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Veritaserum | Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Book 7 Theories | Half Blood Prince
Half Blood Prince Theories
Snape
Professor Snape is a very mysterious character to us, yet he seems crucial to the plot of the books. The greatest mystery surrounding him is the reasoning behind Dumbledore's trust in him. He has shown his hatred for Harry countless times, yet he has also risked his life trying to save Harry. This might be because he feels indebted to James, but there seems to be a more important underlying reason for Snape's actions. We don’t know much about Snape's past or lineage, but J.K. Rowling has hinted that more about Snape will be revealed. If he was a pure-blood his name should have appeared on the Black Family tree, as almost all pure-bloods are linked in this way, but it didn't. The fact that he's head of Slytherin house does not mean he is a pure-blood, Tom Riddle was put in Slytherin as well, so he may indeed be half-blood. There is so much to yet be explained about Snape: why he renounced being a death eater, why Dumbledore trusts him so much even when his unfairness towards anyone that is not in Slytherin is obvious, what those memories of his childhood really mean.
-A conglomeration of Veritaserum readers' submissions
Posted on 04/27/05 |
Hagrid is the Half-Blood Prince
It has not been specified whether or not the term "half-blood" refers to a person who has one wizard parent and one muggle parent, or if the term can refer to a person who just half wizard and half something else. So the title can be referring to Hagrid, who is half wizard and half giant. We know that J.K. Rowling was considering the use of "The Half-Blood Prince" as the title to the second book, but changed her mind, so the Chamber of Secrets must have a great deal to do with this character. In the CoS, we learn the truth about Hagrid's past and why he was expelled from Hogwarts. He was a vital character in this plot. Perhaps Dumbledore has a deeper reason for keeping Hagrid around. It's been revealed that his relationship with his brother, Grawp, becomes more important in book six. Not much is known of Hagrid's lineage, but with the introduction of Grawp it is reasonable to think that a new aspect of Hagrid will come out in this book. As Hagrid is a half-breed he may become a figure of authority, a rallying point, for the other creatures who are oppressed by the Ministry. Dumbledore ceaselessly stresses how vital the allegiance of the giants will be in the war, and Hagrid's role may become more important in creating that alliance.
Submitted by many Veritaserum readers
Posted on 04/13/05 |
Peter Pettigrew
In British history, a man named George Cruikshank was credited with exposing the private life of Prince George IV. This seems very straightforward, but for those of you who don't see where I'm going with this, Cruikshank exposed Prince George, and Crookshanks exposed... "Prince" Peter. We've never been told what Peter's blood background is- it's entirely possible that he's a half-blood. I think Peter Pettigrew is the Half-Blood Prince.
- Submitted by Dyrnwyn during the first HP discussion
Reader Kelly Potter conducted in-depth research on Cruikshank, and her findings are amazing (sources: 1, 2):
- George Cruikshank was an artist. In fact, he made more than 15,000 drawings and paintings throughout his lifetime. He expressed his views on life and politics through his art rather than speech. This is similar to the characater of Crookshanks, who is unable to communicate with others by speaking, and resorts to other means (which have not yet been revealed to us).
- Cruikshank harbored ill feelings toward Prince George IV due to the Peterloo Massacre. I repeat, the Peterloo Massacre. The massacre occurred at St. Peter's Field in August of 1819. 11 people were killed; many more were injured. On November 1, 1980 (in the fictional Harry Potter world), Peter Pettigrew caused an explosion that killed twelve muggles. JK Rowling uses the word "massacre" to describe the fictional event in the Prisoner of Azkaban.
- Lieutenant Colonel George L'Estrange was the commander of the military forces in Manchester at the time of the Peterloo Massacre. The deaths and injuries caused by the massacre were a direct result of L'Estrange's orders. According to RhymeZone.com, "Lestrange" is a "very rare" surname, but where else have we heard this?
Also, several of you have noted that Cruikshank was educated by a man named Hogarth (source) - sound familiar?
Many Veritaserum readers have expounded upon or remonstrated against this theory. The more notable points in each argument can be found in the following areas of the comments section:
Long Live the Weasel King! posted several comments arguing both sides of this theory. In one he discusses why Peter being the Half-Blood Prince might explain what a “Half-Blood Prince” might be. It was posted on 12/31/2004 at 07:39:40 AM.
Rip wrote an excellent rebuttal of the original theory on 01/05/2005 at 07:29:27 AM, to which Nanashi Midoriko wrote a marvelous response on 01/05/2005 at 08:45:47 AM. Afterward, a lively debate was sparked that went on for some time.
On 01/16/2005 at 05:47:18 AM, serena greenwood outlines Peter’s character in outstanding fashion, going on to explain why she does not believe Peter to be the Half-Blood Prince.
