Unfogging the Half-Blood Prince Cover Art

I have a feeling they aren't really in the Forbidden Forest. Could it be the Black Forest on the cover? I know we heard about it a couple of times.

The Black Forest? Where have you heard about that?

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I know you'll all hate me for this but--Harry's getting more and more irritating. In the first four books, it depicted Harry wearing a nice smile, where he was really cool and the happy-go-lucky guy we know. In OotP, he was frowning and he was that temperamental guy. I guess that's really okay since i wouldn't want everybody to think i'm a liar but he grew fairly proud there and yet again, i don't get why he was reluctant to start DA since he just shouted his achievements in the Order Headquarters. In HBP, he's also frowning. Could that mean he'll still be temperamental? I really hope it doesn't mean that. I expected him to be more sweet and good and happy and like my dog. I thought he should've been a little more quiet and more lovable and less temperamental because...well, he'll be shouting next, "WHO HAD TO LEAD YOU ALL INTO A TRAP IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MYSTERIES AND GET MY UNCLE DEAD?" But oh well...

Harry's growing up :p we can't expect him to be good-natured all of the time. I'm 19 now, and I can certainly recall some of the more cringe-worthy things I've said in a hissy fit. He's going through that horrid hormonal stage where you can't control your emotions all of the time, and with the baggage he's having to carry, is it any wonder he's being temperamental?! :no:

Harry was reluctant to start the DA because he didn't recognise the enormity of his achievements. To him, they were just things he'd done without skill, while to the others they were a result of his ability to fight well (with magic, of course). When he gets to the headquarters, he's feeling like he's been shut out, and acknowledges the stuff he's done - at last - but in the wrong way. He's tormented by his exclusion from the wizarding world, then thrust back into the limelight... shuttled back and forth he feels misunderstood - like any other teen would.

JKR shows these mood swings to show the dichotomy of Harry - maturity in talent, if not in mental age ( :shrug: ) a fault of age, not personality. Harry will move out of this stage eventually, probably aided by the death of Sirius - a knock back to reality, and an early look at the first-hand shock of losing family. In the next two books, we're likely to see huge steps towards maturity, and the growth of Harry as a young man (physically, mentally and magically). I can see a few more temper-tantrums, but not many, and not as explosive. Dumbledore will set him straight :)

[edit: just realised that this was slightly off-topic :blush: although if you want links to the cover-art... the advanced potions book, Harry and DD looking serious (UK and US covers)... says a mature Harry to me :tu: ]

Potions will obviously play a huge part in HBP. The adult HBP cover has a solitary Advanced Potions book on it. Instantly, it is almost confirmed that Harry will be placed in Advanced Potions. At first glance, one would assume that this is just revealing an interesting tidbit. However, it seems to hold more significance. All the previous covers for the adult versions held a picture of something directly related to the plot. Potions, of course, is obviously not the core of the main plot, but I think that it ties in with Snape and finding out more about him. Advanced Potions means more delightful screentime for Snape, and it seems as if this extra time would lead towrds a branch of the main plot.

I KNOW this sounds like a STUPID question... with the regular and the delux books, are the workings the same or do they have different text? I know the delux has extra pics and a different cover but I never thought of the wording.

From what I understood from Borders, where I ordered mine deluxe and reg version for my daughter...one just has more pictures than the other...that is the only difference other than price. It was almost double in price.

Hmm, maybe... they are going to use the pensive to get to know about the Half-Blood Prince's past or something?

I thought pensieves only showed a person's memories? That would mean the Half-Blood Prince would have to put in "strands" of memory or have a bunch of people who knew the half-blood prince to put in memories with him in it to see his past.

~Gryffinclaw07

After seeing the artwork I think this may very well be the end to Dumbledore :upset: It seems fitting that he would give himself as the ultimate sacrifice to save Harry.

I'd have to agree with you there PadfootLvsOn. Dumbledore even said how he had grown too close to Harry in OotP.

the covers have gotten more cryptic as popularity for the book increased look at USA cover for #1 compared to #6

Just a thought...since Dumbledore knows that his mother's ultimate sacrifice will not save Harry anymore...is it possible that Dumbledore feels he has to sacrifice himself to save Harry and make him invincible to Voldermort?

I think I figured out what is on the cover of the American Edition of HBP. It is not a pensieve. I got it from book 5. It is on page 470 of the American Edition chapter 22. It says "Dumbledore now swooped down upon one of the fragile SILVER Instruments whose function Harry had never known,.....(Dumbledore) tapped it gently with the tip of his wand. The instrument tinkled into life at once with rhythic clinking noises. Tiny puffs of pale GREEN smoke issued from the minuscule silver tube at the top.....the stream of smoke that thickened and coiled in the air....A serpent's head grew out of the end of it, opening its mouth wide. Harry wondered whether the instrument was confirming his story..."
I think the object on the cover is the object explain here. Apparently Harry the instrument maybe shows a person's dreams, visions, or past I don't know. This is just a guess but I think I am right. Please reply, I am curious about what people think about what I found.

I have read that excerpt over and over, granherm, and I have wondered the same thing...however, every prediction that I made about OotP, was a complet joke, so, I'm holding back a real opinion, because, most likely, I will be all WRONG! LOL! But, you have made a good case and at this point, anything is possible...good find! :tu:

Just a thought...since Dumbledore knows that his mother's ultimate sacrifice will not save Harry anymore...is it possible that Dumbledore feels he has to sacrifice himself to save Harry and make him invincible to Voldermort?
I dislike this theory that Harry needs another person to sacrifice themselves for him, for him to be able to defeat Voldemort. Harry was just 1 years old when he was first attacked; since then he has learnt a great deal and been able to fight back sufficiently well to enable his escapes from the DEs and LV. Although the death of DD does seem likely at this juncture ( :upset: ), I don't see him sacrificing himself. Harry's past that point now, and as V has been able to overcome the mother-love protection, there's no plausible reason I can see that DD's sacrifice would make a difference.

