Harry Potter and the Oh My God I Can't Believe That Was the Last Book
Finished. Let's discuss. I declare the comments thread for this post to be a Harry Potter Spoiler Zone. If you haven't finished the book and/or don't want to know, don't read the comments for this post.
23 comments:
Seriously, this is your last warning. If you don't want to know what happens in HP7, stop reading now.
OH MY GOD!!! I loved it, of course.
Number of times I burst into tears: at least 6
Burning questions:
what was that tortured child-creature that Dumbledore told Harry to ignore? Something to do with Voldemort, but what?
Do Dean Thomas and Luna Lovegood hook up?
That business with Snape's memories -- heartbreaking! I'll never be fond of Snape, but that did soften me toward him just a touch.
Several of my friends skipped to the end to find out who was left. I had to restrain myself from doing that as well. I loved how the story unfolded. It was nice that there was humor after the darkest sections. This is not a book I would read aloud to young kids. I loved that Mrs. Weasley called Beatrix a bitch. It was appropriate but a little cheesy.
I think the tortured child was Voldemort's soul. It had been torn to pieces.
I'm sure she will write more books. She created such a detailed world that it would be a shame for it to cease living and growing.
I had hoped that Snape was the prodigal son and not a "Henchman 2."
Have you seen the Order of the Phoenix? Helen Bonham Carter is Bellatrix-perfect!
Skipping to the end -- terrible! I couldn't do it. (Although I know some who could!!)
I also loved the "BITCH!" line. It cracked me up.
Please tell me I'm not the only one who cried when Hedwig died.
Okay, I was very confused about how Harry ended up with the Elder Wand at the end, but thanks to my smart (and pretty! and special!) friend Jill, I think I understand now.
I don't remember book 6 as well as I'd like. I should have reread it before book 7 came out. I think that would have help with my overall comprehension.
Oh, and speaking of crying, Lupin and Tonks?!?! That was just too much.
Oh, I have not seen the Order of the Phoenix movie yet. I'm dying to go. Yeah, having kids really screws up your ability to see movies.
The tortured child-creature had to what was left of his soul after??? he got done putting pieces of his soul into the Horcruxes.
I'm kind glad Snape turned out to be a good guy or not such an evil person.
The Order of the Phoenix was excellent. The casting great. Saw with both your mothers.
There is a posible new book coming out, sort of an index and outline of all the different charactors. Hope she tells what happened to everyone.
Why did she have to kill off Hedwig. I don't understand that at all.
I think she killed off Lupin and Tonks to have another orphan. This kind of brings the book around again.
Slight side-track: Have you read "How to Read Like an English Professor"?
How did Neville get the sword? I didn't catch that.
The sorting hat summoned it for him, the same way it did for Harry in book 2.
Excellent points, Jack! I totally agree with you. So much of Snape's behavior toward Harry throughout the series was so infuriating, but finally learning his back story really did put him in a whole new light.
I feel like I'm in mourning for the series now. It's not as bad as after I read book six, when I moped about for days thinking I didn't want to live in a world with no Dumbledore. But still I'm sad. I need to reread the whole series to lift my spirits. Who wants to babysit my kids?
Fly them to DIA. We'll pick 'em up.
I forgot about the sorting hat. Thanks.
Dobbie's death got to me as much as Hedwig's did.
Then Fred's death. What's George going to do withouth his parnter in crime? Those two were great characters. Together, nothing could phase them. They had a great scene in "The Order of the Phoenix."
Ahhhh. Just finished. I realize I missed the discussion, but I wanted to come read the comments.
I had been utterly confused as to how Neville got the sword, so thanks for the sorting hat info.
Teared a little at Hedwig (I thought it was a brilliant "shot across the bow" by Rowling to say, "Look, people, I'm not kidding; we'll have nonsensical, tragic death here."
