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?

Here are some more fun theories from my other board:

My half-assed theory on Dumbledore, and Horcruxes: Dumbledore, after he drank the potion, became a Horcrux. The Horcrux was hidden in the potion, and was transferred to Dumbledore when he drank it. That's why Dumbledore was feeling so bad... because he had part of Voldemort in him. Which is why he asked Snape to kill him in the end. (He didn't say "Please, don't kill me", but "Please..". JKR describes his tone as "Begging".)

Its also why Dumbledore told Harry that he needed to do anything that he asked him to do, because Dumbledore might have known that he was going to become the Horcrux, but he didn't know how.

Snape, being a master of the dark arts, would recognize a horcrux instantly. There was a silent understanding between him and Dumbledore. The locket and the note were all a ruse, to throw off the person who found it.

• ***

We never find out for sures what happens to Dumbledore's hand. People think it's from picking up the ring, but that's not really explicitly stated. I think that when the ring cracked, part of Voldemort's soul went into Dumbledore, making his hand all black and withered... and what hand did Dumbledore cut to splash blood in the cave? His withered hand.

Also Harry has part of Voldemort in him and his blood also opened the way. I think the cave would only open to Voldemort's own blood, and we'll find that out in the next book. And we'll also find out that the ring is not a horcrux for Voldemort any more, it's now a horcrux for Dumbledore somehow. But I haven't figured out how it would have been made.

For those who think Dumbledore is really dead, how many times does the concept of a phoenix have to be used to foreshadow? He owns a phoenix, is in the Order of the Phoenix, his soul or whatever it was leaves his body in a phoenix shape in a burst of flames, come on guys. He will come back, probably changed into a new form, like Gandalf or Obi Wan or Aslan.

oh, and in case you'd like to show solidarity for stan shupike >[link]

In response to this:

*We never find out for sures what happens to Dumbledore's hand. People think it's from picking up the ring, but that's not really explicitly stated. I think that when the ring cracked, part of Voldemort's soul went into Dumbledore, making his hand all black and withered... and what hand did Dumbledore cut to splash blood in the cave? His withered hand.

It is stated that the ring is cursed, but not how, and that the withering was apparently spreading (I think) and it is implied that had Snape not stopped it, the curse would have spread to his entire body and killed him.

When Dumbledore splashed blood on the cave wall he cut his arm above the withered hand.