Comments | hbp_chapters: HBP: Chapter Twenty-three

amanuensis1 in hbp_chapters

HBP: Chapter Twenty-three

Jun 25, 2005 22:00

Warning: Do not post any comments here if you have read beyond chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

This is the discussion post for Chapter 23 of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (and for all chapters prior to chapter 23). SPOILERS are expected to be contained in these comments for all of these chapters--though not for ( Read more... )

Comments 32

hoblik July 17 2005, 06:53:36 UTC

Well, this chapter sure was enlightening. We not only got insight on how to kill volgemort, but a bit more information on prophecies.

The whole prophecy thing has always been kind of an "Ultimate Paradox" kind of thing, in that it never would happen had it not been made. In making it, you were stamping it to happen. Certainly plays into the whole "do you believe in fate" sort of thing.

thehighbrow July 17 2005, 13:21:31 UTC

I have to hand it to JKR. The Horcruxes thing is pretty damn cool. And like garillama commented above, the killing of Voldemort will not involve merely a wimpy, punk-ass spell.

So, to the best of my understanding, all the Horcruxes do is serve as anchors for Voldemort's seventh soul portion. The Horcruxes don't actually replace the seventh portion or anything like that; they stay put in their respective objects. As long as the six other portions exist somewhere on the Earth, the seventh portion, which is the portion Voldemort lives off of, can never be destroyed, and is free to wander around until Voldemort can find another body to inhabit.

The thing that surprises me is the fact that a person can survive off only a small portion of their original soul. I'd have expected a functional person to require their entire soul to be "normal." Perhaps, to JKR, the soul is like DNA. The entire thing is repetitive. As long as you have a complete, albeit smaller, portion, you're fine?

fitchersvogel July 18 2005, 00:47:39 UTC

A fragmented soul! And I always thought, if this turns up, Voldie would have (accidentially) placed one soul-bit into Harry, the night the AK failed... (maybe he has? then Harry would have to commit suicide - that would be a depressing ending!)

And the Prophecy-talk? You don't have to kill him? But you want to, don't you?
I didn't like, not at all.

laura_the_auror July 18 2005, 22:46:19 UTC

Yep, I am fairly certain Harry is a horcrux. In which case...bugger

violet_musings July 18 2005, 04:14:28 UTC

I LOVE THIS CHAPTER.

lyttlelucyfer July 18 2005, 19:23:40 UTC

I like that one of the horcruxs is Nagini. I got a wonderful mental image of the final battle, and at the last minute, Draco Malfoy leaps forward and slices her head off:D

Yes, I have an overactive imagination, yes I love Draco.

Has anybody else noticed the way the ghosts are being treated in this book? Harry virtually ignores Nick until he has something important to say, and cuts him off when he's talking. He is getting more selfish, I think, making less effort with Hagrid too. Silly Harry, if your only weapon is love, you can't afford to let it slide.