Half Blood Prince: two sentences missing from UK edition

[iris_ft]

No: HPFGUIDX 135458

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, Ladi lyndi <ladilyndi at y...> 
wrote:
> 
> 
> Tim Regan  wrote:
>  
> 
> Here's what he says in the UK edition:
> 
> <<< What is more, I can send members of the Order to your mother 
tonight
> to hide her likewise. Your father is safe at the moment in 
Azkaban ...
> >>>
> 
> In the USA edition there are two addition sentences between those 
two,
>  
> Lynn:
>  
> The two sentences in between are:
>  
> "Nobody would be surprised that you had died in your attempt to 
kill me - forgive me, but Lord Voldemort probably expects it.  Nor 
would the Death Eaters be surprised that we had captured and killed 
your mother - it is what they would do themselves, after all."  (US 
p. 592)
>  
> Gee, I love having both editions - now I'm wondering if I should 
bring both to Accio.  (Reminder to self - PACK)
>  
> I would guess there was an editing error as to really doesn't add 
something new to the mix.  Narcissa figured Draco was given the 
assignment so he would be killed and we know the Death Eaters aren't 
very nice people and will kill as Voldemort tells them to kill.
>  

Iris now: 
Maybe this post will sound odd or irrelevant, but I'm feeling rather 
curious concerning the differences between the two editions, and I'd 
like to be given some explanation. 
If I remember well what other members said in previous posts, there 
is also in the Scholastic edition another sentence saying that Draco 
could hide from Voldemort pretending to be dead (sorry, I didn't 
manage to remember the exact sentence, and I don't have the 
Scholastic edition; you'll correct me).
My question is: are there many other differences between the two 
editions, concerning HBP and the rest of the series?  And where do 
they come from? Why are there two versions of a same story?
Maybe the difference between the two versions of HBP is just an 
editing error, as Lynn says, but it bothers me a little, because it 
makes me wonder which version was actually on JK Rowling desk. In 
one case (Scholastic edition) the readers are given explanations, 
and in the other (Bloomsbury edition), they are left with an 
ambiguity. In one case, they know precisely what is on Dumbledore's 
intention; they understand what kind of plan he has for Draco and 
his family. In the other case, they have to guess, to complete 
Dumbledore's words.
Maybe this is just nitpicking
 but I don't see why readers should be 
given explanations, and other left with their questions.
I can understand why there are different versions, variations, 
concerning very, very old books, published when there were no 
copyrights or intellectual property, or when censure was still 
important. But what is the interest of two versions concerning the 
worldwide publication of such an expected and protected modern 
novel? 
Unless it is part of the marketing game surrounding the series 
(collect the different versions, even in the same language
). 
Another possibility, just for fun: the Harry Potter Code.
There's in the series something even more cryptic than alchemical 
and esoteric references, and it's hidden in the variations between 
the editions, and when the whole publication is over, we'll have to 
pick the variations together and they'll give us a secret message 
we'll be able to read only if we manage to work out correctly 
Dumbledore's words (Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!), or to 
interpret the illustrations in Quidditch through the Ages or 
Fantastic Beasts. It will be like in "The Club Dumas" or in "The 
Rule of Four"
 
 
Thanks,

Amicalement,


Iris