Pat My Remembrall (original) (raw)

anymore theories?	[23 Sep 2005\|07:43pm]
Is this community dead? does anyone have any more theories? or am I just a nerd who listens to MuggleCast and reads websites about what happened in HBP? Is Snape good? is he bad?What did you think about the shipping? D Dore's death?Horcruxes, Where is Harry going to find them?! If no one has anything to say, that's ok too. Kelsey
suck a sugar quill

	[24 Jul 2005\|11:44am]
[ mood \| curious ] I have to say this book was quite blatently transitionary. I was slightly dissapointed. Usually there is a deeply interesting plot line in the foreground as well as another in the background. In the end they, through some great literary work and obscure connections, just slam together.But things just seemed to pop up in the end of this one, without any previous reference. I disliked the way the half blood prince wasnt even that much of a character. He was entirely flat througout the book. and then snape just happens to lose his temper and tell harry that he is the half blood prince.And Dumbledore dieing seemed so unnecessary. It seemed she just wanted some drama in there.Speaking of drama...The main romance took up too much space and then... he broke up with her! and for hermoine ron....nothing happened there...no deeper meaning at all... Sigh..the wasted paragraphs....I like reading about quidditch too.....where did it go?Harrys personality was also vastly different than it was previously. Hello aggression. I am fine with that but this book takes place only 2 weeks after he lost control in an emo fit before dumbledore. That sharp contrast is a little ridiculous. especially without a lot of warrents or reason for the change.Anyways I am a cynic and despite my criticisms I enjoyed it sooo much and am bitter that it had to end without another book to follow it up...DAMN YOU ROWLING....sigh...the years of waitingto comeAnd theories....Harry could definitely be a soul container....but it might not be intentional. For instance... dumbledore said some of voldemorts power went into harry... What does that mean? They dont just have power transfers in the wizarding world...spells, incantations, charms. But not transfers.But that also means that dumbledore would have known.... He would have known that harry would have to die.ooooooo.......but no hogwarts in the next book? I hope she can pull this off.
1 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

[24 Jul 2005|11:44am]

[ **mood** |

curious ] I have to say this book was quite blatently transitionary. I was slightly dissapointed. Usually there is a deeply interesting plot line in the foreground as well as another in the background. In the end they, through some great literary work and obscure connections, just slam together.But things just seemed to pop up in the end of this one, without any previous reference. I disliked the way the half blood prince wasnt even that much of a character. He was entirely flat througout the book. and then snape just happens to lose his temper and tell harry that he is the half blood prince.And Dumbledore dieing seemed so unnecessary. It seemed she just wanted some drama in there.Speaking of drama...The main romance took up too much space and then... he broke up with her! and for hermoine ron....nothing happened there...no deeper meaning at all... Sigh..the wasted paragraphs....I like reading about quidditch too.....where did it go?Harrys personality was also vastly different than it was previously. Hello aggression. I am fine with that but this book takes place only 2 weeks after he lost control in an emo fit before dumbledore. That sharp contrast is a little ridiculous. especially without a lot of warrents or reason for the change.Anyways I am a cynic and despite my criticisms I enjoyed it sooo much and am bitter that it had to end without another book to follow it up...DAMN YOU ROWLING....sigh...the years of waitingto comeAnd theories....Harry could definitely be a soul container....but it might not be intentional. For instance... dumbledore said some of voldemorts power went into harry... What does that mean? They dont just have power transfers in the wizarding world...spells, incantations, charms. But not transfers.But that also means that dumbledore would have known.... He would have known that harry would have to die.ooooooo.......but no hogwarts in the next book? I hope she can pull this off.

