Thoughts and speculation about HBP
Just a few thoughts and speculations about HBP...
1) What is Snape’s relationship with the Malfoys, and in particular Narcissa and Draco?
Why does Snape take the vow? He is reluctant, yet feels obliged to do so. Snape has always favoured Draco and not only because he is a Slytherin - although he usually favours his own house, his affection for Draco seems to go beyond that. Narcissa feels she knows Snape well and trusts him, even to the point where she feels he will do this for her against Voldemort’s wishes. Why?
2) Why does Dumbledore trust Snape so fully.
I really was in the same place of all the characters in HBP - on the one hand I was feeling uneasy about Snape (in particular after his vow to Narcissa), on the other hand I trusted Dumbledore and with that, Dumbledore’s judgement. Dumbledore never reveals why he trusts Snape so completely. He admits that Snape was responsible for the death of Harry’s parents, by telling Voldemort about the prophesy, but the explanation that Snape’s remorse was so convincing that Dumbledore was taken in does not ring true. Snape hated James Potter and he openly hates Harry. I can’t see him feeling a lot of remorse over James’ death at Voldemort’s hand. This leaves Lily. I have heard it hinted that Snape was in love with her, but this is never confirmed. What happened that made Dumbledore to feel so absolutely sure that Snape was on his side? And was he wrong or are we merely meant to believe that he was? I think it all all ties in with Snape’s link to the Malfoys.
3) Snape was teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Yet Dumbledore says to Harry that ever since he turned down Voldemort’s request to teach the subject he has not been able to fill the post for longer than a year. When he gives the job to Snape, does he know that things are coming to an end? Is it all planned?
4) Dumbledore and Snape shortly before Snape’s ‘betrayal’ - did they communicate in some way.
Someone reminded me that they are both skilled Legilimens. It would be possible that a brief conversation was taking place in the seconds before Snape kills Dumbledore, which means that Snape’s betrayal might not have been what it seemed. After, he seems unconcerned with anything but guiding Draco to safety. Did Dumbledore know of the vow that Snape had sworn to Narcissa? Did he know that he was going to die anyway and ask Snape to kill him to keep Draco innocent? Was the conflict of loyalties not a conflict at all, and if it wasn’t, is it loyalty to Dumbledore and his wishes or loyalty to Voldemort that Snape has chosen?
5) A lot was made of learning what makes people tick, of aspects of their personalities, of what drives them.
I am thinking that the psychology of the characters will come to play an increasingly important role. Not only did we learn a lot about Voldemort and what drives him, what makes him tick, but we learned about other people as well. Thus, we get the portrayal of Slughorn, with whom flattery gets you anywhere, and Draco's inner conflict, the fact that his ability to love, shown in his care for his parents, is apparently his weakness but also his strength. We also get comments on Hermione, who is shown as competitive, even towards her best friends (Harry and potions) but also rather ruthless (comfounding McLaggen), and Ron, who is described by Luna as funny, yet sometimes ‘a bit unkind’. There is a kind of cruelty about him sometimes, which I think is linked to his inferiority complex and envy regarding his friends, in whose shadow he sometimes stands. This was also clearly visible for example in GoF. Harry himself is portrayed as stubborn and prejudiced, something that Lupin comments upon at Christmas, when he notes that he has inherited his prejudice regarding Snape from his father. I think it is to some extent irrelevant if Harry is right or wrong in his opinions - they show him as someone who is fiercely loyal on the one hand but also quite ready to see the world in black and white terms, to judge quickly and harshly. All the character traits, these human flaws, that we get to see are also weaknesses of the characters, or rather, they are weaknesses as well as strengths. I wonder what will come of that.
6) Voldemort’s Horcruxes - objects or people?
Dumbledore discusses with Harry that although not recommendable, it is possible to turn people or animals rather than objects into Horcruxes. Nagini, Voldemort’s snake, is apparently one of them. We still don’t know what or who the last Horcrux is, though. Could it be a person? Someone Harry cares about, and who obviously has no idea whatsoever that this is what they are? Could it be Ginny (in CoS, Tom remarks that he has poured some of his soul into Ginny)? Could it be Harry himself? In doing this, Voldemort would have ensured that the only way of Harry ever killing him would be to kill himself. Also, I have seen a lot of speculation about Harry being the heir of Gryffindor - if this is the case Voldemort would have had even more incentive to do this. Which leads me to my next question:
7) Who were the Potters?
We don’t really know anything about Harry’s father’s family. We know that they were pure-bloods, but who were they? Are there other family members? Sirius says in OotP that all the pure-blood families are related .This means that the Malfoys, but also Voldemort himself, are blood-relations to Harry. I wouldn’t be surprised if this will be of relevance in book 7.
8) What did Dumbledore see when he was drinking the potion?
