h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Sorry about that.

Right I am darned sure that Siruis is dead, allthough I think he will faeture in book seven. (my theory is that Harry will go beyond the veil).

Dumbledore there is that slight element of uncertainty, because of the passage about the blue pheonix eruption from his tomb. Ahh we shall see.

I think that most of the Death Eaters probably dont actually know that Voldemort is a half blood. Probably only a select few people know it I owuld imagine.

Just finished the book, yes I'm a slow reader so shoot me!

Seems like there is a lot to happen in the next (and last?) novel, 3 potential horcruxes/i (what's the plural of horcrux?) to be destroyed plus the Dark Lord himself, Harry coming of age, romance in the air....

I'm a believer in Dumbledore not being out of it yet, not ure about Sirius though...

What struck me as strange was that Bellatrix wasn't around to see Snape administer the AK. As for the Phoenix seen at the White Tomb, I don't know whether this is Dumbledore's spirit saying "I'll be back" or just a final manifestation of his Patronus. [Can't remember whether we ever found out what form his patronus took, but this seems plausible] I think Pettigrew is Voldemort's tail on Snape, and the unbreakable vow made at Spinner's End where Wormtail was able to spy and report back, and the AK itself [Dumbledore not pleading for his life, but for Snape to clear Harry's path to Voldy in book 7] to persuade Voldy that Snape is his man. Snape could have killed Harry, but merely deflected his curses, and insisted very forcefully that he was no coward; he isn't because he knows what's coming to him. I think Snape will die at Voldemort's hand when Voldemort learns of his true mission for the OoTP, leading to the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort.
As regards the other loose ends, there's a lot of story left in Bill Weasley, and there's still unresolved stuff with Percy and probably Ginny too.

I think that Snape is definantely evil. When he and Harry first meet eyes in the first book, Harry's scar hurts. And he's never really been very nice, and some of J.K Rowling's interviews about him clearly make him out to be a villain.

Just a thought, if Dumbledore knew that the Dark Arts teacher only lasts one year, he must of known this was Snape's last. Perhaps he intended Snape to leave Hogwarts?

JKR has said in an interview that Dumbledore's patronus is/was a phoenix.

I thought it was odd that of all the death eaters in the attack on Hogwarts, none of them (unless you count Malfoy and Snape) were characters we've met before. Why wasn't Bellatrix there? I reckon that Tonks and Bellatrix will have a fight in book 7 because of the family connection. But then there's Neville and Harry who both want her dead too.

Okay, I finshed the book yesterday so here are my views:

First off, I am convinced Dumbledore is going to return in some way. The whole thing about him being symbolised by a phoenix, and then his body goes and bursts into flames at the funeral. I don't think that was coincidental, or that the wizarding community is just into cremation. I expect that, like a phoenix, Dumbledore has burst into flames only to be reborn again. Well, we shall see in book 7, won't we?

I'm inclined to subscribe to the suggestion that R.A.B. is Regulus Black. This might give us a chance to see some more of Sirius in some way, anyway, though I'm not really as expectant of that than I am of Dumbledore's return. If it happens, it happens, but Sirius hasn't really been there for the entire series the way Dumbledore has, and if he isn't there to finish off the series, it won't exactly be a travesty.

Malfoy obviously isn't evil, just confused — he couldn't bring himself to kill Dumbledore in the end, after all. Though I really thought all through the book that Malfoy's mission was to kill Harry. It rather surprised me when it turned out to be Dumbledore, although I knew the fellow died in the end because I'd heard people say so before I started the book. As an aside, I thought the most awful moment was when Harry had to force Dumbledore to drink the potion in the cave. Just pretty weird, I suppose.

So, Snape. The big question, since obviously the book is named after him. Will he turn out to be good or evil in the end? I couldn't really say. It could certainly go either way at this point, though I just think that if he was really loyal to Dumbledore he couldn't have brought himself to kill him. But I'm willing to believe that Snape did if he thought that Dumbledore could be 'reborn' - see my above phoenix remarks.

> I think that Snape is definantely evil. When he and Harry first meet eyes in the first book, Harry's scar hurts. And he's never really been very nice, and some of J.K Rowling's interviews about him clearly make him out to be a villain.

