Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)/Fridge
Fridge Brilliance
- The final scene of Half-Blood Prince was derided for taking out the big battle that was in the book. Then it struck me. The Death Eaters didn't plan an attack. They planned an assassination. Now the battle in the book seems kinda pointless.
- Not exactly. In the book, the Death Eaters infiltrating the school are said to have met Harry's guard and members of the Order as they went for the topmost (Astronomy) tower. When you're somewhere you're not supposed to be and your antagonists see you, there's bound to be some kind of confrontation. That one of the Death Eaters actually managed to escape the blows being traded to cast the Dark Mark up there was just a chance; a lucky chance, admittedly, but a chance all the same, given the constant fighting that was going on at the base of the stairs. The movie and the book just present the circumstances differently, which is why the movie makes the book's confrontation seem a bit pointless.
- The book was also from Harry's POV—IIRC, he didn't see much of the battle and was told about it later. When I read the book, I noticed that most of the battle at Hogwarts wasn't described as it happened; I thought this was so Half-Blood Prince wouldn't be too much like Order of the Phoenix.
- A bit of casting brilliance here - after Bill Weasley gets savaged by Greyback, he's described as bearing "a distinct resemblance to Mad-Eye Moody." Who plays Bill in the Deathly Hallows films? Domhnall Gleeson, the son of Brendan Gleeson, who plays Mad-Eye!
- The Death Eater attack of the Burrow put in the film seems pointless but earlier Ron told Harry his mother had not wanted Ron and Ginny to return to Hogwarts because it wasn't safe anymore and to stay home. The attack on the Burrow during Christmas made it clear that nowhere was safe from Voldemort and his followers, not Hogwarts and not even people's homes.-Tapol
- When Dumbledore is trying to convince Draco that he doesn't have to kill him he says "Years ago, I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices, please don't become him." He seems to be referring to Tom Riddle, especially since this echoes his words at the welcoming feast in the beginning of the movie. However, I realized that it makes more sense if he's referring to Regulus Black. There are very few parallels between Draco and Tom Riddle, while Word of God has said that Draco and Regulus are very similar. They both got in a little too deep, but they weren't prepared for the consequences. Dumbledore doesn't seem to see Draco as someone who could possibly become the next dark lord. He seems to see that he's trapped and wants to help him. As far as Dumbledore knows, Regulus is a boy who made the 'wrong choice' to join the Death Eaters, got too far in, backed out, and got killed for it. Dumbledore doesn't want Draco to suffer the same fate, and perhaps wishes to offer Draco the protection he couldn't give to Regulus. - That Crazy Girl With Glasses
- Re-reading that line, I thought Dumbledore was referring to himself. Everyone knows his early ambitions were less-than-awesome and it cost him his sister, his brother, and his friend. But the Regulus bit really is brilliant. - mermaidgirl45
- Further interpretation: It refers to so many of the characters. Snape, Regulus, Tom, himself, possibly Grindelwald. Dumbledore is including Draco in a whole litany of characters who either should have been better than they were, or should have been recognised for defying their natures. Since Draco is at the turning point, where he will either become the bad (Grindelwald/Voldemort) or the good who should be better recognised (Snape/Regulus) it becomes prophetic of which one he will become when he doesn't kill Dumbledore.
- I really don't think it would refer to Regulus... Because Dumbledore knowing Regulus' past would imply that he knew about Regulus' involvement with the locket... In which case, he would know that the locket from HBP was a fake and would not have pursued/died for it.
- iirc, it was known that Regulus backed out and was killed by Voldemort for it, so Dumbly could be referring to Reggy there.
- Re-reading that line, I thought Dumbledore was referring to himself. Everyone knows his early ambitions were less-than-awesome and it cost him his sister, his brother, and his friend. But the Regulus bit really is brilliant. - mermaidgirl45