magical developments and queries

[Edis]

No: HPFGUIDX 133041

OK so what magic have we had revealed in HBP?

The obvious new spell is the Unbreakable Vow. How this actually works 
we don't know. But is it a Dark Art? If not, could Snape have taken 
the Vow with Dumbledore, giving some magical grounding for 
Dumbledore's faith in Snape? And what is the effect of taking 
incompatible Vows? And what happens to the other participant in the 
vow when one party fulfills? Is Narcissa under some kind of magical 
debt to Snape now, akin to the life-debt Wormtail apparently owes 
Harry?

And what happens to the 'Bonder'? Are there consequences for this 
witness when the act is carried out? If there was a Dumbledore-Snape 
bond who was it and what does it mean for that person?

Another thing is our developing knowledge of Pensieves. Presumably it 
would be possible for Snape to have placed his memories in a pensieve 
and Dumbledore to have checked them out, including checking for 
tampering. 

Going a bit further, if the Pensieve with Dumbledore's memories still 
exists maybe Harry can enter and find out some new angles to events.

Way back in PS/SS there was a Potions lesson from Snape on treating 
Werewolf bites. Will Hermione remember, or look up her old notes? 
Time to look back at other casually mentioned spells (the Bezoar 
might not be the only bit of magic to re-appear). Stopper death, 
anyone? 

Someone needs a good supply of Felix Felicious now... 

No more time travel if all the Ministry time-turners were destroyed 
at the end of the fight in OOTP? That at least removes some plot 
temptations.

Did Snape really invent all the innovations recorded in the 
handwritten notes to the Potions book, or did he crib at least some 
of these from Lilly Evans? Its Lilly who gets all the praise 
from 'The Slug' for being a brilliant Potions student, never a 
mention by him of her fellow-student Snape, who must also have been a 
student of 'The Slug'...

Edis