Bawled at Dobby. BAWLED. Cried at Fred. Bawled again at Tonks and Lupin (although I did like the full-circle aspect and was really glad it wasn't hammered in in the epilogue). BLUBBERED at Harry marching off to what I thought was his death (I had been convinced he'd live through the book, and I was shocked when I thought he was going to die). Then cried again at the Albus Severus Potter line in the epilogue. (I loved the Snape back story. I like that it softened him a little but that he still despised Harry and he didn't become this sweetheart underneath a gruff exterior. His adoration of Lily felt very real.)
I only wish Hagrid had died. I know, I know -- people love him. He's just too one-dimensional for me. I adored him in the first few books and then found him tiresome in the last couple of ones when he became this cartoonish kind of character. It's not that I wish him dead; I just think he was a killable character to add to the gravity of the story.
The bitch line was trite, but I loved the image of Mrs. Weasley coming in like a lion protecting her cub.
Now Martin has to finish, so I can have someone else to talk to about the whole thing.
Oh -- last question: Did the names Hugo and Rose mean anything (Ron and Hermione's kids)?
Kerri: The names Hugo and Rose have no meaning that I'm aware of. Do we know Hermione's parents' names?
I so disagree with you about Hagrid!! Hagrid might not be the most complex character, but he's been consistent throughout the books. He is who he always was. And he was rock-solid, always ready to risk his life for Harry. I was terrified that he was going to die, and so glad that he didn't. Now, if I could trade him for a Dumbledore, or maybe a Sirius, I might feel differently about the matter.
So I thought Martin had first dibs on the book -- what happened to that?
Martin loves me very, very much is what I think happened. That, and I think he's in denial about the end. He still hasn't even started it yet.
I just read my Harry Potter Entertainment Weekly, and they had the Rose/Hugo question in there, too. No one seems to find any significance there.
I KNEW you'd disagree on Hagrid. But, c'mon, the guy's a one-note character. I loved him when that was appropriate in the earlier, less-developed books. Then he just became tiresome to me. "Aw, crap, he's pulling out the umbrella to try some magic that will make things twenty times worse." I just didn't like being able to predict him.
Martin + Kerri FOREVER.
He just finished. One of his first sentences to me in our discussion? I asked him if Fred's death surprised him, and said, "Not really. You know who she could have killed and made it better? Hagrid."
Awwww. We are SO meant to be together.
Kerri and Martin: predictable peas in a pod.
I really thought she was going to kill Hagrid. He does seem like the easy choice. I'm glad she resisted.
i finally finished last night, so it's possible no one will even read my comments here, but oh well. here are my thoughts:
i cried when dobby died.
i was expecting hagrid to die at some point. was surprised he didn't.
i got teary when harry headed into the forest and initially felt as though that scene was anticlimactic, until it hit me that he was sacrificing himself. duh.
loved that ron finally expressed concern for the house elves, and that it made hermione jump him. too funny.
just when did neville become a snake-killing stud? he rocked.
i agree with heather that the tortured child-creature was what was left of voldemort after his soul had been destroyed. at least, that was my impression.
i'd love it if dean and luna hooked up. hee.
wish rowling had explored more of how harry and ginny re-connect and re-kindle their flame after the war ended. wasn't pleased with "they would have hours, days, maybe even years to talk." meh.
the epilogue was a tad cheesy for my taste, though i did like that it provided some sense of closure.
was glad to find out snape had been a double agent. i had my suspicions, so i was relieved. i knew he couldn't be all bad. so sad that he was in love with lily for his whole life, though. :(
hugo & rose: i don't think there's any significance other than the fact that their names start with the same letters as their parents' (though the genders are flip-flopped).
i've heard that rowling will write an encyclopedia that will answer some questions that people might still have about this series.
ps--jack, snape was a half-blood. the half-blood prince.
I'm glad you joined the discussion, AMO! I suppose it's unreasonable to expect everyone to finish the book in the first week it's out. In retrospect, I do wish I'd taken the time to re-read the rest of the series before picking up book 7. But I just couldn't make myself wait.
LOVED Neville killing Nagini. That was so freakin' awesome.
I tell you, I was crying so hard when Harry walked into the forest that I had to keep blinking because I couldn't read the words through my tears. Yeesh.
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