This is something I would really really like to know...
1) What is Snape’s relationship with the Malfoys, and in particular Narcissa and Draco?
Why does Snape take the vow? He is reluctant, yet feels obliged to do so. Snape has always favoured Draco and not only because he is a Slytherin - although he usually favours his own house, his affection for Draco seems to go beyond that. Narcissa feels she knows Snape well and trusts him, even to the point where she feels he will do this for her against Voldemort’s wishes. Why?
2) Why does Dumbledore trust Snape so fully.
I really was in the same place of all the characters in HBP - on the one hand I was feeling uneasy about Snape (in particular after his vow to Narcissa), on the other hand I trusted Dumbledore and with that, Dumbledore’s judgement. Dumbledore never reveals why he trusts Snape so completely. He admits that Snape was responsible for the death of Harry’s parents, by telling Voldemort about the prophesy, but the explanation that Snape’s remorse was so convincing that Dumbledore was taken in does not ring true. Snape hated James Potter and he openly hates Harry. I can’t see him feeling a lot of remorse over James’ death at Voldemort’s hand. This leaves Lily. I have heard it hinted that Snape was in love with her, but this is never confirmed. What happened that made Dumbledore to feel so absolutely sure that Snape was on his side? And was he wrong or are we merely meant to believe that he was? I think it all all ties in with Snape’s link to the Malfoys.
3) Snape was teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts.
Yet Dumbledore says to Harry that ever since he turned down Voldemort’s request to teach the subject he has not been able to fill the post for longer than a year. When he gives the job to Snape, does he know that things are coming to an end? Is it all planned?
4) Dumbledore and Snape shortly before Snape’s ‘betrayal’ - did they communicate in some way.
Someone reminded me that they are both skilled Legilimens. It would be possible that a brief conversation was taking place in the seconds before Snape kills Dumbledore, which means that Snape’s betrayal might not have been what it seemed. After, he seems unconcerned with anything but guiding Draco to safety. Did Dumbledore know of the vow that Snape had sworn to Narcissa? Did he know that he was going to die anyway and ask Snape to kill him to keep Draco innocent? Was the conflict of loyalties not a conflict at all, and if it wasn’t, is it loyalty to Dumbledore and his wishes or loyalty to Voldemort that Snape has chosen?
5) A lot was made of learning what makes people tick, of aspects of their personalities, of what drives them.
I am thinking that the psychology of the characters will come to play an increasingly important role. Not only did we learn a lot about Voldemort and what drives him, what makes him tick, but we learned about other people as well. Thus, we get the portrayal of Slughorn, with whom flattery gets you anywhere, and Draco's inner conflict, the fact that his ability to love, shown in his care for his parents, is apparently his weakness but also his strength. We also get comments on Hermione, who is shown as competitive, even towards her best friends (Harry and potions) but also rather ruthless (comfounding McLaggen), and Ron, who is described by Luna as funny, yet sometimes ‘a bit unkind’. There is a kind of cruelty about him sometimes, which I think is linked to his inferiority complex and envy regarding his friends, in whose shadow he sometimes stands. This was also clearly visible for example in GoF. Harry himself is portrayed as stubborn and prejudiced, something that Lupin comments upon at Christmas, when he notes that he has inherited his prejudice regarding Snape from his father. I think it is to some extent irrelevant if Harry is right or wrong in his opinions - they show him as someone who is fiercely loyal on the one hand but also quite ready to see the world in black and white terms, to judge quickly and harshly. All the character traits, these human flaws, that we get to see are also weaknesses of the characters, or rather, they are weaknesses as well as strengths. I wonder what will come of that.
6) Voldemort’s Horcruxes - objects or people?
Dumbledore discusses with Harry that although not recommendable, it is possible to turn people or animals rather than objects into Horcruxes. Nagini, Voldemort’s snake, is apparently one of them. We still don’t know what or who the last Horcrux is, though. Could it be a person? Someone Harry cares about, and who obviously has no idea whatsoever that this is what they are? Could it be Ginny (in CoS, Tom remarks that he has poured some of his soul into Ginny)? Could it be Harry himself? In doing this, Voldemort would have ensured that the only way of Harry ever killing him would be to kill himself. Also, I have seen a lot of speculation about Harry being the heir of Gryffindor - if this is the case Voldemort would have had even more incentive to do this. Which leads me to my next question:
7) Who were the Potters?
We don’t really know anything about Harry’s father’s family. We know that they were pure-bloods, but who were they? Are there other family members? Sirius says in OotP that all the pure-blood families are related .This means that the Malfoys, but also Voldemort himself, are blood-relations to Harry. I wouldn’t be surprised if this will be of relevance in book 7.
8) What did Dumbledore see when he was drinking the potion?
This is something I would really really like to know...