WordWolf

This is why I think he cast it normally. The only chance-which I think didn't happen due to the Unbreakable Vow- is that SS cast a nonverbal spell to put him into hibernation, and immediately after it, recited the verbal component of the Avada Kedavra without actually putting the magic behind it. Maybe. For the first time, I'm not confident she'll bring this to a successful conclusion.

I forgot my candidates. Whoops. Here were my candidates BEFORE the book came out. A) Trevor the toad. Nesbitt, JKR's favourite writer, rewrites fairy tales. I thought JKR was rewriting "the Frog Prince". Trevor just shows up inconveniently FAR too many times. There were also little foreshadows of this with things like Umbridge's description as looking like a frog. (She sounded like she had a nonhuman ancestor.) The only things I didn't have: how to lift the curse, and who he is prince OF. B) Neville Longbottom. My supposition was that this "pureblood" could have one parent descended from Godric Gryffindor, and another parent descended from Helga Hufflepuff, thus having 2 bloodlines. He would unite the Hogwarts Houses. C) A new character, 1/2 wizard, 1/2 goblin. Goblins need to join in the war. A prince would bring them in. Goblins make good armour and weapons, handle all the money, and can do magic of their own (opening Harry's Gringotts safe, opening the one Hagrid needed open, Book 1.) D) A new character, 1/2 wizard, 1/2 centaur. Centaurs would be forced to participate in the world, as the war comes to their doorstep. In all honesty, I think all my guesses made more sense than what JKR wrote.

Well, here WERE my candidates for "1/2 Blood Prince", from most likely to least, and the reasonings for each. General reasonings: ================== 1) a teenager (otherwise he overshadows the Golden Trio) (I was 1/2 right) 2) there to unify the Houses or wizarding world, which justifies his presence in the story (wrong-and I find the true answer was dissonant, and the story "tripped" over him) ===== At least I beat Mugglenet. They kept insisting the exerpt FROM "HBP" was a description OF the HBP. It was actually a description of the new Minister of Magic. ==== Steve, the Avada Kedavra is unblockable, "instant death, no saving throw" unless the spell is intercepted (like the battle between Voldemort and Dumbledore at the end of Book 5.) If you're hit by it, stick a fork in you-you're done. The only except EVER was Harry's birth, and that was due to what Lily did at the time. ====== I considered the magic that kept Voldemort alive to be some sort of serpent magic, since he survived "shedding his skin", is a parselmouth, and used Nagini the snake for some sort of potion. We knew he was less than human, so I thought the rest was ANIMAL rather than MISSING. Ok, he's split 7 ways. 1) Voldything 2) the Riddle diary (destroyed) 3) the Slytherin ring (destroyed) 4) the Slytherin locket (destroyed by R.A.B.) 5) another item Dumbledore tracked down (destroyed), I forgot which 6) unidentified item 7) Harry Potter's scar. So, depending, there's either 2 items, the scar and Voldy himself (if R.A.B. lied) or 1 item, the scar and Voldy himself. The remaining intact item is suggested to be the Hufflepuff chalice. ====== I found the coyness about horcruxes to be senseless. "Harry, I want to find out what he told Voldy about horcruxes." "Sure. Don't give me any information about horcruxes, I'll just have Hermione draw a blank after turning the library upside down and shaking it. I'd rather be clueless until I succeed in my interrogation." I have 2 complaints that I might withdraw after a reread. One of them is that it looks like the students in school at the time James Potter was at Hogwarts were discounted entirely as candidates for the HBP.

For the sake of discussion, and preserving the "secrets", you can open a private thread, invite us, and put "SPOILERS" in the title so people still reading it. I finished it, and, by now, a number of people have. I didn't cry-then again, I saw that coming after Book 5. I do have 2 gripes which I think relate to the writing.

Right after she announced the title, JKR announced the HBP was not Harry OR Voldemort. She later clarified it was also not Tom Riddle, and she wasn't playing a word-game to make it him. === My candidate wasn't even in the running, actually. I had 4 suspects, and all 4 were way off. Amazing. Actually, I need to reread, but I think the evidence dismissed the actual one from consideration. I'll know next week.

Dick Tracy Dustin Hoffman Billy Bathgate

If my guess on who the Half-Blood Prince is correct, I shall be smirking for weeks. I've been throwing around a real dark-horse candidate since 1/1/05. I'm hoping we'll also settle whether or not "Snuffles" survived the events of Book 5. I say "absolutely", more than 1/2 the fans say "absolutely NOT".

BTW, Steve! ? IMDB does NOT list "Total Recall" in Brent Spiner's filmography, nor him in the "Total Recall" cast list. (Marc "Gul Dukat" Alaimo and Robert "Zimmerman" Picardo ARE listed for "Total Recall", and Picardo only did the voice for the JohnnyCab.)

