Penny, i think your comment about Nagini pleading for her life is interesting. Because if she does turn out to be a horcrux, i would think that she may not plead for her life, but rather for someone to end it. I mean, having a piece of soul inside you for nearly sixteen years that doesn’t belong to you and having to do Voldemort’s bidding for nearly sixteen years, that must have some nasty effect. Because basically, again assuming that she is a horcrux, you can almost compare it to being impiriused, no?

Nagini is a snake, but that doesn’t mean she’s evil by nature. Dumbledore says that Voldemort has an unusual amount of control over her, even as a parslemouth, but he also says that, quote “to confide a part of your soul into something that can think and move for itself is obviously a very risky business.” end quote (HBP – BB ed. p. 473) Is it ‘a very risky business’ because a living creature can die easily? Or is it because all living creatures have free will -unless in the HP world they’re impiriused or somehow possessed- and can therefore make their own choices?

I don’t know if i sound ridiculous or not, just something that i wrote down while reading chapter 23 of HBP.

Will get to your other comment later:)

Equus pics -

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/105314.html

P.S.

I forgot to add my thoughts on Danel R.’s new production “Equus”,

WOW!

When I saw the pic of him with the horse it certainly made me wish I was several years younger!!! (Just so that my reaction would not be criminal in nature!).

Kudos to him for going on with his career and taking on such serious and out-of-the-mold roles, after all, he plays Harry Potter not IS HP. I am very impressed with his decisions and comments on the article you linked to.

Fisrt of all, thanks to Penny for directing me to this particular blog.

Virginia’s blog is quite interesting and illuminating, nevertheless, I am with Dorian, I too believe it is Nagini rather than the invisibility cloak, that is a horcrux. While the idea that Snape had the cloak in his posession, and the following line of reasoning sounds very good indeed, I don’t think that Voldemort had the chance to effect the spell to create the horcrux. After all, he was most definitely NOT planning on his power to backfire on him, and we must remember that Dumbledore comented to Harry on several occasions how Voldemort had always been so sure of his own dark powers that he underestimated the simple beauty and awesome power of other more ancient and powerful spells, like the one that protected Harry.

In his own haste to prove his Power, and in underestimating the ancient protection spells, he carried on with his plan to destroy Harry but was not, in my thinking, planning to effect the horcrux spell until AFTER he killed Harry. This train of thought still carries with it some weakness since I am not sure when the horcrux spell has to be cast, if before or after the act itself, but I will stick with my theory that it could not be effected because Voldie was not prepared for what was about to happen to him.

I also agree with Penny in that Dumbledore thought Nagini could be the final horcrux. It really goes well along the line of reasoning that Dumbledore was following when trying to show Harry Tom’s/Vodlie’s behavioral/psychological processes: Tom/Voldie is so very narcisistic and so full of his powerful-self that he would choose a living, self-reasoning creature to be the final and most important repositor of his bad-self, why? because HE is ALL powerfull and would be able to overpower and control Nagini’s own instincts and actions, isn’t that a great symbol of his power? His control over other living, thinking, reasoning creatures? And besides, it is the perfect symbol of his claim to Slytherin’s bloodline; Yes, the ring he stole from his grandfather was an important trinket, but a trinket none-the-less when compared to a living symbol:NAGINI.

Let’s keep in mind what Dumblydore was trying to achieve all through book six: Knowledge of Voldemort’s weakness through understanding of his hunger for absolute power, and the mistakes he was making along the way. The more powerful he thought himself to be, the more mistakes he was impercievably making along the way.

And of course I have to send a quick shout out to my two favorite podcast hosts, Penny and Greg! Hope you all are doing well, and again, thanks for the great podcasts! I love ‘em!

James realized the seriousness of what he and the marauders had been doing to Snape when he saved Snape’s life, so maybe knowing that he (Snape) had sent Voldemort to Godric’s Hollow to kill Lily and James had more of an effect on Snape than he had anticipated. He owed James his life, but he had indirectly sent him to his death. As for Lily, she was one of the only people who had ever tried to be a friend to him. Maybe that’s when he went to Dumbledore, who saw that there was still some love in him. It is said a few times that when one wizard saves another wizard’s life, a magical bond is created between the two of them. If Snape really did tell Voldemort enough of the prophecy, causing that bit of information to be the direct reason why Voldemort went to Godric’s Hollow and killed James, than what happened to that bond? In other words, what happens when you (directly or indirectly) kill someone you owe your life to?

Also, i don’t think the invisibility cloak is a horcrux. I’m rather with the idea that Nagini is a horcrux. Not simply because Dumbledore said so, but because Nagini is a living creature. Voldemort has an unusual amount of control over her, and one can even see what the other can see. Also, because Nagini is so close to Voldemort, but most importanly because she is living creature, she will most probably have to be killed to destroy the horcrux, no? The only time Harry ever used an unforgivable curse was on Bella in the MoM, and he couldn’t really do it. So i don’t think Nagini being a horcrux would be that much of a stretch. Harry has so much love inside of him, and he can even talk to snakes, so it wouldn’t be as ‘easy’ as destroying an object (even if it is the only thing that he has to remember his parents by except for the picture book).

