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[Olwen]

It's implied that Dumbledore knew about Horcruxes for a long time since Slughorn obviously knew about them during his tenure at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore knew to ask Slughorn for his memory of Tom Riddle asking about them. Since Dumbledore is arguably the greatest wizard of his time, implying greater magical knowledge than Slughorn, a good case can be made for him knowing about them.

The interesting question, best kept in the Horace Slughorn thread, is how and why Dumbledore suspected Slughorn gave Tom Riddle that information.

[Spirit]

I think there were strong indications in the books Dumbledore knew about Horcruxes, not only before Harry, but even before Tom.  Slughorn says it's a topic forbidden at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore would be very angry if he knew they were talking about it.

[Olwen]

I think there were strong indications in the books Dumbledore knew about Horcruxes, not only before Harry, but even before Tom.  Slughorn says it's a topic forbidden at Hogwarts, and Dumbledore would be very angry if he knew they were talking about it.

True, Spirit Serpenti. Here's the quote: (HBP, 499)

"But all the same, Tom...keep it quiet, what I've told-that's to say, what we've discussedl People wouldn't like to think we've been chatting about Horcruxes. It's a banned subject at Hogwarts, you know....Dumbledore's particularly fierce about it."

Dumbledore wasn't headmaster yet, but he may have had enough clout and knowledge of Horcruxes to convince the headmaster to ban the subject.

[Archangel]

Oh, come on, Lady. You were winking and smiling when you made the capslock comment.  I can't have a little fun with that myself? 

However, I think this is a pretty black and white area.  As the above quote shows, Dumbledore wasn't very fond of Horcruxes - why would he use them?

Thanks for digging that up, Olwen. 

[thimble]

What I would like from Book 7:

1.  Regulus alive, to serve as A) another model for a "good Slytherin" who combines qualities of the "lion" and the "snake," B) a way for Sirius to "return from the dead" - metaphorically - but in a "better" form (no tomatoes, Sirius-lovers), and C) a non-Pensieve window into the Snape-Lily-Marauders era at Hogwarts.

okay, that is what I want, more than anything else, please please please.  More realistically, I think I can expect the following:

2.  Dumbledore was right about Snape.  Of course.

3.  Lots and lots and lots of Snape.  Complicated, human, multi-dimensional Snape.  Snape who makes mistakes and choices and is truly heroic.  Snape who falls in love and gets hurt and doesn't know how to reconcile himself to a life he finds himself living.  Snape who is battle scarred and still trying to do the right things.  Snape who says the most brilliant things and does the most shocking. 

4.  Ditto for Lupin, although with far fewer words spent on him.    And the same for James.  I don't think they deserve the same amount of attention, but I do believe they deserve the same amount of complexity as characters.  JKR is very good at populating her books with people, rather than concepts in human disguises.  While there are some broadly drawn caricatures who truly have no depth, these are mostly comedic and / or evil characters.  I don't believe that JKR has created a world where she would set up "evil" characters in a position for people to admire them.  Bad, perhaps.  Flawed, definitely.  Human, yes.  I want to be able to walk away from Book 7 with the idea that people can do bad things and learn lessons. That redemption is possible, and that most of the "divisions" that keep people apart are self-imposed.  Which leads me to...

5.  Harry and Snape find some kind of mutual recognition.  Like others who have posted, I would love for Fawkes to be the vehicle for this.  They both need to see that Dumbledore trusted them both, that they both want what is right, that they are both trying to do what they think is best, that they've both been stubborn, etc.

6.  More backstory than teen romance!

7.  Horcrux hunting only if it also involves character development, witty dialogue, or something other than "go here, find that."  Unless it is a much more exciting "go here, find that" than the horcrux hunt has proven so far...

8.  I absolutely must know the details of the Tower scene and Dumbledore's death.

9.  A House Elf uprising would rock.  Centaurs playing some vital role would be great, too.  I definitely expect some kind of inter-species cooperation in this book!

10.  Petunia's moment of grace.  We all know it's coming.

[Nyctalus]

7.  Horcrux hunting only if it also involves character development, witty dialogue, or something other than "go here, find that."  Unless it is a much more exciting "go here, find that" than the horcrux hunt has proven so far...

Thimble, I very much agree with you in this; I do hope DH won't focus too much on the Horcrux hunt. The very obvious need for Harry to find and destroy four dangerous items has surely set up the expectations for more action-thriller components in the book. But if the horcruxes will require too much space I think I'll feel kind of disappointed (and imagine having to endure four of them...  )

There are so many interesting questions still to be answered about the main character's backgrounds, motives and developement, and that's indeed what I most look forward to read about. I realize it must have been a great challenge to JKR trying to tie up most of the loose ends and still make the ending of the series truly exciting and unpredictable. But I still hope the many and clear anticipations about the Horcruxes in HBP won't mean they will be the most important theme of book 7...

9.  A House Elf uprising would rock.  Centaurs playing some vital role would be great, too.  I definitely expect some kind of inter-species cooperation in this book!

Another good point! There have been quite a few indications in previous books about Voldemort's army of different creatures working for him, but we haven't seen much success so far in uniting forces on the other part of the conflict. So it will be really exciting to see what choices the House Elves, Goblins, Centaurs, Giants and other creatures make. I imagine they will be rather divided at first, but I do hope we'll see them finally work together with the wizards, hopefully with a bit more tolerance and humility from the latter! I also hope we'll see at least some more individuals from the 'dark' creatures, like the werewolves, changes side.

