I also think it's interesting that the Pure-Blood lines

Another case is Tonks. Her mother was a pure-blood, her dad was muggle-born, and she has a very rare and valuable ability.

I think that the point of introducing Slughorn and his Slug Club is to show that membership of Slytherin House doesn't automatically indicate that a kid is going to grow up to have an evil cackle and need a copy of the Evil Overlord's handbook. Slughorn's very Slytherin in that he's motivated by his fondness for power and influence, but he's not a villain. I REALLY appreciated that - we had some suggestion from the Sorting Hat in one of the earlier books that indicated that the Houses needed to work together, but I hadn't really hoped she'd give us a tangible character of an acceptable Slytherin. (And a fat character who seems comparatively positive too - THAT was another welcome change.) And of course we heard that Lily would have made a good Slytherin, in Slughorn's opinion.

All good points.

Naturally, my 3D-space book came in the mail today. I'm sure that reading the story on the computer was the key to receiving the actual book.

Fay said:

Wow, that's a difficult comment to address. I find it quite difficult not to be offended by it too, which isn't very constructive of me, and I'll try not to let that colour my response.

Er, I really didn't mean to offend anyone. The comment was meant to be light-hearted, but I see it's not been taken that way. I retract it.

Agree that Snape has been an interesting foil to the tendency to make assumptions about people based on like or dislike of them, but I also think Harry has legitimate reasons to dislike Snape. There is, for instance, Snape's irrational dislike of Harry, which has been present from the beginning.

Fay also said:

But why do you think this is clumsy and heavy-handed? It seems that your reading experience was not "Oh, please, like I'm going to fall for that!"

I'm not sure I understand what you're saying. If you're saying that I wasn't fooled by Snape's explanations of how he was working for Voldemort despite appearances, then I have to say I was, because that appears to be the case. It may be disproved in the next book, but he's aided Voldemort's plans in at least one way already. If you're saying I wasn't fooled into believing that Snape was working for Dumbledore, then no, I wasn't going to fall for that. As I say, I'm not sure what you mean.

Seems like my comments have been perceived as acrimonious. Sorry about that. Best to all.

I think Harry certainly has legit reasons to hate Snape -- it's the ungrounded leap from hating someone to feeling they're evil that may be the lesson here.

Dude, someone on another board pointed out that the first potion Slughorn has them make is the Draught of Living Death. Could this be a mere coincidence? Or could it be foreshadowing that Dumbledore drank some of this potion to make it appear that he was dead?

I find it compelling.

At the time I was sure that Snape was casting a silent spell at the same time that he appeared to kill Dumbledore.

Re: Trudy's Whitefont:

D'oh!! How'd I miss THAT????

Does that protect you from injuries of being tossed from a great height? Also, was that the first mention of it? I'm wondering, because no one from that class would have administered it to him, and that's what that as a clue would lead me to think first.

Seems like my comments have been perceived as acrimonious. Sorry about that. Best to all.

I think "acrimonious" is a strong word. Besides your potentially offensive light-hearted comment, I don't think you've been out of line.

I found this link yesterday and I found it very interesting

Snape (HBP Spoilers)

One of my own theories in support of this position is that when Harry called Snape "coward" Snape denied it. In the past, he has not cared what Harry had said to him. He always bipassed the comments as if they were not important. In this case, however, he acknowledges Harry's words and actually defends himself. The fact that he does this could be evidence that Snape is still fighting on the side of good.

Also related to this is when Harry is trying to curse Snape and he replies to "shut your mouth and close your mind". I think that he might have became aware that Harry witnessed Snape killing Dumbledore. Through Snape's perspective this despicable act was not done out of personal vengance but through following the morbid wishes of Dumbledore. By defending himself as "not a coward" this is also evidence that there is something else going on that Harry doesn't know about.

A lot of this might be already common knowledge, but I still had to work it out for myself even if I'm not able to communicate that as logically as I'm thinking it.

eta: I guess what I mean to say is why else would Snape try to redeem himself in Harry eyes?