I finished yesterday…read most of it on the plane/in air ports, and finished while taking the shuttle from the airport to the subway to go home.
I started crying when Fred died (he was my favorite twin) and didn’t stop.
I didn’t like the epilogue…I wish she’d used the space to wrap up some of my more burning questions, rather than just a “Happily Ever After.” I don’t think the epilogue was necessary at all–it was sorta implied.
I’d like to see how the Wizarding world learned from this…what did Griphook think about Neville pulling Gryffindor’s Sword out of the Sorting Hat, and how this would play into future wizard-goblin relations…how Neville has, in ways, been filling in Harry’s shoes, and hints of how things might’ve played out different if Voldemort marked Neville instead of Harry. If we had to have a flash forward, what do Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron do? Did they become Aurors?
As much as I loved the final battle, there are parts that weren’t shown that I wish I had seen. I’m mad that Tonks AND Lupin died, and that both happened off-screen.
We got the book around 1 PM on Saturday, right after that I slipped in the kitchen and dislocated my knee again so I have been confined to a chair most of the weekend or the walker when I needed to get up and go to the bathroom and such. I got the book finished by Saturday night and got a lot of knitting accomplished too.
My observations:
I kept saying to everyone I was sure Snape killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore’s orders because of Hagrid overhearing them arguing about Snape having to finish something, which was correct. I also kept telling everyone that to really end the series, Voldemort had to die or it would be left with everyone wondering what happened to the wizarding community and she swore she tied up all the ends.
I cried when Fred, Lupin, Tonks and Harry I thought had died. I kept saying, “oh no!” and Jack kept saying what, did someone else die? He looked at the end before reading so he knew Harry didn’t die, but I wanted it to be a surprise either way. It was a terrific book. I loved the epilogue and thought that was a cool touch.
Reading through everyone’s comments is fun because no one has the same opinion. Some liked this and hated that, some wanted this to happen or that to happen. A truly gift author makes the book live on and on because of discussions like this. She is a superb storyteller and this book series will become a true classic that lives through generations.
I caved and read it in about 6 hours last night. Insomnia helped me read it. I simply could not sleep and thought reading more would help me get to sleep. It didn’t.
I was fine when it wasn’t in my hands, but once we decided to come to my parents house for dinner last night and it was here, I could not resist.
I liked the ending, it was very clever to have Harry die and not die. I always did float the idea to my brother and sister that Harry could be a Horcrux, am sort of shocked it turned out to be true in a way.
[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=darkorchid]I just finished listening to it. OMG… I cried when Dobby died, when Percy showed up, when Fred died, when Teddy was born, when Lupin & Tongks died, when Snape died and when Harry watched his memories… I cried alot. When Harry walked into the forest…when Dumbledore reappeared and told his story.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#9932cc]I worried when the three, then two, were in hiding. I worried about Luna… [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#9932cc]Neville rocks! I always knew he had it in him. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#9932cc]It’s one of the best books I’ve ever read. It carried my interest all the way through, had plot twists that ended up making sense and were not there just to throw us off or add interest.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#9932cc]I had figured out Dumbledore “made” Snape kill him. I figured out Snape was a good guy. I feel bad that he suffered through all the distrust and hatred without every being able to defend himself. I love that his love for Lily outweighed his hatred for James enough to protect Harry I really thought Draco would have turned out to be better than I thought.[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#9932cc]I loved the kids’ names…especially Scorpius. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
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[FONT=Comic Sans MS][SIZE=3][COLOR=#9932cc]Thank you JK![/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
Honestly, I thought when Hedwig died, it was one of the saddest parts of the book!! Not that I wasn’t sad about the others, but to have her go when she was still mad at Harry was upsetting.
Someone please explain to me how it makes any sense at all that Voldemort didn’t make an eighth horcrux thinking it was the seventh since he didn’t know that one was shoved off into Harry when he tried to kill him the first time.
I have been stewing over it since saturday, and am only getting more and more peevish as time passes.
Maybe he was still planning on using Harry’s death to create a Horcrux–only he kept not managing to kill Harry, and thus never made the “seventh” Horcux (which would’ve been the 8th.)
Interesting to note that having a 7th Horcrux isn’t really any more powerful than having 1. Voldemort seemed to think that having 7 would be exponentially more powerful than having 1, when really, it was only 7 times as powerful.
