Chapter 30 - The White Tomb

[cheeringcharm]

Classes and examinations have been canceled. Students are being whisked away from Hogwarts by frightened parents. Ministry officials are staying at Hogwarts. Everyone is waiting for Dumbledore's funeral.

Harry spends his time with Ron, Hermione and Ginny, repeating his horcrux mantra, the locket...the cup...the snake...something of Gryffindor's or

Comments

[cadesama]

Dude, why would that be sacrastic? I've been hoping that the Potter's graves were tacky tourist attractions since right around the release of OotP. The Inferi stuff is new, I admit, but would be extremely fun wrenching to read.

H/G on the first readthrough was such a laugh riot that I didn't think she could possibly be serious about it (Growling/purring chest monster? Ginny's "flowery" scent [so original that I'm dying of envy]? "The heart and soul of the Quidditch team"? [HarlequinSQUEE!11], and don't even get me started on the Spiderman-ripoff end scene), but now that I know she actually is, it's really sort of creepy.

Heh, so true. It's bizarre too, since I thought the Harry/Cho relationship was handled both realistically and enjoyably. There were awkward, wince-worthy moments, but those were scattered around so that it didn't affect my opinion of either of them (unlike R/Hr), and what happened in the relationship was tackled enough for us to get a real flavor of what it was like and why it ultimately wouldn't work (unlike H/G).

Creepy in that JKR's been trying to convince us that Ginny is important enough to Harry to be seen as his equal, yet apparently not important enough for him to know any of her friends, her interests (other than the ones she shares with him of course), or even the classes she's taking this year.

She's Harry's ideal girl! But that doesn't mean she's important enough to have personality before OotP -- never mind that JKR could have employment Harry's crazy eavesdropping talents to get it in and preserve Ginny's stuttering, blushing crush.

[pilly2009]

I've been hoping that the Potter's graves were tacky tourist attractions since right around the release of OotP. The Inferi stuff is new, I admit, but would be extremely fun wrenching to read.

If Voldemort doesn't use Lily and James in this manner to get to Harry, then he's an even bigger idiot than canon makes him out to be -- I figured the main reason that JKR touched on the subject of necromancy with the Inferi at all was because they can be brought back as anyone's dead loved one.

Heh, so true. It's bizarre too, since I thought the Harry/Cho relationship was handled both realistically and enjoyably.

What's ironic is that as far as actual writing and literary structure goes, Harry/Cho will actually come out far more superior to H/G when the series is over and the books are being studied; at least there JKR was able to tell us why the relationship would not work...odd that she can't tell us why H/G would (all of their dates happen offscreen).

[madderbrad]

I figured the main reason that JKR touched on the subject of necromancy with the Inferi at all was because they can be brought back as anyone's dead loved one.

My goodness, but that's a great/clever idea! A sort of mirror of their battle when Voldemort was resurrected, except we get back inferi rather than ghostly echoes. Great stuff to think about, thanks!

H/Cho really was superior to HBP's H/G, wasn't it? In OotP I was emotionally involved in Harry's fumbling attempts with Cho, even if I hoped they wouldn't last. But my biggest emotion with H/G was just ... surprise.

[pilly2009]

What's telling is that people have b*tched about Cho's behaviour in OotP, about Harry's behaviour toward her, about general frustration to the relationship as a whole, but it's been two years and I have yet to see anyone complain about how unrealistically or badly it was written. It was put together very well.

Whereas sadly, I think surprise is probably the best thing HBP!H/G has going for it (and possibly the only reaction JKR hoped to ignite that she did so successfully). The number one problem with H/G is how badly it was written, with the number two problem often being how badly GINNY was written, then come the complaints about the relationship in general.