Various very spoilerish responses and a further question

[Phyllis]

Debbie:

> I am astonishingly uncreative.

You are not!!!!!!!!!

Debbie:

<<I thought "Spinner's End" took a lot of the surprise out of the 
death scene.  As it was, as soon as Snape showed up, I knew he would 
fulfill the vow, which somewhat deprived the scene of its emotional 
intensity.>>

Actually, that chapter had the opposite effect for me.  I have been 
loyal to the ESE!Snape theory since day one, but when Snape made that 
Vow, and when I found out that if he broke it, he would die, I 
started wondering whether all of the Snapelover theories about Snape 
sacrificing himself for Harry would actually come true.  At that 
point, I believed Draco was on a mission to kill Harry (not 
Dumbledore), so if Draco were to fail, and Snape were to save Harry 
rather than killing him for Draco (thereby breaking the Vow and dying 
in the process), such sacrifice theories would have actually come 
true.

But, sadly, no.  By hurling an AK at a defenseless and wandless 
Dumbledore, Snape is indeed every bit the coward Harry calls him.  
And, IMO, Snape didn't kill Dumbledore to thwart a Potion!Horcrux - 
Snape had no idea Dumbledore had drunk the potion (only Harry and 
Dumbledore knew that at the time).  

And, sorry - Dumbledore *is* really dead.  The only way he's coming 
back now is through his portrait.  HBP confirmed the speculation that 
JKR is following an alchemical model.  OotP was the black work 
(Sirius *Black* dies; there's lots of darkness and despair) and HBP 
is the white work (*Albus* = white; lots of redemption and rising 
from the ashes).  Which can only mean that Book 7 will be the red 
work, which carries the potential (to me, at least) for either Harry 
or Ron (or both) to die.  And maybe Hagrid, too.

And I never could figure out how Harry was going to kill Voldemort, 
when (IMO) JKR has made it clear in many ways that killing is wrong.  
This is further reinforced in HBP, when Dumbledore tells Harry that 
murder tears the soul apart.  So how can Harry become a murderer?  
Well, the horcruxes may be a way out.  If Harry destroys the rest of 
the 'cruxes and makes Voldemort mortal again, then even if he doesn't 
kill Voldemort himself, he at least has made him kill-able.

And again, I'm sorry, but I can't see any way that Harry is carrying 
a horcrux.  Voldemort hasn't been able to get anywhere close to him 
(other than in the graveyard in GoF, and we witnessed that scene, and 
there was no horcrux-planting going on).  I'm still hoping that the 
Gryffindor relic that will be discovered will reveal that Harry is 
Gryffindor's descendant.  Maybe Harry will find it when he visits 
Godrics Hollow??  I'm still clinging to that theory, even though I 
know my time is running short for it to be proven!

Debbie:

<<I've also been mulling over the question of how to destroy a 
Horcrux, since Dumbledore pointedly doesn't tell us how he destroyed 
the ring and how he was hurt in the process.>>

I wondered about that, too.  But then again, Ron and Hermione helped 
him sort out the obstacles in PS, so maybe they'll be able to help 
him with the 'cruxes.

Debbie:

<<Nah.  It's over.  As Harry said, "[i]t's been like . . . like
something out of someone else's life."  Harry isn't entitled to a
normal life -- or the accompanying earthly pleasures -- now that he's
accepted his destiny as the One.>>

That line broke my heart.  I think Debbie's right on this one.  Harry 
knows what he's facing; he knows he might not survive.  He doesn't 
want to put Ginny through that (although she'll go through it anyway, 
I think - can she really just forget him like that??).

~Phyllis