Deep Thoughts on Harry Potter {6}

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince was probably the hardest book in the series for me to listen to (so far).  It took me the entire month of August to listen to it (including driving to and from South Carolina).  I got close to the end, or "that part" as I call Dumbledore's death, and just didn't want to listen.  I was afraid that I would get really emotional and then have to go to work!  But, "that part" wasn't that bad.  It was harder to read and watch on the movie.  I think I was able to disconnect or distance myself and still listen, but not really pay attention.  It was actually harder for me to listen to everyone's reactions to Dumbledore's death.  I don't know why.
As always, here are some questions and observations that (sometimes Aaron and ) I had:

~  How was such a wimpy, slimeball, scaredy cat like Wormtail ever placed in Gryffindor?
~  In the audiobook, Bellatrix has a French accent (sometimes Narcissa does, but not all the time).  Is that branch of the Black family French?  Or, was that just artistic license on Jim Dale's part?
~  Whatever happened to Gawp?  Was he ever mentioned again?
~  What is the difference between a blood traitor and muggle born?  (This one I had to google while we were driving, but thought I'd add it because we did wonder).   I found it on wikipedia
On a sidenote, apparently Aaron changed Siri to call me "dirty mudblood" instead of "boss" like I had programmed her to do.  It took me almost 2 months to figure out.  I just have to laugh, I can't change it.  It's too good!

~  According to Black family tradition, members are named after a star or constellation.  Why wasn't Phinneaus Nigellus?  I couldn't find any star or constellation with anything similar.
~  Was there 7 books because they were each a part of JK Rowling's soul?  And 7 is the magic number?
~  How does one create a spell or hoax?
~  I really liked the first part of the book, with "the other minister".  It did a really good job showing the fear and anxiety that people felt.  I don't like that the movie glossed over this.
~  Since it was proven that Tom Riddle conspired against Hagrid, couldn't Hagrid go back to Hogwarts and get like a wizarding GED?
~  I thought that Voldemort was very much like Hitler, in that Hitler persecuted a race that he was also a member of (he was 1/4 Jewish).  Voldemort was a half-blood.  I wonder if JK Rowling consciously made this parallel or it it just happened (or I'm just reading into things)
~  My most controversial thought (probably):  In chapter 20, when Harry was looking at memories in the pensieve (i before e?  I can't remember), in one of the memories, Dumbledore crossed the office to get wine off the shelf.  This shelf now (in Harry's day) holds the pensieve.  Is Dumbledore a recovering alcoholic?  Was it clouding his thoughts and he knew that he had an important role to play?  Or, did he just redecorate?

 What are your thoughts?  Please share!