1 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

Yeah, I know I got the first part of this idea from Muggle net.	[23 Jul 2005\|04:03am]
[ mood \| woozy ] Just a speculation:In OOTP, Harry and co. are cleaning out Sirius' family room when they come across a "heavy locket that none of them could open" (116). Supposing that we make the far-fetched assumption that this locket has something to do with the locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, it certainly supports the Regulus-Black-is-RAB theory. As for the A as a middle initial, there are a couple of known members of the Black family with first names beginning with the letter A, though that fairly beside the point (esp. cos one, Araminta, is a girl; and the other, Uncle Alphard, has been subsequently burnt from the family tree for leaving Sirius money, though presumably that was after Regulus got his middle name...) Anyway, if this locket is significant and if it is still in the Black house, then this is good news for Harry, as he has inherited the house and therefore the horcrux. On the other hand, there is always the slim chance that this locket was among the treasures that Mundungus stole from the house, in which case, the plot thickens even further.But this is just a theory, and admittedly rather a spur-of-the-moment one.Also, in case anyone wants to have another blissful go at the book, JK says in a recent interview that we should be able to figure out another of the horcruxes in a careful rereading...
3 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

Yeah, I know I got the first part of this idea from Muggle net.

[23 Jul 2005|04:03am]

[ mood | woozy ] Just a speculation:In OOTP, Harry and co. are cleaning out Sirius' family room when they come across a "heavy locket that none of them could open" (116). Supposing that we make the far-fetched assumption that this locket has something to do with the locket that once belonged to Salazar Slytherin, it certainly supports the Regulus-Black-is-RAB theory. As for the A as a middle initial, there are a couple of known members of the Black family with first names beginning with the letter A, though that fairly beside the point (esp. cos one, Araminta, is a girl; and the other, Uncle Alphard, has been subsequently burnt from the family tree for leaving Sirius money, though presumably that was after Regulus got his middle name...) Anyway, if this locket is significant and if it is still in the Black house, then this is good news for Harry, as he has inherited the house and therefore the horcrux. On the other hand, there is always the slim chance that this locket was among the treasures that Mundungus stole from the house, in which case, the plot thickens even further.But this is just a theory, and admittedly rather a spur-of-the-moment one.Also, in case anyone wants to have another blissful go at the book, JK says in a recent interview that we should be able to figure out another of the horcruxes in a careful rereading...

3 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

Err.	[21 Jul 2005\|02:53pm]
[ mood \| shocked ] Did anyone else notice the delicious picture at the top of chapter.. 28, I think, of Snape with a handlebar mustache?Updates later.By the way, Snape=complete douche bag.
2 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

Mollywobbles	[18 Jul 2005\|06:16pm]
I got it!The copy I ordered originally per Amazon still has not arrived after two days, so either the post lost it or someone stole it from our doorstop or something... it's quite likely, Harry Potter books are prized gems. And not cheap. Anyway, I couldn't handle it any longer, so I forked over 20 more Euros for the gorgeous British edition. It smells wonderful- I love the way recycled paper smells! Like Angeline, I can tell a good book when I smell it.I have an unbelievably cozy night ahead of me: eating my dad's pasta (the sauce takes three hours to make, it's divoon), taking a long hot bath with Harry Potter, reading into the wee hours of the morning, all with a roaring thunderstorm outside. Godiva, it's like the perfect night!Anyway, I will stop boring you with pointless ramble. Sorry, I am two days behind everyone else, so I only have read the first five chapters, but bear with me! Spoilers and all that.( Professor Dumbledore and I share the same jam preferences.Collapse )
9 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

Mollywobbles

[18 Jul 2005|06:16pm]

I got it!The copy I ordered originally per Amazon still has not arrived after two days, so either the post lost it or someone stole it from our doorstop or something... it's quite likely, Harry Potter books are prized gems. And not cheap. Anyway, I couldn't handle it any longer, so I forked over 20 more Euros for the gorgeous British edition. It smells wonderful- I love the way recycled paper smells! Like Angeline, I can tell a good book when I smell it.I have an unbelievably cozy night ahead of me: eating my dad's pasta (the sauce takes three hours to make, it's divoon), taking a long hot bath with Harry Potter, reading into the wee hours of the morning, all with a roaring thunderstorm outside. Godiva, it's like the perfect night!Anyway, I will stop boring you with pointless ramble. Sorry, I am two days behind everyone else, so I only have read the first five chapters, but bear with me! Spoilers and all that.( Professor Dumbledore and I share the same jam preferences.Collapse )