Well, I don't think that's in "PCU", So I'll guess "Chasing Amy".

Nuts-Pirate beat me here. I think he got it.

You are correct, sir! According to one source, the line I quoted, about the Doctor, was inspired by an incident involving a drunk doctor that saw one Beatle after he took an injury.

Well, since this thread's been held up in one form or another since July 2 and it's now July 14, I'm disregarding the recent posts and posting a new song. ============== "Now the doctor came in, stinking of gin, And proceeded to lie on the table"

Sharon Stone the Quick and the Dead Gene Hackman

Of course. You were on spiritual probation. Your MONEY was not on any kind of probation. Their slogan SHOULD read "Your money is welcome at The Way." :D-->

*runs in* For a moment, I thought you meant I could link thru Bea Arthur.... I can't exactly RECITE his filmography, but I THINK the link you meant was: Joel Grey Remo Williams:the Adventure Begins Kate Mulgrew Surprises the heck out of you sometimes when you can recognize actors you didn't years ago....

I looked it up too. I haven't heard of the song OR the artist.

Figured it was too easy. Right, KD. I don't know YOUR movie, though.

Next movie.... "Abbie Someone." "Abbie Someone. Abbie WHO?" "Abby...Normal." "Abby Normal." "Yes, I'm almost certain that was the name."

*blink* You're kidding. I mean. I knew it all along! :D--> ====== Sometimes I can name them in ONE quote, sometimes it takes 1/2 the movie.... ====== Let's see, another movie.....

According to a quick search, that was "outandabout".

Pipe? How can you inherit a PIPE? :D-->

A) By one person's standard of 'popular', threads consisting of a lot of people suggesting one delusional one get professional help are far more popular than this one. Relevance of popularity? Obviously it's not "content", else this one would lag far behind those, by virtue of number of posts and number of reads. B) You think it's like the KKK here? Posted on any NORMAL messageboards anytime? Walked outside recently? C) The exact reason we have anonymous moderators was already given. We had mods not anonymous for a while, but that didn't work. Pawtucket answered your question 7/5/05, 3:24am So, instead of positing an anonymous conspiracy, consider that you were given the actual reason, and consider whether you'd like to get over yourself. You do not have a Constitutional right to dictate how the GSC operates. (Neither do I.) If you don't like something, appeal to the powers-that-be. Don't like the answer you get? Either get over it, or move on. No one is forcing you to eat here. The internet is a big place. Don't like one messageboard? Find another.

Well, we know it was PETUNIA'S agreement that sealed Harry's protection at the Dursley household. Frankly, I saw it to HER advantage. So long as Harry visits there once a year, he's protected from Voldy while he's there-they get protection 12 months out of the year. Dumbledore has communicated with both Dursleys-like when they found out about the Ford Anglia incident. However, his last communication TO PETUNIA was what he meant when he sent the Howler that said "Remember my last." THAT was what she responded to when she CHANGED HER MIND and said Harry could stay. (Confirmed on JKR's site.) We know Petunia sounded DISGUSTED about everything to do with the Wizarding World from EVERY reference to James and Lily, and she exaggerated about Lily going around "turning teacups into rats". We know she didn't have a knowing attitude about "Platform 9 3/4". We know Petunia knew that Dementors guard Azkaban, the wizard's prison. (She knows what a Dementor is, and Azkaban is.) What DOES it mean? I don't know either. I can make wild guesses. Thankfully, now she's in the home stretch, JKR has confirmed the last 2 books are essentially one book in two parts, and we'll start getting ANSWERS rather than MORE QUESTIONS.

I'm going out on a limb here... Popeye?

Neville Longbottom has a family tree of wizards. If he's the HBP, it's because of a meaning of the term that does NOT depend on "wizard vs Muggle" percentages. So, technically unlikely, but possible. Arguments can be made FOR or AGAINST him being the candidate. Colin Creevey and Dennis Creevey are brothers, and, as such, I consider them cancelling each other out (it's not 'Half-Blood PrinceS'.) ==== JKR's website is mostly accessed also from the "text only" version, which is easy to link to, and a fast loader. http://www.jkrowling.com/textonly/welcome.cfm ===== Steve!, pm me if you don't want to reveal your suspicions. I've got a bunch myself. I also have a partial answer to JKR's question. She said the real question about that night in Godric's Hollow is not "why did Harry survive?" but "Why did Voldemort survive?" My personal hint is the word "ecdysis" and that's all I'm saying on an open thread. :D--> ==== Dudley was considered a suspect. Actually, JKR commented on a character developing magic at a later age, and a lot of people thought it was Dudley, but JKR stomped that flat. She pretty much confirmed he's "muggle Dudley". I can't find the link for that at this moment.