I think that Dumbledore was already dying from the poison. Ok, thinking back this is how I think it went down:

Chapter 2 Snape makes the Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa. Dumbledore knows about it later on so I'm certain that Snape told him. If DD had found out the plan to kill him another way, he wouldn't have trusted Snape. So DD knew that Draco or Snape were to kill him. He prepared Harry all year for his death. He told Harry about the Horcruxes, repeatedly mentioned that he wasn't afraid to die and that he wasn't important in the grand scheme of things. Snape killing him prevented Draco from fracturing his soul and now Voldemorte wouldn't dream that Snape is working against him. To sacrifice yourself for others is an act of love. Voldemorte wouldn't understand that DD would choose to die for an unimportant like Draco. It leaves Snape with an opening to cripple Voldie during the Voldie/Harry showdown.

Another point in the Snape is good is when battling Harry. Harry kept trying to curse Snape and Snape only blocked them. He never attacked Harry when it would have been an ideal time to do it. He even gave Harry pointers until Harry called him a coward

HP VI -- ** I agree that there is a big clue in Snape being really angry when Harry calls him a coward. Snape, I think, has shown the courage of obeying Dumbledore, even though it meant that he must kill Dumbledore. It was the same kind of courage that Harry showed in the cave, Harry just doesn't know it yet.

I also wonder if Dumbledore might be viewed as dying to protect Harry -- in which case, would that instill some additional protection on Harry? Or did Dumbledore die to protect Snape and/or Malfoy?

Finally, since Dumbledore will get his own portrait in the Headmaster's office now, isn't it important to keep the school open and McDonnagal (sp) as Headmistress rather than some Ministry stoge? There may be ways he can still help with the fight -- and help Harry.

Rowling has said that Book VII will not be for at least 2 years. The woman needs to start writing NOW. **

Some more thoughts:

Snape being the HBP was really a surprise. I always assumed that he was a pureblood. Tonks and Riddle's moms losing their powers were to hint at what happened with Snape's mom. She was a witch, married a muggle, and he turned abusive. She was shown cowering from him in Snape's memories so I think she must've lost control over her powers. Snape might've turned to the dark arts as a way to protect himself and his mother from his dad. Since Snape, is known as Lucius' lapdog, Lucius might've become an older brother/surrogate father to look up to and that's how he recruited into the DE. When he saw what they did, he backed out. Eventually, I think Dumbledore became Snape's father figure, in a sense. He's listen to him yet still act like a petulent child when he didn't get his way.

Ooh, and RAB is totally Regulas Black. Mundungus's seemingly pointless b-story actually had a point. RAB was definitely a DE (referring to Voldie as the Dark Lord), knew he was going to die, and didn't seem to like Voldie too much. Regulas was described to have died when he wanted to back out of the DE. Some other boards have pointed out that in OotP, a gold locket was found during the summer cleaning at Gimmauld Place. It was thrown out but we know that Kreacher liked to save old Black keepsakes. He would have saved it if he found it. Then there's Mundungus stealing things from the Black household. He might've found the locket but now, with him in Azkaban, who knows where it could be.

Was I the only one who kind of felt bad for Draco? He took glee in other's misfortune but he's never really seen it personally. He would have only heard from the gloating of DEs. Seeing up close and personal was completely different, and Draco didn't seem to like it very much. Poor boy. I hope Snape keeps him safe.

Speculation is so much fun.

Even Harry feels sorry for Draco by the end of the book. A little, anyway. I also assumed that RAB was Regulus, but it's entirely possible that she's just fucking with us.

The Half-Blood Prince thing seemed a bit pointless to me. I didn't feel like it had enough relevence to the plot to merit being the title of the book. Also I wanted to smack some sense into Harry. And Dumbledore at times, actually.

Heh. I haven't read it yet (my copy *should* be delivered to the office tomorrow), but I can't resist checking in here, and the posts of nothing but whitefont is cracking me up!

Steph L. (safe) ** Look -- A whitefont just for you!!! **

I was REALLY pleasantly surprised with the character development that Draco got here. I think he made wonderful progress from bratty, bullying kid to young adult here, and the shades of grey and depth of character we got given were far more than I'd dared hope for. Loved it.

I am particularly thrilled that this book, like OotP, continues to lend substance to my own conviction that Snape was in love with Lily. I totally buy that, and it just kills me. This is why he's always harping on about James rather than Lily - Lily was brilliant at potions, she was funny, she was snarky, she was eminently loveable. Slughorn says she'd have made a good Slytherin. This is SO the Lily I've been envisioning these past years, and I'm so chuffed to see her delineated thus in canon. Harry is the spitting image of his father (who was a fairly ghastly, bullying bastard of an adolescent), but with Lily's eyes. Snape is personally responsible for Lily's death - not intentionally - and it was THIS that made him turn his back on Voldemort and become Dumbledore's man. It was this death that made it all real to him, this death that is the 'greatet regret of his life'.

Snape's going through all this shit for love of a girl who knocked him back, and whose death he inadvertently caused. And whose death Harry caused too, by being the subject of the prophecy.

Ok, without giving away the substance of what Fay posted, she used the word "chuffed", which my American brain hasn't heard before. So, I looked it up on line -- at infoplease. And this online dictionary defines the term:

chuffed

Pronunciation: (chuft), [key]

—adj. Brit. Informal.

delighted; pleased; satisfied.

and

chuffed

Pronunciation: (chuft), [key]

—adj. Brit. Informal.

annoyed; displeased; disgruntled.

Well, that clears things up nicely.

Narrator -- great, now I know that there's (safe) whitefont for me. I'm spoiled! Oh noes!

Steph L -- Well, I didn't want you to feel left out.