9 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

IT HAS HAPPENED! IT COMES!	[16 Jul 2005\|11:14am]
[ mood \| incontinent with pleasure ] So I am giddy and sleepy... Last night I went with Danielle to Borders instead of Book Stop, where my sister picked up our copy, but by the time we got back, we were so tired (and in my case, SO ALLERGIC!!) that we only read chapters 1 and 2 and my mother just read me chapter 3.So the following discussion will contain spoilers for those three chapters and of course a little about the person who is rumored to die in this novel.You can view it ( Benhurr Collapse )
6 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

IT HAS HAPPENED! IT COMES!

[16 Jul 2005|11:14am]

[ mood | incontinent with pleasure ] So I am giddy and sleepy... Last night I went with Danielle to Borders instead of Book Stop, where my sister picked up our copy, but by the time we got back, we were so tired (and in my case, SO ALLERGIC!!) that we only read chapters 1 and 2 and my mother just read me chapter 3.So the following discussion will contain spoilers for those three chapters and of course a little about the person who is rumored to die in this novel.You can view it ( Benhurr Collapse )

6 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

Petunia Dursley	[15 Jul 2005\|01:01pm]
I never thought about her very much. But I was re-reading FAQs answered by JK Rowling, and this was rather interesting: Is Aunt Petunia a Squib?Good question. No, she is not, but÷[Laughter]. No, she is not a Squib. She is a Muggle, but÷[Laughter]. You will have to read the other books. You might have got the impression that there is a little bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what it is. She is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I am giving a lot away here. I am being shockingly indiscreet. (Source: www.hpandthehalfbloodprince.org, quoting Rowling from the Edinburgh Book Festival) JK Rowling has also stated that not all wizards who get their letter attend Hogwarts. I assume that either they attend other schools (which is unlikely, as there are only three main schools in Europe, each with different languages, so if your an English witch and you get a letter from Hogwarts, it's unlikely that you're going to go party with the Durmstrang kiddos) or there are people living as Muggles with magical abilities that they chose to ignore. Look at Colin and Dennis Creevy. They are Muggleborn siblings, but both have magical ablilities. Lily Evans is a Muggleborn, so it is quite possible that Petunia Dursley is also magical, but did not want to be labeled a freak, so she squashed these talents. This could explain why Petunia is so sensitive about the subject of magic- I mean, she really can't care THAT much about what the neighbors think. It has to be a more personal connection, something she is very embarrassed about, and not just her sister. She severed ties with her sister, so in her eyes Lily is cut out of her life. There has to be a part of her (a magical part) that she wishes she could erase from herself, and wishful thinking causes her to believe that not mentioning magic will make it go away. Then there's always Vernon. OK, OK, Petunia is horrible and all, but she has to have some good in her. She kept Harry for some reason that Dumbledore convinced her ("Remember my last, Petunia") even when he nearly got her Dinky Duddidums killed. Vernon was ready to turn him out, but she kept him. She obviously has some good qualities that she is just not that eager to display. So why the hell did this pretty (horsey, maybe, but from descriptions she sounds at least somewhat attractive: thin, blonde, delicate, long-necked... physical features that many people consider beautiful), sort-of nice woman marry a mustachioed lub of beef?! I seriously think she could have done better than Vernon. Why did she marry him? He's not particularly nice to her, kind of bosses her around (remember that Masons shit), makes fun of her friend Yolande or whatever, not especially rich (so she isn't a gold digger- I mean, they live in a perfectly normal house in the suburbs, thank you very much), definitely not attractive (imagine sex with Vernon Dursley!), not intelligent (granted, he isn't completely stupid, and she doesn't seem to care much about brains with her son and all), and just an uncontrollable wad of bacon. Petunia seems to like appearances to be very pleasant and normal, but with her easily roused husband, this could be difficult. I cannot see any reason why she married this tub of lard, so maybe there's something beyond it... Vernon knows about magic. He hates it, bla bla, but he is aware of its existence. How did Petunia break the news to him? "Oh darling, our new couch has arrived, and by the way, my sister was a witch"? I don't think so. ACCIDENTAL MAGIC. Supposing Petunia IS a witch, she has not been taught how to suppress her magic. Just like Harry as a child, it's likely she makes things happen when she is particularly emotional. What if... what if Vernon fell in love with her, but knew Petunia would never marry someone as ugly and disgusting as he is. What if... he witnessed her doing magic, knew of her embarrassment about it... and blackmailed her? "Marry me and I won't tell the world you're a freak." His end of the bargain is obvious: a nice hot woman he can fertilize, who will clean his house, cook for him, make him complete. Magic or not, a man like him can't reel in a hot broad like Petunia Evans any day. JK said "She is a Muggle but-" (but what??!!!) Only by nature? I think Petunia Dursely is a witch.What about you guys? EDIT: I found more evidence!! This is from a really old chat that most people have forgotten about, which could be why this theory isn't very common: Will there be, or have there been, any "late blooming" students in the school who come into their magic potential as adults, rather than as children? No, is the answer. In my books, magic almost always shows itself in a person before age 11; however, there is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am writing about. UM... PETUNIA! (Who else??) ------ Also, for Sirius fans: If we ever see Sirius again, what form will he be in?I couldn't possibly answer that for fear of incriminating myself. UM, that is evidence enough for me to believe that we will be able to communicate with Sirius again. I smell a veil and those mirrors....
9 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

