SPOILER ALERT: Harry Potter Discussion by Those Who Have Read It.

[drummerboy]

MODERATOR ALERT:

If you have not finished reading the newest HP book, look no further if you do not want spoilers. This thread is for discussion of the book by those who have already read it.

Have at it.

[krose78]

:cloud9: Yeah now we can talk about it.


I thought it was very good. The beginning was a little draggy for me but I know there was a lot of information in there also. I was sad at all the people they killed but Hedwig???? and Dobby??? She really was mean to the twins wasn't she. :confused: The battle was good and Harry's "death" was great. And Neville....I'm glad he was able to stand up to Voldemort and kill the snake but I think he should have gotten a whack at Bellatrix.

Ok now for your opinions

[BrerSchultzy]

I can't wait to read what everyone thought about this book, and I wish I wasn't at work, so I could start writing a book report on this (longer than the book itself), but here are my quick takes:

Mrs. Weasley ROCKS!

I was wondering how she was going to handle not having the kids at Hogwarts, but she figured it out perfectly (of course)...to get random news about Ginny and Neville wreaking havoc....and to have Snape constantly "looking out" for the D.A. while staying on Voldemort's good side...that was perfect.

I loved the epilogue...it simply proved that love really will out, and that after all these crazy things happening to this "Boy Who Lived", he can lead a normal life, with family and friends. It reinforces the fact that he really was just another guy, who happened to be thrust into an extraordinary situation by love. Great lesson.

I'm still unsure why we had to have the "Deathly Hallows" aspect of it all....it seemed to clutter things up a bit, and it made the quest for the Horcruxes seem a bit rushed. Maybe that's just me, though.

Overall...I loved it. But, I'm not going to be on time to see the movie...because I don't want to see that first scene....way too creepy for me.

[mouseaddict]

I thought the book was spectacular. It was by far my favorite!
A lot of people are upset that the battle between Harry and Voldemort was anticlimactic..I thought just the opposite. They did not have to have some major battle with wands..in the end Harry outsmarted Voldemort..he beat him exactly how Dumbledore would have..and I love the way he called him Tom Riddle!!

[Beach Club Babe]

I have to say I really enjoyed the book as well!

Just a few random thoughts off the top of my head.

1. I really liked the fact that Dudley actually wound up caring about what happened to Harry! Also funny to see that Aunt Petunia had actually begged to be let into Hogwarts! However, I thought there would be alittle more to the story than just that!

2. As for the characters that were killed, I can't say I was too upset about any of them. I guess out of all of them, I was most sad to see Hedwig be killed. As for the rest, it was all necessary! Now DD Ashleigh may kill me for saying that as she was devastated that Fred was killed. He individually may not needed to die, but I have to think that at least 1 weasley had to die. I think it had to be one of the kids to make more of an impact. Bill has already been maimed, there has not been enough of Charlie to have any emotional attachment, I definitely would not want it to be Ron, or the whole Ron-Hermione thing would have been for nothing. Obviously, Ginny had to survive to marry Harry. It had to be one of the twins.

3. I'm glad Ron, Hermione, and Neville, were able to help destroy the Horcruxes, but I agree with the above poster, and think it should have been Neville to exact revenge on Bellatrix.

4. I kind of felt that at least one of the Malfoy's should have bit the dust.

5. Again, 2 of the kids were kind of upset that both Tonks and Lupin died, but that was quite obvious that would happen when they named Harry Godfather of Teddy.

6. Back to Harry marrying Ginny, I'm probably the only one who didn't want them to wind up together. I'm not a big Ginny fan. As for the 19 years later epilogue, it was predictable, but still nice to know how it all worked out. The best thing was that Neville was teaching at Hogwarts.

I'm sure I'll be back with more thoughts as they pop into my head.

[Jeff]

Thanks for opening up this thread to discussion!:thumbsup:

Not much to say about the book other than I really enjoyed it and I'm sad that the HP story is now over. It has been fun.

[SBETigg]

I loved it. I really loved the wrap-up ending. That made me smile. Outstanding moments for me:

*Snape wanting Harry to look into his eyes as he died, so that he could see Lily's eyes one last time. The Snape-Lily love story was really outstanding and I felt for Snape, to never get the girl but to be loyal to her memory and protecting her son, also the son of James. I really wish he'd had a chance to redeem himself to Lily before she died, not that he had a romantic shot with her but he could have had more to his life.

*Dobby's death, and what it meant to Harry, how it helped him find his true purpose and really become the man he was meant to me. Really poignant and well done.

* Harry addressing Voldemort as Tom Riddle, bringing him back down to size as a fallible man.

And, as someone else mentioned, the scene with Dudley showing how he has changed and that he cares for Harry was very touching, and I thought we might see more of the Dursleys but it wasn't necessary. Plus, Neville had his hero moment, which was great, and I loved that the Malfoys cared more about Draco than their evil cause in the end.

[conorsmom2000]

Thanks so much Ken!!! :thumbsup:

Well, I for one, loved it!! I thought it was just wonderful! Usually I find the beginnings of HP a little slow, but not this one. I loved the idea of the 7 Potters - that was very clever, though, with a very sad turn of events (Hedwig and Mad Eye :( ) It's amazing how she's grown all the characters since the first book - the trio has definitely grown up and I really felt more of a bond/connection between them. (much less bickering and Harry & Ron ganging up on Hermione as in the other books). I know some people found parts of the book slow, like the camping times, but I was grateful for those periods because it allowed me to catch my breath from the action. It also made me really get an understanding for what they were going through and the "hugeness" of their tasks. I loved how the mirror from Sirus came back in to play.

I cried a lot (or got choked up a lot) during this book - when Hermione was being tortured, when Dobby died, Fred dying, Snapes memories, the walk through the forrest....etc. Lots of little moments I loved too - like when Harry and Hermione were at his parents graves, when Ron came back and what happened with the locket. Just a very emotional book!

