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Reader Comments: (Page 7)

Emilio,
I see why he would be the head of Slytherin, but it seems ominous to me to place him in that position at the end of the book, from the author's point of view. I think his true character be revealed in the final book. He is drawn to power and charm. Voldemort was the most powerful student from Slytherin, and I think Slughorn would have been drawn deeper into Voldemort's association than we have previously seen. In my opinion, he has many elements which can be used in the fight against evil, if he so chooses -- Unicorn hair, dragon's blood, Aragog's venom. Maybe he even possesses a relic or two, which have the potential to be horcruxes. I think he may hedge his bets until he sees which side is winning.

Posted by Patty from Quincy MA on April 9, 2007 2:03 PM

Only one thing - a lot of this is based on the possibility that Snape is protecting Harry from the Eater Camp "because he knows harry is the only one that can Voldemort"... BUT he doesnt know that. Dumbledore never trusted him or anyone with that information, except Harry himself.

Posted by Bria from Henderson, NV on April 9, 2007 3:29 PM

Bria from Henderson,

I don't think that all of us think that Snape is protecting Harry BECAUSE he is the only one that can Voldemort.

I think that he is protecting him because he is Lilly's son, and I am one of those who think that Snape was in love with her, and regrets his involvment in her .

Posted by Emilio from Mexico City, Mexico on April 10, 2007 10:00 AM

Brian and Emilio,
I don't think Snape would need to know that Harry is the only one able to Voldemort, in order to protect him. Dumbledore never divulges his reason for trusting Snape, yet Harry knows of the trust. Dumbledore might have only told Snape something similar about the necessity of Harry's survival for some undisclosed reason. Snape knows the stakes and that Dumbledore's reasons were to be respected.

Posted by Patty from Quincy,Massachusetts on April 11, 2007 06:35 AM

I really like the idea of the draught of living being used in the cave but there is a problem:

Pg. 190, HBP (American version) - "The effect was immediate. The potion turned palest pink." - this was in reference to Harry making the draught in potions with the Prince's tips.

Pg. 567, HBP (American version) - "The basin was full of an emerald liquid emitting the phosphorescent glow." - this was the liquid Dumbeldore drank.

So, from color/description alone it sounds unlikely that the liquid in the cave was the draught...Of course, that doesn't mean that Emmeline Vance didn't drink the draught (or anyone else for that matter) to fake their own .

Posted by Sara from California on April 20, 2007 12:53 PM

I was just about to say that the potion in the cave can't be the draught of living because it is the wrong colour (lilac and not green).

Could Emmeline Vance have been trying to contact Kingsley Shacklebolt when she was captured and ed by Voldemort? After all, Kingsley was working for the muggle Prime Minister just round the corner from where the ing happened (that is if she was ed where she was captured which may not be the case as it doesn't seem as though she was ed immediately). In the original photograph of the Order of the Phoenix that Moody shows Harry at the beginning of HBP, Emmeline Vance features. If she was ed by Voldemort himself, she must have been important in some way, as must Dorcus Medowes, incidently. (Sirius says he doesn't think his brother was important enough to have been ed by Voldemort himself, presumably we discover later, because Voldemort was unaware that Regullus knew about his horcruxes). By the end of HBP, the only original members of OotP who are still alive are Moody, Dedalus Diggle, Elphias Doge and Aberforth. This supports comments elsewhere on the site that Aberforth is the important member of the OotP that we find out more about in book 7 and also means Harry has a way to find out about Dumbledore's past, and where else he may have travelled on his quest to find out about Voldemort's past, and where other Horcruxes may be hidden.

Snape doesn't know the full prophecy... only Harry, Ron, Hermione and Dumbledore knew it. Also, I don't think Snape knows about the horcruxes. Did Snape even know that Harry was there when he ed Dumbledore? Dumbledore took great precautions to make sure no-one knew Harry was with him on that fatal night....to protect the secret of the horcruxes? Snape could still have helped Dumbledore without being aware exactly what he was up to. Snape seems very talented at combating the dark arts...perhaps he made this his special area of interest after he came over to Dumbledore's side?

Posted by Joe from England on April 22, 2007 10:40 AM

Actually, a mature Draught of Living is clear. "According to the book, he had to stir counter clockwise until the potion turned clear as water..." This would still seem to confirm the theory that the green potion in the basin was not Draught of Living . However, we know that potions can be added to drinks, possibly even other potions, so it is still possible that DoLD was in the potion in the basin. I do not think that it was, but there is a possibility. The idea of Emmeline Vance using DoLD, or at least faking her , is brilliant.

Oh, and Joe, regarding the Order members still alive, don't forget about Rubeus Hagrid, Remus Lupin, and Minerva McGonagall (ok so I assume Minerva was in it originally with how loyal she is to Albus; Moody didn't point out all the members in the picture.) And I do think that Severus heard the whole prophesy. He just didn't tell Voldemort the whole thing.

Posted by Monkeeshrines from Orlando FL on April 23, 2007 07:20 AM

Hey! Isn't the Draught of Living supposed to be a powerful sleeping potion? How can you fake your using that? By sleeping?

Posted by Desert Salmander from Desert on April 27, 2007 12:10 PM

I meant the only ones we don't know much about, Hagrid and Lupin are in the photo...but we've met them...McGonagall isn't in the photo Moody shows Harry I don't think?

Why would Dumbledore tell Harry that Snape had only heard part of the prophecy if he had heard the whole thing? Do you mean Dumbledore didn't know Snape had heard it? But if Aberforth caught Snape listening at the door (as bar keeper of the Hogs Head) Dumbledore would have known that Snape had heard the whole thing...It's possible that in the struggle to grab Snape at the door he missed the end of the prophecy? Or do you think that Snape knows the whole prophecy but only told half of it to Voldemort? What would be his motivation...he is still working for Voldemort at this time?

Maybe the whole lake inside the cave is the draught of living ?

Posted by Joe from England on April 27, 2007 2:38 PM

Joe - About the Order members, sorry for the misunderstanding. Yes, you are right in saying those are the only ones Moody points out in the picture that are still alive that we don't know much about.

I think Albus would have had a reason for not telling Harry everything; see how he reacted when he found out it was Snape who had heard part of the prophesy, in addition to other reasons such as maybe it's part of the lessons Harry has to figure out on his own in order to accept fully.

While explaining why he trusts Severus, "Dumbledore did not speak for a moment; he looked as though he was trying to make his mind up about something." (HPB, US hardcover p549) Albus made a conscious decision not to tell Harry something, or many things possibly.

Desert Salamander - Yes, Draught of Living is a sleeping potion, but one so powerful it would possibly create the illusion of , hence the name.

Posted by Monkeeshrines from Orlando FL on April 28, 2007 06:07 AM

Some of you have misunderstood: The Draught of Living which Harry was making, it was not the point to get it pink, it should have been clear as water when it was ready to be used. someone seems to think it should be lilac/pink, but the potion turned so because the color it had before Harry stirred, thinned.

Posted by Ms. Evans from The Land of Love on April 30, 2007 05:05 AM

OMG Heather you are amazing. That would explain everything about Dumbledore taking the memories out of a bottle and such.

Posted by Kelly from Canada on May 2, 2007 4:08 PM

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