# Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince finished **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 20, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882 "2004-12-20T23:25:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/21 "2004-12-21T05:41:14Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > YAY!! But can you pre-order on Amzon yet?? The publisher hasn’t set a price yet, nor even announced how long the book will be (the length determines the price because of paper costs). You will probably be able to sign up for notification soon, but they can’t actually take orders until they know what it costs. Some local independent bookstores are already starting sign-up lists. Why not keep your money in your own community? ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/22 "2004-12-21T05:44:41Z")
Hooray! I’ve been hoping to hear of some progress there! My guesses: Half-Blood Prince: Hagrid. Defense Against Dark Arts teacher: The real Mad-Eye Moody. Minister of Magic: Lucius Malfoy. He’ll weasel out of his disgrace at the end of OotP somehow. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/23 "2004-12-21T06:19:54Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Hooray! I’ve been hoping to hear of some progress there! > > My guesses: > Minister of Magic: Lucius Malfoy. He’ll weasel out of his disgrace at the end of OotP somehow. He’ll need to get out of prison first. I’m confident Dumbledore (at least) will see to it he stays exposed as a true Death-Eater. I’m agreeing with the likelihood of Amelia Bones as MoM. ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/24 "2004-12-21T13:17:01Z")
It’s official: July 16, 2005. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/25 "2004-12-21T13:20:32Z")
July? _July?!_ I wonder if I sent her a _really_ nice e-mail if she’d send me a copy early? Yeah, I know. Not a chance in hell. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Jenny\_Haniver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Jenny\_Haniver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenny_Haniver)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/26 "2004-12-21T14:18:47Z")
> [@Wombat](#): > > The publisher hasn’t set a price yet, nor even announced how long the book will be (the length determines the price because of paper costs). According to [mugglenet](http://www.mugglenet.com), the retail price is going to be $29.99. Also, re: editing the books, Jo mentioned in the letter on her website that the book is shorter than book five. ---
**Author:** ![Brunhilde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@Brunhilde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brunhilde)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/27 "2004-12-21T14:31:35Z")
I think that the Half- Blood Prince is going to be Hagrid; seems interesting to me that 1. He is a half-blood (half-wizard, half-Giant) 2. His mother may well have been an important Giant (in Book IV, when we find out about his heritage, his mother is mentioned by name) 3. Seems time for him to get his own storyline 4. He was sent as the ambassador for Dumbledore to the Giants (along with Olympe, but eh, why not a love interest), and it would make sense to send someone of noble blood to do that, and even to accept them to Hogwarts in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/28 "2004-12-21T15:01:45Z")
I proposed, in a thread some time back, that the Half-Blood Prince was Godrick Gryffindor and that he’s been Fawkes the Phoenix all along. On one hand it would be neat, but on the other I am getting tired of the “Oh, look, they’re an Animangus” plot. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/29 "2004-12-21T15:04:13Z")
Forgot to add: I hope Rowling brings back Mr. Ollivander at some time. He seems like such a mysterious character that I would love to know his story. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/30 "2004-12-21T15:39:25Z")
> [@Hamish](#): > > 'Course, the US will get it later than Canada, because the US distributor does an English-to-English translation. I always buy the UK editions from [amazon.co.uk](http://amazon.co.uk). ---
**Author:** ![Humble\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/47e85d/32.png) [@Humble\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Humble_Servant)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/31 "2004-12-21T15:42:29Z")
> [@Hamish](#): > > 'Course, the US will get it later than Canada, because the US distributor does an English-to-English translation. Are you sure about this? Being a household that requires multiple copies of the books, we pre-ordered both an American and a British edition from Amazon US and Amazon UK, respectively, for OotP. The British edition arrived the day after the American, and I remember the hype about parties at bookstores at midnight when the embargo expired. I think that release date is a uniform worldwide date. (They must do the Brit to American “translation” during the prep period.) ---
**Author:** ![Engywook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bc8723/32.png) [@Engywook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Engywook)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/32 "2004-12-21T15:43:48Z")
> [@Hamish](#): > > (For instance, following the link in the OP, you would have use the hairband portkey to get to the door of the Room of Requirement – where she puts her most interesting announcements. She makes you play a different game each time to get there, though.) And then what? Maybe I’m setting off the muggle detectors by trying this at work, but seems all I’ve ever been able to do is jiggle the door handle, chase the fly around the room, jingle the chimes, and turn a light switch on and off. ---
