some thoughts after rereading book #2

[davewitley]

JoAnna wrote:

> I don't have my book handy, nor did I have a notepad available 
when these 
> thoughts occurred, just FYI. :)

> Since JKR said that CoS has the most clues as to who is the half-
blood 
> prince, I took special care upon rereading to look for such clues.
 
> All joking aside, I'm still puzzled as to the identity of the HBP. 
Upon 
> re-reading it seemed to be that the most likely candidates would 
be Harry or 
> Tom Riddle/LV, but JKR has already said that neither are the HBP. 
I am 
> thinking that, perhaps, the HBP is Salazar Slytherin... wouldn't 
THAT 
> revelation turn the pure-blood movement on its tail!

I think your difficulty may be with what JKR has said about CoS.  I 
don't think she said anything as blatant as that it has clues to the 
identity of the HBP.  I can't now remember where she mentioned the 
connection, but IIRC it was much more vague - that stuff in CoS is 
significant to the things we will learn in HBP.  It may even be only 
that some material was originally going to be in CoS but was pulled.

For example, I don't think she has said anything to rule out it 
being a new character.

For my money, the link is that the HBP is connected with the 
Hogwarts founders and that era, which was also covered a little in 
CoS but not the other books.

There seem to be a number of critical backstory periods:

Founders - COS, HBP?
Young Voldemort - COS, GOF
Marauder era - POA, OOP
Godric's Hollow - PS, POA (and a bit GOF - wand order!)

I'm betting we don't get the full story on Godric's Hollow until 
Book 7, and likewise the complete Snape backstory (i.e. marauder 
era) will be kept back until then.  Which leaves the Young Voldemort 
era as the other possibility.  Perhaps the HBP is Grindelwald, Heir 
of Hufflepuff, who Dumbledore 'defeated' but did not necessarily 
kill.

David