The Half-Blood Prince
Okay, I've read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I've been reading plenty of comments about it, but I'm not really up for it right now and I'm a crap reviewer. So, I'll complain about how expensive the book was and why they're such bastards in this country. TWENTY-FIVE EUROS SIXTY-FIVE CENTS (25'65€)!!! It's disgusting. I want to see if I can resell it for 20-22€ and buy it at Tesco's for 7'99 quid when I go there in August. I just had to read it quick because I knew you'd be torturing and tempting me with spoilers.
So, there weren't any special midnight parties and we were no more than 20 people waiting to buy the book in the Triangle FNAC. Diana and I were the first to get in and we raced up the escalators, she got to the books first, but I believe I bought it first. I read it all morning midday and afternoon and I left it at 1900 to have a shower (it was swealtering hot) and to then go to a friends dance show that started at 2000, I got there just in time before it started. After the show we went to a crêperie-ice-cream-shop nearby and had a chat. I got home round 1 am when I peacefully got on with my book. I'd finished chapter 19 in the metro and waiting for the show to begin and that... OK, spoilers...
Chapter 19, Elf Tails. Dobby and Kreacher fighting, so cute, and their different takes on Draco (walks with such grace - is a bad boy)... Which reminds me reading in a post about OotP how the author of the post was bothered about how Sirius death would affect the Black's house being the Order's headquarters.
As Bill was in the hospital wing with his horrid scars I kept thinking of Fawkes singing sadly and couldn't he cry on Bill's wounds. I suppose it's silly, but anyway... And RAB, from the moment I read it the only person I could think of was Regulus Black, and from comments I've read I see I'm not the only one... However, I believe it more probable it's someone we haven't really read about yet... Another thing that I'm not the only one in thinking is that Dumbledore sort of allowed Snape to read his mind and what he was thinking wasn't "get such-and-such potion and save me", but "kill me for mysterious-reason-closely-related-to-Harry-being-the-Chosen-One-and-perhaps-about-stopping-Draco-from-becoming-a-murderer-and-Order-stuff". As much as I hate Snape for killing Dumbledore, I still don't trust him to be absolute about anything... Dumbledore's death, though expected, was still very sad. More than for his actual death I was sad when reading the reactions and all that. I was glad to see cheering up flowers of ships here and there, and seeing Tonks with pink hair again and with Lupin, and Molly finally accepting Fleur/Phlegm and pushing the Great Aunt's tiara for her to wear for the wedding. As much as some of you may hate me for this, I'm quite happy with Lupin/Tonks... From the first moment Harry thought that Tonks had fancied Sirius I thought "RED HERRING!" because, OK, pureblood families marry their cousins to continue with their pureblood snobbery, but it just seemd wrong, even if they were second cousins, or cousins once removed (however you call it) and that makes it more acceptable. I think Dumbledore would've liked Harry remembering his nice funny things and laughing during the funeral and to see how people were getting together and going on with their lives. I think I once mentioned how I'd like my funeral being a great excuse for all of my friends and family meeting and getting to know each other probably start going out with each other while I laughed at you all happy with what was happening fromt he other world if it exists...
As for Harry's love life, after this I don't really think he is going to be in any sort of relationship, unless he survives after killing Voldemort, which I doubt. He'd be too afraid of putting anyone he loves in danger, it's surprising he even lets Ron and Hermione follow him around, but then he only did so half forced, but understanding that it was their choice. Well, that gives Hermione a chance, but I don't think so somehow...
I really liked getting to know about Voldemort's past through the Pensieve. And I liked Snape's notes as the Half-Blood Prince in the potion's book. When seeing the adult cover I had a feeling about it but pushed it away because I always tend to think my ideas are bullshit. I find it odd that Snape sounds more like a wizard name and Prince, I think, sounds more muggle... But then you get Potter and Black, quite common surnames in general, for pureblood families... But then if they're common, I believe it is because they're ancient... I'm thinking of Smith, or the O', -sen, Mac, Mc, -son, -ez, -smith names in general. And then some like Black, White and profession names (Thatcher, Zapatero, the -smiths included of course). Talking of which, I enjoyed disliking McLaggen. And Hermione's getting rather silly, by the way...
