Update (2/11): I spoke too soon about "spending this week blogging…"

I've been busy preparing for and attending a big political conference in Washington, DC. Check for updates next week. Granger's article is fascinating, and I can't wait to blog about his other theories.
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I don't remember who told me about John Granger, but I'll always be grateful. I've read mostly all his articles, and his site is where I first read about the "stoppered death" theory. I agree with it wholeheartedly.

A woman named Cathy Liesner from Granger's Barnes and Noble University discussion raised this issue. She theorized that Dumbledore's attempt (and success) to secure the ring horcrux lethally injured him. He called on the Potions Master, Severus Snape, for treatment. In light of what I think the treatment entailed, that's an understatement. Liesner believes that Snape "stoppered" Dumbledore's inevitable death, allowing him more time (a year?) to tutor Harry while trying to get to the bottom of Lord Voldemort's plans.

I wrote about it a few months ago in this post.

I plan to elaborate on the theory, but in this post I want to blog about something that I, much to my chagrin, have never thought about before: the whole cave horcrux deal was a set-up for Dumbledore as a false lead and to kill him with the poisonous phosphorescent green potion.

I think I'm in the minority when I say that R.A.B. is not Regulus Black. I haven't fleshed out my theory yet, but I think the initials stand for more than one wizard. I thought Snape had something to do with it. If he did, however, I don't think he would have sent Dumbledore and Harry on such a dangerous mission to retrieve it…unless he didn't know about Dumbledore's plans or that he's indeed evil. I'm firmly in the Snape-is-good camp, though.

Sirius didn't think too highly of his brother, who was only 19 when he died and presumably wasn't a very good wizard. Based on what I've read, only an accomplished wizard could have retrieved the locket and mixed the potion. The main reason I don't think Regulus is R.A.B. is this: I just don't think JKR would make it so easy.

Let's turn to Granger's theory. In Why Half-Blood Prince is the Best Harry Potter Novel: Stoppered Death, EVIL Slughorn, and What Really Happened, he writes

We know that an accomplished wizard has switched out the Horcrux [Interesting that he uses the word as a proper noun] in the basin and left a faux Horcrux with a note seemingly from Regulus Black as well as an impenetrable emerald green potion that Dumbledore “assumes” he must drink.

If Regulus Black left the faux LV Horcrux necklace in its original spot (not the cave) and Slughorn or Voldemort found it, Slughorn could have created with Voldemort’s help the trap in the Cave, to include the poisoned potion. Slughorn would only then have to fix the Vanishing Cabinet and cue Dumbledore to the Cave adventure (and tell him to be sure to bring a crystal goblet) on the night of the Death Eater invasion of Hogwarts. The trap would then be sprung.

Either Horace tips Dumbledore about the Cave and tells him something about a potion (information he might have through Slug Club” and Slytherin alumni?), or, more likely, Severus Snape is given information by Voldemort that he knows – perhaps even pointedly “allows” – Snape will pass on to Dumbledore.

The article is filled with lots of good stuff, including a list of 20 questions not answered in Half-Blood Prince that Granger attempts to answer in the article. Highly recommended.

Granger believes that on the night of Aragog's funeral, Slughorn was getting ingredients for the cave potion. When Harry runs into him, he comes up with some story about getting greens for the class. When he learns about Aragog's death, he seizes the opportunity to acquire some of the spider's poisonous venom. The venom idea is too coincidental, though, so don't I think it was necessary for the potion.

Most important in all this is who told Dumbledore about the cave.

I'll spend this week blogging about Granger's article. So many theories, so little time.