Anthony Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> It's way too late to introduce anybody new.

Agreed and Regulus being introduced as a deatheater who turned from Voldemort was probably no coincidence at all.
>
> 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.

Yeah, I spotted that, too. Whoever wrote the note had to be a former deatheater.

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

I bet! My memory gets kind of shabby at times and I probably wouldn't have recollected it.


> 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.

Dumbledore thought that these "lessons" were very important for Harry...more important than anything else. He wasn't teaching him how to destroy them nor was he teaching him defensive spells and so on. That was Snape's job as Defense of the Dark Arts professor. Another clue that Snape and Dumbledore were probably in cahootz.


> 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.

Yes, but why did Dumbledore pick those particuliar bits of Voldemort's life?

>
> 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.

I don't think it works that way. Harry had no idea what the sectumsempra curse was going to do and it definitely worked. It's dark magic. Considering all the emphasis on how dispassionate and unloving the dark arts are, I doubt that feelings would affect the outcome.

> 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.

Yep, was it coincidence that Harry got that particuliar book or was it planted for him to give? Surely Snape would've taken his old book with him when he left the post of potions professor. Technically, it's a personal effect.

>
> 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.

Yep, so Snape and Dumbledore both primed Harry as best as they could. I also wonder if Snape was trying to show Harry that he had lots of work to do before even thinking about facing Voldemort in his display of prowess at the end. Snape simply does not brag. He's been a powerful wizard all along with barely any instances showing 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.

Nonverbal spells were the first lesson of the year. Obviously, Snape and Dumbledore thought that Harry learning to do this was key for his success, giving him as much time as possible to master it. Now that Dumbledore is gone (no more crutch), Harry has to get very serious about training himself and has all the reasons to.

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

I was rather bummed that Harry was so wimpy in this one, magic-wise. Malfoy bested him even!

>
>
> > Dumbledore put up no fight though
> > he could clearly perform magic still.
>
> "Accio Wand". Look ma, no hands.

Yep.

>
> 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.

But if Harry is the last horcrux, then Voldemort will always have the chance of returning.

> 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.

No...it obviously wasn't a typical funeral as people screamed when the flames erupted. Harry also thinks he sees a phoenix fly up from the flames. Dumbledore died, alright, but I'm not so sure that he is going to stay dead. It could be that perhaps they are doing this to simply kick start Harry into really becoming what he needs to be to end it, once and for all. With his parents, Sirius Black, and Dumbledore gone, Harry has no great wizard to rely on. He's on his own (except for his pals! lol).


>
> 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.

Yes, that was mentioned in one of the books but not this one. It's a possibility, definitely.


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

You're welcome. I speed read the book yesterday because I didn't want to read any spoilers before finishing either! Though my husband did blow it when he accidentally read a spoiler at another site. Boy was he in trouble when he told me who the Half-Blood Prince was before I had read it!!

I think that something is probably going to go down badly in the Ministry of Magic as well. I did not trust Rufus Scrimgeour at all and it seemed like he was only pretending to fight was going on. The Ministry of Magic seems corrupt. It's too coincidental that their offices were breached so easily. Umbridge is definitely corrupt...Rufus Scrimgeour is a vampire. Could it be possible that there are deatheaters in high level ministry positions? I can just see it now, the ministry of magic is purged, Percy returns to the family and Mr. Weasley is the next minister of magic. Otherwise, there is just going to be unresolved issues that Rowling never closed up.

Stephanie




In every man there is something wherein I may learn of him, and in that I am his pupil.--Ralph Waldo Emerson