There's also the possibility that Harry didn't get an Outstanding on his Potions exam, and being locked out of Snape's courses Dumbledore decides to teach Harry Advanced Potions himself.

It's all about SNAPE, baby. Who teaches advanced potions? I think Snape will play a prominent part in book six. (I even suspect he'll be the HBP!)

Sorry to change the topic but:

I was looking at the speacial edition cover again (because the first time I looked at it, it was 3 in the morning and I was dizzy) and it occurred to me that there is a broken fence in front of Harry. I'm sure this has been discussed here, but I was wondering where everyone thought they were...Godric Hollow perhaps? Thats about the only decrepit place I can think of at the moment, although unfortunately I'm very tired again.

I think that the british version of adult i think, of the Advanced Potion Making looks like Harry got at least one assured O.W.L. in potions ey? and Lavender I think that they are either there, or at Azkaban or where that green torch is.

Originally Posted by granhermi
I think I figured out what is on the cover of the American Edition of HBP. It is not a pensieve. I got it from book 5. It is on page 470 of the American Edition chapter 22. It says "Dumbledore now swooped down upon one of the fragile SILVER Instruments whose function Harry had never known,.....(Dumbledore) tapped it gently with the tip of his wand. The instrument tinkled into life at once with rhythic clinking noises. Tiny puffs of pale GREEN smoke issued from the minuscule silver tube at the top.....the stream of smoke that thickened and coiled in the air....A serpent's head grew out of the end of it, opening its mouth wide. Harry wondered whether the instrument was confirming his story..."
I think the object on the cover is the object explain here. Apparently Harry the instrument maybe shows a person's dreams, visions, or past I don't know. This is just a guess but I think I am right. Please reply, I am curious about what people think about what I found.

if you look closely at the smoke on the cover of the American Version, The dark mist looks sort of like a snake or surphent. It seems to have its head to the left to DD shoulder. It's mouth seems to open and it looks sort of sinister. In the above quote when I read it I imediatly thought of when I first saw the cover. The snake. Coinsidence? I hope not!

Sorry to change the topic but:

I was looking at the speacial edition cover again (because the first time I looked at it, it was 3 in the morning and I was dizzy) and it occurred to me that there is a broken fence in front of Harry. I'm sure this has been discussed here, but I was wondering where everyone thought they were...Godric Hollow perhaps? Thats about the only decrepit place I can think of at the moment, although unfortunately I'm very tired again.

Good eye, LavenderBrown! I think it's highly possible that we'll get to see Godric's Hollow in Book 6, even if this is not the exact place represented by the broken fence on the cover. I don't think it's too far of a stretch for Harry to visit the place where his parent's died, and perhaps discover futher clues into his past.

It looks like dumbledore, with the glasses, and stuff, but I thought the picture on the back of the first book was him, but this looks totally different.

Okay, so I JUST noticed this, and some of you all might think I'm crazy, but I don't think so...
go to this site and magnify it
http://www.veritaserum.com/books/book6/img/hbpcover-deluxe.jpg

Now, on the bottom right hand side of the cover, just above the broken fence, look real close...do you see it? A wolfish looking creature (Remus?) and a man (Snape?) sitting, leaning against something? And just above the wolfish thing's head, it looks as if other faces (DE's, Order Members) are drawn in the branches. And then, okay this is hard, but at the bottom of Dumbledore's robes (by his armpit I guess), and where Harry's arm starts, there is a branch that is drawn like Voldemort's face. I don't think he's there but the drawing might be trying to show us that wherever they are, it has to do with Voldemort (The Riddle House) perhaps. It would make sense that after the murders, it would be blocked and boarded up.

So maybe they aren't alone...perhaps Snape and Remus are with them. It looks as if there could be a full moon...I wonder what everyone is doing.

Oh please tell me someone else sees all this and I am not crazy. I nearly fell out of my seat when I noticed it.

Okay, so I JUST noticed this, and some of you all might think I'm crazy, but I don't think so...
go to this site and magnify it
http://www.veritaserum.com/books/book6/img/hbpcover-deluxe.jpg

Now, on the bottom right hand side of the cover, just above the broken fence, look real close...do you see it? A wolfish looking creature (Remus?) and a man (Snape?) sitting, leaning against something? And just above the wolfish thing's head, it looks as if other faces (DE's, Order Members) are drawn in the branches. And then, okay this is hard, but at the bottom of Dumbledore's robes (by his armpit I guess), and where Harry's arm starts, there is a branch that is drawn like Voldemort's face. I don't think he's there but the drawing might be trying to show us that wherever they are, it has to do with Voldemort (The Riddle House) perhaps. It would make sense that after the murders, it would be blocked and boarded up.

So maybe they aren't alone...perhaps Snape and Remus are with them. It looks as if there could be a full moon...I wonder what everyone is doing.

Oh please tell me someone else sees all this and I am not crazy. I nearly fell out of my seat when I noticed it.
Um, I don't see any of this. I would say you're grabbing at smoke but then again someone was talking about the knife stuck in the tree and I was looking at the wrong spot. I don't think that the cover would give away too much.

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