Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Falagar · 07-19-2005, 06:59 AM

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Originally Posted by Lief Erikson

I still think Snape may well be good. There are two reasons I have for this belief.

1# Theme. It would be a rather ugly twist to Harry Potter's theme to say, "trust is not good."

2# Dumbledore's reason. Dumbledore was certain of Snape's loyalty. Even the book characters noted that he seemed to have an "iron clad" reason for believing in Snape. J.K. Rowling did not make it at all clear what this reason was in Book 6. This implies it still is important, for J.K. Rowling exposes everything that isn't important at the end of her books. It's a logical and tidy way of doing things.

I agree. Another incident which made me doubt that he really had turned evil: the way he screams "No Harry!" while fleeing with the Death Eaters. Also, he stops them from killing Harry. Of course, the reason he gives is perfectly logical: Harry belongs to Voldemort. But why not capture him? Use Imperius? Either way I think there's more to it than wanting to spare him for the Dark Lord.

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I note with pleasure that at the end of book 6, the Dark Arts job at Hogwarts is once again vacant

.

It seems to me that Voldemort may well be in quite a tight spot, in book 7. I believe Snape is probably still good. Wormtail also may turn on Voldemort. He's got the three Malfoys too squirming under his leadership.

Outside of his own ranks, he's got a mysterious R.A.B. messing with him as well as Harry, who may well be his most dangerous opponent left.

I've heard rumours about R.A.B being Sirius' brother, Regulus *something* Black, which at least partly fits the initials. Potter needs more training, much more, and this R.A.B., whether Sirius' brother or not, could be just the wizard he needs to complete it.

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It isn't looking too good for Voldemort, if you ask me. Though I note that his war against all goodness seemed to be working out brilliantly for him in book 6. The Death Eaters too seemed more challenging opponents then they were in book 5.

One thing I have some difficulty with in book 6 is an apparent contradiction in Snape's powers. James was able to clobber him in book 5. Three teenagers were able to beat him in book 3. However, we also see Snape as such a brilliant Occlumens that he can decieve either Dumbledore or Voldemort. Either deception would be an amazing feat. We also see Snape able to do those amazing things he did with his Potions book and Dark Arts spell making.

So I'm confused.

James and his gang were pretty talented wizards, and they outnumbered him 3-1 (or something). And the humiliation he suffered there may have urged him to become better. Also, I think there's a difference between being good at making spells (or potions), and being good at casting them.

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Harry is going to have to become a good Occlumens

. He has to

. I really am pleased that he's going to leave Hogwarts for book 7 and wander around hunting pieces of Voldemort. It's a good plot thread. I honestly expected the sort of thing that was happening in book 6 to happen in book 7. The school battle, Dumbledore's death, all that kind of thing. I thought it would all be in book 7. I'm very pleased to be wrong

. J.K. Rowling also wrote Dumbledore's death very well, IMO.

Yeah, I'm also very excited about him leaving Hogwarts. We haven't seen much of the outside (wizarding-) world during the first 6 years (though heard a lot about it), and it will be interesting seeing Harry travelling on his own without anyone to protect him if he steps wrong, for once. It was necessary to kill off Dumbledor, to renew the story and keep it interesting.

About the Occlumens: was thinking the same thing. He should have done better last year.