Before I post a theory, just curious if anyone else read the short paragraph that was posted on jkrowling.com several months ago. It relates to my theory so was just curious.

Elizabeth~Hufflepuff

I never read it. What did it say?

Jamie, Hufflepuff

I read it. It corraborates my theory as well. (Godric Gryffindor)

elly
gryffindor

I honestly have absolutely no idea who the HBP will be. It's so up in the air - the only thing I absolutely figure is it'll be a new character or a character we only know in name.

As for the passage...I thought it could also refer to the new DADA prof.

Nikki/Slytherin

IF the passage is infact about the HBP it might be Mad Eye Moody
~*~RITA~*~griffindork

I think it'll either be a brand new character or Godric Gryiffindor. But as for the passage, I don't think it's describing Gryffindor. Isn't Hogwarts something like a thousand years old? Certainly he'd be dead, or at least look much, much older than the person described. Personally, I think it's a new DADA teacher, or possibly and Auror.

Ashleigh, 'Claw

Here is my theory (and yes, I am an overanalytical, super dork hehe):

I think this person is the half-blood prince, and he is the heir of gryffindor-the lion imagery. (I thought it might have been Godric, but Flamel was supposed to be the oldest person, and he was still about 1000 years post Hogwarts creation.) After hearing about the importance of some of the lines in CoS, specifically that she had Steve Kloves keep in the line "Only a true Gryffindor could pull the sword out of the hat," I think that shows that Harry is a relative of Gryffindor, but since he is not the Half-Blood Prince, someone else who is related to him has to reveal themselves. I think that it is a relative of Harry's on the Potter side. It seems like something Jo would do, especially after emphasizing he HAD to go with the dursley's for Lily's sacrifice, he had to be someone of the same blood as Lily for the protective spell to work. Plus, the Potters were in hiding, and if Harry found out there were more and/or where they were, that could have gotten out to Voldemort and used against them. She has also said in interviews that more will be revealed about harry's family and they will play a major role. It will also make the battle between Voldemort and Harry more significant because it is a once and for all, Godric vs. Salazar, type of thing.

Forgot to sign
Elizabeth~Hufflepuff

I really like that theory. I always wondered about Harry's family on the Potter side. You hear nothing about them and I think that them playing a part in the rest of series would be something that Rowlings would do. I would like to think that its Harry's grandfather (James' dad) that the passage is talking about. Its time that Harry has some happiness in his life since all the good that he discovered with Sirius is gone....for the time being anyway. I still think that Sirius will come back. Just the way that Luna talked about "being just beyond the veil". We don't know what is beyond the veil. Ah, I'm going off on a tanget that doesn't apply. Sorry, but one things always leads to another you know.

But yeah, I like that theory Elizabeth. It is well thought out it has stuff to back it up. With all that thinking, how did you not get sorted into Ravenclaw! hehehe :-)

it is a once and for all, Godric vs. Salazar, type of thing
Well, yes, this would make sense, since Voldemort is a direct descendant from Salazar Slytherin. But I can't get two things out of my head:

1) the Sorting Hat's song in OotP. He reminded the students of the deep friendship between Godric and Salazar ("For were there such friends anywhere / As Slytherin and Gryffindor?"). Okay, Harry got Gryffindor's sword out of the hat when he needed to defend himself, but that was against the Basilisk and not against Voldemort, and it was basically meant as a prove that he's a true Gryffindor. Which, I admit, points into the direction of a possible link between the two.

2) Neville. This wouldn't work if Voldemort had chosen Neville instead. It was Voldemort's CHOICE to kill Harry and not Neville. This link between Harry and Gryffindor vs. Voldemort and Slytherin would only work then if destiny herself made Voldemort choose. Something I highly doubt.

i guess i should post my thoughts on this, huh? i mean, it is my post and everything...

so i have no clue at all who the HBP is. i agree with nikkiinla that it will be a new character or one we've heard of in passing perhaps.

as for that passage posted above, perhaps it's describing Godric Gryffindor as seen in the Pensieve? it certainly sounds like a description that could fit him... *shrugs*

cj//'Puff

I like this: http://www.mugglenet.com/editorials/editorials/edit-sfranklin01.shtml

That was awesome, and it makes sense, too. Especially if all the other Slytherins-death eater children were wearing rings. And the guy who plays Seamus, on his website, wrote that Jo visited the set and said he was exactly right for Seamus. She would know what he should be like and what is to come, and if his presentation has been accurate.... Interesting... And, was it Seamus that was supposed to go to Eton of Justin?