And I have to say, I did love the scene with the kiss between Ron and Hermione - here in the middle of this huge battle, it takes Ron saying they have to save the house elves for Hermione to run and kiss him! :D And I loved Harry's comment ("Is this the moment?" Harry said weakly) as you just knew he'd been waiting for something like this to happen for the past two years! It was a very light moment in this massive battle.

I was wrong about Snape being pure evil, though, I did have a feeling that I was going to be wrong. But, as JKR said, he's not really a hero, but he was brave. One thing I did find VERY interesting - there have always been theories out there that Snape was a vampire - I never really thought much about it, but I found it interesting that JKR twice referred to Snape in this book as "bat-like". I don't know if that means anything, or if she was just having fun with some of the theories.

I read other reviews where people said they felt that some of the deaths were "glossed" over...I kind of felt that way at times, and even with Hermione being tortured I felt that way, but at the same time, I think it's more because we are so tied to this characters but yet, when these things all happened, there was still a huge war going on and that had to take first priority.

I thought Neville really shone in this book, like I thought he would. I did think he would be the one to off Bellatrix, but I loved the scene with her and Mrs. Weasley!!

I loved the epilogue as well - it was simple and showed that Harry finally had what he'd always wanted - himself surrounded by his family.

[conorsmom2000]

I'm still unsure why we had to have the "Deathly Hallows" aspect of it all....it seemed to clutter things up a bit, and it made the quest for the Horcruxes seem a bit rushed. Maybe that's just me, though.
I read other reviews where others said the same thing - but, I think they were important. First, it explains a lot about Harry's cloak. Second, obviously the Elder wand was extremely important. And third, it showed us why Dumbledore was content to stay as Headmaster of Hogwarts all that time - for as much as people look up to him and admire him, he learned the hard way that power was his weakness - so, in a sense, we learned that DD was human, and not so perfect. We also saw Harry having to make the same choice - basically, his obsession with the Deathly Hallows caused him to be careless and led to their capture....which led to Hermione being tortured and Dobby dying. So, while the hallows were a distraction, it was an important one because it again showed us that even our heros have temptations but, again - it all comes back to our choices determining who we are.

[offwego]

I found the begining a little slow (but it sure did gain speed!)

I too really enjoyed the whole Snape/Lily thing. And was actually sad when Snape died.

Hedwig and Dobby (Hedwig in particular) both left me very sad. Fred (and or George if it had been him) just seemed to be doomed by that point as clearly the Wesealy's were so involved something was going to happen to one of them.

Re the epilouge did anyone else not wonder what they were all doing? I would have loved to know if Harry was at the ministry etc as clearly none of them were teachers.

over all I thought it was very good and agree that the "two" quests were essential to having everything get wrapped up properly.

[conorsmom2000]

Re the epilouge did anyone else not wonder what they were all doing? I would have loved to know if Harry was at the ministry etc as clearly none of them were teachers.


JKR answered those questions in the Today Show/Dateline interview:

We know that Harry marries Ginny and has three kids, essentially, as Rowling explains, creating the family and the peace and calm he never had as a child.
As for his occupation, Harry, along with Ron, is working at the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. After all these years, Harry is now the department head.
“Harry and Ron utterly revolutionized the Auror Department,” Rowling said. “They are now the experts. It doesn’t matter how old they are or what else they’ve done.”
Meanwhile, Hermione, Ron’s wife, is “pretty high up” in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, despite laughing at the idea of becoming a lawyer in “Deathly Hallows.”
“I would imagine that her brainpower and her knowledge of how the Dark Arts operate would really give her a sound grounding,” Rowling said.
Harry, Ron and Hermione don’t join the same Ministry of Magic they had been at odds with for years; they revolutionize it and the ministry evolves into a “really good place to be.”
“They made a new world,” Rowling said.

[BelleBeauty]

I read other reviews where others said the same thing - but, I think they were important. First, it explains a lot about Harry's cloak. Second, obviously the Elder wand was extremely important. And third, it showed us why Dumbledore was content to stay as Headmaster of Hogwarts all that time - for as much as people look up to him and admire him, he learned the hard way that power was his weakness - so, in a sense, we learned that DD was human, and not so perfect. We also saw Harry having to make the same choice - basically, his obsession with the Deathly Hallows caused him to be careless and led to their capture....which led to Hermione being tortured and Dobby dying. So, while the hallows were a distraction, it was an important one because it again showed us that even our heros have temptations but, again - it all comes back to our choices determining who we are.

I also think that they were necessary. It also showed Harry about his ancestry - his Dad's family, which we have never really heard about. It kind of closed that loop.

As for my thoughts on the whole book - whew, I will have to post when I'm not at work!

[PirateLover]

I for one loved the Deathly Hallows aspect- it was something that NO ONE could've guessed before the book came out (and one reason why I consider that New York Times article to definitely have spoilers in it-they said what the Hallows were and the reader doesn't even know until halfway through the book! But I digress). Loved the tale of the 3 brothers I wish we heard more of the Beedle the Bard stories.



I was very touched by Dudley's reaction to Harry.
I cried when Hedwig died and almost put down the book because I thought "If this is setting the tone, I don't know that I can make it through
Got very panicky every time Hagrid almost died
Sobbed over Dobby's death and his last words. "Harry....Potter..."
Almost couldn't read the book from the point where Harry learns he has to sacrifice himself
N.B. I did not cry at any other book, lol. I guess knowing it was the last one made it very emotional
Was disappointed that Lupin and Tonks didn't get better death scenes.


Some other thoughts.... I liked seeing the murky parts of Dumbledore's background. The book didn't move slow for me at all. As mentioned in the previous thread I wasn't a fan of the epilogue. I love the sentiment, and I like the pairings and the fact that Harry has a normal life and it's at Platform 9 3/4 and this and that but it just didn't flow properly for me. Jo said she didn't want to crowbar too much in which is why she left out info that she gave in the interview, but it still felt too rushed IMO.

I think my two favorite parts were Molly Weasly's line..."NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU etc!" because it really reminded me of my mom. Very mild mannered and caring but don't mess with her babies. I screamed out loud for that and also Kreacher leading the house elves in revolt with knives. There is so much more to talk about but I'll leave it there for now.