So, there weren't any special midnight parties and we were no more than 20 people waiting to buy the book in the Triangle FNAC. Diana and I were the first to get in and we raced up the escalators, she got to the books first, but I believe I bought it first. I read it all morning midday and afternoon and I left it at 1900 to have a shower (it was swealtering hot) and to then go to a friends dance show that started at 2000, I got there just in time before it started. After the show we went to a crêperie-ice-cream-shop nearby and had a chat. I got home round 1 am when I peacefully got on with my book. I'd finished chapter 19 in the metro and waiting for the show to begin and that... OK, spoilers...
Chapter 19, Elf Tails. Dobby and Kreacher fighting, so cute, and their different takes on Draco (walks with such grace - is a bad boy)... Which reminds me reading in a post about OotP how the author of the post was bothered about how Sirius death would affect the Black's house being the Order's headquarters.
As Bill was in the hospital wing with his horrid scars I kept thinking of Fawkes singing sadly and couldn't he cry on Bill's wounds. I suppose it's silly, but anyway... And RAB, from the moment I read it the only person I could think of was Regulus Black, and from comments I've read I see I'm not the only one... However, I believe it more probable it's someone we haven't really read about yet... Another thing that I'm not the only one in thinking is that Dumbledore sort of allowed Snape to read his mind and what he was thinking wasn't "get such-and-such potion and save me", but "kill me for mysterious-reason-closely-related-to-Harry-being-the-Chosen-One-and-perhaps-about-stopping-Draco-from-becoming-a-murderer-and-Order-stuff". As much as I hate Snape for killing Dumbledore, I still don't trust him to be absolute about anything... Dumbledore's death, though expected, was still very sad. More than for his actual death I was sad when reading the reactions and all that. I was glad to see cheering up flowers of ships here and there, and seeing Tonks with pink hair again and with Lupin, and Molly finally accepting Fleur/Phlegm and pushing the Great Aunt's tiara for her to wear for the wedding. As much as some of you may hate me for this, I'm quite happy with Lupin/Tonks... From the first moment Harry thought that Tonks had fancied Sirius I thought "RED HERRING!" because, OK, pureblood families marry their cousins to continue with their pureblood snobbery, but it just seemd wrong, even if they were second cousins, or cousins once removed (however you call it) and that makes it more acceptable. I think Dumbledore would've liked Harry remembering his nice funny things and laughing during the funeral and to see how people were getting together and going on with their lives. I think I once mentioned how I'd like my funeral being a great excuse for all of my friends and family meeting and getting to know each other probably start going out with each other while I laughed at you all happy with what was happening fromt he other world if it exists...
As for Harry's love life, after this I don't really think he is going to be in any sort of relationship, unless he survives after killing Voldemort, which I doubt. He'd be too afraid of putting anyone he loves in danger, it's surprising he even lets Ron and Hermione follow him around, but then he only did so half forced, but understanding that it was their choice. Well, that gives Hermione a chance, but I don't think so somehow...
I really liked getting to know about Voldemort's past through the Pensieve. And I liked Snape's notes as the Half-Blood Prince in the potion's book. When seeing the adult cover I had a feeling about it but pushed it away because I always tend to think my ideas are bullshit. I find it odd that Snape sounds more like a wizard name and Prince, I think, sounds more muggle... But then you get Potter and Black, quite common surnames in general, for pureblood families... But then if they're common, I believe it is because they're ancient... I'm thinking of Smith, or the O', -sen, Mac, Mc, -son, -ez, -smith names in general. And then some like Black, White and profession names (Thatcher, Zapatero, the -smiths included of course). Talking of which, I enjoyed disliking McLaggen. And Hermione's getting rather silly, by the way...