Half Blood Prince

[Patrick Jarrett]

No: HPFGUIDX 132947

HBP has taken the seat as my second favorite of the series, dethroning
OotP and settling just behind Goblet of Fire. I thought it was
fantastic, though I wish they would be able to spell check it more
thoroughly, 'fug' was so disconcerting that I got completely derailed
from reading and it took me 10 minutes to get back /into/ the story.

I was surprised by JKR's use of 'slut' when Morfin refers to
Voldemorts mother. I mean, this is a children's book. I don't know
about others but it shocked me, sure it got the point across, but if I
had a 7 year old child I was reading too I don't know if I want to
open that door that early to questions about what 'slut' means.

When I finished the book I was rather surprised by how JKR glossed
over DD's death and his funeral, I would have expected a grandiose
ceremony and for JKR to cover it in depth. It only seems right doesn't
it? But then I began thinking and I realized that in truth, for many
kids, the death of DD would be very sad and they wouldn't want to
linger on it so her quick handling of it lessened the upset for kids.
Maybe I'm overestimating the impact but still, I think that's why the
ceremony did not get more in depth and reveal more about DD's life
through the stories of others.

I must admit I had not even begun to suspect Snape as the HBP but once
he revealed himself to us I immediately understood and it all fell
into place.

I am glad to see the innocence begin to fall away in the
relationships. And I too was glad to see Tonks/Lupin.

The Tom Riddle back story was very very interesting and very well
done. I loved it's scenarios and chapters in how DD gave it to Harry
through the penseive. It fleshed Voldemort out beautifully.

The horcruxes explain my biggest question, how Voldemort survived the
rebounded killing curse. So we know two are gone and suspect 4 more
exist. 1 we thought Harry had in the locket but now suspect Regulus
got. I hadn't thought of the RAB / Kreacher team but it makes sense
and I'd go with it, so I expect that we'll be lead to believe
Mundungus stole the locket and it turns out Kreacher has it. (I'm
rather slow, it wasn't until I wrote this paragraph that I realized
Kreacher -> Creature.)

I don't think Harry himself is a horcrux, at least not by Voldemort's
intended action. He had planned to kill Harry so why make a being
you're about to kill into a horcrux. But what if he unintentionally
created one and it is held in Harry's scar. Such that the scar has to
be destroyed or healed or in some way handled to thus finish Voldemort
off.

We'll just have to wait and see.

Snape... what can I say about Snape. I'm with the majority in that I
simply can't believe that Snape is ESE!Snape. DD pled for Snape to
save Draco from the horror of taking someone else's life. Also I
immediately latched onto Snape's lecture about protecting his mind
during their 'duel' and his outrage at being called a coward. I mean,
imagine Snape's point of view of Harry. Snape has to live every day
playing the double-double agent, he makes Voldemort think he is spying
on Dumbledore, while letting him know that Dumbledore thinks he is
spying on him, as well as actually spying on Voldemort for DD. And
should his legilimency fail even once, he's toast. Can you imagine the
stress? Harry has to face him occassionally, no small feat, but the
day to day stress is so much less.

So those are my thoughts.

-- Patrick