[foryourmalice13]

wow, not that i want to bring up the DD horcrux argument again, but i do think it would've been an interesting twist if he had've created one, although i don't believe he did.  definitely an interesting theory though.

i don't remember if i said this in my last post, but i do want snape to be delved into quite a bit.  when i first read HPB i was convinced he was pure evil, but the more i thought about it i realized DD is too smart for that.  if he trusted snape that deeply, he had very good reasons to do so. even though he's been a pretty big jerk to harry, i want him to become the hero, not necessarily of the whole series or the whole book, but of something at least.  there's got to be something good about him if DD was so fond of him.  can't remember who said it, but i love the idea of he and harry resolving their issues through fawkes. 

also, i agree with the more backstory than horcrux hunt request.  i love reading fanfics about lily and james and the whole gang during their time at hogwarts, so to read what JK herself would write would be a dream come true.  i'd also like to see it from snape's POV, see his softer side as he falls for lily, etc.  i doubt she'll focus too much on the hunt for the last 4 horcruxes, she surely knows it's not what we all want to read about for 800 something pages.  i have complete faith in her. 

i think that's it for now...i think i'm up to 11 demands now, haha.

[Daelin]

Hello, I'm in late I see but here is my list (I have thought about these, and half-expect I will get most of this):

1. Harry -reluctantly - accepts help from Severus Snape, after finding proof that Dumbledore was right to trust Snape.

2. The House Elves turn out to be a huge force for Harry's side.

3. Harry destroys all the Horcruxes, but Voldemort goes into the final showdown not knowing this. The last word on Voldy's lips is something like "oops".

4. Ron finds a way to use his Dad's muggle inventions in an important way (after all, JKR promised we'd see that Ford Anglia again!)

5. Dumbledore did not die in vain, but as part of a plan.

6. Bella picks a final showdown with Neville, and finds out - fatally - that Neville has grown up in lots of ways.

7. Voldemort will go slightly insane, mistake Umbridge for Trelawney, and kidnap and torture her in a vain effort to find out what the prophecy said.

8. Wormtail shall be redeemed.  He not only owes Harry a life debt, but is a Gryffindor.  In the last book, we will find out why.

9. The trio and all the Weasleys, even Percy, will survive.

10. We shall find out how else one defeats a dementor.

[foryourmalice13]

hahaha, i like the one about umbridge, Daelin, love to see that happen.  i hate that woman more than voldy for some reason.  she's just cruel and heartless for no reason, at least voldy has a reason- world domination and immortality, hahaha.

[hwyla]

First  Daelin! Great you could join us!

3. Harry destroys all the Horcruxes, but Voldemort goes into the final showdown not knowing this. The last word on Voldy's lips is something like "oops".

Wierd mental picture - but I LOVE it! 'Oops'! with a slightly worried look?!

7. Voldemort will go slightly insane, mistake Umbridge for Trelawney, and kidnap and torture her in a vain effort to find out what the prophecy said.

[foryourmalice13]

i can actually see the voldy "oops" thing happening.  he's always making slight mistakes, tiny little oversights that ruin everything.  he forgot about the old magic that lily used, he forgot phoenix feathers healed, and i think there were others but i don't remember them off the top of my head, plus it's kinda late and i'm about to go to sleep, so im not thinking clearly anyways.  i could see him being on the verge of death thinking oh crap! i can't believe i forgot that or something. 

[Ioana]

OK, here I go:

1. This one is already NOT fulfilled, but I'll post it anyway - a loooong book, about twice as thick as OotP.

2. Viktor Krum.

3. Snape turns out dead loyal to Dumbledore.

4. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Hagrid live long and happy lives, aka A Happy Ending 

5. Voldemort dies, this time premanently.

6. Humour.

7. Insight into other Death Eater families - and probably some form other Houses? And a glimpse of a nice Slytherin.

8. A Snape/Lily connection proven CANON!!! 

9. A year in Hogwarts - an unlikely possibility, but still hoping...

10. A great read! 

[ignisia]

3. Snape turns out dead loyal to Dumbledore.

Totally. But let's hope it really is "dead loyal" and not "loyal and dead".

[Spirit]

How 'bout "living loyal"?

[rocking_on]

Just my two cents...

1. I am in complete and absolute agreement with everyone thus far who has demanded COMPLETE AND TOTAL knowledge of the Billowy One.

2. Snape, obviously, must turn out loyal to Dumbleodre, and he needs to have not only a Harry confrontation, but a Volders confrontation in front of Harry, and at some point, a face off with Lupin. Or possibly McGonagall. Or even both.

3. Harry dies. (I thought the Harry/Ginny romance not well done and dont like it all that much, I think Harry needs to be the single hero who sacrifices all to save everyone. But of course Snape is the one Harry has to turn to/Snape must turn up in order for Harry to do this, which I think means Snape would have to die too, but, they could be in some kind of agreement and Snape would be vindicated at least.)

4. A very long book. Really long. As in, take me a week to read long. (I can still dream.)

5. The Petunia story.

6. The kind of conclusion that can encompass the older parts of the series we all know and love with all this new and strange information from HBP--and, as someone mentioned earlier, a non-lame/cliche/predictable way of "love conquering all."

7. The kind of delightful surprises that make you want to jump up and down going Yes! That's it! That's it!; or, I knew it!!

8. Percy Weasley needs to get his act together.

9. So do Ron and Hermione. Big time.

10. Essentially, the main themes of the demands on the first page, which I read thoroughly and with great enjoyment ^_^