Oh wait one more thing....
HARRY WAS A HORCRUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rnin02]

I read other reviews where others said the same thing - but, I think they were important. First, it explains a lot about Harry's cloak. Second, obviously the Elder wand was extremely important. And third, it showed us why Dumbledore was content to stay as Headmaster of Hogwarts all that time - for as much as people look up to him and admire him, he learned the hard way that power was his weakness - so, in a sense, we learned that DD was human, and not so perfect. We also saw Harry having to make the same choice - basically, his obsession with the Deathly Hallows caused him to be careless and led to their capture....which led to Hermione being tortured and Dobby dying. So, while the hallows were a distraction, it was an important one because it again showed us that even our heros have temptations but, again - it all comes back to our choices determining who we are.


I had been kinda thinking that the Hallows were getting in the way of the real story...but your post really helped me put them in perspective! I just finished rereading it this morning...so much happens its hard for me to keep it all straight. Hedwig's death really (really) bothered me, and Harry losing his broom bothered me too. But he had to lose them both, he couldn't really carry around Hedwig and his broom while trying to track down the Horcruxes. I loved the whole Snape loves Lily story line, wouldn't it be awesome to have some prequels and read more about Snape, Lily, James, etc?? And I would love to be able to read more about their lives post-Voldemort, their weddings, kids, etc. I'm not ready to let go yet! Even some short stories may satisfy me...maybe.

[bleukarma]

Although I’m sad that it’s over, it was a good ending!

I thought the whole camping area was really slow. I think she could’ve made the book 50-100 pages shorter if she would’ve condensed this part. But, it does give you a feel for the huge task that the three set out for.

Yay to Neville for being the leader at Hogwarts in Harry’s absence!!!! I knew Neville had it in him!!! How cute that his Gram came to fight in the end!!!

I like how in the “death” scene Dumbledore tells Harry that of course what he is seeing is in his head but also real.

For some reason I expected Harry to become the next Hogwarts headmaster. I wonder who is? But at least he is doing what he wanted to do.

For some reason I am curious about Voldemort’s body, I wonder what they did with it. I also like how Harry called him Riddle.

I’m also curious about where Teddy lives. I may need to go back and read the last chapter, but didn’t Harry say that he comes over to dinner a lot? Or was it Ron? If he’s not living with Harry (his Godfather) then where is he living?

I like how Snape kind of tied everything up in the end. I knew Dumbledore trusted him for a good reason!! And it all came down to love!!

[rnin02]

Although I’m sad that it’s over, it was a good ending!

I thought the whole camping area was really slow. I think she could’ve made the book 50-100 pages shorter if she would’ve condensed this part. But, it does give you a feel for the huge task that the three set out for.

Yay to Neville for being the leader at Hogwarts in Harry’s absence!!!! I knew Neville had it in him!!! How cute that his Gram came to fight in the end!!!

I like how in the “death” scene Dumbledore tells Harry that of course what he is seeing is in his head but also real.

For some reason I expected Harry to become the next Hogwarts headmaster. I wonder who is? But at least he is doing what he wanted to do.

For some reason I am curious about Voldemort’s body, I wonder what they did with it. I also like how Harry called him Riddle.

I’m also curious about where Teddy lives. I may need to go back and read the last chapter, but didn’t Harry say that he comes over to dinner a lot? Or was it Ron? If he’s not living with Harry (his Godfather) then where is he living?

I like how Snape kind of tied everything up in the end. I knew Dumbledore trusted him for a good reason!! And it all came down to love!!


I'm guessing Teddy lives with Tonk's mother...she lost her husband and daughter, at least she could keep part of her family? And it was Harry that said Teddy comes over to dinner a lot.

[rnin02]

I for one loved the Deathly Hallows aspect- it was something that NO ONE could've guessed before the book came out (and one reason why I consider that New York Times article to definitely have spoilers in it-they said what the Hallows were and the reader doesn't even know until halfway through the book! But I digress). Loved the tale of the 3 brothers I wish we heard more of the Beedle the Bard stories.



I was very touched by Dudley's reaction to Harry.
I cried when Hedwig died and almost put down the book because I thought "If this is setting the tone, I don't know that I can make it through
Got very panicky every time Hagrid almost died
Sobbed over Dobby's death and his last words. "Harry....Potter..."
Almost couldn't read the book from the point where Harry learns he has to sacrifice himself
N.B. I did not cry at any other book, lol. I guess knowing it was the last one made it very emotional
Was disappointed that Lupin and Tonks didn't get better death scenes.


Some other thoughts.... I liked seeing the murky parts of Dumbledore's background. The book didn't move slow for me at all. As mentioned in the previous thread I wasn't a fan of the epilogue. I love the sentiment, and I like the pairings and the fact that Harry has a normal life and it's at Platform 9 3/4 and this and that but it just didn't flow properly for me. Jo said she didn't want to crowbar too much in which is why she left out info that she gave in the interview, but it still felt too rushed IMO.

I think my two favorite parts were Molly Weasly's line..."NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU etc!" because it really reminded me of my mom. Very mild mannered and caring but don't mess with her babies. I screamed out loud for that and also Kreacher leading the house elves in revolt with knives. There is so much more to talk about but I'll leave it there for now.

Oh wait one more thing....
HARRY WAS A HORCRUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was very dissappointed that Lupin and Tonks didn't get better death scenes. They felt almost like an after thought. I cried (or wanted to cry, can't cry at work!) many times in this book. And it was hard to keep reading after Hedwig. Poor, poor Hedwig...she had no idea what was coming...and after being caged up for so long waiting to go to the Burrow.

[PirateLover]

Oh Neville! I forgot! When Voldemort set the sorting hat on fire on Neville's head I was soooooo disturbed. I thought he was gonna die. And then BAM he gets Gryffindor's Sword and kills Nagini! Gooooo Neville!!!!

