The Breaking of the Hogwarts Fellowship

[Firefoot]

I'm agreeing with Lalwende on the Snape/Saruman idea. I had started to think about it last night, but I am hesitant to post any strong ideas because it's been six months since I read HBP and longer for the others. So if I mess some facts up... blame a faulty memory.

Snape definitely strikes me as being loyal only really to himself - he'll pay lip service to those higher up but only to keep himself in a good position to move up. He's really only looking out for himself, playing both Dumbledore and Voldemort to his advantage. Power for himself seems to be the theme here - similar to Saruman, helping out the good guys while pursuing his own ends, eventually hooking up with Sauron as well. But while Saruman's change is pretty steady in one direction (pretty steadily good to bad), Snape seems to flip-flop all over the place... you're not really ever sure where he's at - good (okay, he was never the most pleasant fellow but I wouldn't call him evil before he hooked up with Voldemort), bad, good?, bad, and in book 7... more bad? good?

As for the similar themes and parallels... both Rowling and Tolkien drew on mythology, Rowling primarily Greek and Tolkien more Norse, but Tolkien knew Latin and Greek so I highly doubt he would be unfamiliar with Greek mythology. From what I know of mythology, there are many similar themes and often similar stories running through those of different cultures. This could explain some of it.

Great Wizard lost! - Gandalf/Dumbledore. Will Dumbledore return? I don't think so.

I hightly doubt it as well, especially considering Rowling's theme of death and the acceptance of it. (Sorcerer's stone, "To the well organized mind, death is only the next great adventure," deaths of prominant characters such as Sirius, etc.). However, to take the loss of the Great Wizard parallel further, even though Gandalf came back, he didn't come back and help Frodo, the main hero, out. Frodo (with Sam) had to do it on his own without Gandalf's guidance, similar to how Harry (with Ron and Hermione) is going to have to complete his task without Dumbledore's guidance.

Breaking of the Fellowship - which I alluded to in the thread title. Hogwarts may be no more; it may survive, but apparently not for Harry, Ron, and Hermione. (Italics mine)

Even though this wasn't the point LMP was getting at, that part about Hogwarts not being there for Harry, Ron, and Hermione reminded me of how the Shire really wasn't meant for Frodo anymore after the quest. Now we'll see what happens to Harry in Book 7, but I wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't some kind of the same kind of growing up and growing out. The fact that he is already leaving Hogwarts suggests that it may be so.