Enjoumaru posted a statement on 01/16/2005 at 11:05:45 PM explaining that “Prince” does not have to be a title of royalty. “Lord” Voldemort is not noble; it is a title he gave himself.
Gergitate posted a similar statement on 01/19/2005 at 09:42:42 PM, and went on to explain the connection between Harry and Peter, and that Voldemort may come to think of Peter as his “right hand man, or PRINCE,” an argument to which Z responded by saying, “Peter does not fit that definition of prince. A prince would be someone whom Voldemort trusts and relies upon. Someone who has a good amount of personal power and can be a leader in their own right. None of the Death Eaters fit this description. Wormtail is a worthless servant whose power only comes from his master.”
Gergitate agrees with Z in her next post.
On 01/23/2005 at 06:07:56 AM, serena greenwood draws parallels between Robin Hood, who was the “Prince of Thieves” and the term the “Half-Blood Prince,” stating that Robin Hood was not royal; he only stood out from other thieves because he was a noble and they were commoners.
Long Live the Weasel King! expands on this theory in his post on 01/24/2005 at 09:46:33 PM, in which he states, “Just as if a Pure-blood were to champion Half-Bloods and Muggle Borns against other Pure-bloods (i.e. Death Eaters), they would be ‘The Prince of Half-Bloods’ or ‘The Half Blood Prince.’”
The Bloody Quill wrote the following in response to parallels drawn between Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings on 01/25/2005 at 10:45:33 PM:
“A relevant point to the question of Peter Pettigrew is his conspicuous absence from book five. Enjoumaru raised an interesting point about Sméagol, but another character from that same trilogy [Tolkein’s The Lord of the Rings] with a similar nickname to Pettigrew is Wormtongue. He was also spared by the heroes, and he led to Sauraman’s downfall. I always wondered why Voldemort would call Pettigrew by his friends’ nickname for him; maybe it’s [for JKR] to remind us of it and it’s similarity to Wormtongue.”
Posted on 12/31/04 |
Justin Finch-Fletchley
Justin could be the half-blood prince because he was introduced in Chamber of Secrets. His talk with Harry at the dueling club was supposed to be in the final cut of the movie (and here we assume J.K. Rowling wanted it to be) but had to be cut for time. (One can see the deleted scene on the DVD.) Nevertheless, J.K. makes it a point to tell us he's muggle-born in the book (his talk with Harry), and we also know that he was going to go to Eton, a prestigious school that royal children usually go to, before he got accepted to Hogwarts. He could very well be a sort of prince.
-Submitted by many Veritaserum readers
Many Veritaserum readers have pointed out through the comment boards that Justin Finch-Fletchley is Muggle Born, a fact which the original theory states. “Muggle Born” is a term used to describe a witch or wizard that is the offspring of two completely Muggle parents, having no knowledge of the Magical World until they receive their Hogwart’s admissions letter. Muggle Borns are not “Half-Bloods,” which makes this theory unlikely.
Others have pointed out that “Half-Blood Prince” could be a title, and does not necessarily mean that the “Prince” is a “Half-Blood,” only that he is “Prince OF Half-Bloods,” though literal English translations of foreign translations of the book title suggest that the prince is indeed a half-blood rather than a prince of half-bloods.
Posted on 10/30/04 |
Argus Filch
Argus Filch may be the Half-Blood Prince. J.K. Rowling said something from Chamber of Secrets would be important to the HBP plot. One plotline that never fully developed in CoS is the one in which Harry discovered Argus is a Squib. Now, just because Filch is Squib doesn't mean he's a half-blood, but we don’t know too much about him. One more reason, and infinitely more important than the first: Argus is a mean, cantankerous man. Why would Dumbledore keep him around? There are probably many other witches and wizards who could do Filch's job without having the burning desire to chain students to the ceiling by their toenails. In addition, since Argus is a Squib, he can't do magic and therefore a fully functioning witch or wizard might be more efficient for the job. In other words, Dumbledore knows Filch isn't the greatest guy to have around kids, but I think Dumbledore feels he needs to keep Filch close by for another reason.
-Submitted by Eric Mayrhofer
This Filch theory is unique, and possible, I suppose; I would not put it past JKR. However, the reasoning stated just does not hold water. Dumbledore is not the kind that would replace Filch just because he is a Squib. He would want to keep him more because others would be unwilling to. Plus, Filch is a flat character; he would need a few more layers to be able to hold the book. While this is possible, it is not likely. Filch may grow in books six and seven, but I doubt he is the Half-Blood Prince.
- Submitted by Harry Lover
On JK Rowling’s Official Site, it says that something Harry discovers in Half-Blood Prince was foreshadowed by something Harry found out in Chamber of Secrets. The only two things I noticed that Harry finds out are that Filch is a Squib, and that he, Harry, is a Parselmouth. JK Rowling gave us a quote from the HBP: "He looked rather like an old lion. There were streaks of grey in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp." Filch: silver streaks, bushy brows, beady yellow eyes . . . walks with a limp! It’s possible!
