Harry Potter!!!
Finally finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night at 11pm.
Sooooo many reactions, and I know I'll forget a lot of them. First of all, YAY FOR SNAPE. I totally saw that whole in-love-with-Lily plot coming ever since the third book when Lupin mentioned he thought Snape was just jealous of James. But oooooh, I'm so sad that he died, even if it was inevitable. As much as I hated the Epilogue, it was hilarious to see that Harry named one of his children after Dumbledore and Snape, that was just awesomeness defined. And Snape's password was "Dumbledore"! Didn't any of the other teachers know this? Wouldn't they have seen it as his loyalty to DD? Or did they just assume it was him gloating over the other's death?
Now, about the twins: I saw that one coming, too. As incredibly depressing as it was, I was holding out that George's ear would be the worst of it. But, noooo, Fred actually DIED. That's just horrible? Whatever is George to do now??? Does he keep up the store in honour of his late twin? Does he ever marry? Does he commit suicide to spend eternity with his 'other half'? For all the Rowling tried to tie it all up at the end with her epilogue, she left some major holes.
Like everyone else, I am in major awe of Molly Weasley getting the better of Bellatrix. Lovelovelovelovelove. AND NEVILLE! I was hoping, after his mysterious disappearance from HBP, that he would get some long-awaited attention and bravery and heroism, and HE DID. Neville made it possible for Voldemort to be defeated. Oh, and the whole Taboo-ing of Voldemort's name was really genius and unexpected.
On the whole, however, the end was anticlimatic, predictable, and trite. Harry coming back from the dead? No thanks. And pretty much everything that happened, the fandom had already guessed. Harry is a Horcrux and must die. Dumbledore reappears (even if it's only in Harry's head). Snape was loyal to DD the entire time. Harry and Ginny get married. Hermione and Ron get married (oh, but I loved how Ron came back and Harry went to stand in the corner to give them some semblace of privacy, but instead Hermione started attacking Ron. =D ). Remus and Tonks get married and have a baby (I know that was what was bothering Lupin before it was revealed, but still....very cute. BUT THEY DIED! Oh, I was DEVASTATED! Reeeeemuuuuuuus. But seriously, another major hole here: Harry's only seventeen years old and he has a practically newborn baby to take care of. He would have no clue what to do, and he wouldn't have Ginny to help him out, as she still had another year of school to go. I suppose he could have left Teddy with Andromeda for a while, until he was ready to take him in, but Rowling never specified [or if she did, I missed it]. Of course, just being the child's Godfather does not make him automatic guardian [does it?], but then again, it was implied in the epilogue that Harry raised him. I dunno.)
I had a hard time in the epilogue keeping track of just how many children H/G and R/H had and whose was whose. I think I'll either have to reread that part, or see if anyone has made a family tree yet.
And like I told Michael, perhaps the best part (or at least the part that made me crack up) was when Harry thought of himself, Snape, and Voldemort as "the abandoned boys." I just about died laughing, especially since it was in the middle of tragedy. I totally had this idea of the three of them flying off to NeverNeverLand to live with Peter Pan and never grow up (I see a crack!fic lurking in this.....).
Oh, and Kreacher having a change of heart totally made this book worth it. XD But seriously, my one major beef with Rowling (other than the coming-back from the dead bit) was how easily Voldemort turned just about everyone against Harry. Utter ridiculousness. That and how much of the book was just them wandering around with NO CLUE. Yes, this was important to the plot, but it made the first half of the book nearly unbearable.
Is there some poetic justice in Snape dying in the Shrieking Shack? Just a thought.
That's the end of my rant for now. ^o^
Sooooo many reactions, and I know I'll forget a lot of them. First of all, YAY FOR SNAPE. I totally saw that whole in-love-with-Lily plot coming ever since the third book when Lupin mentioned he thought Snape was just jealous of James. But oooooh, I'm so sad that he died, even if it was inevitable. As much as I hated the Epilogue, it was hilarious to see that Harry named one of his children after Dumbledore and Snape, that was just awesomeness defined. And Snape's password was "Dumbledore"! Didn't any of the other teachers know this? Wouldn't they have seen it as his loyalty to DD? Or did they just assume it was him gloating over the other's death?
Now, about the twins: I saw that one coming, too. As incredibly depressing as it was, I was holding out that George's ear would be the worst of it. But, noooo, Fred actually DIED. That's just horrible? Whatever is George to do now??? Does he keep up the store in honour of his late twin? Does he ever marry? Does he commit suicide to spend eternity with his 'other half'? For all the Rowling tried to tie it all up at the end with her epilogue, she left some major holes.
Like everyone else, I am in major awe of Molly Weasley getting the better of Bellatrix. Lovelovelovelovelove. AND NEVILLE! I was hoping, after his mysterious disappearance from HBP, that he would get some long-awaited attention and bravery and heroism, and HE DID. Neville made it possible for Voldemort to be defeated. Oh, and the whole Taboo-ing of Voldemort's name was really genius and unexpected.
On the whole, however, the end was anticlimatic, predictable, and trite. Harry coming back from the dead? No thanks. And pretty much everything that happened, the fandom had already guessed. Harry is a Horcrux and must die. Dumbledore reappears (even if it's only in Harry's head). Snape was loyal to DD the entire time. Harry and Ginny get married. Hermione and Ron get married (oh, but I loved how Ron came back and Harry went to stand in the corner to give them some semblace of privacy, but instead Hermione started attacking Ron. =D ). Remus and Tonks get married and have a baby (I know that was what was bothering Lupin before it was revealed, but still....very cute. BUT THEY DIED! Oh, I was DEVASTATED! Reeeeemuuuuuuus. But seriously, another major hole here: Harry's only seventeen years old and he has a practically newborn baby to take care of. He would have no clue what to do, and he wouldn't have Ginny to help him out, as she still had another year of school to go. I suppose he could have left Teddy with Andromeda for a while, until he was ready to take him in, but Rowling never specified [or if she did, I missed it]. Of course, just being the child's Godfather does not make him automatic guardian [does it?], but then again, it was implied in the epilogue that Harry raised him. I dunno.)
I had a hard time in the epilogue keeping track of just how many children H/G and R/H had and whose was whose. I think I'll either have to reread that part, or see if anyone has made a family tree yet.
And like I told Michael, perhaps the best part (or at least the part that made me crack up) was when Harry thought of himself, Snape, and Voldemort as "the abandoned boys." I just about died laughing, especially since it was in the middle of tragedy. I totally had this idea of the three of them flying off to NeverNeverLand to live with Peter Pan and never grow up (I see a crack!fic lurking in this.....).
Oh, and Kreacher having a change of heart totally made this book worth it. XD But seriously, my one major beef with Rowling (other than the coming-back from the dead bit) was how easily Voldemort turned just about everyone against Harry. Utter ridiculousness. That and how much of the book was just them wandering around with NO CLUE. Yes, this was important to the plot, but it made the first half of the book nearly unbearable.
Is there some poetic justice in Snape dying in the Shrieking Shack? Just a thought.
That's the end of my rant for now. ^o^