The Half-Blood McGuffin

[someoneofsomeplace]

No: HPFGUIDX 126606



Steve:
> McGuffin-
> Definition: in film, a plot device that has no specific meaning or
> purpose other than to advance the story; any situation that 
motivates
> the action of a film either artificially or substantively; also
> written MacGuffin
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> I'm curious to what extent previous book titles limit the nature of
> the Half-Blood Prince.
> 
> In previous books, the title element (Harry Potter and '_insert
> element here_') has for the most part been the McGuffin in the 
story.
> It is not necessarily relavant in and of itself, but it, the 'title
> element', has been the thing, the excuse, that carries the story
> forward while the truer and deeper elements play out in that 
framework. 
> 
> Philosopher's Stone
> Chamber of Secrets
> Prisoner of Azkavan
> Goblet of Fire
> Order of the Phoenix
> Half-Blood Prince
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> Now the 'Half-Blood Prince'; if this McGuffin theme is carried
> through, then the HBP has to be the vehicle that carries the story
> forward, and provides the framework for more important themes to 
play out.


John:
As usual, Steve, you raise some excellent and very interesting 
points (sorry I had to snip so many of them). The questions for me 
are not *who is* the HBP, but *what* is a HBP, what does a HBP *do*, 
and how the heck does a HBP fit into the overall scheme of things—
that is, the Second Voldy-war and Harry's destiny? Is there 
something actually called the HBP, or is the name just for the 
purposes of the title (like Sirius as "The Prisoner of Azkaban")?

The more I think about it, the less inclined I am to believe that 
the HBP is an actual person. If it is, well, the most obvious 
candidate is GG. But that would seem to suggest that Harry is heir 
of GG and all that, which doesn't sit well with me—I figure that 
ProphecyBoy!Harry has "enough to be going on with" without being 
another "chosen one."

Rather, I am leaning towards that highly ingenious theory woven by

someone
that the HBP is, in fact, a drink or potion. Something along 
the lines of: 
#potion drunk by Voldy, many years ago, to guard himself against 
mortal death, holds the key to his surviving GH (not sure how, 
exactly); 
#clue of some sort stumbled across by Harry, as per usual, which 
sets things in motion; 
#lunch hours devoted by trio to scouring library for extra info;
#Harry and co. led on a wild goose chase;
#inevitable calamity of some sort results, BUT Harry works out what 
happened exactly at GH, why it is that Voldy survived, and why it is 
that he seemingly has some residual voldy-bits inside of him;
#dust settles around the wreckage and DD (if  still alive) wraps 
things up, waxes lyrical about Harry's choices as compared to those 
of TR. 

The potion or drink drives the story forward but, in true McGuffin 
mold, is in itself not a key element of the story. It eventually 
*explains* lots of stuff but, once this stuff is explained, it is no 
longer of any real use to anyone. It also provides a vehicle for 
other important themes to be played out; Harry, by delving into 
Voldy/TR's past, finds out a lot more about what/how turned Tom to 
the dark side. By comparing and contrasting Harry and Tom's 
adolescent years, JKR is able to rehash that important "choices" 
theme.

It's a pretty wild sort of theory, yes, based purely on impulse; but 
who knows? 

John.