. One of those is that we learn more about Harry's scar. I'm thinking that maybe his scar will be the last horcrux. That would explain the transference of powers and why he can see Voldemort's thoughts. What do you think?

p.s.- Audra, I saw your Snape shirt in Rena's pictures and I must have one! Please tell me it was bought and not made!

[tracilicious]

Originally Posted by DisneyFan25863

Spoiler:

I really really really hope Hermione doesn't die in the next book, but I have a feeling she will. She will be the one to help Harry discover the Horcruxes, and Voldy may kill her off because of it. Which would suck, since she is my favorite character out of all the books..

I don't think she does. I think all three will come very close, but I just have a feeling they'll pull through.