Petunia Dursley

[15 Jul 2005|01:01pm]

I never thought about her very much. But I was re-reading FAQs answered by JK Rowling, and this was rather interesting: **Is Aunt Petunia a Squib?**Good question. No, she is not, but÷[Laughter]. No, she is not a Squib. She is a Muggle, but÷[Laughter]. You will have to read the other books. You might have got the impression that there is a little bit more to Aunt Petunia than meets the eye, and you will find out what it is. She is not a squib, although that is a very good guess. Oh, I am giving a lot away here. I am being shockingly indiscreet. (Source: www.hpandthehalfbloodprince.org, quoting Rowling from the Edinburgh Book Festival) JK Rowling has also stated that not all wizards who get their letter attend Hogwarts. I assume that either they attend other schools (which is unlikely, as there are only three main schools in Europe, each with different languages, so if your an English witch and you get a letter from Hogwarts, it's unlikely that you're going to go party with the Durmstrang kiddos) or there are people living as Muggles with magical abilities that they chose to ignore. Look at Colin and Dennis Creevy. They are Muggleborn siblings, but both have magical ablilities. Lily Evans is a Muggleborn, so it is quite possible that Petunia Dursley is also magical, but did not want to be labeled a freak, so she squashed these talents. This could explain why Petunia is so sensitive about the subject of magic- I mean, she really can't care THAT much about what the neighbors think. It has to be a more personal connection, something she is very embarrassed about, and not just her sister. She severed ties with her sister, so in her eyes Lily is cut out of her life. There has to be a part of her (a magical part) that she wishes she could erase from herself, and wishful thinking causes her to believe that not mentioning magic will make it go away. Then there's always Vernon. OK, OK, Petunia is horrible and all, but she has to have some good in her. She kept Harry for some reason that Dumbledore convinced her ("Remember my last, Petunia") even when he nearly got her Dinky Duddidums killed. Vernon was ready to turn him out, but she kept him. She obviously has some good qualities that she is just not that eager to display. So why the hell did this pretty (horsey, maybe, but from descriptions she sounds at least somewhat attractive: thin, blonde, delicate, long-necked... physical features that many people consider beautiful), sort-of nice woman marry a mustachioed lub of beef?! I seriously think she could have done better than Vernon. Why did she marry him? He's not particularly nice to her, kind of bosses her around (remember that Masons shit), makes fun of her friend Yolande or whatever, not especially rich (so she isn't a gold digger- I mean, they live in a perfectly normal house in the suburbs, thank you very much), definitely not attractive (imagine sex with Vernon Dursley!), not intelligent (granted, he isn't completely stupid, and she doesn't seem to care much about brains with her son and all), and just an uncontrollable wad of bacon. Petunia seems to like appearances to be very pleasant and normal, but with her easily roused husband, this could be difficult. I cannot see any reason why she married this tub of lard, so maybe there's something beyond it... Vernon knows about magic. He hates it, bla bla, but he is aware of its existence. How did Petunia break the news to him? "Oh darling, our new couch has arrived, and by the way, my sister was a witch"? I don't think so. ACCIDENTAL MAGIC. Supposing Petunia IS a witch, she has not been taught how to suppress her magic. Just like Harry as a child, it's likely she makes things happen when she is particularly emotional. What if... what if Vernon fell in love with her, but knew Petunia would never marry someone as ugly and disgusting as he is. What if... he witnessed her doing magic, knew of her embarrassment about it... and blackmailed her? "Marry me and I won't tell the world you're a freak." His end of the bargain is obvious: a nice hot woman he can fertilize, who will clean his house, cook for him, make him complete. Magic or not, a man like him can't reel in a hot broad like Petunia Evans any day. JK said "She is a Muggle but-" (but what??!!!) Only by nature? I think Petunia Dursely is a witch.What about you guys? EDIT: I found more evidence!! This is from a really old chat that most people have forgotten about, which could be why this theory isn't very common: Will there be, or have there been, any "late blooming" students in the school who come into their magic potential as adults, rather than as children? No, is the answer. In my books, magic almost always shows itself in a person before age 11; however, there is a character who does manage in desperate circumstances to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare in the world I am writing about. UM... PETUNIA! (Who else??) ------ Also, for Sirius fans: **If we ever see Sirius again, what form will he be in?**I couldn't possibly answer that for fear of incriminating myself. UM, that is evidence enough for me to believe that we will be able to communicate with Sirius again. I smell a veil and those mirrors....

