Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (SPOILERS) - Page 3

Sindatur · July 21st 05, 15:17

Some people are expecting Book7 within the same 2 years that Book 6 came out in. Sadly, I believe it's going to be at least 3 years. HBP was shorter than GoF, and took 2 years. OotP, which took 3 was much larger than either GoF or HBP, not just in qty of pages, but, text per page as well. She will be mourning the end of the series, and not wanting it to end, she be combing over it again and again to ensure she answered as much as she could. It's my feeling and hope that Book 7 will be bigger than OotP, and I believe it's only the epilogue (The final chapter about what the survivors went on to do with their lives )that is already written. Someone said in an interview she said that she's not going to start writing 7 until the end of the year.

hypatia · July 21st 05, 15:22

And she also said she wants most of her time to go to her new daughter in the first YEAR.

So, not really writing at all until early next year, not really writing seriously until the year after that, plus the big wrap-up book she promises "will need no prequels", plus publishing time, yea 3 years.

If she keeps giving interviews like this, I might just wait and read the details of book 7 on the web, and then buy it used when someone sells it to the local bookstore.

Quagmire · July 21st 05, 20:09

The two year time period is based on recent interviews JKR has given stating that to be the most likely.

As far as Harry's scar goes I don't think Voldemort had time to perform another spell when the first backfired and killed him. That is assuming his plan was not to make multiple ones using James Potter's offing as well.

A_Ranger · July 24th 05, 14:22

Whew. That was pretty damn sad. Kinda saw it coming, because killing Dumbledore is the more interesting choice since everyone relies on him. I think even JMS once said something about pulling the rug out from under your characters. I remember telling some people it would be really interesting if she killed him off, and then it happened...it was great to see Harry finally get with Ginny, even if it was shortlived. But hey, one more book left to see what happens.

I personally think Dumbledore purposefully fell into the trap because there is no way he would get caught without his wand. I think he knew Draco wouldn't go through with it, and he knew about Snape's vow and still insisted he trusted Snape, so I think Dumbledore knew Snape woudl have to be the one to do it and wanted it to happen so that a) it gives Harry the extra fuel he needs to do what has to do b) garuntess that the DE and Voldemort will trust Snape implicitly, thereby setting Snape up to do some serious damage to the DE and/or help Harry.

And I also think Voldemort knew Snape would be the one to do it because if Voldemort can't kill Dumbledore, there's no way a little twerp like Draco could. I think Voldemort knew that Dumbledore still trusted Snape, so Voldemort expected that Dumbledore woudln't see it coming from Snape and would therefore be caught offguard.

And it's wierd, cause now I have some sympathy and at least some respect for Draco since he couldn't go through with the plan. Although the little bastard didn't seem to want to change sides, at least he didn't have the heart to murder Dumbledore.

Jendia · July 25th 05, 03:04

I agree 100% with your assessment, even down to Draco.
Snape will probably redeem himself.
Personally I think he loved Lily, and that in the end Harry will remind him of her rather than of James ("you have her eyes") and he would not let Harry be killed by Voldemort. I'm actually more fascinated by Snape's character now than I was before.
But it was sad nonetheless.

Jendia

Sindatur · July 25th 05, 16:06

Snape has always been the character that has intrigued me the most in HP. I've never adored him, or thought he was a great guy, as some, but, the character is a great one to "love to hate", and has always been the most layered and mysterious.

Elenopa · July 25th 05, 18:11

Right I've read it now. One of my Brownies kindly let me have her copy before she read it.

Readable, but still not a lot happened in a lot of pages. I've felt this for the last three books. Probably all the hype has put me off a bit.

Anyway, one nit-pick has occured to me. If you cannot apperate inside Hogwarts, how did Dobby and Kreacher do it?

Guesses about the remaining four horcruxes?

admiraldave · July 25th 05, 18:43

I'm pretty sure we saw a horcrux in OotP, the locket that couldn't be opened. That'd make R.A.B. Sirius's brother Regulus.

JKR say that House Elves use a different magic than apparition, which allows them to bypass that restriction in Hogwarts. It's a necessary part of their duties, to move about the castle quickly and unseen. Isn't that the mark of all good servants.

While I heartily enjoyed HBP, it very much felt like set-up for Book 7, and less of a book of it's own.

Sindatur · July 25th 05, 18:57

Elenopa, repeated readings of the books, allow you to see connectivity to each other. As Dave said, during OotP, we thought nothing of the Locket when we saw it at Grimmauld Place, after reading HBP, we think it's very important.

As Dave said, the House Elves have a different type or brand of Magic. The action they do that allows them to disappear and reappear somewhere else, is not the same as a Wizard disappearing, and reappearing somewhere else. The Anti-apparition protections at Hogwarts, are based upon the Human Wizard brand, so do not affect the house elves ability.

Kinda like the difference between getting somewhere on a motor cycle and getting somewhere in a car. If you design the prevention against getting somewhere in a car, you will make the road too narrow for a car to pass, but, if you were to use a motor cycle to get there, the road wouldn't be too narrow, and you could get there.

Or, if you have some system that would prevent a particle beam weapon working, it won't help you if someone shoots a gun at you that has bullets in it, rather than a particle beam.

So, they accomplish the same thing (Wizards and House Elves when disappearing and reappearing somepleace else) but, they use a different method to get there.

Quagmire · July 25th 05, 20:22

I thought of something that may throw a wrench into the pro-Snape theory, don't you have to really mean it for an unforgiveable curse to work?