Well, it’s my understanding that the act of killing alone doesn’t make a Horcrux, there has to be some sort of ritual involved. Dumbledore thinks V was going to use Harry’s death to make a Horcrux when Harry was a baby…maybe the spells had already been set in motion, and that’s what actually made Harry the Horcrux (though V probably was planning on using some fahncy object instead.)
Voldie liked symbolism and meaning and grandeur–and revenge. What better way to cement his immortality than to use the death of his greatest threat to do so? He WANTED someone special to be the source of his Horcrux.
I cried off and on throughought the entire book, starting with Hedwig. Poor, sweet Hedwig!!! When that happened so early on, I was pretty sure it was “anything goes” in the book. JKR did an outstanding job.
In my opinion, the saddest and most heartbreaking business in the entire book was the illumination of everything that Snape had felt, been through and done since he was a child. His neverending love for Lily…the silver doe patronus…the bullying and abuse he got from every which way (esp. from Harry’s dad). Being an outcast his entire life, right up until the end, being hated and yet having ultimately redeemed himself. It’s hard to get out of my mind, because it was just so sad. I NEVER thought Snape was a villain, I always trusted Dumbledore, but the way that JKR fully described it and vindicated him was absolutely beautiful. When Harry called his son “Albus Severus,” I really just about lost it!!!
Regarding the horcruxes - there were not supposed to be 7 - there were supposed to be 6 plus the part of the soul remaining in Voldemort’s body - which would split his soul into 7. Having 7 horcruxes (which is what actually happened) would split his soul into 8, not a very magical number so he wouldn’t want to do that on purpose (hmmm…maybe that’s why he lost).
After he “failed” (so he thought) to create his sixth horcrux with Harry’s death, he created what he thought was the sixth but was in actuality the seventh - Nagini.
I cried the most at Dobby’s death but also at others. Loved Mrs. Weasley in the end. Knew I was right about Snape being good and also being in love with Lily (though I didn’t think they had known each other as long as they had). Knew I was right about Harry being a horcrux and that Harry had to die (though I didn’t expect to see him returning to life - I’m wondering if that’s not originally what Rowling intended but something she later decided to change).
Mostly liked the epilogue, but I wanted to know more about some things - what did George do after losing his twin (keep the joke shop, perhaps run with Percy? He did make a joke after all)? what about Luna? what jobs did Harry and the gang have? who became the next headmaster? how did Teddy grow up after losing his parents and having Harry as a godfather (we get a tiny glimpse of him, but not enough)? And where the heck did the names Rose and Hugo come from for Ron and Hermione’s kids??
Was anyone else confused at the one part (I think it was when the trio were attacked by the death eaters in london after the wedding) where they were going to obliviate them, and Hermione said that she’s never done a memory modication charm before, but she knew the theory. But…she had done them before. When she sent her parents off to Australia. That part really bugged me, because I was waiting the entire book for Hermione to turn evil or something. Was it just a typo?
stiney - at least with nagini the caretaker was a relative nobody?
karendawn - thanks. I was hoping somehow I was just confused…
that’s what I get for reading it overnight so someone else could have it. :rollseyes:
although it also seems implausible he wouldn’t know whether he made one or not. but at least that’s just me, not the book.
everything was all a blur?
I thought it was a little unfriendly that Hermione’s parents weren’t invited to the wedding, but I don’t remember the obliviating comment.
To Bill and Fleur’s wedding? Why would they be? They didn’t know Bill or Fleur. And it might violate Muggle Secrecy acts, even though their daughter’s a witch…not sure how it works.
I think Voldie wanted to make sure he got another Horcrux right away, just in case…but if he could make the last and most final one Harry…
I think the names Rose and Hugo were in keeping with the R & H of Ron and Hermione. I sure there are better theories but that’s mine!
I am fairly certain the baby in the afterlife chapter was Voldemort soul. The way it was described was very similar to Voldie before he resurrected in GOF. I think Harry was naked at first in that chapter because it was just his soul not his body.
I too was hearbroken at Hedwig’s death. Tonk and Lupin also really upset me. Fred what can I say I had to stop reading because of the tears! I fond myself wondering what happened to George after. They were so linked, I honestly can’t imagine one without the other. For some reason the only death I didn’t cry over was Mad Eye and of course Voldemort.
I think I will reread in a little while to get all of the bits I missed on the first read.