9 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

I'm getting hungry.	[05 Jul 2005\|02:29pm]
[ mood \| impatient ] Important: I've noticed some of you have not yet joined the community, only added it to your friends' list (specifically, Luna and Alex). That's fine, but a) you can't post in here until you join. b) I'm making all of my posts after this friends only. So join join join if you're still serious about this. (This entry is just the moderator's pre-HBP garble. Read only if interested. I'm only trying to prepare myself for the sixth book as much as possible.) I'm itching for Harry. Now that a mere eleven days stand in our way, I finally realize that I WILL HOLD A NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK IN MY HANDS. Unlike a new movie, which we are presented with a little less than once a year, a New Book with a New Plot is much more satisfying and rewarding than a movie. In fact, the movies take us back a little. I don't appreciate the first three books nearly as much as I used to. I've considered boycotting the fourth movie, as the fourth book is my favorite and I don't want to ruin future re-experiences, but I know this is wishful thinking and I will succumb to the lures of the cinema. Maybe I'm placing too much on this one book, but I think it will turn my whole summer around. This is why I want to drag the experience out as much as possible... the best way I can think of is this discussion group.Some of us are fast readers. Generally I'm a pretty fast reader if I don't have to annotate and if I'm at least fairly interested, but with Harry Potter I tend to devour one within hours. Last summer I was pretty proud of myself to get it up to five days, but it was torture. I needed something to keep me going between reading intervals, and I think this community is perfect for Half-Blood Prince.Maybe you aren't as devoted as I am, or at least you're a slow reader or have a lot going on this summer. I'm not going to force you to post, but the more opinions we have, the greater the effect is of the discussion. Spoilers are an obvious issue, so here are going to be the ground rules.Say you've read the first five chapters and you're eager to post your thoughts before continuing (imagine how interesting it will be to see early posts in reflection), but some members of the community may not have the book yet, haven't read yet, et cetera.ALL POSTS PERTAINING TO BOOK CONTENT OR INCLUDE ANY FORM OF SPOILERS MUST BE PUT BEHIND A CUT. (If you don't know how, shoot yourself and read the LiveJournal FAQ. Ignorance is not acceptable.) Make sure to include a description of what is behind the cut as well. In commenting, don't discuss or mention any spoilers that are not in the post itself. Ruining the reading experience is dastardly and cruel. For example, I've already hardened to the book a little because I'm almost positive I know who is going to die because I read HBP spoilers. [From this point I'm dropping severe hints, so if you want no prior knowledge or speculations before reading, close your browser now.] Of course, they could be inaccurate, but the death of this one particular character fits all patterns perfectly. For example, the book covers. On the American versions, Cedric and Sirius were both on the covers, even though their character wasn't EXTREMELY important to the plot. Now let's take a looksie at the HBP covers, and what do we see? Oh... damn.... also, this peep is pretty damn old. And isn't it