Re: The Half Blood Prince (was my favorite HBP picks)

[jodel_from_aol]

No: HPFGUIDX 103508

So far Rowling's book titles have been *extremely* literal. Which poses 
a problem in that a title like "Prince" is dependent upon a specific 
relationship with a *Muggle* government.

And, btw, it could always be a government that *no longer exists*. 
Quite a few continental duchys and principalities have dissapeared in 
the past couple hundred years, while the various Ministries of Magic 
haven't redrawn their political boundaries since the Act of Separation.

(Oh ghod, please, no! Not "Harry Potter and the Stuart Pretender")

Because this really is a worthy puzzle. 

For one thing, whoever it is will be at Hogwarts (the new DADA 
instructor maybe?) since I don't think she is going to give us two 
books in a row where the main event is offstage for the whole year. 

For another thing, if it follows the pattern, is will not only be 
literal, it will be a *whole new element* added to the mix and it will 
have effects that spill over into everything that comes after. Theories 
that are tied to existing characters will probably not be it, although 
those might get thrown in as red herrings to confuse the issue of what 
actually *is* going on.

Plus there is always the question of how much leeway *can* be applied 
to something what if it follows the patern will have a very literal 
application?  

Can the term "halfblood" possibly be interpreted as half-*breed*? That 
particular theme has cewrtainly been introduced to the series and I 
doubt that Rowling is completely finished with it.And we have yet to 
hear anything directly regarding one very critical segment of the 
magical population. Which raises the question; do the Goblins have a 
king?