[conorsmom2000]

I'm guessing Teddy lives with Tonk's mother...she lost her husband and daughter, at least she could keep part of her family? And it was Harry that said Teddy comes over to dinner a lot.
That was my guess too - that Teddy lives with Tonk's Mom. I think JKR said last night that Lupin and Tonks were the two that she didn't intend to die, although she did intend for a father to die - she did it that way because she wanted it to echo what happened to Harry (losing his parents) but in a very different way - Teddy will grow up surrounded my family and friends who love him, and a godfather (Harry) who is a huge part of his life.

[krose78]

"I like a previous posters theory that he must die in order to kill Lord Voldemort. I mean they have been link thus far it would make sense." From other thread posted by me.

Well I was kind of right and so were others but I also like that he wasn't completely dead that it only got rid of the Horocrux that was within Harry. So does he still have the Scar???

i thought there was going to be more when they said more was going to be revealed about Mrs Dursley so when they just left at the beginning I was like HUH? I thought maybe he was going to go talk to her later or something.

Oh and did we ever figure out who used magic later in life???

[ncscgirl2005]

"
Oh and did we ever figure out who used magic later in life???

Hmmm...good question. I can't think of who that was.

[Jasper]

Of the seven Potter books I personally liked this last one the least. Don’t get me wrong, I REALLY LOVED book number 7 I just didn’t love it as much as the previous six.

The reason I didn’t care as much for this final book is that Ms. Rowling had created such a rich world with soooooo many story lines that I didn’t think this one did enough to wrap up all the lines. Granted, it is this very complexity of the previous six books that made them so very popular. The downside to this complexity though is that it takes a tremendous effort to wrap the whole thing up in a neat little parcel.

We know that the people making the movie version of our beloved Harry Potter had to leave some things on the cutting room floor to keep the movies to what they thought was a length that people would sit through. This left me feeling cheated. Unfortunately, I had somewhat that same feeling while reading this final installment. This is the primary reason that I did not care for book 7 as much as I did the other installments.

One final observation before I close out my comments. When reading the first six books I felt Ms. Rowling never once wrote for the movie audience. I felt she always wrote the books strictly for literary purposes. However, while reading this final book I had several moments when it felt like she was writing for the movies.

I know others will disagree with me on most if not all of my points, but those are my opinions. Remember, I did say that I love this last installment, just not as much as I loved the other six.

[TooGoofy]

Oh wait one more thing....
HARRY WAS A HORCRUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All right now...let's not gloat.
I was wrong, I admit it. :)

As for a couple of other questions here:
1) Teddy Lupin was raised by Andromeda Tonks, his maternal grandmother. His "surrogate" parents were Harry and all the members of the Order of the Phoenix.

2) There originally was a person who was supposed to do magic late in life, but JKR decided to leave that out (per an online chat transcript on the Leaky Cauldron).

[bleukarma]

[quote=Jasper;1372004]

One final observation before I close out my comments. When reading the first six books I felt Ms. Rowling never once wrote for the movie audience. I felt she always wrote the books strictly for literary purposes. However, while reading this final book I had several moments when it felt like she was writing for the movies.
quote]

I too had this feeling at some points. While I loved the book, there were some parts where I got that feeling.

It makes sense that Teddy was raised by Tonk's mom!!! I forgot that she survived.

I also expected more of the Aunt Petunia story. But it was nice that Dudley came around!!

[ncscgirl2005]

I was one of those that thought the book was very slow in the beginning. Here are some things that stuck out to me (I skip around a bit):

1. The seven Harry Potters and Mad-Eye & Hedwig's death. I didn't think people would die so suddenly. That whole scene was a bit scary. Didn't know what would happen there. Didn't want to read any further because I thought Hagrid would die. Poor Hedwig.

2. Voldemort being able to fly was freaky! That had to be a scary thing to see with your own eyes.

3. Dobby's death. So so sad. Dobby rocks though. He loved himself some Harry Potter. Loved the way he died helping Harry but sad that he had to die.

4. Dudley showing he cared about Harry was cheesy to me. I think it would have made more sense to give Petunia that role. I wonder if Harry ever contacted them after it was all said and done to let them know he had survived?

5. Fred's death didn't affect me too much. I still wish it had been Percy. Perhaps he could have died saving his father or anyone else in the family for that matter.

6. The scene with Bathilda Bagshot (?-sorry don't have my book with me) in Godric's Hollow scared the you-know-what out of me. I knew Harry should have never followed her upstairs. That whole Parseltongue thing would have sure enough given it away. Hermione wouldn't have been able to understand the lady/snake so that's why she never said a word to them. Talk about close encounters. Wheww.....I had to take a break at that point to get my breathing under control. :whew:

7. I hated when Ron left them. He so reminded me of my husband--always complaining about food and eating!!!!! I got a good laugh about that. I thought something was suspicious when he left but I'm glad nothing happend there.

8. I thought Harry was very arrogant in some parts of the book. Especially when he said Voldermort's name and they were captured. I could have strangled him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. I like the part about Kreacher explaining about the locket but I wonder what happend to him once the trio did not return to the house. The next time he popped up was at the battle. Glad to see he led the battle though. Kreacher is the man...(cough, cough) I mean the elf!

10. I wished one of the Malfoys had died. Draco would have been a good candidate. He never really got a chance to pay Harry and Ron back for saving his life twice though did he? Probably never intended to. But I am glad he didn't rat them out at Malfoy Manor when the Death Eaters questioned him about whether or not he was Harry.

11. Hermione is sooo smart. Duh...we all knew that right? She is so quick-witted too. You know how some people have book smarts but no commen sense, well she is not one of those. Her brilliant quick thinking to distort Harry's face was..well...it was BRILLIANT! You go girl!

12. Oh and can someone please tell me where to get a replica of that small beaded bag that Hermione had? I could really use one for our upcoming Disney trip!!!!!!! Or even to just carry around anytime! That bag was awesome.

13. Mrs. Weasley's fight with Bellatrix. That part was absolutely brilliant and funny at the same time! Any mother can feel exactly what Mrs. Weasley felt at that very moment! I know I would fight and kill for mine no matter who I had to go up against!