**Author:** ![Mehitabel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/33 "2004-12-21T15:46:48Z")
I live in a part of the Bronx that is heavily immigrant Irish, and it’s fun to see all us Yanks reading the illustrated Merkun editions on the subways, buses, beaches, parks, etc. when the harps are reading the staid UK editions. It was particularly striking with the last book, where the US edition was a lovely midnight-blue brick of a thing while the UK was a yellow-and-red slimmer one. I don’t mind the illustrations but I do resent a bit having my visual imagination fed. I’d much rather let Rowling’s words alone do it. So, I think I’ll order the original UK edition this time. However, the lure of the bookstores of New York, which have parties with hyped-up little kids and unemployed actors portraying the characters, will be hard to resist. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/34 "2004-12-21T16:15:09Z")
> [@Hamish](#): > > 'Course, the US will get it later than Canada, because the US distributor does an English-to-English translation. You guys also commission chapter art and different cover art. Raincoast Books in Canada just slaps the novel unchanged onto ancient-forest-friendly paper and ships it out. I think this is incorrect; I believe the books are released simultaneously in the US and the UK (and possibly elsewhere as well). Today’s press release said, > [@](#): > > J.K. Rowling announced last night that she had completed the book and delivered the manuscript to her two English language publishers. But I don’t know why the US publisher uses different illustrations. I’ve always bought the US editions, but I’m now tempted to obtain the British versions of all the books. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/35 "2004-12-21T16:17:14Z")
> [@Engywook](#): > > And then what? > > Maybe I’m setting off the muggle detectors by trying this at work, but seems all I’ve ever been able to do is jiggle the door handle, chase the fly around the room, jingle the chimes, and turn a light switch on and off. Click on the door in the mirror. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/36 "2004-12-21T16:21:20Z")
> [@Agrippina](#): > > Forgot to add: I hope Rowling brings back Mr. Ollivander at some time. He seems like such a mysterious character that I would love to know his story. I thought that, too. He’s sort of the “uninvolved character” that you get in a lot of British fantasy lit. He seems to be above or beyond things – like Tom Bombadil in Tolkien, or like the three witches in the Prydain chronicles. Interesting that his business was established before there was even a Roman camp in the place we now call London. I half-wonder if he established it personally in 382 BC. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/37 "2004-12-21T16:24:05Z")
> [@Hamish](#): > > 'Course, the US will get it later than Canada, because the US distributor does an English-to-English translation. Not according to that press release that **ColonelDax** posted. Looks like we’re getting it at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Hamish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a5b964/32.png) [@Hamish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamish)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/38 "2004-12-21T16:24:26Z")
> [@Humble Servant](#): > > Are you sure about this? Being a household that requires multiple copies of the books, we pre-ordered both an American and a British edition from Amazon US and Amazon UK, respectively, for OotP. The British edition arrived the day after the American, and I remember the hype about parties at bookstores at midnight when the embargo expired. I think that release date is a uniform worldwide date. (They must do the Brit to American “translation” during the prep period.) Turns out you’re right. They’re coordinating their release dates. July 16, 2004. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/39 "2004-12-21T17:27:56Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I enjoy the padding of the books, I think it makes them richer and you never know what might be a clue about something down the line. > > I also think that Rowling is one golden goose that no publisher with any sense with want to tamper with. > > I think the half-blood prince will probably be a new character. > > Why six months before it can be published? That seems like an eternity. **Diogenes** , old friend, for you I just called an old friend of mine who happens to be a writer with 70-odd books to his name. You’ve seen me refer to him enough in threads, and I’ve put in the odd plug for him. According to him, it usually takes about 9 months from the time an author finishes the book to the time it hits the shelves. In other words, the book H. Jay Riker, to give one of his pseudonyms, printed off on my computer a few weeks ago, should be out this fall. For best sellers, including Ms. Rowling, they move the schedule up. Yes, I’ll be one of the people contributing to making it a best seller. I know. I can’t wait, either! CJ ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2004, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882/40 "2004-12-21T17:56:33Z")
YAY! That is all this gal has to say! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-potter-and-the-half-blood-prince-finished/280882.md?page=3)