The first chapter of Half Blood Prince-not really a spoiler but may be

[davidinalameda]

is that not a scathing indictment of Tony Blair?

[XemaSab]

1. Spanking for the ages...

We'll be telling our grandchildren that that's Tony Blair.

[lakemonster11]

2. How about that "wretched" president of --- ?

:)

[Orsino]

3. Yep. Read it and weep, freeps.

Ya dumb Muggles.

[Lisa]

5. that, I guess, is what the "W" really stands for?

Makes sense to me.

[politicat]

7. Unfortunately....

The prevailing theory is that Year 1 is 1991, with Harry and his peers born in late 1979 and 1980, and LV-Potters battle in 1981. That puts HBP in 1998, with "Good Tony" (As he was at that time, rather than Evil Tony as he's become) new to the office, and the "Wretched man" is not the current squatter in the Oval office.

However, I read it the way you did, too, and see Tony as the Muggle to end all Muggles.

[Pithy Cherub]

4. That was a beautiful thing. Could you imagine John Major

or Maggie Thatcher with the Wizarding Community?

The other thought that came to mind was the huge bridge blow up in light of what has just happened in London. Very eerily prescient.

[Lisa]

6. the book seems to imply that the PM's predecessor fought back

He tried to throw Cornelius Fudge out of the window? If the PM described in the book is Blair, that would mean it was Major who tried to defenestrate Fudge. (I guess it's possible, though I somehow have an easier time picturing Maggie doing that!)


I felt a pang when they described King's Cross Station, because that's where the criminal investigation is focused. The publishers had been scheduled to have the launch party there, but moved it because of security and forensic concerns (and also out of respect for the victims).

[robbedvoter]

8. Blair comments on it:

Prime Minister discusses mention in HBP
Recently, during a question and answer session with the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, a woman asked him what he thought of the Harry Potter books' impact on children's literacy as well as the people who were critical of them. He replied:
"The Harry Potter brief in my file is somewhat thin, which only shows that my officials' sense of importance is not what it should be. I was told by someone, however, that in the first chapter of the new book, the Minister of Magic comes out of a fireplace to confront the Prime Minister. I am still searching for the Minister."
http://www.mugglenet.com/index.shtml?location=right&vo=10

At least he has a sense of humor

[dhinojosa]

9. At least he reads books......

Bush would be mispronouncing everything, even go so far as to call him Larry Potter.