just like JKR to cut off The Leader of Light and Harry's Prime Mentor right before The Great Battle of Harry and Voldemort? The most important step to growing up... DIY? This certain character has always been there for Harry, but some day our favorite bespectacled hormone ball won't have a phoenix tail to hang onto anymore. The end of this dependence is most predictably at the end of the sixth book. [SPOILERS CEASE BEN-HUR] Take a look at the first three books.Happy ends. Dark Stuff happens, admittedly, but Harry and the reader is more or less fulfilled with the end of the year. Now look at the next two.Angsty. Dark. Confusion. Return of Voldy. My prediction is that the fourth, fifth, and sixth books are unhappy contrasts to the first three, and the seventh book will contain elements of both fulfillment and regret/sadness/angst. Voldemort will be destroyed, but so will much of the wizarding (and perhaps Muggle) world. The fighting will be worth it, the main cause will be acheived, but, like all wars, the side-effects will be horrible. Well I haven't read OotP in at least six months, so I want to recap, for the sake of any of you fellow forgetful fanatics as well. Sirius dead, Voldemort back in the open, Lucius Malfoy in jail, no dementors guarding Azkaban, Fudge is an idiot, Percy is a (undercover?)fucking git, et cetera.I predict (not only because of cover illustrations, but also because of the two-book pattern rule- I'll explain later) that pensieves will play an important role in Book Six. They were casually mentioned in book four, but their mystery was never really explained.This same phenomenon, I'm guesstimating (gahh), will be with the Veil and/or the Mirrors in book seven. Both of these things are obviously important, but unexplained. Note that this two-book pattern has happened in previous books:In SS, Animagi were casually introduced with McGonagall and the cat trick. In PoA, they were highly important....In CoS, polyjuice potion was a small joke. In GoF, its power was simple, but with disastrous effects.In PoA, Trelawney's prophecies were introduced, and proved to be highly important in OotP.Now, if this two-book pattern with important magical artifacts continues, it's quite likely that pensieves will play an important role in book six (remember how Harry found Dumbledore's pensieve in his office). Pensieves have already proven to be important in OotP with Snape's Worst Memory, so I think the Occlumency-pensieve connection will become more evident in the sixth book.The curious Veil and the Seemingly Useless Mirrors (how could you be so stupid, Harry!) will be explained/important in book seven, assuming the pattern continues. (Or a less obvious artifact that I haven't thought of... I'm being pretty bold in my statements.)JKR has said in interviews that surprises await us in book six, but do not seem as sprung on to the keen reader, as she litters the previous books with clues. JKR loves interesting names, patterns, etc, so the two-book artifact pattern seems just like her style, and not a coincidence. My mind is muddled and I'm probably boring you. Comment if you have any ideas or contributions, and don't be afraid to start posts like "Who is the half-blood prince??" but I know you kids are more creative than that. Post theories or anecdotes or fan fiction or links or whatever you like. The next eleven days will be a long wait for me. -Nina
2 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

I'm getting hungry.

