Stephanie Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You and I are thinking along the same lines most
> of the way here.
>
> When I saw the initials R.A.B., I immediately
> figured that they were Regulus Black's initials.


It's way too late to introduce anybody new.



> Who else do we know of with 2/3 confirmed
> initials, that would've been a deatheater and
> perhaps have had the opportunity to make the
> observations about Voldemort to realize the
> presence of the horcruxs.



I noticed on the Leaky Cauldron yesterday that the note is addressed to "Dark Lord". Only the DE's call him this, so it must be a DE... Regulus.



Good find on the
> reference to a heavy locket being at the Black
> residence as well.


Amazingly cool feeling, actually. I love it when a theory pans out!




> Interesting that three horcruxs were actually
> within two seperate memories that Dumbledore had
> collected. The black ring, the locket and the
> cup.


I don't know. That might be a little TOO coincidental, and too easy for Harry to locate them. Nagini is probably one, and we must have something to discover new in the last book.


> Also, the locations for where the locket and
> ring were both kept were also included in the
> memories. Who knows what other clues Dumbledore
> left planted in Harry through the pensieve.


Ahh...yes. The cave DID come from the memories. I think expecting any more of that will be WAY too coincidental. After all, we have just a tiny sample of the events of Tom Riddle's life... to have all the clues be included in them would be WAY too convenient.




> He couldn't have
> used a spell that could've been easily countered.
> He used "Avada Kedavra", the exact spell that
> Voldemort tried to use against Harry in the
> Ministry of Magic building.


I read where somebody was questioning the power of this curse if, in fact, the wizard casting it was of mixed feelings on the outcome.



>
> Other things to ponder about Snape and
> Dumbledore's relationship. Dumbledore had
> consistently refused Snape to become the professor
> of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Why? Because
> Dumbledore knew that the position was cursed ever
> since denying Lord Voldemort the spot.



Brilliant catch, Stephanie!


> Yet,
> Dumbledore, instead of giving the position to
> Slughorn, awarded Snape with the position he
> always wanted. Both Dumbledore AND Snape had to
> know that the time for both of their circumstances
> to change was coming.


You're good! I like that. It also gives Harry access to Snape's potions book, as well as a GOOD year of potions with a teacher that is willing to teach him. It was Harry's weakest course for being an auror, after all.


> Snape got his heart's
> desire as a parting gesture by Dumbledore, imo.
> Dumbledore knew that he was probably going to die
> this year. That is apparent by his words to
> Malfoy in the end.
>


It was also made obvious by the amount of information he gave to Harry. He knew it was coming to a close, and Harry needed every byte of data he could gather.



> IMO, Dumbledore froze Harry so that he could not
> interfere (keeping him safe) and assured that
> Draco would not be the one to do it.

It bothered the hell out of me that Harry didn't think to use a SINGLE nvbl spell, though. All that buildup, and NOTHING.

But, Harry is NOT famous for thinking really well under pressure. That's Hermione's area...lol.


> Considering
> that Harry could do magic without a wand (as his
> numerous "accidents" with various members of the
> Dursley family showed in previous books), I highly
> doubt that Dumbledore was truly defenseless
> without a wand.


And that just puts the icing on the cake.


> Dumbledore put up no fight though
> he could clearly perform magic still.

"Accio Wand". Look ma, no hands.




> Or was it that he hated having to do what he
> probably was ordered to...by Dumbledore. To
> protect Malfoy and Harry.


My thoughts exactly. "revulsion and hatred" of an action, not a person.




>
>
> Snape made it
> clear that Harry was no match for him and yet, he
> didn't immobilize Harry and take him to
> Voldemort...Would've been a fine prize indeed but
> it seems obvious that Snape wants Harry alive and
> OUT Of Voldemort's hands.


No doubt about it.


> The prophecy said that
> "either must die at the hand of the other for
> neither can live while the other survives".
> Handing over Harry would fulfill the prophecy in
> Voldemort's favor. He wants Harry alive...perhaps
> to search out and destroy the horcruxs using the
> penseive memories and defeat Voldemort? That is
> something that neither Dumbledore or Snape can do
> themselves according to the prophecy. It's all up
> to Harry.


Ah, but the point Albus made to Harry is that the prophecy ONLY binds Riddle! This may be the reasoning behind letting Harry remain alive as the last Horcrux.



>
> About Dumbledore's funeral, it was interesting
> that white flames appeared. Considering that
> Dumbledore's familiar is a phoenix....


That was something I missed originally. I saw it mentioned at LC, but I didn't see what they were talking about. NOW you've explained it better, so I remember it.

I'm not sure it's anything but a device for turning a body into a tomb.

Of course, I'm also not sure Albus is really, really dead, either. Wasn't there a section on people creating doubles of themselves to do things????? I swear something like that was mentioned.

Hmmm...



(and thanks for adding the "SPOILERS" tag on my headline. I certainly wouldn't want anybody ruining their reading experience on my account!)

Anthony

You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him think.