"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" out tomorrow!

[Kuciwalker]

I think it would actually be very good if Snape stayed evil, because it would show for sure that Dumbledore can make colossal mistakes. However, given Snape's behavior, that seems very unlikely.

[FrustratedPoet]

Just before Dumbledore died I was waiting for him to glance knowingly over to where the invisible Harry was standing and then say to Snape "If you strike me down I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine". He may as well have done.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
Best joke in the book?

I liked the U-NO-POO gag, but I'm childish like that.

"You don't spell 'Augury' O-R-G..." also made me laugh out loud.

Those both made me laugh. But for me, the best was Arthur's dearest ambition: "to figure out how airplanes stay up." Just totally busted my **** up.

I also liked the several descriptions of Ron & Lavender snogging, and he would "come up for air" with a noise like a "plunger unclogging a sink." Terrific description of overeager teens going at it.

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
I think it would actually be very good if Snape stayed evil, because it would show for sure that Dumbledore can make colossal mistakes. However, given Snape's behavior, that seems very unlikely.

I agree on both counts. It would be good for the books in general if Snape were evil, but I think he's clearly not.

On the other hand, if Snape were evil, then his behavior up to this book would need much more explanation than the trite excuses he gave the sisters in the beginning of the book.

[FrustratedPoet]

Big twist for book 7: All Luna's conspiracy theories turn out to be true! You read it here first!

[Kuciwalker]

[Guynemer]

Originally posted by FrustratedPoet
Big twist for book 7: All Luna's conspiracy theories turn out to be true! You read it here first!

Even the Fangrot Conspiracy?!

[FrustratedPoet]

Especially that one.

And it's 'Rotfang', by the way.

[Guynemer]

Bloody hell, I'm making all sorts of brainfarts today, aren't I?


EDIT: Or maybe it's one of those invisble moth thingies that's been flying through my brain.

[SpencerH]

Originally posted by monolith94

And Phlegm? Kill me now. That was lame. Ginny was so incredibly immature. They were really great ****ing hosts.

Two points:

Ginny is 15, what would you expect.

Phlegm is French.

[Imran Siddiqui]

The Harry/Ginny romance is ****ing anemic. There's absolutely nothing to it. He likes her, turns out she actually still does like him, they kiss, and then that's it. There's nothing to it. They just get along and she hangs out. NOTHING and BORING. This is not drama, this is the ****ing day to day diary of harry potter.

Man, Hell hath no fury like a shipper spurned, eh?

If Harry got with Luna, what would you expect? He kisses her and they... um... get into dramatic arguments? At the very least Ginny is dating Dean while Luna is... well, good friends with Neville. Yeah, sounds like great drama would happen there.

And really, must EVERYTHING in Harry's life be drama? I think the point was that Harry and Ginny are perfect for each other and Harry gets a little bit of bliss and happiness away from all the drama of killing Voldemort before his destiny steps back in and he's gotta go for the hunt again.

Man, you must be sadistic ... hasn't he had enough drama such that he can be allowed to have some nice times with a girl perfect for him?

Furthermore Ginny is very headstrong (like Lily) and would be a great 4th in the hunting of the horcruxes. Though Neville and Luna would join in at some later time as well.

And Phlegm? Kill me now. That was lame. Ginny was so incredibly immature. They were really great ****ing hosts.

Actually I'm suprised they were so nice... I'd be much worse than that to her.

Ugh. Not as good as Ootp and the more I write about it the more convinced I get, so I'm going to stop writing about it now.

/me gets the feeling that you wouldn't be happy with this book under any circumstances if your precious Harry/Luna pairing didn't work.

I thought this booked worked very well with the underlying exposition of Voldemort's life and a sort of calm before the storm type of book. Everything is normal for little bit and then BAM!

[monolith94]

Ginny is headstrong, but we know very little about her other than that. There's not much depth. She's good is pretty much her place in the story so far.

I would've been happy with the book if it had continued to avoid dramatic conveniences. Harry becoming 'family' through Ginny with the Weasleys is obvious and dull. Life is never so convenient.

And I honestly think that you have to agree that there isn't enough Neville. Furthermore, there's not as much vivid imagination, although there are several other commendable aspects to the novel.

I honestly really wanted to love this book. Turns out, I only quite enjoy it. When she started to build up Harry/Ginny, I rolled my eyes & said to myself that those shippers would be gloating & such but it really doesn't matter to me that much. For what it's worth, it doesn't look like this will be the life-relationship for Harry. Ginny has been spurned by Harry once before, I think a second time and she'll learn to get over him. People do.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Harry becoming 'family' through Ginny with the Weasleys is obvious and dull.

No, it's absolutely perfect. Where you see dull, I see what has been meant to be (written in the stars if you will) from books past. Harry gets his family after living without for so long. He gets at least a little chance at happiness.

How does him and Luna even make sense. Some wacked out hippie who says silly things is supposed to add drama to Harry's love life? Please!

You speak of convenience?! Jeez Louise! It's quite convenient that Harry is in the middle of all these crises at the school... is no one else curious at Hogwarts? It's fiction. Without convenience you don't get a story.

And I honestly think that you have to agree that there isn't enough Neville.

What else would Neville do? He can fight the Death Eaters at the end, but before then? It's the story of Harry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort. Even Ron and Hermione don't figure that much into this one.

When she started to build up Harry/Ginny, I rolled my eyes & said to myself that those shippers would be gloating

Or you mean Harry/Luna shippers like yourself would be groaning and would downgrade the book simply because you were wrong on that account.

[Tassadar500]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
It made me think of Peter Wiggin a little bit.

Voldemort and the Hegemon turned out to be a bit different.

[FrustratedPoet]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
It's the story of Harry, Dumbledore, and Voldemort.

Actually, you can add Snape into that mix too now. This is turning more and more into a story about him as much as it is about Harry and Voldemort.