That's not actually true... the scar hurts because he can see QuirrellMort's (well, what else would you call him? ) turban over Snape's head. I think Snape's problem is all to do with the fact that he hated James Potter and can't get over the fact that James saved his life... so he's taking it out on Harry. As Dumbledore keeps saying, he forgets how hard it is for old grudges to go away.

Anyway, one of Wormtail or Snape (or both) must be some part of Voldemort's downfall - surely Harry can't do it all on his own? I'd much prefer it to be Snape.

I think in the end Snape will sacrifice himself to help Harry get rid of Voldemort once and for all.

I can't wait to see the films because Alan Rickman is going to be absolutely fantastic.

And now I really can't get the idea of Boris Johnson as Slug out of my head. I think we need to start a campaign.

Yay! I think we should start a campaign as well!

BJ gets my vote, its the reference to the flowing blonde locks in the book when Slughorn was younger, Vote for BJ I say!

Rik Mayall gets my vote, I'm afraid - I'm not very keen on BJ.

I think Harry may well end up dead - JKR has said several times things like "you seem very certain he'll survive" in response to questions about his future, although she could just be playing the game. And HP does seem to have the hallmarks of an extended revenge tragedy.

Mol

I think the book was exellent. One is however left confused about where Snape realy stands. It will be 2 more years till book 7 is published, so I hope JK kann manage to tie up all loose ends there.
I think she meens to isolate the Hero, so in the end he has to face V. all on his loansome. She is doing an excellent job at it, and at least I believe that Hemi and Ronny will survive to tell the tale.

But I guess one will just have to wait and see.

I agree that Snape is probably a good guy, and I like the idea of him sacrificing himself to save Harry - bit of irony there. But then again, I cant believe Snape is bad, as he has done so much to save Harry....

I thought the book was quite gripping, though I was surprised at the number of couplings that seemed to occur...Especially at the end. I thought the bit with lupin and Tonks was really random....and a bit inappropriate given the event!

I don't think the Lupin-and-Tonks bit was completely random. My guess is that Harry will need some sort of family to live with in the end (if he survives, anyway) and that he'll be staying with the two of them. Just a guess, as I said....

Well, reading this backlog seemed like it took longer than reading the book.

I finished it last night and was anxious to read this thread. I luckily avoided all the spoilers before.

You folks have some great ideas here.

I as well think that Snape is good. But here's a thought I had last night about Dumbledore's "death". Could it have been faked? DD was definitely not afraid of anything, not death so what was he pleading Snape to do... It might have been to kill him but maybe not. This year the students are introduced to silent hexes. Could a hex be thrown silently whilst speaking the name of another? The OotP could really have an edge if they simultaneously put Snape in as Voldy's (like that nick) number two (especially as it has been so stressed in this book that V is such an independent) and convince V that his nemesis Dumbledore is out of the picture. Dumbledore knew that Draco had twice tried to kill him unsuccessfully but never let Harry know his suspicions were valid. I think that Dumbledore could easily have planned to fake his own death ahead of time. And that only he and Snape (and maybe one other to plant the fake body?) would know it. EVERYONE will need to think he's dead for V to believe it. Another reason that he would paralyse Harry to keep him from stopping Snape but still witness his "death".

Of course I can see him pleading for Snape to truly kill him as well.

Oh... I did notice one problem... Was it ever explained that house elves can apparate within Hogwarts while no one else can? Or was that a mistake?

hmmm I did think something like that - but that would mean that Dumbledore was aware of what would happen, which he obviously didnt....
I just cant wait til the next book. I think that Dumbledore might still be alive. Not sure why, but it would aid the assumption that snape is still good.

If it was faked then surely Snape would have died, what with the uinbreakable vow and all that.

But what if Snape already had an unbreakable vow with Dumbledore? Could that negate any following or contradictory vows?

Or could there be a pedantic way out... some loophole? Some subtlety?

Given that there's supposed to be more to magic than simply saying the words, maybe Snape didn't quite wave his wand the right way for the AK to work, and actually waved it the right way for a silent, in-the-head "fall-off-the-tower-and-land-safely-but-look-dead" type spell.

Hmm.

Maybe not

However, if Dumbledore still had his wand when he fell, then I suppose a quick "accio broomstick" followed by "suspendio breathing" might have been possible.

I think I'm staying in the "Dumbledore's dead" camp.

Mol

So any thoughts on the elf apparation?