False alarm.

[icarus]

It turns out Amazon was just striking terror in my heart covering their bases. I got the book on time and should not have believed random emails about "we might be late." *panics again*

Have read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Loved it. Though if I knew someone about to read the HP series right now, I'd tell them to wait until the next book is out because, while this is not quite a cliff-hanger, it's so close to one as to leave you a little hungry.

Comments

[mark356.livejournal.com]

I didn't think so at all; I thought it was a great place to leave off! But glad you loved it.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

It's a terrible place to end it. Either

1) Snape is really a DE and killed Dumbledore (which I don't buy as it's clearly a set-up with that freezing charm D performed on Harry and Snape's protecting H -- again -- and only defending in that duel); or

2) Snape is going into deep cover and killed Dumbledore (because, why? Dumbledore was going to die anyway? Dumbledore was that sick -- funny, he was getting around an awful lot for someone one his deathbed; seems to me he was more busy than sick. Since when do we kill off our most valuable asset in the middle a war, sick or not? Just for Snape's cover? It's not logical.)

3) Snape is going into deep cover and Dumbledore's done the same. (But we have Dumbledore's body, and witnesses.)

Of all of these, 1) is the most logical, but there are all sorts of signs that's not the right answer. Dumbledore sacrificing himself seems a bit dodgy and excuses of his being sick don't quite hold water. That scene felt too well-planned for it to have been a mistake.

We still don't know what that potion Dumbledore drank does, or why he was acting so oddly afterwards. Since he risked both himself and Harry in that adventure obviously it was very important.

Unlike the prior books, she has not resolved the primary plotline. The majority of the questions remain unanswered. This is clearly a book within a story arc and it doesn't stand on its own as well as the other books.

When the story is complete this will probably be my favourite (love that spell of Snape's, and the dark moment at the end where he hits the road and the potions text). But for now it's left a lot dangling.

Including me.

Oh, and it needs more Percy. ;)

Icarus

[electricandroid.livejournal.com]

My pet theory of the day - Drinking the potion made DD a horcrux. Have to reread to check if it follows through - but could make sense? Hence death of DD = one less horcrux (man I don't like that word) in the world?

[mark356.livejournal.com]

That was what I hoped when I first read it, but I wasn't quite sure about the specifics of that last section.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

What makes me suspicious is the vagueness about Nagini being a horcrux and the fact that at least one of the horcruxes is not a special talisman. Then there's the fact that V probably had one horcrux left over when he was unable to find a talisman or item from Gryffindor, and the fact that V was pretty casual about his bits o' soul.

And, frankly, the theory that Dumbledore just threw his life away drinking the poison to get to one of the horcruxes... then said nothing, there was no sound of disappointment or anything of the kind when he found it wasn't, then his strange behaviour outside Rosmerta's?

What I'm seeing here is a pattern that tells me that whatever Dumbledore drank, it was much more than just a poison of some kind. There is a conscious silence surrounding it.

A horcrux fits the need to AK Dumbledore, and fits the need to have a particularly powerful wizard drink it as well.

Icarus

[twistedrecesses.livejournal.com]

Wait, Dumbledore didn't know it wasn't the right Horcrux, he never got the chance to examine it.

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

In real life it would be like that, but JKR doesn't throw away scenes. If it's been made to look unimportant (like Snape's cramped handwriting when writing his Owls turns out later to be a big clue to solving who the "half-blood Prince" is) it's almost always an important part of the jigsaw.

But there's no way to know the answer until she gives us another piece of the puzzle, and that won't be for another two years or so.

Icarus *muttering*

[scary-sushi.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree that it needs more Percy.

Out of all your endings, I suppose 2) has one of the most viable chances: we know Dumbledore was cursed and 'lost' his hand. It is very possible that the curse wasn't entirely lifted, and he could have been dying all along, but at a very slow pace (think of it as cancer: sometimes people discover metastased cancer in its terminal stage while having a random check-up). That's why he could have been overexerting himself trying to find as much information as possible very quickly.

Apart from that, we know someone (most likely Regulus Black), had already stolen the locket. I don't remember who posted about it, but they said Regulus had to have drunk the liquid to get the locket. It looks like Dumbledore knew that, and yet he still drunk, probably thinking Regulus hadn't reached the Horecrux : having seen what the liquid had done to Regulus, he warned Harry about its effects, and he knew he was going to die. I really, really hope it's all an elaborate ply to get Snape back in the DE's and Voldemort's good graces, but... The only thing which makes me twitch is: who's going to believe him? Dumbledore's dead and no one trusts Severus. Does he really thing he can off Voldemort alone?

Except if the Order find a memory of Dumbledore in his office which explains the whole thing...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

But here's the problem with 2) -- it's based upon an assumption. We have to assume that Dumbledore was dying.

We don't have much evidence for that. It's a possibility, sure, it could be like cancer, but the case for it is weak.

The problem with all the conclusions is we don't know what it is that Dumbledore drank. Since we're left in the dark about it, and it's clearly important or Dumbledore wouldn't have risked both himself and Harry.... well, let's just say I'm deeply suspicious.