Elizabeth~Puff

*flails* Never thought of that at all. Sound's interesting. However, it does kind of assume that the half-blood prince will be evil, which we don't really yet know. It's really, really intriguing, though!

Anna M

That was a great article! I personally liked the thoery about the muggle royalty. That would be a great twist on things!

This comment is also quite interesting:

His Boggart is a screaming Banshee. In Irish folk-law a Banshee was a forewarner of death, especially in important famillys (the rulers and kinsman of Ireland) when the Banshee screams.

I'm not sure about the evil part, either. Maybe the fact he is in Gryffindor reflects a choice he will have to make soon.

Wow. That gave me loads to think about now. Parts I find a bit too far-fetched, but I'd be really curious how this mystery with the rings will be solved (if at all) in the next book.

Nicola

Personally, I think the HBP will be a brand new character. Though it would be much more exciting if it were a character we were already familiar with, I think it's more likely to be a new character. We do know that it isn't Harry, Dumbledore, Voldemordt, any Slytherin (half-blood prince), or a female (derr). Other than that, it could really be anyone.

Here are some of my guesses:
Neville (just cause I love him and would love for him to get more book time)
Lupin
Hagrid
Sirius (I'm still not 100% sure he's dead)
a Gryffindor
A new character.

Any other guesses?

Anna M, Ravenclaw

Can we rule out Slytherins (aside from those, like Draco, who we know pedigees for)? We know there was at least one halfblood Slytherin, so it may be the Sorting Hat isn't as strict as Salazar when it comes to blood. On the other hand, it's stated that both Sirius and Neville are pureblooded wizards, so we can probably rule them both out. (I know Luna's folks were both wizards, but if either was Muggleborn, she would count as a hlafblood -- I believe Rowling's definition of 'halfblood' means any one with at least one wizard parent and at least one Muggle grandparent)

-- Rebecca, Hufflepuff

I think we can rule out Neville since he's a pureblood wizard. And Lupin and Hagrid are rather referred to as "half-breeds"...

Nicola

I have no idea who HPB is. I'm afraid that if I start to theorize and get my heart set on one idea, that when (or if) it turns out to be false, I'll freak out and something bad will happen. Lol But all of those theories are great. I'd love for it to be Neville, but since he was ALMOST The Boy Who Lived I doubt that it would be him. Though the description sounds like either Godric or a young(er) Moody to me.

Yes, every discussion can (and should, sometimes) be turned into a "Sirius Lives" one. Denial is more than just a river in Egypt. ^__^

Lina>>Slytherin

I love that quote i use it all teh time. Wootwooth! Egypt pride
~*~RITA~*~Gryffindrk

I really have no idea and part of me doesn't even want to think about it until I have the book in hand. But I do think that the theory on Goderic Gryffindor VS. Salazar Slytherin and the theory on Harry's Family sound like valid assumptions.

PS- I refuse to believe that Sirius is dead. I love him.

GAH!

Megan = Ravenclaw

I honestly don't know what I believe about this... I thought for a long time that it would be Dean Thomas. But then I read on Jo's site that Dean would not be featured in as big a role as she hoped in this book. I mean, Jo had his entire history written down... including that he IS half-blood, his mother a muggle, that his father was killed by Death Eaters because he would not join them... and yeah... so that gives me my reasoning why I hoped that it WOULD be him... but now I don't know.

I read the article on Mugglenet about the rings a while back (as pointed to me by my friend Nicole, who is an editor there) and I don't know whether or not I believe it or find it to be a bunch of hooey. Because, honestly... it seems quite possible. But I believe the foreshadowing in the book to be the crows in Hagrid's pumpkin patch and not the rings. I know Cuaron's style, and I believe that he's setting us up to find out one of the persons who is going to die in HBP. And I believe that person is Cornelius Fudge... if you watch that scene, the second version... Harry comes CLOSE to the crows, but they never touch ANY of them... and one lands directly on Fudge's head. The idea is that a crow has always been an omen of death (as famously used by Edgar Allan Poe.) and that Cuaron picked up a way to clue in to us that Fudge would go. There IS going to be a new Minister, right?

As for it being Seamus... not sure. All I know is that I've been wondering who the half-blood prince would be since December and I've been wracking my brain for a conclusion... and now I've settled to wait two more weeks. All the while wishing that it would be Dean Thomas. And knowing that it might be Seamus Finnegan.

Congrats! You found the second stop!

Clue #3

A dream is a wish your heart makes, they say
And who doesn’t dream on a November day?
Do you think you would feel joy
If you went to Hawaii with Draco Malfoy?

I don't know who it is, but some think it'll be Neville.