Question for those who have finished (SPOILER ALERT)

[Pebbles]

Originally Posted by Anira

Hmmm... I had never really thought about it being Regulus Black. That's interesting, but I doubt that he is still alive. The house elf, Kreacher, now (unwillingly) obeys Harry. If Regulus were still alive, wouldn't Kreacher belong to him - the last of the remaining male Blacks?

I cannot imagine Book 7 not being set in Hogwarts though.

I agree I don't think Regulus is alive, I think he got the Horcrux before he was killed. I think as they talk about in OOP he got in deep and discovered what Voldamort was really up to, and that is why he wanted out.

I think I am becoming a little obsessed, I may have to take a break from HarryPotter till the Movie comes out LOL

[Jenn]

Wow that post on leaky cauldron definitely was worth the read.
Got me thinking things over very carefully. Even about the first thing Snape had his DADA students learning about right at the start of the year... And i had sort of forgotten his argument with Dumbl. that Hagrid overheard. That poster makes some darn good points i tell you what!!
Maybe snape really didn't want to kill Dumbledore and that look of revulsion on his face before doing it was because he had to concede that Harry was the last and only hope against Voldemort.
Hmmm very interesting! Thanks for posting that link.......

[MarinaTwinMom]

Originally Posted by JJsmom

I wanted to add that Snape HAD to do the promise with Narcissa with Bellatrix there...no choice without sending up major red flags. He never even admitted he knew what Draco was up to...kinda skirted around until NARCISSA kept adding details...and I'm sure he read her mind at that point. It sounded to me like he was playing them trying to get what it was if you read the dialogue again.

My theory (judging by the wording of the things Snape says in that chapter) is that he didn't know what the plan was, but knew he had to find out. By making the vow to her, he found out what it was, and also ensured that they would trust him absolutely.

I think that when Dumbledore and Snape were arguing coming out of the forest, it was because Dumbledore had told Snape that if the time came, he'd have to kill him to prevent Malfoy from doing it. He knew that the only way for Snape to remain trusted by the Death Eaters was to have him keep his vow. I also think that when Dumbledore said "Severus, please ..." he was begging Snape to kill him. For whatever reason, keeping Snape undercover was more important to Dumbledore than his own life.

The only thing I don't understand is why, if Snape really is working against Voldemort, he clearly hates Harry so much. I also don't understand why Dumbledore didn't confide in someone about why he trusts Snape. Because he didn't, the Order no longer trusts Snape. (I'll bet Dumbledore left something behind to explain it, though, and we'll learn more in Book 7.)

[MarinaTwinMom]

Originally Posted by BC-Cyndi_S

I agree I don't think Regulus is alive, I think he got the Horcrux before he was killed.

Didn't the note say something about "By the time you find this, I will be long dead"?

[MarinaTwinMom]

Originally Posted by Doreen

Oh, and wanted to add...if Snape were truly 150% inside & out evil, wouldn't he have tried something a bit more cruel and painful on Dumbledore then an immediate death curse?

Yep. And if he REALLY wanted Dumbledore dead, why didn't he refuse to treat his blackened hand and just let him die from that?

[MarinaTwinMom]

Originally Posted by Brina

there is something we are going to learn about lily - something big. over and over in this book we get pounded with the fact that she was very good at potions. over and over in all the books we have been told harry has her eyes. in the first book, at olivanders, we learn that james's wand was very good for transfiguration - which turned out to be important to the story, and that lily's wand was good for charms. so, good at potions and charms and had green eyes like her son. not sure what it will add up to, but seems important.

My guess is that Snape was secretly in love with her, and helped her with Potions (which is why she was good at Potions). It's probably also why he's helping Harry now ... because he feels so guilty about causing her death, and because Harry has her eyes. He still hates Harry, though, because he looks and acts more like James.

[Phud]

I think Dumbledore and Snape had an unspoken communication. I think two things: 1) that Dumbledore knew he had gone with the poison so long he was going to die anyway and 2) that he could not bear for Draco to commit murder, so he asked Snape to kill him (legilimens). I have a hard time believing that Dumbledore would be wrong in trusting Snape.

Brina...I think RAB is Regulus too. I think it would be neat to learn that Sirius' brother wasn't as flakey as Sirius thought. Also...nice way to end the Black family...both brothers fighting Voldemort.

As for book 7...I can't imagine the book not being set at Hogwarts either. I wonder if Dumbledore will have a will or something that convinces Harry to go back to Hogwarts for a time. But...how will Harry hunt down all the Horcruxes if he's at Hogwarts? Hmmm... Also... I do NOT get the impression Harry is ready to fight Voldemort. He couldn't even take on SNAPE for goodness sake!!!

Was anyone else kinda bummed by the lack of detail in this book? I guess I'm spoiled by 4 and 5 because they had all this intense detail. This seemed to be thin in many areas.

[Joey]

Well, I just finished the book and have reread the end several times.

I don't think Snape is the bad person they've painted him. It seems to me that he had numerous occasions to kill Harry or let Death Eaters kill him and yet each time he thwarts it from happening. It also seems to me that Dumbledore was pleading with him to do what he wanted. Dumbledore said over and over in the book that he had his reasons for trusting Snape and that they were sound reasons. Also, Dumbledore obviously could tell when he was being lied to in any way. He picked up on Tom Riddle being less than savoury right from the beginning.

It also crossed my mind Christine that Harry is not ready to fight Voldemort yet. Snape was easily fending off his spells at the end of the book. He needs more schooling so I think Hogwarts will be involved in some way.

[Joey]

Im not sure that Regulus is RAB. If you go back and read what Sirius says about him, it states that he became a Death Eater and then tried to back out. Voldemort killed him very soon after that. Sirius describes him as weak and as a idiot. I don't see how he could have done everything that Dumbledore did to get the Horcrux since he was so easily and quickly killed by Voldemort. I think it would have taken someone with far more wizardry and ability to manage to get the Horcrux.

Also, regarding Snape, if you remember in Goblet of Fire, Voldemort looks at all the Death Eaters surrounding him, names each of them in turn and says that there are 6 missing. He says that 3 are dead in his service, that 1 is too cowardly to return and will pay for it, that 1 has left him forever and will be killed of course and that 1 (Barty Crouch) remains his faithful servant and has already re-entered his service.

If that's all the DeathEaters, then Snape has to be either the one too cowardly to return or the one who has left him forever. I think Snape is on Dumbledores side and acted as Dumbledore directed him. During the entire speech that Voldemort makes, he keeps referring to his "one" faithful servant at Hogworts and we later learn that it's Barty Crouch impersonating Moody.

[JJsmom]

The one too cowardly to return would've then been Karakaroff -- book 6 says at the beginning that he got killed... he was the headmaster of Krum's school, remember? So Snape must be the one who's left him forever? If that's so, then wouldn't Voldemort be after him or something? Hmmm....

Amy