Icarus

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree that it needs more Percy.

The Percy tidbits we got were just tantalizing. An utter tease.

Icarus

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I'm still reeling at its being a cliffhanger. Of course it's a cliffhanger. It's just--insane that it's a cliffhanger. We know. We know that Snape did all that on Dumbledore's orders. That Dumbledore begged Snape to kill him because either he or Snape was going to die, and he didn't want Draco to be a murderer, and Snape had to keep his cover, and he didn't want Snape to be the one to die--they'd agreed on it, and he was holding Snape to it. Why in god's name does that need to be a cliffhanger if we KNOW?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm sticking with my theory that the green potion was one V's horcruxes, and by drinking it D became a horcrux. Thus the need to AK him. Thus the need for a great wizard to drink it (anyone less it would completely take over). Thus his strange behaviour outside Rosmerta's.

I'm convinced that whatever that stuff was, at the very least it was much more than a poison. Otherwise it doesn't make sense D would sacrifice himself and not at least mention "oh shit, I'm a goner and all for nothing."

I reeling from the cliffhanger, too. But given where it is in the series (and the need to build drame for the last book), she had a choice between writing a cliffhanger, or writing a transition chapter. The cliffhanger was the better choice.

Icarus

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

I disagree about its being a better choice. Harry is the eyes of the reader, and if the reader knows, then why keep it from Harry?

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

To torment us mercilessly...?


Icarus

[amanuensis1.livejournal.com]

Some days it seems like that must be the answer, man!

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

The most important part is: what did Dumbledore drink in that cave?

I should mention my private theory that the liquid was one of the parts of Volemort's soul (perhaps the part that Dumbledore thought might be in Nagini?), and Snape's AK killed that.

Icarus

[electricandroid.livejournal.com]

HAHAHHAHA

Just saw this AFTER posted comment

We rock. :D

[ragnhildholm.livejournal.com]

Nice theory. The potion being a part of the soul was my first idea, too, and I was afraid of what that might entail. As it is... I don't think it is; the note by RAB (whom I think is Regulus Black - we know he wanted out of the DE and was killed for it - maybe he got back at Voldy the only way he could, knowing he was dead anyway) seems to imply the Horcrux was taken away. Although that begs the question; how come the potion is still there? Did RAB have another way of getting the Horcrux? Did *he* put the potion htere? Was it there before RAB took the Horcrux? So many questions...

[nykohl.livejournal.com]

Yes, but we were led to believe Regulus wasn't very high up in the ranks of the DEs, so how is it he would have known about the Horcrux? It Hardly seems the type of thing that would be common DE knowledge. And Voldemort would have been careful enough to make sure nobody else (especially not Regulus Black) would have found out about it, back when he and Regulus were alive.

[ragnhildholm.livejournal.com]

True. But somebody knew.

I'll admit you make some very good points. At the same time, I just can't imagine JK making R.A.B. a new character we've not heard of before...

[nykohl.livejournal.com]

Before OotP, we'd never heard of Luna Lovegood. Being the author, she could very well decide to insert a new character every time she needs one.

I can see the logic behind suspecting Regulus, though. Finding the Horcrux would be good enough reason for Voldemort (or the DEs) to do away with him. And it would explain more of the mystery surrounding the Blacks.

[ragnhildholm.livejournal.com]

We *had* heard of the Lovegoods in GoF, though I'll admit it was only a passing reference.

She's said she'll introduce us to a member of the Order we've heard about but not met, so... But still, this seems like a person who really wanted to make sure Voldy knew it was him/her - which suggests to me (but I realise this may be a flimsy argument) that it's somebody within Voldy's own ranks.

And of course, there's the mysterious locket in Grimmauld Place (in OotP) that nobody can seem to open... Where did that come from, and where did it get to?

I think it would also be interesting to see the Black brothers' similarities and differences, especially as regards Voldemort, and also considering that one was Gryffindor and a blood traitor, and the other a Slytherin and DE...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to fight for the theory, because it is conjecture.

What I do insist is that we don't know what it was Dumbledore drank. We are assuming is was just a poison of some kind. JKR has led Harry to that assumption, and there is an established pattern of Harry's assumptions being dead wrong dating all the way back to book one.

I do insist that it had to be more important than simply a protection that will kill the person after the talisman. It doesn't make sense that Dumbledore would sacrifice himself for so little otherwise.

Icarus

[ragnhildholm.livejournal.com]

Good point. Although to be fair, Harry is getting better at guessing. I mean, this time, Hermione and Ron thought he was wrong about Malfoy, but it WAS Draco with the necklace and the poison, and the Room of Requirement WAS important...

[icarusancalion.livejournal.com]

That's true, Harry is improving with his guesses (concerning everyone but Snape). But he hasn't really asked the question "what did Dumbledore drink?" since he believes Snape's a traitor.

Totally different subject:

The textbook was 50 years old. It pre-dated Harry's father. That means it also pre-dated Snape.

Ten bucks said the textbook was originally Voldemort's and then Snape got it after him (via the same means Harry did?).

Icarus