I picked up HBP around Sunday afternoon after getting back from vacation and finished reading it Wed. afternoon (3 days, I'm a HP lightweight X-p).
Wow...what to say about it...
If the next book is supposedly the absolute end of the series (sniff..) JK has a lot of loose ends to tie up. From how the book ended, it sounds like the Trio will actually skip their final year at Hogwarts pursuing the final four Horcruxes and the final showdown with Voldemort. Man, the possible scenarios and endings are endless. Ugh, I can't type and think about the end of HBP and what's to come it's that distracing.
OK, first off, the Vow. Draco coud not pull the trigger, so Snape did it. Is he free from the Vow, or does he still need to watch over Draco and protect him from harm (the second condition)?
After rereading the fight at Hogwarts part toward the end, I really can't see how Snape is a good guy anymore (refering to the mercy killing or Dumbledore asking to be killed to cover Snape's involvement theory). You just can't "act" the way he did with all the rage and contempt he was showing. If anything, Draco's side of things will be an interesting sub-plot in the next book seeing he did not accomplishing offing Dumbledore and putting himself and his family in danger.
For a while, I thought that the HBP was Harry's mom, Lily. With all the references Slughorn was making that Harry had his mum knack on potions everytime he "copied" from the potions book made me think that it was an borrowed book that used to belong to Harry muum and just happended to procure it (lucky?). Up to the part when Harry saw and used the Dark curse on Draco, then I wasn't sure.
I believe that RAB is Sirrus's younger brother, but why mention him and leave the less astute guessing who snatched the locket before Harry and Dumbledore got to it. Maybe it's a "did all of that crap for fricking nothing" set-up, or maybe Sirrus's bro has some hidden info regarding Voldemort's "soul attachments". Who knows.
The Harry/Ginny deal did suprise me a bit, too. I think...it's a neat sub-plot and I've got a sneaking feeling that she will make an signifigant appearance in the last book, too (wheter good or bad).
Dumbledore's death wasn't as much as a shock as I thought it would be (due to a bit of foreshadowing before they went to the cave) but it still was very unsettling, none the less. Unfortunetly, it makes sense he bites the dust toward the end of the next to last book. If not, Harry would have had a reason to return to Hogwarts the next year and would have made for a dull set-up for a final book. Now, Harry can carry on freely without too much attachments to those who can protect him. Ultimetly, Harry knows that he is on his own (despite the fact he will team up with Ron/Hermionie, I'm sure there will be the predictable ditching of his friends to protect them deal).
Can't think of anything else to comment/question/argure/debate at this point. HBP is "freaking sweet" and all in all a great set-up book for the conclusion. I'm 100% positive that the last book will be one roller-coaster of an emotional ride and will not have a happy ending.
Prediction audible: Voldemort dies; Harry doesn't make it either; Ron and Hermionie live.
Wow...what to say about it...
If the next book is supposedly the absolute end of the series (sniff..) JK has a lot of loose ends to tie up. From how the book ended, it sounds like the Trio will actually skip their final year at Hogwarts pursuing the final four Horcruxes and the final showdown with Voldemort. Man, the possible scenarios and endings are endless. Ugh, I can't type and think about the end of HBP and what's to come it's that distracing.
OK, first off, the Vow. Draco coud not pull the trigger, so Snape did it. Is he free from the Vow, or does he still need to watch over Draco and protect him from harm (the second condition)?
After rereading the fight at Hogwarts part toward the end, I really can't see how Snape is a good guy anymore (refering to the mercy killing or Dumbledore asking to be killed to cover Snape's involvement theory). You just can't "act" the way he did with all the rage and contempt he was showing. If anything, Draco's side of things will be an interesting sub-plot in the next book seeing he did not accomplishing offing Dumbledore and putting himself and his family in danger.
For a while, I thought that the HBP was Harry's mom, Lily. With all the references Slughorn was making that Harry had his mum knack on potions everytime he "copied" from the potions book made me think that it was an borrowed book that used to belong to Harry muum and just happended to procure it (lucky?). Up to the part when Harry saw and used the Dark curse on Draco, then I wasn't sure.
I believe that RAB is Sirrus's younger brother, but why mention him and leave the less astute guessing who snatched the locket before Harry and Dumbledore got to it. Maybe it's a "did all of that crap for fricking nothing" set-up, or maybe Sirrus's bro has some hidden info regarding Voldemort's "soul attachments". Who knows.
The Harry/Ginny deal did suprise me a bit, too. I think...it's a neat sub-plot and I've got a sneaking feeling that she will make an signifigant appearance in the last book, too (wheter good or bad).
Dumbledore's death wasn't as much as a shock as I thought it would be (due to a bit of foreshadowing before they went to the cave) but it still was very unsettling, none the less. Unfortunetly, it makes sense he bites the dust toward the end of the next to last book. If not, Harry would have had a reason to return to Hogwarts the next year and would have made for a dull set-up for a final book. Now, Harry can carry on freely without too much attachments to those who can protect him. Ultimetly, Harry knows that he is on his own (despite the fact he will team up with Ron/Hermionie, I'm sure there will be the predictable ditching of his friends to protect them deal).
Can't think of anything else to comment/question/argure/debate at this point. HBP is "freaking sweet" and all in all a great set-up book for the conclusion. I'm 100% positive that the last book will be one roller-coaster of an emotional ride and will not have a happy ending.
Prediction audible: Voldemort dies; Harry doesn't make it either; Ron and Hermionie live.
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