Like a bear in springtime emerging from her cave, I have finally left my sunny backyard sequester, heavier with the knowledge of a fictitious wizard's fate and even heavier still since it's now over and I have nothing more than two movies to look forward to - the final of which, due to the complexity and general awesomeness of this last book, seems like it has nary a chance to be little more than a sacrilege.
I promise that I'll be back and running and not posting anything Harry Potter related after today, but until then I'm still a bit blurry-eyed, awestruck, and as Nathan has mentioned in yesterday's post, a bit behind on, well, life.
I know many of you are already done with the book, but am fairly certain that there's at least one of you who probably isn't yet. Thus, I'm writing my reactions to Deathly Hallows in the comments section. Read only if you a) care, b) have finished the book, or c) want the ending ruined for you.
I promise that I'll be back and running and not posting anything Harry Potter related after today, but until then I'm still a bit blurry-eyed, awestruck, and as Nathan has mentioned in yesterday's post, a bit behind on, well, life.
I know many of you are already done with the book, but am fairly certain that there's at least one of you who probably isn't yet. Thus, I'm writing my reactions to Deathly Hallows in the comments section. Read only if you a) care, b) have finished the book, or c) want the ending ruined for you.
Labels: books
9 Comments:
First and foremost - I loved it. Rowling has said from the get that she had the basic storyline for all 7 books mapped out before she even finished writing the first, and after finishing the last one I believe her. I love how everything seemed to lock into place - all the secret rooms in Hogwarts, all the previously mentioned connections between Harry and Voldemort, even the minor mentions of all the Horcruxes. I'm in awe.
As for the deaths, it was sad to see Fred go, but I'm happy that the rest survived. (Carrie, you were right. There are too many Weasleys to let them all live) I'm especially happy that Neville lived, although I didn't expect it. Looking back, it would seem like too much tragedy for one family should he have died. And I honestly expected Harry to die, but I'm happy he didn't. Although I am slightly confused on one point - doesn't he still have a part of Voldemort's soul inside him? Didn't he have to die for Voldemort to truly be dead? Bear with me - I was reading fairly quickly at the end and maybe missed something.
Perhaps most of all I loved what she did with Snape and Dumbledore's characters. I knew Snape was good all along, and the bit about him loving Lily all his life explained his conflictions about Harry satisfactorily enough. Conversely, I really liked how they added a darkness to Dumbledore. He always seemed too perfect, so it was an unexpected treat to know that he really was human with very real flaws.
There's more, but I'm tired and a bit sad that it's over. And slightly blind too.
Ok, so Harry did really die, and with that death came the destruction of that aspect of Voldemort's soul. However, because Voldemort used Harry's blood (with his mother's magical protection) to resurrect himself, he couldn't be truly dead while Voldemort still lived. And somehow he came back to life, but Voldemort's soul fragment did not. Was this fate, or the cosmos, or something interceding, or is good magic just more powerful than evil? I admit, it's confusing. The thing I'm not clear on was did his mother's protection pass on to Voldemort? I'm guessing not, since Harry was able to kill him, or repel his spell, or whatever.
Man, Fred's death was rough for me. I thought Mrs. Weasley was a goner too. And yes, I'm happy my instinct that Snape was good was right, as everyone else probably is too...
Mags, when V tried to kill Harry in the woods, he only killed the horcrux part of Harry's soul. Lily's protection kept Harry alive since V had kept the sacrifice alive in his blood...though it couldn't save him from himself, bloody git.
I have to admit that I felt a: (due to personal experience) one of the twins would be lost, b: that Snape was in love with Lily, and c: that Aberforth would figure. However, since I utterly refused to speak of any predictions with anyone, and even tried to resist making them, I have no proof.
I loved this book, and I am so relieved. And also still a bit blind.
I miss Hedwig.
Also confusing was the bit about Draco's wand and the true owner of the Elder Wand, but again I was reading rather fast and perhaps just need to give it a second look...
And I forgot, how awesome was it when Mrs. Weasley rose up to protect Ginny against Bellatrix Lestrange screaming "Not my daughter, bitch!" Best!
Oops. Carrie beat me by FOUR minutes.
I am glad I'm not the only one that is confused; however, I think this: V thought Lily's protection would pass on to him, but he was mistaken. In fact, he just protected Harry more. He never understood how that magic worked.
Also, consider the Elder Wand...it wouldn't kill Harry, and in fact was more geared toward its proper master's wishes. Thus, in the final curse, it backfired on V, who was so utterly soulless, he bit it.
I think that makes the most sense. I think.
But that's part of what makes it all re-readable!
That part with Mrs. Weasley was maybe killing Bellatrix my most favorite moment of the book. Or anything with Neville, especially killing the snake. But where did the Sword come from? I thought Griphook had it? I read it was the sorting hat, but I failed to pick up on that as I was reading...
That first sentence makes no sense. It was maybe my favorite part of the book, not that she maybe klled Bellatrix. That bitch is dead! I blame the hours of reading...
Okay, it makes sense that V would have only killed the Horcrux. It just threw me when Dumbledore told Harry that he wasn't dead and everything in the train station was all in his head. I guess I assumed he was merely unconscious, not literally dead, but the Horcrux must have been destroyed which would only mean that Harry did - at least in part - die too, so your explanations make the most sense. And that flayed evil baby thing under the bench certainly was creepy. And very Twin Peaks.
I agree, Abby. Most than any of the others this one begs for a second read. Perhaps in a few months after my eyes have recuperated, however. :)
My thinking is that the sword is so magical, and so truly Gryffindor's, no matter what Griphook thinks, that it "escaped" his possession back to the person who deserved it most at the time, Neville...and I love that he had a fan club in the Great Hall. Go Neville! I mean, Professor Longbottom.
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