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

Oops! That's what I get for not reading the most recent page of posts

no problem, I usually don't read the blog either

I think it was Aberforth too, but does it actually say that the man Mundungus is with is Aberforth? I don't think it does. Though if it says "the barman of the Hog's Head" then I suppose it must be him.

One thing we seem to be neglecting is the possibility of Dumbledore becoming a ghost.

Nearly-Headless hinted at the end of OP that only those who have unfinished work become ghosts - this would certainly apply in Dumbledore's case.

B

Maybe - but I think he'd rather find a different way - he seemed to be begging for Snape to carry on with the plan, meaning he'd provided for this case...

Well, becoming a ghost could have been his plan, couldn't it?

That is if there is a plan...

We still dont know that for sure.

I for one am starting to think it is less and less likely. Not least because every one seems to agree that there is one.

Lets face it how often has the obvious thing that everyone thinks about HP *actually* been right? Jo likes to keep us guessing and she *loves* red herrings.

And she'S not done with the last book - what if she reads all these discussions and then decides to spite us all?

Well my only comment will be - Jo Please Please can you hurry up with the book?????????? I wanna know what happens!

Dumbledore is NOT coming back. That would simple be out of character. Nearly Headless Nick became a ghost because he was afraid of death and regrets his choice not to move on, but to stay behind: "I sometimes wonder whether I oughtn't to have...".
Dumbledore is NOT someone to stay behind. He IS the kind of person who chooses to move on.
There will be no Dumbledore the White in any shape, way or form.

And I severly doubt that JKR will allow herself to be influenced by fan talk. At least where the major parts are concerned.

Y.

back to *reality*. So he's dead then - we'll still have the portrait!

Not least because it seems pretty clear that she has known the whole story (if not the minutature of the detail) all along.

From what I have read about her interviews the story hasn't really changed that much since she started writing PS/SS.

That's what she says, yes - but who knows?

Back to Snape for a moment... in Goblet Voldy enumerates the missing Death Eaters... He mentions his most loyal servant who is at Hogwarts doing his bidding. This is Barty Crouch polyjuiced as Moody. Then he mentions others dead or in Azkaban and then one who he believes has left the fold forever, he will die! This has to be Snape.

Snape would have to have done something spectacular to convince Voldemort and the other Death Eaters that he has truly been faithful.

This really gets us no further regarding whether Snape wears a white or black hat. But it does help to show how serious a situation Snape is in. If he is a good guy he's done one hell of a job to convince V and the DEs. If he is a bad guy he is one hell of a bad guy to make up with Voldemort and keep his life.

I'm not sure that Snape wasn't there; or at least, if he wasn't I don't reckon he was mentioned. I read a theory somewhere that the two mentioned not by name were Karkaroff ("too cowardly to return") and Bagman ("whom I believe has left me forever")...

... or, at least, the way I read chapter 2 of HBP confirms that this must be the case, and that Voldemort is happy for Snape to keep up his spying on Dumbledore. Let's face it, it seems as though Snape is on one person's side only - his own. Undoubtedly Voldemort will be happy that Dumbledore has been killed, but will he be annoyed that his "Hogwarts spy" can no longer feed him information? In fact, he now has no-one left (it would seem, at least) who can easily track what Harry and his associates (and maybe even the Order) are up to, unless he uses another Polyjuiced person... but that's an old trick.

Wow, I am rambling there aren't I? Hope some of it made sense...

So what about the Hufflepuffs? They were never used much, they'Re just also-rans

Ludo Bagman was not a death eater! He unwittingly aided the death eaters.

Um, he "said" he unwittingly aided the Death Eaters... and he conveniently made a run for it after the third task in GoF, just like Karkaroff did. We were told it was because he was running from people he owed money to... but that doesn't sit very well with me, why would he run at that particular time rather than any other time before then if he was scared of any retribution? It just feels like there's more to Ludo Bagman than meets the eye, that's all I'm saying.

The other problem I have is that Voldemort says "one, whom I believe has left me forever..." - how does that fit with Snape? How does Voldemort know? From Wormtail, maybe? Because it's quite clear from chapter 2 of HBP that Snape met with Voldemort when Dumbledore told him to do it at the end of GoF. If Voldemort believed Snape had left "forever", how on earth is Snape still alive after this meeting?

Didn't somebody suggest earlier that "one, whom I believe has left me forever..." referred to Regulus Black, Sirius' brother? Or was that somewhere else?

I don't think it was here. Regulus was killed "some fifteen years previous".



Snape, I'm sure is the Death Eater Voldemort was referring too.

There may be more to Bagman, but he was not a Death Eater. He does not bear the mark as Snape does. As Voldemort enumerated the missing death eaters it is clear that Snape is the one he believes has left him forever. Everyone else is accounted for.