- Submitted by Mikey
Posted on 10/30/04 |
Blaise Zabini
Blaise Zabini could be the half-blood prince because J.K. Rowling revealed his gender to us (male) and because he is a relatively new character. He seems to be one of those simple characters that we would overlook but that turns out to important. He was mentioned like an extra character just as Sirius Black and Mundungus Fletcher were in "Sorcerer's Stone" and "Chamber of Secrets," but they turned out to be vital to the plot. We know that he is in Slytherin, and if he was pure-blood he might have been mentioned on Sirius' family tree. So we maybe we should look at Blaise Zabini as more than just a regular old person within Hogwarts - as someone who has the potential to be the Half-Blood Prince.
-Submitted by Mike
Posted on 10/30/04 |
The New Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher
The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher could be the Half-Blood Prince. Each of the books has had titles that relate to something new in the story; something or someone that has yet been introduced in the series thus far and that no one has ever seen. So, perhaps there is a reason that there is always a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher each year, and perhaps the new teacher will be the newly introduced person that the plot is based on.
-Submitted by Lauren
Posted on 10/28/04 |
A new character
The half-blood prince might be someone entirely new. As seen in the previous books: The Sorcerers's Stone appears only in the first book, The Chamber of Secrets only appears in the Second Book, The Prisoner of Azkaban (Sirius Black) turns up in the third book. We didn't know about the Triwizard competition or the Goblet of Fire before the Fourth book. We also didn't know about the Order of Phoenix before the fifth book. It seems that the thing a title refers to always appears only in that certain book, in other words, is new or is the main focus of that book. It would be logical for this pattern to continue for the next book.
-Submitted by Munna
Posted on 10/23/04 |
Gilderoy Lockhart
Rowling said that the second book would directly relate to the sixth, and Gilderoy Lockhart was a major character in the second book. Although his reappearance at St. Mungo's in Order of the Phoenix was unexpected, it may mean that Rowling still has something in store for him. Also, in books two and five Lockhart viewed himself as royalty (always signing autographs, thinking he was higher up than everyone else, etc.). Though it seemed that he was just arrogant, he may have a reason for always "playing the King"...
- A Veritaserum Theory
Edit: Another theory debunked. Rowling stated that Lockhart would not recover from his illness and would not appear in later books, basically ruling him out as an HBP candidate.
Posted on 07/20/04 |
Remus Lupin
Remus Lupin is half blood, as revealed by JK Rowling in her March 2004 chat. Now that Sirius is gone (or at least temporarily), Harry may look up to Lupin as he did to Sirius. Although Harry is in no way related to him, Lupin was by far Harry's favorite teacher at Hogwarts, and he might be able to help Harry deal with the loss of Sirius -- after all, Lupin lost a good friend, too. However, Lupin was not mentioned in Chamber of Secrets, which directly relates to the plot of the sixth book.
- A Veritaserum Theory
Posted on 07/20/04 |
A Female Prince?
Albeit the fact that whenever 99% of Harry Potter fans hear the phrase "Half Blood Prince," they think of a male prince, it is indeed a possibility for the prince to be a female. Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary states the following for their main definition of "prince": "The one of highest rank; one holding the highest place and authority; a sovereign; a monarch; -- originally applied to either sex, but now rarely applied to a female."
It would not be unlike Rowling to get most everyone sniffing in the wrong direction, and then surprise us all with the knowledge that the Half Blood Prince is a female. A simple glance at the dictionary opens more doors than there are in the Department of Mysteries...well, maybe not quite that many. ;-)
- A Veritaserum Theory
Posted on 07/18/04 |
Crookshanks
Strange as this may sound, it is possible that Hermione's cat Crookshanks may be the Half Blood Prince. As surmised by Veritaserum editorialist Stephanie in late 2003 (read her article here), Crookshanks is half-cat, half-Kneazle. We also know that Crookshanks is a male.
Crookshanks is a highly intelligent cat - possibly too intelligent? It is also a possibility that Crookshanks is an Animagus who knows more than we think. From his behavior in the third book, we can assume that Crookshanks would be on the Order's side, because he seemed to know Sirius's true identity and he tried to help him. It remains possible that Crookshanks could be the Half Blood Prince.
- Submitted by TMRiddle
On February 18, 2004, JK Rowling updated the rumors section of her official website, JKRowling.com.
In response to the rumor that Crookshanks is an Animagus, JK Rowling stated: "No, he's not, but he's not pure cat either. If you buy Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them . . . you might just be able to work out what Crookshanks really is."
In her "Extra Stuff" section, under "Characters: Crookshanks," she tells us, "Crookshanks, as anybody who has read Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them will have guessed, is half Kneazle."