14. The walk....(getting teary eyed just thinking about it). Oh the walk.... (sniff, sniff)Actually my tears started when he left the pensieve and returned to the office and processed everthing he had just learned. My husband took the book from me the other day because I wanted to re-read that part and I was bawling before I even turned the page.

15. Oh yeah and Harry calling him Tom Riddle was genius as well.

16. I thought the fight scene between he and Voldemort was good. I am glad Harry didn't use the killing curse on him. Somehow I just couldn't see Harry doing it!

17. The epilogue was rushed. Somehow though I saw a slight chance for something to evolve around Albus Severus Potter. Harry dwelled too much on him. I wonder who Harry will pass his Invisibility Cloak on to? Will it be his first born son, second child, or perhaps Teddy.

There's much more to comment on but I have to get back to work.

[ncscgirl2005]

When reading the first six books I felt Ms. Rowling never once wrote for the movie audience. I felt she always wrote the books strictly for literary purposes. However, while reading this final book I had several moments when it felt like she was writing for the movies.

I know others will disagree with me on most if not all of my points, but those are my opinions. Remember, I did say that I love this last installment, just not as much as I loved the other six.

Care to list any of those moments? I too felt that way but I have never seen any of the movies all the way through to comment on any of them. There was a time when I was actually visualizing a movie--wondering how that would play out on screen.

[rnin02]

5. Fred's death didn't affect me too much. I still wish it had been Percy. Perhaps he could have died saving his father or anyone else in the family for that matter.



8. I thought Harry was very arrogant in some parts of the book. Especially when he said Voldermort's name and they were captured. I could have strangled him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

9. I like the part about Kreacher explaining about the locket but I wonder what happend to him once the trio did not return to the house. The next time he popped up was at the battle. Glad to see he led the battle though. Kreacher is the man...(cough, cough) I mean the elf!

10. I wished one of the Malfoys had died. Draco would have been a good candidate. He never really got a chance to pay Harry and Ron back for saving his life twice though did he? Probably never intended to. But I am glad he didn't rat them out at Malfoy Manor when the Death Eaters questioned him about whether or not he was Harry.


14. The walk....(getting teary eyed just thinking about it). Oh the walk.... (sniff, sniff)Actually my tears started when he left the pensieve and returned to the office and processed everthing he had just learned. My husband took the book from me the other day because I wanted to re-read that part and I was bawling before I even turned the page.



Just have to agree with these points especially! Although I don't think Draco should have died...maybe Lucius? Then Draco could have really learned something and redeemed himself later in life. Although good for him for not ratting them out at Malfoy Manor. And poor Kreacher...becoming loyal to Harry then getting abandoned for so long.

[BrerSchultzy]

Just have to agree with these points especially! Although I don't think Draco should have died...maybe Lucius? Then Draco could have really learned something and redeemed himself later in life. Although good for him for not ratting them out at Malfoy Manor. And poor Kreacher...becoming loyal to Harry then getting abandoned for so long.

I don't know...I kind of like how JKR set up that there is a difference between bad and evil. Malfoy is a bad kid, and a cocky kid....but he wasn't truly evil (he couldn't kill Dumbledore, he didn't rat them out, etc.). Just my opinion.

[jillluvsdisney]

After Half Blood Prince, I felt we had not learned all we needed to know about Snape. I had a gut feeling he was going to revealed in the last book and would be redeemed. I was very satisfied with the way things turned out.

[Mickey'sGirl]

My random thoughts...

1. Hedwig's death sure set the scene, eh?

2. I sobbed at Dobby's death -- but was soooo proud of him. And Harry's epitaph was so beautiful.

3. Neville rocks! What a true Gryffindor -- I cheered out loud.

4. Lucius should have died. I felt sorry for Draco through this book, but he was truly a product of his parenting, and "Cissy" truly loved her son, and even though it was in her own interest to say that Harry was dead, she did and saved him. Some of Slytherin had to remain to rebuild.

5. I hated the "18 Years Later". I understand why it was written, but it really hit me as a huge cop out.

All in all I really enjoyed this book...and it was light enough that I could commute with it in my backpack without breaking my back. I will need to read it again after DH is done with it to get a deeper reading. :thumbsup:

6. Ohhhh and Snape. I was not surprised. I never believed him to be an absolute rotter. I am glad we got his whole story.

[conorsmom2000]

. And Teddy probably lives with his grandmother.
Yep, JKR confirmed that! :mickey:

If you go to any of the HP fan sites, JKR did an online chat today with fans and answered many questions - the sites all have the transcripts.

What confuses me, though, is that she contradicted herself. In the today show interview she said Ron became an Auror - in the online chat, she said he ran the joke shop with George, which became a huge money maker. :confused:

[jedigrrrl]

Someone said the book could have been 50-100 pages SHORTER; It should have been 300 pages longer!

I got teary as I opened it to read it, knowing it was the last one.

I never lost faith in Snape. If Dumbledore trusted him, that was all I needed to trust him too. He's awesome.

DOOOOBBBYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!! I sobbed so much. This was the saddest part of the book for me. I'd stop crying, then start again and again. His last words killed me! ...Harry....Potter.

I loved the epilogue. Of course it could have been longer or more detailed, but at least we got something. Would you have preferred the last thing you read be "I'm sleepy and I want a sandwich"? She could write an entire series on what happened to them in those 19 years. Hopefully, she comes through with the encyclopedia that she said she'd "probably" write.

Lastly, I don't think it was slow at all. I loved every minute of it. I spent 2 days locked up at home with my husband, each of us reading our own copy, stopping only to eat and sleep. It's not my fave, that's Prisoner of Azkaban, but It's in a 3 way tie for second with Phoenix and Prince.

I think I am going to re-read the entire series.

[PirateLover]

All right now...let's not gloat.
I was wrong, I admit it. :)


;) I wasn't really gloating, because I wasn't a full believer of the theory beforehand. I thought it was a possibility though. I just bolded it because it was the OMG moment of the book.