Greg, I do agree that the whole thing can play out just a we are discussing without the cloak being the final horcrux. Which would leave only one logical conclusion…Harry. This would still fall into the Arthurian(sp?) legend tie in with the cup etc., making Harry the jewel. I once thought this could be the ruby in godric’s sword, but rereading 6 last night, Dumbledore refers to as “the jewel” that Slughorn would love to collect for his club. Giving us that something that has been in plain sight all along.

However, I don’t believe that Harry must die, to vanquish Voldemort. I have for a long time struggled with the idea that Snape is neither good or evil, simply out for himself. But considering the Lily factor, I believe now that Snape is good and has been working secretly “at great risk to his own life” and will play a huge roll in the Dark Lord’s demise. It makes sense that at the point the dark Lord killed Lily, Snape’s facination with him ended, and he has been working these past six years to bring about his downfall as revenge for killing his love. It could quite possibly involve himself ending his own life to save Harry simply because of his mother’s eyes, which Jo has pointed out is very important.

I look forward to hearing the discussion on the upcoming podcast, and I’m off to vote now on Podcast Ally!

Raffy- I am shocked. I can’t believe with your extensive HP knowledge that you only read the books under a year ago. I am impressed!

So how about whenever I got like 3 emails about the publication date, I started freaking out and squealing and running through the house calling all of my friends… I definitely scared my dog… she would come near me for like an hour. But now I’ve crashed and I’m surprised I haven’t cried yet, I guess I’m still waiting for the initial excitement to fade… but I know that once I start thinking about how this is ACTUALLY the end of Harry Potter forever, I’m gonna lose it.

I love these conversations. Everyone has so much to offer and it is great getting a glimpse into everyone’s HP minds- no matter how simple or how brilliant the thoughts are!

Yamil- no problem!

I dont really have nothing to say….only i cant wait for the book!!!! Oh and Thank YOU!!!!

I’m an old school Mac user, who is just getting into pod casts, and I was very excited to find your cast at iTunes. After listening to several with many juvenile, goofy conversations to wade through before the real “talk” began, it was very refreshing to hear your “prognostications” on Harry. Great job!

I see I’m a week late already for the horcrux conversation, but have been thinking about your suggestion that the invisibility cloak is a horcrux. Rereading book 6, and gleaning info from your’s and other casts, I’m struck by the fact you may very well be correct about the invisibility cloak. Here is my theory, and it starts with Severus Snape.

I have long thought some of the animosity and jealousy Snape shows towards Harry and his father centered around Lily. Really, what would be a better “tale of remorse” for old Albus than “I had a school boy crush on Lily, and inadvertantly sent the Dark Lord to kill her.” Dumbledore was quite convinced, as he told Harry, that this was not Snape’s intention. And the love card makes this plausible.

But really Snively, what you forgot to mention to Albus was that you just didn’t send the Dark Lord, you accompanied him for the deed. You a most trusted advisor, lobbied for Lily’s life, as evident from Voldemort’s confession to Harry that his mother chose to die (“You needn’t die you silly girl” or some such quote.) Why did Lily have a chance and not James…it was because Snape had a good word in for his gal pal. When she chose to protect her son, it was just another rejection for Severus and transferred more hatred to the boy with his mother’s eye’s.

At first I though Snape might have been under the cape, but Jo states on her web site in the rumors section, very interestingly, that Snape was not “under” the cloak the night the Potter’s died. Why not “under” the cloak, Jo? Why not “not in Godric’s Hollow.” Because Snape was there. Which lead us to another clue from the pen mistress, the fact that Dumbledore having the cloak is vastly significant. How did he come by the cloak? I had always assumed it was a legacy item, and didn’t find it funny it was in his keeping, until Ms. Rowling pointed it out. So how did the cloak come to rest with old Dumbly…it was brought to him by Snape weaving a tale of woe at having directed Voldemort to James and Lily, and then accompanied his master to finally get the ultimate revenge on his arch school enemy.

At this point, I believe that Voldemort did make the cloak a horcrux, and handed it off to Snape for safe keeping. After the curse backfired, I believe Snape used it as the bit of evidence Dumbledore needed to cement Severu’s change of heart “I was there, I tried to protect them but I was too late.” As for why Dumbledore never discovered it was a horcrux, he is afterall cleverer than most wizards, and does tend to overthink things a bit. Nangini is a stretch and Albus knows it. It was right there under his nose all along.

So, I hope you find this interesting…I think it is a good stab at possible events, and really wouldn’t have connected the dots until I heard your podcast. Keep them coming! I have by the way voted on podcast ally for you and hope to see you rise in the ranks soon.

Best,
Virginia Mama