my favourite HBP picks...

[nkafkafi]

No: HPFGUIDX 103588

"armadillof" wrote:
> Ok.  Before I solicit my random musings...just some thoughts....
> <much snipage of a good post>
> 1. LUPIN:  
> 2. SNAPE:
> 3. DUMBLEDORE:
> 4. TOM RIDDLE:
> 5. RANDOM OOTP CHARACTER:
> 6. DADA Teacher:
<snip>
> thoughts?

Neri:

Here are four additional suggestions:

7. A portrait of a historical figure
If this figure is from many years in the past, this will make it much 
easier to have a real Prince. The HBP could be a true character, 
which will be a chance to get into this whole business of magical 
portraits and what they retain from the original person. But the 
portrait might be merely a nice plot device, such as the Goblet of 
Fire, without much personality.

8. A ghost in Hogwarts.
Very similar to the portrait case.

8. A code word for something
A bit like the Order of the Phoenix, where it is not the phoenix who 
is actually important, but the name is a code for something secret. 
The HBP could stand for almost anything: a real person (who is not a 
prince and maybe not even half-blood), an organization, a magical 
artifact, or whatever. The "Half Blood Prince" could be a word 
appearing in a secret message (say, the bubblegum message from Alice 
Longbottom) and much of the plot of Book 7 could be devoted for 
deciphering who/what does it stand for.

9. The good Slytherin
some kid from Slytherin we didn't met before. Being both a Prince 
(maybe from an old linage that lost its kingdom many years ago, but 
still retains some status of nobility) and half-blood, AND a 
slytherin will make for some nice conflicts. 

Neri