[05 Jul 2005|02:29pm]

[ mood | impatient ] Important: I've noticed some of you have not yet joined the community, only added it to your friends' list (specifically, Luna and Alex). That's fine, but a) you can't post in here until you join. b) I'm making all of my posts after this friends only. So join join join if you're still serious about this. (This entry is just the moderator's pre-HBP garble. Read only if interested. I'm only trying to prepare myself for the sixth book as much as possible.) I'm itching for Harry. Now that a mere eleven days stand in our way, I finally realize that I WILL HOLD A NEW HARRY POTTER BOOK IN MY HANDS. Unlike a new movie, which we are presented with a little less than once a year, a New Book with a New Plot is much more satisfying and rewarding than a movie. In fact, the movies take us back a little. I don't appreciate the first three books nearly as much as I used to. I've considered boycotting the fourth movie, as the fourth book is my favorite and I don't want to ruin future re-experiences, but I know this is wishful thinking and I will succumb to the lures of the cinema. Maybe I'm placing too much on this one book, but I think it will turn my whole summer around. This is why I want to drag the experience out as much as possible... the best way I can think of is this discussion group.Some of us are fast readers. Generally I'm a pretty fast reader if I don't have to annotate and if I'm at least fairly interested, but with Harry Potter I tend to devour one within hours. Last summer I was pretty proud of myself to get it up to five days, but it was torture. I needed something to keep me going between reading intervals, and I think this community is perfect for Half-Blood Prince.Maybe you aren't as devoted as I am, or at least you're a slow reader or have a lot going on this summer. I'm not going to force you to post, but the more opinions we have, the greater the effect is of the discussion. Spoilers are an obvious issue, so here are going to be the ground rules.Say you've read the first five chapters and you're eager to post your thoughts before continuing (imagine how interesting it will be to see early posts in reflection), but some members of the community may not have the book yet, haven't read yet, et cetera.ALL POSTS PERTAINING TO BOOK CONTENT OR INCLUDE ANY FORM OF SPOILERS MUST BE PUT BEHIND A CUT. (If you don't know how, shoot yourself and read the LiveJournal FAQ. Ignorance is not acceptable.) Make sure to include a description of what is behind the cut as well. In commenting, don't discuss or mention any spoilers that are not in the post itself. Ruining the reading experience is dastardly and cruel. For example, I've already hardened to the book a little because I'm almost positive I know who is going to die because I read HBP spoilers. [From this point I'm dropping severe hints, so if you want no prior knowledge or speculations before reading, close your browser now.] Of course, they could be inaccurate, but the death of this one particular character fits all patterns perfectly. For example, the book covers. On the American versions, Cedric and Sirius were both on the covers, even though their character wasn't EXTREMELY important to the plot. Now let's take a looksie at the HBP covers, and what do we see? Oh... damn.... also, this peep is pretty damn old. And isn't it just like JKR to cut off The Leader of Light and Harry's Prime Mentor right before The Great Battle of Harry and Voldemort? The most important step to growing up... DIY? This certain character has always been there for Harry, but some day our favorite bespectacled hormone ball won't have a phoenix tail to hang onto anymore. The end of this dependence is most predictably at the end of the sixth book. [SPOILERS CEASE BEN-HUR] Take a look at the first three books.Happy ends. Dark Stuff happens, admittedly, but Harry and the reader is more or less fulfilled with the end of the year. Now look at the next two.Angsty. Dark. Confusion. Return of Voldy. My prediction is that the fourth, fifth, and sixth books are unhappy contrasts to the first three, and the seventh book will contain elements of both fulfillment and regret/sadness/angst. Voldemort will be destroyed, but so will much of the wizarding (and perhaps Muggle) world. The fighting will be worth it, the main cause will be acheived, but, like all wars, the side-effects will be horrible. Well I haven't read OotP in at least six months, so I want to recap, for the sake of any of you fellow forgetful fanatics as well. Sirius dead, Voldemort back in the open, Lucius Malfoy in jail, no dementors guarding Azkaban, Fudge is an idiot, Percy is a (undercover?)fucking git, et cetera.I predict (not only because of cover illustrations, but also because of the two-book pattern rule- I'll explain later) that pensieves will play an important role in Book Six. They were casually mentioned in book four, but their mystery was never really explained.This same phenomenon, I'm guesstimating (gahh), will be with the Veil and/or the Mirrors in book seven. Both of these things are obviously important, but unexplained. Note that this two-book pattern has happened in previous books:In SS, Animagi were casually introduced with McGonagall and the cat trick. In PoA, they were highly important....In CoS, polyjuice potion was a small joke. In GoF, its power was simple, but with disastrous effects.In PoA, Trelawney's prophecies were introduced, and proved to be highly important in OotP.Now, if this two-book pattern with important magical artifacts continues, it's quite likely that pensieves will play an important role in book six (remember how Harry found Dumbledore's pensieve in his office). Pensieves have already proven to be important in OotP with Snape's Worst Memory, so I think the Occlumency-pensieve connection will become more evident in the sixth book.The curious Veil and the Seemingly Useless Mirrors (how could you be so stupid, Harry!) will be explained/important in book seven, assuming the pattern continues. (Or a less obvious artifact that I haven't thought of... I'm being pretty bold in my statements.)JKR has said in interviews that surprises await us in book six, but do not seem as sprung on to the keen reader, as she litters the previous books with clues. JKR loves interesting names, patterns, etc, so the two-book artifact pattern seems just like her style, and not a coincidence. My mind is muddled and I'm probably boring you. Comment if you have any ideas or contributions, and don't be afraid to start posts like "Who is the half-blood prince??" but I know you kids are more creative than that. Post theories or anecdotes or fan fiction or links or whatever you like. The next eleven days will be a long wait for me. -Nina

