SPOILER: Don't read if you haven't finished Harry Potter and the Mud Blood Prince

[RosieA]

Anyone up for a little Harry Potter chatter?

I found HP&TMBP to be very readable, after a pretty disappointing Order of the Phoenix

My big question is: Is Snape REALLY a bad guy? Did he conspire with Dumbledore on his death for some reason, because Dumbledore's death will serve some purpose? (Kinda like Obi-Wan telling Vader that death will only make him stronger)

Why did DD immobilize Harry? Was it to prevent Harry from reacting to Malfoy or was it to prevent Harry from keeping Snape from killing him?

Do we really have to wait two more years for the finale?

Comment: I added "spoiler" to the title to alert folks (like me) who may have not finished the book and don't want the plot given away. I got the book last Saturday and had set aside time to read it this weekend. Bummer!-Wes Bucey

[wmarhel]

I have to agree, this book was much better then Order of the Phoenix. I would really be surprised if it is out in two years. I guess that depends whether she wants to rush it out or not, but I wouldn't want to ruin a good series just to meet a deadline.

I think the reason Harry was immobilized was for his own good, just as Dumbledore let himself be taken. The Obi-Wan comparison is pretty good in my opinion. It may have been because Dumbledore could have fought off the Death-eaters, but not if he had to worry about Harry in the process. Malfoy couldn't kill Dumbledore, just as I don't think he could really kill Harry. He's all bark, no bite.

As far as Snape being evil, wasn't something mentioned in one of the previous books about why Snape posed no real threat to Harry?

I'm willing to bet that Sirius makes a return visit in the last book. After all, no body was ever found.

So, does anyone have any predictions for the next book???

Now I'm just hoping that Raymond Feist decides to release something soon.......

[Joe Hahn]

I thought this was the "weakest" of all the books so far. I did not find the tension as strong as in the other works and so did not have the feeling of just having to read the next chapter to find out what is going to happen.

No, I do not think DD is dead. Remember, when he was talking to Draco he said "He cannot kill you if you are already dead..." To me, that implies that some magic can be performed to to make it appear that way and I suspect that Snape and DD have set up a plan to do just that. I think it is a ruse to put Valdemort off guard and they can't tell Harry so that Voldemort can't get into his mind and find this out. I may be reading too much Gandalf and "Lord of the Rings" into this but that is my hypothesis.

Joe Hahn

[RosieA]

Good point Joe. Harry HAS to believe it or Voldemort won't.

Snape was certainly getting grilled in the beginning of the book by his fellow Death Eaters. He and DD may have felt that he had to do this to prove his "loyalty" to Voldemort. I have to believe that a powerful wizard like DD would know how to protect himself...maybe he found a way to protect his soul without having to kill someone.

But Snape better watch his butt!

[Wes Bucey]

I'm MUCH more intrigued by the identity of the wizard or witch who beat Dumbledor and Harry to the locket in the chalice. Malfoy fils seems to have been a dupe of Valdemort, Snape, AND Dumbledor.

I thought the cabinet trick for getting Death Eaters into Hogwarts was BRILLIANT! It was a great plot device.

There seemed to be a lot more "terrorist activity" in this book - i.e. indiscriminate killing of "innocent noncombatants" than in all the other books combined. Do you think this was in Rowling's original plot plan for the book series or do you think she, personally, is responding to the real world terrorist activity going on around the world?

I was disappointed there was no further mention of Muggle authorities beyond the strained opening involving the British P.M. It made the whole interchange between the Ministers of Magic and the P.M. seem farcical and gratuitous without advancing the plot.

Considering Harry had such a difficult time solving the train station and Diagon Alley problems in the first book, was anyone curious how standoffish Tom Riddle needed no help?

I think the ambiguity involving Snape's real allegiance (Voldemort, Dumbledore, Harry, Malfoy's mother, or himself) is a valid plot device and served to add tension to the ending of this book, leaving readers hungering for a satisfactory conclusion to the entire saga.

I was appalled at the number of typos and malaprops throughout this edition (Scholastic) of the book (page 58 - Harry's breath leaves a "fug" on the window.)

proofreaders couldn't seem to keep "apparate" and "apparition" consistent (wouldn't the noun for apparate be apparation? "apparition" means "A ghostly figure")

perhaps, SOMEWHERE, folks use the idiom "get shot of" instead of "get shut of," certainly no Muggles I know use it.

Future research: I think I'll look up some of the fan web sites for Rowling and Potter to see how they are taking it. It seems to me the publicity falloff after the big book release was a lot more rapid than for previous books in the series.

[RosieA]

In Reply to Parent Post by Wes Bucey

Considering Harry had such a difficult time solving the train station and Diagon Alley problems in the first book, was anyone curious how standoffish Tom Riddle needed no help?

We know he turned Dumbledore's help down, but that doesn't mean he didn't have help from someone else. Plus, I think he'd explored his magical powers a lot more than Harry had by age 11. It's possible that he stationed himself in the right places and figured things out for himself.

[Wes Bucey]

I was stunned at the number of websites and discussion threads having to do with Book 6 when I googled.

The problem, of course, is that 90% of the posts are by 10 and 11 year old kids with the grammar, spelling, and insight of 4 year old kids.

My suggestion is that here at the Cove is one of the few possibilities for getting intelligent input about the series without getting some little girl speculating on the relationship between Malfoy and Moaning Myrtle.

A quick survey of the sites shows

1. overwhelming opinion Snape is really a good guy
2. Dumbledore will make some sort of reappearance in Book 7 (through a picture?)
3. Lots of speculation on identity of horcruxes being important to plot
4. consensus that RAB is Regulus Black
5. House elf Kreach may have the locket in his "stash"
6. absolute certainty Harry will vanquish Voldemort in Book 7

[Jeff Frost]

One observation I would like to make about the whole series of Harry Potter Books is Ms Rowling always builds upon the last book and for the most part never re-states a plot element from the other books in the series. It took me a little while to remember that “DA” stood for Dumbledore Army and I like the fact that the little and big kids must pay attention when reading her books.

Any one remember the black ring with the crack stone that was worn by Snape and Dumbledore that Harry saw the saw Dumbledore’s office? All I have to say is keep up the good work Ms Rowling and please come out with book 7 soon.