[Noah's Helper]

I took the Hallows to be the "power the Dark Lord knows not" from the prophecy.

I was a little surprised that Harry did not end up as the permanent Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. I thought that was what the jinx thing was leading up to.

I also thought some of the Slytherins would help defeat Voldemort, based on what the Sorting Hat said about all the houses needing to work together.

But those are just predictions that I missed. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I too am ready to re-read the whole series.

[ftwildernesskid]

I'm so glad to see this thread on here! I loved the book, my favorite of the 7. I was actually tearing up at the end feeling I was saying goodbye to old friends. Sappy, but in my defense, Harry asking his mother if she'd stay with him just about tore me up.
But maybe someone could explain to me how Draco was the rightful owner of the Elder wand. I know I must be missing something obvious, but for the life of me I couldn't figure it out.

[Jeff]

I took the Hallows to be the "power the Dark Lord knows not" from the prophecy.
.


Now that's an interesting thought. I just figured the "power" was that of Love, as Dumbledore said so often. I like your theory better!

[PirateLover]

But maybe someone could explain to me how Draco was the rightful owner of the Elder wand. I know I must be missing something obvious, but for the life of me I couldn't figure it out.

This was a bit of a stretch in my opinion but this is how it went: Draco was the last person to defeat Dumbledore because he de-armed him using expelliarmus. Dumbledore did not have the wand when Snape killed him. Additionally, Dumbledore's death was arranged with Snape so Snape really never defeated him anyway. So Draco became the true master of the Elder Wand, although he did not know it. The part that is a stretch for me is that because Harry defeated Draco's original wand and won it's allegiance, this also made him master of the Elder Wand. But whatever makes the story work I guess. Lol.

[Tink&Goofy]

I loved the book - I think it is the best of all of them. What a roller coaster ride!! There were so many twists and turns, and so many things to wrap up!




4. Lucius should have died. I felt sorry for Draco through this book, but he was truly a product of his parenting, and "Cissy" truly loved her son, and even though it was in her own interest to say that Harry was dead, she did and saved him. Some of Slytherin had to remain to rebuild..

I agree. I honestly thought that one of them should not survive. Draco was a victim of his own parents. Lucious was the true evil one.


But maybe someone could explain to me how Draco was the rightful owner of the Elder wand. I know I must be missing something obvious, but for the life of me I couldn't figure it out.

I had some problems with this as well. I want to reread it now to see if it all makes more sense.

I didn't care for the 19 years later - it was all just a little too sappy for the ending of such an action packed and violent confrontation. I think most people wanted to know what they were all doing, but it was just too predictable.

One of my favorite parts is when George gets his ear blown off and still with his sense of humor says to his mom "now you can tell us apart"! I laughed out loud at that one!!

I loved the fact Neville got to show his stuff! I also loved Mrs. Weasly protecting her daughter!

Although I am sorry to see the series come to an end, I felt like the last book really did wrap up the story. Sure there are things you will always wonder about, but the main questions were answered, and of course, the good guys won.

[Minniemouse27]

This was a bit of a stretch in my opinion but this is how it went: Draco was the last person to defeat Dumbledore because he de-armed him using expelliarmus. Dumbledore did not have the wand when Snape killed him. Additionally, Dumbledore's death was arranged with Snape so Snape really never defeated him anyway. So Draco became the true master of the Elder Wand, although he did not know it. The part that is a stretch for me is that because Harry defeated Draco's original wand and won it's allegiance, this also made him master of the Elder Wand. But whatever makes the story work I guess. Lol.

This is my only problem w/ this book as well.

Ollivander was kept alive by JKR (IMO) so he could explain the whole wand thing to Harry, if the book was true to what Voldemort would have done... Ollivander would have been killed way before Harry rescued him.

In book 6, Draco disarmed Dumbledore when he entered the tower room. By disarming him HE became the "master" of the Elder wand, just like when Harry took Draco's wand ("disarming" him) and became the master of his wand.

The next jump is my problem... how by being the master of one of Draco's wands does Harry become the master of another of his wands? If that is the way the wand thing works, that's fine...it just isn't very logical.

Just my 2 cents!

[gauvin4]

Re the epilouge did anyone else not wonder what they were all doing? I would have loved to know if Harry was at the ministry etc as clearly none of them were teachers.

Yes, I was hoping it would tell a little more about the characters and what they were doing.

[krose78]

I also thought some of the Slytherins would help defeat Voldemort, based on what the Sorting Hat said about all the houses needing to work together.


Well it may be stretching it a little bit but draco's mother(i'm sure she was a slytherin) did aid in taking down Voldemort by not telling that Harry was alive so in that way they did help defeat him?? Like I said it is a stretch.

[kaylamag]

Did anyone else notice that the initials of Albus Servus Potter are ASP which is a snake, i thought that was interesting. Ron and Hermoine must be fans of Lost naming their kids Rose and Hugo!
My biggest disapointment is not knowing what there occupations were, i'm going to have to find JKR's interviews online.

[jedigrrrl]

Did anyone else notice that the initials of Albus Servus Potter are ASP which is a snake, i thought that was interesting. Ron and Hermoine must be fans of Lost naming their kids Rose and Hugo!
My biggest disapointment is not knowing what there occupations were, i'm going to have to find JKR's interviews online.

You must read Entertainment Weekly . . .

[ncscgirl2005]

Did anyone else notice that the initials of Albus Servus Potter are ASP which is a snake, i thought that was interesting. Ron and Hermoine must be fans of Lost naming their kids Rose and Hugo!
My biggest disapointment is not knowing what there occupations were, i'm going to have to find JKR's interviews online.

What snake is that? I was wondering where they got those names from. They seem so out of the ordinary.

[jedigrrrl]

What snake is that? I was wondering where they got those names from. They seem so out of the ordinary.

Asp is another word for snake.

[PirateLover]

Asp is another word for snake.

Not quite. Not all snakes are Asps. An asp is defined as any of several venomous snakes, especially the Egyptian cobra or the horned viper.