Posted on 07/16/04 |
Godric Gryffindor
In one of the Sorting Hat's songs, we're told that Salazar and Godric used to be real good friends. Most friends share common interest at some point in their time. This, as well as the fact that a little bit of Voldemort was put into Harry when his parents were killed, could've been why Harry was almost a Slytherin. J.K. Rowling also never said the Half-Blood Prince particularly had to be Half-Blood, but instead could be the Prince of the Half-Bloods. Since most wizards and witches back then were pure, it's very possible that Godric is the Half-Blood Prince simply because he favors them. If you compare the number of Slytherin half-bloods to Gryffindor half-bloods, Gryffindor has the most.
-Submitted by Liz
There are two separate groups which support this Theory.
Many Veritaserum readers believe that Fawkes, Dumbledore’s phoenix companion, is in truth Godric Gryffindor, hidden in animagus form. The phoenix is a creature from Greek legend that, when it dies or is killed, bursts into flame and is resurrected from the ashes. It is also a symbol of the cleansing nature of fire, as well as rebirth.
JK Rowling has remained true to that much of the mythology behind the phoenix. Where her phoenix differs is stated in Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:"Its most startling feature is its ability to regenerate itself: it bursts into flame when its body becomes old and rises from the ashes as a new-born chick. This allows these birds to grow to a great age." It is unknown whether it retains its memories or not each time it is resurrected. It is also unknown whether a wizard is able to take on a magical creature as their animagus form. All of the animagi JK Rowling has written about have been common Muggle animals, as have their patronuses. However, JK Rowling revealed on her Official Site that Dumbledore’s patronus is in fact a phoenix, though he has never summoned it in presence of Harry.
Veritaserum reader Kelly wrote:
I don't think Godric is still alive in the normal sense. If he was, don't you think he would have stepped out to help with Voldemort by now?
I don't think Fawkes is Godric's animagus form because 1) Animagus does not equal eternal life and 2) Gryffindor obviously favors the lion. His name gives that up right off the bat. It would be too complicated if he was a lion AND a phoenix, wouldn't it?
Though with the phoenix being eternal, I can see where you all are going with this. Fawkes has already helped Godric to help Harry by bringing the Sorting Hat with the sword in it, and Fawkes' feathers are cores for both Tom and Harry’s wands, who are stepping into Salazar and Godric's shoes in the Pure-blood vs. Half-blood/Muggleborn conflict.
Posted on 03/29/2005 at 09:46:31 PM.
A griffin is another mythological creature, much like a hippogriff, that has the front legs, torso, wings, and head of an eagle, with the body, rear legs, and tail of a lion. The posted links lead to engravings of these two mythical beasts. Note the striking similarities between the griffin and the picture of the hippogriff which was used in the design of Buckbeak for the Prisoner of Azkaban movie. It should also be noted that a lion is the mascot of Gryffindor House, not a griffin.
Kelly is one of those supporters from the other end of the spectrum. She and many others believe that the term “Half-Blood Prince” was used by Salazar Slytherin to mock Godric Gryffindor, but Godric’s supporters took the name and turned it into a title of respect.
A common assumption being made by many readers is that the excerpt from Half-Blood Prince which JK Rowling revealed behind the locked door on her site is describing the Half-Blood Prince. This has never been stated, only that it is a passage from that book. The excerpt can be viewed here, along with ten artistic renderings based on the description.
Posted on 07/13/04 |
Salazar Slytherin
"The Half-Blood Prince" was an alternative title for book 2, so we have to assume that it's background that was edited out without spoiling the book 2 plot. Most of book 2 was about the "Heir of Slytherin" (we only found out about Tom Riddle at the end). Harry found out that he might be the heir of an evil wizard, the rest of his family is dead, and he was worried about his own stereotypically evil tendencies (e.g. ability to speak Parseltongue) being taken advantage of or isolating him from others. Harry might have tried to found out more about his supposed ancestor, but by the end of book 2, all we know is that Slytherin lived 100 years ago and could speak Parseltongue. Perhaps, before edits, Harry or Hermione did research and found out more about Slytherin that will now be put in book 6 and reveal him as the half-blood prince.
Slytherin was notorious for only teaching pure-bloods. But most people at Hogwarts assume that his heir is Harry (whose mother is Muggle-born); and in the end, it turns out to be Tom Riddle (a half-blood himself) - i.e., the very people who are most likely to be of Slytherin's line are not of pure blood themselves.
- Submitted by Mrs Figg
Posted on 07/13/04 |
Dumbledore
Rowling doesn't specifically clarify that the "Half-Blood Prince" is a half-blood. The "Half-Blood Prince" could simply be the prince of half-bloods, and as Dumbledore defends the whole school, he also defends half-bloods.
-Submitted by Aoife
Posted on 07/10/04 |
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