2 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

Enough effing owls	[01 Jul 2005\|01:20pm]
I am sooo cool. This is the second Harry Potter related community I moderate. (Other one is andthentrent but I probably won't let you join it for, er, personal reasons.)Well, so far I am the only member because the rest of you hos are asleep and I'm bored bored bored. This community will probably be pretty dormant for the next two weeks... but then... EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!! Anyone else disappointed with how short it is compared to the encyclopedia affectionately called OotP? I am. I need as much to do as possible for the next month.If anybody has enough energy and skill to make this community attractive, you know the password.And if you don't.... Jesus everyone knows my password. -Leona Weinstein
5 owl droppingowl droppings \| suck a sugar quill

Enough effing owls

[01 Jul 2005|01:20pm]

I am sooo cool. This is the second Harry Potter related community I moderate. (Other one is

andthentrent but I probably won't let you join it for, er, personal reasons.)Well, so far I am the only member because the rest of you hos are asleep and I'm bored bored bored. This community will probably be pretty dormant for the next two weeks... but then... EXPLOSION!!!!!!!!! Anyone else disappointed with how short it is compared to the encyclopedia affectionately called OotP? I am. I need as much to do as possible for the next month.If anybody has enough energy and skill to make this community attractive, you know the password.And if you don't.... Jesus everyone knows my password. -Leona Weinstein

5 owl droppingowl droppings | suck a sugar quill

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