[Noah's Helper]

Well it may be stretching it a little bit but draco's mother(i'm sure she was a slytherin) did aid in taking down Voldemort by not telling that Harry was alive so in that way they did help defeat him?? Like I said it is a stretch.

I re-read the last chapter (not the Epilogue) last night. Phineas Nigellus (in his portrait) does say that Slytherin did their part in defeating Voldemort. Maybe he was referring to adults, which could include Narcissa, Snape, Slughorn, and maybe Regulus Black. But did any students help out? Draco had an indirect role in Voldemort's defeat, but I don't know that I would count that.

[BrerSchultzy]

I re-read the last chapter (not the Epilogue) last night. Phineas Nigellus (in his portrait) does say that Slytherin did their part in defeating Voldemort. Maybe he was referring to adults, which could include Narcissa, Snape, Slughorn, and maybe Regulus Black. But did any students help out? Draco had an indirect role in Voldemort's defeat, but I don't know that I would count that.

I think Snape's contributions (and covert operations) would certainly count...Snape had to endure a lot to keep Hogwarts safe the year after Dumbledore died. Regulus Black would also probably count...

and don't forget, Phineas Nigellus is also prone to more than a little boasting.

[kaylamag]

I figured he was referring to himself since Hermoine took the portrait out of the Blacks house. He could communicate with Snape through his other portrait in the Headmasters office.

[AvonleaCF]

Even after the interviews with JKR we still don't know:

-Where are the Dursleys now?

-Why did it matter that Lily's wand was good for charm work?

-What did Lily and James do after they graduated from Hogwarts? Where did all the gold that Harry inherited come from?

-What was in the locked room in the Department of Mysteries?

-What exactly DID Aberforth do with those goats? ;)

[TooGoofy]

-What exactly DID Aberforth do with those goats? ;)

Some things we may not want to know!

But I did think it was absolutely hilarious that Aberforth's Patronus was a goat! :haha:

[handmaidenofprincesses]

A) Harry giving Kreacher the locket and the whole Kreacher storyline was great.

B) I really hate Umbridge (so what else is new, right?)

C) The only character whose death really upset me (as in to the point of crying) was Fred's, because "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" would probably not go on with only one twin. George probably couldn't have borne it, and Fred was probably going nuts from up in the sky with all of his unchallenged ideas!

D) What was that thing, when Harry "died"? You know the ting that he both wanted to help and was repulsed by? It's probably very obvious, but I'm slow....

[kaylamag]

I believe it was the part of Voldermorts soul that was in Harry as a baby?

[PirateLover]

-What did Lily and James do after they graduated from Hogwarts? Where did all the gold that Harry inherited come from?

I thought that she said at some point that the gold was from James' family-so it was inherited. If you go by the timeline they were only 20 when they had Harry. As most are 17/18 when they graduate Hogwarts and these two were apparently prominent OotP members, that doesn't give them much time to find jobs and establish their own funds. They probably just lived off James' money. I'd have liked to know more about what finally made Lily fall for James.

[mouseaddict]

Regarding the "thing" at King's Cross...think back to the graveyard scene in Goblet of Fire..the description is very similar.
I believe that this is what Dumbledore meant when he told Voldemort that "there are things worse than death" (those are not exact quotes..but you get my drift) I believe that this is the piece of Voldemort..and this is what was left of him in the end....(did that make sense???)

[conorsmom2000]

I believe it was the part of Voldermorts soul that was in Harry as a baby?

That was pretty much what I was thinking too....

[BelleBeauty]

[QUOTE=AvonleaCF;1374541]-What was in the locked room in the Department of Mysteries?QUOTE]

[QUOTE=handmaidenofprincesses;1374763]
C) The only character whose death really upset me (as in to the point of crying) was Fred's, because "Weasley's Wizard Wheezes" would probably not go on with only one twin. George probably couldn't have borne it, and Fred was probably going nuts from up in the sky with all of his unchallenged ideas!QUOTE]


I thought that the locked room in the department of mysteries was Love? Didn't Dumbledore bring that up when he was discussing the entire affair with Harry at the end?

I think Connorsmom2000 mentioned that JKR said in an interview that Ron joined George in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Or am I remembering it wrong and that is what she hoped he would do :blush:

[hokies4life]

I think Connorsmom2000 mentioned that JKR said in an interview that Ron joined George in Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Or am I remembering it wrong and that is what she hoped he would do :blush:

In one interview JKR said that Ron was an Auror at the Ministry, and in another she said that he joined George at the Joke shop. Some people find this conflicting, but I think its entirely possible that he could be doing both.

Also, another little surprise that made me teary eyed was when Percy showed up to help in the fight and was apologizing to the family. I'm glad he wised up :thumbsup:.

I definitely need to re-read the book though, I think I read the last few chapters a little too fast.....

:chipdale:

[bleukarma]

I'd have liked to know more about what finally made Lily fall for James.

Yeah, me too. We heard a lot about how she hated him but I don't recall hearing about how she ended up with him. hmmm...

[Ruprect]

Yeah, me too. We heard a lot about how she hated him but I don't recall hearing about how she ended up with him. hmmm...

I'm actually in the middle of rereading OOTP and in there Harry actually uses Umbridge's fireplace and floo powder to go and ask Sirius this exact question. It's in the chapter where Fred and George leave Hogwarts for good (the diversion so Harry can get into the office) if anyone feels like looking it up.

[BelleBeauty]

I'm actually in the middle of rereading OOTP and in there Harry actually uses Umbridge's fireplace and floo powder to go and ask Sirius this exact question. It's in the chapter where Fred and George leave Hogwarts for good (the diversion so Harry can get into the office) if anyone feels like looking it up.

Yeah but all Sirius says is that people change and James wasn't such a mean guy when he finally grew up.

I sort of like that there are still little things that we don't know. It opens the possibility for a special book or some coffee table books with the little details in the future.

