Since at least one person of value commented, we can now go on to something partially different. Different as in H(arry) P(otter). Sorry, but Tom Felton is hot?!? Not to be mean (to animals), but whom are you comparing him to? A baboon? Sorry baboon. Is there a worthy comparison to make it clear what these obsessed fan girls are insinuating? Perhaps if you said that the actor who plays Filch (David Bradley) is cute. That comes close. Also, this person on a website claims: "I have had negative feedback about him [Snape] not being gay." Huh? Negative feedback??? Where's the poll? The evidence? Did he/she do a statistic? To quote JKR again: "Thinking about S. as having any sexual life what so ever is enough to make me sick.'' I understand her completely. Imagine writing a text about Violi or Nussbaum (''The next time we meet, one of us will die [and it won't be me!!!] quote from The man in the iron mask, Athos to d'Artgnan or in actor terms John Malkovitch to Gabriel Byrne + a [] which has been added by moi) and these bizarre people start writing fan fiction involving these people and putting them in situations relative to sex. I dare say you'd be more than ''slightly'' disgusted?
Next the 7th book is called: Harry Potter and the deathly hallows and will be published on the 21st of July this year. Meaning that we could buy them in England again.
Well, we have a few more discussions before it comes out: a) Is Snape good or bad? b) Who will die? c) Can true evil ever be completely destroyed?
a) The evidence really is none-existent as such, but there may be a few indications nonetheless. Since nothing is completely black or white, we must accept that Snape definitely doesn't have a blank record. Because of him the Potters are dead, he was a Death Eater. Whether he actually killed someone is a different matter though. The thing is would Dumblie beg for his life? What did he mean? Either it was part of his "plan" to die to keep S's true loyalty hidden from V or he was egging Snape on to kill him. Self-hatred and self-revulsion are indistinguishable of hatred and revulsion. Especially since the story is from HP's point of view of course he'll think that "the look of hatred and revulsion that was etched into the harsh lines of his face'' (sorry dunno whether the quote is correct, but it's more or less right, been quite a while since the last reading) was directed at Dumblie. HP was experiencing the same thing when he force-feeds that goo to D. An outsider could have thought that HP hated D. The info S gave V was utterly useless. He gave HP a ''lesson'' about silent curses right at the end of the book. He stops this DE torturing HP and his excuse was the lamest since ''my homework was eaten by the dog''. Yes, Voldie wants HP alive, he doesn't really care what state his in. Crucio doesn't kill you, so what was the point?
The contras: Voldemort is more of a ''kill first talk later'' person. If S was the Death Eater ''who left forever'' how did he get back in to Voldie's group? He would have to have talked faster than it took Voldie to lift his wand and say the killing curse, which was since a long time a reflex. We don't know what kind of info he gave D. He murdered D! What more proof do you want? He's a Death Eater. We don't know ''where his loyalties lie''. Why would someone ask to be killed? Ask somebody else, he's evil that's why I ''liked'' him in the first place! Badies are more complex and interesting than the heroes. Actor-wise Alan Rickman mostly plays badies. This is not necessarily why he was picked though. (He's too old! He's going to be 61, S is supposed to be 48!) Why is the contra shorter, you ask? The contra is more ''obvious''. That and I'm too dumb to find any proof myself + haven't reread them all in detail yet. It wouldn't be the first time that JKR planted a red herring about a character.

b) Who will die?

Normal: Harry and Voldie, Tragic: Ron and Hermione, Neville, etc..., Bizarre: nobody, except for V + a few DE.
Only good can destroy evil, so yeppo... Bye Harry! The alternative ending would be for HP loosing his powers after V's destruction.
S would be a ''tragic hero'' ==> hated by nearly all, ugly (hehe), apparently evil, nobody understands that he did a great n' brave thing --> hence his reaction to being called a coward. He saves HP life several times. Probably he'll die, either by HP overcome by anger, grief and hatred killing him or being destroyed because of greed and power.
Malfoy (either of the men): They had it coming to them. It's a bit like Zola's ''influence of society and ''genetics'' (had they been known about then)'' on people or the great ''nurture vs nature'' conflict. Draco doesn't know any better. There might even be a bit of that ''Daddy doesn't care about me'' aspect there; he always has to prove himself to his father. Anyhow not a great loss. -Hoard of DM fans approaching at an alarming speed- Okay, okay, just kidding, no need to over-react!
Any others: depends. Good people: of course tragic, maybe Lupin will bite the dust? He is after all the last one of the Marauders still standing. If JK eliminates characters by ''power of usefulness'' she may as well kill the whole lot off! Neville might pop his clogs too. It remains to be seen. Bad people: good riddance! Too bad their real counterparts couldn't disappear too.

C) Can true evil ever be completely destroyed?

Hopefully, otherwise there was hardly any reason for writing this book, is there? You can destroy evil; the only problem is that it keeps returning like a boomerang. One evil person goes someone worse will replace them. Hitler goes, Saddam comes... and goes! Wonder where Satan deposited his soul now. Maybe in Berlusconi? Bush? All the communist dictators are dying: Pinochet, Fidel Castro (close enough), Khrushchev,... Chirac is next! J/K, but when he retires, boy who knows what'll happen to him. He'll be imprisoned no doubt. Same goes to Berlusconi, that corrupt, Mafia supporting, German insulting git. That German politician looks like an SS??? What about you? Aren't you a direct descendant of Mussolini? The Mafia is not really known for being ''left'', is it? You may want to take a look at yourself, before judging others! Putting yourself in their shoes, so to speak. Even if a person looks like Hitler, you don't say it out loud on GERMAN NATIONAL TELEVISION!!! Very touchy subject. ''We didn't vote for him!'' ''I knew he was bad all along'' Oh? Wonder how that AUSTRIAN managed to ruin Germany's reputation then. That wasn't the first time Austrians destroyed our reputation. WW1!!! That's a wee bit of topic.
That's it folks! Over and out.