HBP MUST have appeared in COS

[albusthewhite]

No: HPFGUIDX 103433



karenlyall666:
> > I'm having problems understanding why everyone seems to have decided 
> > that the 'Half Blood Prince' character must have appeared in Chamber 
> > of Secrets.

Wanda:
> True, but the fact that this was considered as a possible title for 
> Book 2 argues that someone who could fit the description "Half Blood 
> Prince" must have been in that book.  Rowling changed the title, and 
> it's possible she took the HBP character out of the book entirely in 
> order to introduce him later on.  But I don't think that's likely, 
> because someone or something important enough to figure in the title 
> would be hard to just remove.  

now me:
In an interview given 10/2004, Jo was asked, "What was the original working title of 
Chamber of Secrets?"  She replied, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I quite liked 
that title, unfortunately the story bore no relation whatsoever to the title by the time I'd 
finished."  No relation whatsoever...  
I'm taking that as pretty good evidence that the HBP will not be related to CoS.  Perhaps 
she was using it to refer to Riddle/VM (certainly apt) but then decided it would work better 
for something else?  Certainly the HBP might appear in CoS, but not necessarily and we 
might not recognize him (or her or it?).

albus the white