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I didn't read the book, just got this spoiler in a newsletter. I have a more detailed one if interested.



Snape is the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher. The new teacher, Slughorn, teaches Potions (Snape's old subject).

The Half Blood Prince is a name found in a used potions book that gives helpful potions tips and spells. The Half-Blood Prince turns out to be Severus Snape. Half-Blood refers to the fact that his father was a muggle-born (Tobias Snape) but the Prince part refers to his mother's maiden name (Eileen Prince).

Harry rightly suspects Draco Malfoy of being a Death Eater. Draco manages to sneak Death Eaters into Hogwarts using a pair of vanishing cabinets.

Dumbledore and Harry explore Voldemort's past, learning about Horcruxes, which are divisions of Voldemort's soul, making him immortal until they are all destroyed. There are Seven pieces (some already destroyed) including Voldemort himself. Harry and Dumbledore try to get one, but it leaves Dumbledore weak and unable to fight off the Death Eaters.

It turns out the Death Eater that overheard the prophecy and told it to Voldemort (leading to Harry's parents' deaths) was Severus Snape.Snape kills Dumbledore when he is defenseless. Hogwarts is probably going to be closed but Harry announces he won't be returning anyway; he will attempt to finish the work he a Dumbledore started, destroying Horcruxes so Voldemort can be destroyed.Relationships (if you're into that): Harry Potter ends up dating Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger get together, Bill Weasley and Fleur are going to get married, Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks are also together.

I just finished reading the book and loved it.

how does anyone read that large a book in a day???

A Harry Potter newsletter subscriber, eh?
Get this man in intravenus injection of Devo, 10mg stat!

Easy enough, it only takes about 6 straight hours.

I read it yesterday. I was unimpressed. JKR needs an editor - badly. She repeats things which slows the plot down badly. Although kudos to her for the word "SLUT." Can't wait for a 6yr old to ask their parents what that is.

The Voldemort history was cool and I loved that, but all the romance between the main characters made it like a Mills and Boon classic. And everything is getting way too predictable.

I kinda liked it, kinda didn't. I don't think it beats the first or third books.

I agree, when before most of the clues were obscure, now they jump out of the page. She might as well put them in bold to make sure we got it.

It also seemed a bit rushed, some people attribute this to "war and death are supposed to happen fast," but I don't buy into it. Her descriptions and her writing style in HBP just don't have the flair for creativity that the other books had in abundance.

Bullshit. The first five Harry Potter books can now be summed up with one term. Foreplay. HBP is pure, unadulterated, sexual pleasure.

I dunno. I'm still having mixed feelings, it definitely needs another reading.

What clues exactly jumped off the page for you guys though? Were you able to decipher the identity of the Half Blood Prince, or figure out what exactly Draco's mission was and how he was going to try and execute it?

I don't follow Harry Potter at all however I read on other forumz that this book "causes problems" for HP fanfiction writers particularly those of the slash variety. How so?

Hmmm...the fact that his mother was blubbering to Snape at the beginning of the book? I wouldn't have gotten half the plot if this scene was left out.

Snape, Potions Master, was easy to work out as the Half-Blood Prince.

It seems JKR just put half the book there to spread out Voldemort's story over more pages.

His back story was interesting, though. He is my fav character because he was the handsome, bad one when he was young.

Don't get what you're saying here



I guess that just makes me stupid for suspecting it to be Slughorn (the other potions master)

At the beginning of the book Snape makes a pact with Mrs Malfoy - in the true style of JKR, it was obvious it was Snape and that Snape was indeed a baddy of some sorts.

Voldemort's story was the most interesting part of the book and, although spread out, kept the story going through the middle.

I liked Voldemort's story.

Finding out more about him is what drove me to read through the book like I did (6 hours).

and what IS Voldermorts' story? I know he's bad, killed HP's parents but couldn't kill HP. what else is there?

It's memories that detail his parents, his birth, how he came to be at hogwarts, his personality, and details how he was able to cheat death. It really fills in alot of the blanks. It wasn't the fullest book, but I've read that book 6 and 7 were supposed to be one book at one point...so I kinda viewed this one as all setup.

Now it's another two year wait for No 7.

I'm going to be glad when HP is finally over.

Basically, from memory...

Voldemort's grandfather (Last line of Slytherin heir) was an arsehole to his two children. His daughter was having a fling with a wealthy landlord. Her brother didn't like it and caused some problems which brought in the Ministry of Magic. Both father and brother eventually got sent to Azkaban. Sister married landlord and they had a child - Voldermort - and then the landlord disappeared.

Sister went to an orphanage where Voldemort grew up. Dumbledore rescued him from the orphanage and sent him to Hogwarts.

That's kinda it..

So is Dumbledore Voldemont's father? and is voldemont's sister anyone we know?

No dumbledore is not Voldemorts father. Tom Riddle Senior is his father. Basically Voldemorts mom used magic on Tom Riddle senior who by the way was a muggle. Turns out that she felt that this was wrong and she quit using magic on him thinking that he would love her no matter what now that they were having a kid. Tom Riddle ended up leaving her and she died shortly later.

The question raised in HBP was that Dumbledore was flawed. Snape may be evil.

Rowling has indicated in a couple of interviews that people are reading way too much into Snape's motivations, and that he really is just an evil bastard who took advantage of Dumbledore's tendency to look for the good in people.

I think she was lying though.