[dixielandings]

I have about a jillion thoughts on HPandtheDH - honestly, I've thought of little else for the past week and a half. But tonight, I was watching CofS (I'm having a personal Harry Potter film festival this weekend :blush:), and I don't remember if this was a quote from the book, but at the end, when Harry hoodwinks Lucius into freeing Dobby and Dobby is falling all over himself with gratitude, Harry says to him, "Just promise me something - never try to save my life again."

I lost it.

[BashfulMom]

It opens the possibility for a special book or some coffee table books with the little details in the future.

Oh, I think it would be wonderful if Mrs. Rowling put out a book that detailed the history of each family what happened to everyone.

[BashfulMom]

Who is Victrolea (not sure of the spelling)?

She is mentioned at the end of the book as a girl that Teddy is getting friendly with on the train?

Who is she related to? I don't have my book with me but Harry or someone mentions that it would be great if they got together and then Teddy would be in the family officially.

Please someone help me. For some reason this is driving me crazy. :crazy:

[SBETigg]

You must mean Victoire. Due to the French name and the fact that she is referred to as a cousin, I assumed she is the daughter of Bill and Fleur, probably close in age to Teddy.

[mouseaddict]

Victoire..she is Bill and Fleur's daughter.

[MizMissy]

you might be interested in the interview (and/or articles) with J.K. Rowling conducted by the today show - they are on the nbc today show website. One of the articles is about "what happened next." In that article she said that Victorie is Fleur and Bill's eldest daughter.

[BashfulMom]

Oh, thank you all so much.

[alphamommy]

I'm so glad to find this thread! We just got back from vacation, and I've been surrounded by people who haven't read the book!

I really liked it, but I think I want to reread it - I zipped through it so fast that I want to digest it a little more.

There were a few interesting points to me:

1. I also would like to know the paths they all take in those 19 years. Who do you suppose is Minster of Magic now?

2. I figured that there was a good reason for DD's trust in Snape. That whole sequence was very touching to me - I especially thought it was interesting the Snape wanted Harry to know how he felt about Lily.

3. In spite of Snapes "redemption", I'm not sure I would give my second son his name for a middle name. That sort of creeped me out a little.

4. I guess I'm sort of alone, but I liked the epilogue.

5. Is Teddy a werewolf?

6. Why did Lily fall for James?

7. I expected more with the Dursleys, but the way it was was okay, too.

8. I LOVED that Neville had such a huge part. I also loved that he was the Herbology professor in the epilogue!

I'm sure there are other things I could mention, but I'll stop here for now.

Tammy

[conorsmom2000]

Some of these were answered by JKR in her interviews after the book came out....




1. I also would like to know the paths they all take in those 19 years. Who do you suppose is Minster of Magic now?

From the interview that I read, it was still Kinglsey

5. Is Teddy a werewolf?

No, he's not - he's a metamorphagus (sp?) just like Tonks

6. Why did Lily fall for James?

I don't think she's answered this specifically but in OoTP, Sirius touched on it just saying that James grew up and wasn't such a show off anymore and by their 7th year, Lily liked him.



Hope that helps!

[PirateLover]

Hey guys! Well now that everything is over I thought it might be fun to look back at the entire series. What were your favorite and least favorite parts? How would you rank the books?
I just finished re-reading books 1,2,3,5,and 6. My copy of Goblet of Fire has mysteriously disappeared which is somewhat inconvenient because you really are able to read the books with a whole new sense of appreciation when you know where they are ultimately heading.

Anyway, I would say the moment that is really a punch in the gut for me every time is Harry discovering Sirius' two way mirror at the end of Order of the Phoenix. I know it's meant to show how one-tracked and forgetful Harry's mind can be sometimes (for instance in HBP he only gives Ron the bezoar because he read it in his book, not because he remembered it from his lessons with snape in the 1st year) but what I don't get is why Sirius wouldn't remind him about the mirrors when Harry goes out on a limb to contact him through Umbridge's fire after Sirius had given him the package at Christmas. That just kills me! Ugh!

Here is how I personally rank the books, based mostly I guess on enjoyment of re-readability:
1. Deathly Hallows
2. Order of the Phoenix
3. Goblet of Fire
4. Prisoner of Azkaban
5. Sorcerer's Stone
6. Chamber of Secrets
7. Half Blood Prince

Now of course I do love all of them.. but for me HBP reads the slowest as it is mostly a set-up for the last book. It will be interesting to see how the movie turns out because as I was reading through it, it was hard for me to figure out how much of this would really translate onto the big screen... for instance Harry's growing internal struggle over his feelings for Ginny.. he never explicitly mentions it to anyone. There is a lot of "thinking" going on in this book, and just good old storytelling rather than action. I'm very hopeful, however, that the final few chapters will translate amazingly well.

I remember loving Chamber of Secrets first time around because of the shocks... Could Hagrid have really opened the Chamber of Secrets the first time? Ginny Weasley was possessed? Tom Riddle was a youthful Voldemort who was able to wreak havoc through a mere memory? (or so we thought). I guess all of them lose the suspense factor but for me that one probably suffers the most. The one thing however that really stands out in this book however is when Harry is talking to Dumbledore at the end, as he always does. Dumbledore is telling Harry that he believes L.V. unknowingly transferred some of his powers to Harry on that fateful night at Godric's Hollow because harry is concerned about being a parsel-mouth and the sorting hat considering putting him in Slytherin. Harry then says something along the lines of "Voldemort put some of himself in me?" And Dumbledore says yes I think so.(sorry don't have the exact quotes) Pretty huge hint about Harry being a horcrux when you think about it...

I love Prisoner of Azkaban expect for the whole time turner thing at the end. Just a little bizarre, even for my taste. But overall I loved that this was the book that started taking us in an even darker direction.

There are a gazillion more things I could talk about but It is getting late now, perhaps I can touch on those another day. ;)

[threeh]

I have to say that I enjoyed DH. At first when I read it really fast when I first got it, I liked it but it wasn't my favorite. I have since listened to it on cd (you just have to love Jim Dale) and now i think it is my favorite. Man is that ending awesome!!! I am sad that Harry potter is done, i have been a potterhead for about 4 years. :cloud9: