Post-DH musings (No Spoilers)

[gioiamia]

So, I finished the book.  Wow.

I've posted my initial thoughts on it over at hpbook7thoughts .  I know we'll have lots of discussions going on over there in the days to come about it.

Last night I met up with angelicus and muffinkath7 over at Angel's house where we hung out and gabbed before going out to eat and gab and then stand in line for the book and gab.  I left them at the

Comments

[harmony_bites]

I loved the book. Sure, I have nitpicks, and the book makes my beloved ship *cough* a bit of a challenge w/o going AU. But I think it was the best of her books. I loved Harry especially more than in any other book. He grew so much. And Neville rocked! And Snape... *sob*

[gioiamia]

I loved the growth we saw in both Harry and Neville!

And Snape really floored me, honestly! For so many years fans have been theorizing that Snape was in love with Lily. It became almost cliche, for which reason I seriously doubted it. But she took that basic idea and made it really come alive. It was so much easier to understand him now. I LOVED that!

Did you notice McGonagall screaming "Coward!" at him as he fled, just as Harry had at the end of HBP?

[harmony_bites]

I wasn't a Snape fan before HBP, so that book wasn't a shock to me as it was to Snape fans--it's what actually convinced me he was a white hat. But as the release date approached, I couldn't help but have a lingering fear I had misread Rowling

[gioiamia]

I'm very confused in some ways about JKR's insistence that Snape is a "deeply horrible man." I'd love to hear her reconcile that with what we saw in the pensieve memory. All I can think is that the reality of what he suffered did not mean me wasn't still cruel and petty and vindictive towards children. He had a sucky life and horrible disappointments, but he chose to become a DE and, as a result, lost Lily. He chose to let his loss turn him into a bitter, angry man.

I've known people who are good role models from a distance, but in person they're really hard to be around because they just aren't NICE. My guess is that their history will record Snape that way.

And you know, I feel much better about Dumbledore than I have in awhile. If you go with the ying-yang approach, Snape and Dumbledore are a good illustration of that idea. Dumbledore had his hidden flaws, as we finally really understand here, but he was a good, honorable man. Snape was ultimately good and honorable, but BOY did he have some obvious flaws!

[harmony_bites]

That could very well be what squares the circle--that Rowling was warning people not to romanticize Snape, because despite what was good, noble, and honorable, Snape is still a deeply flawed man, horrible and scarring to children on a daily basis, and it doesn't get excused by a terrible past--any more than it excuses Voldemort--after all, look how Harry rose above how he was treated and raised.

There could be a very different explanation though. I only came into fandom after HBP and kept hearing about these quotes that supposedly refuted my belief that Snape was still Dumbledore's man despite his acts in HBP.

Well, when did JKR say them? JKR said a lot of things about what would happen in future books that never came to pass. That Lily's and Jame's professions would be important, that Zabini would appear again in DH, etc

[gioiamia]

It'd be interesting to start a list of all these things JKR said (or hinted) would be important by the end of the series. I was thinking yesterday about some of those you mentioned, plus the fact that someone was supposed to perform magic for the first time under stressful circumstances, the missing 24-hours at Godric's Hollow was never resolved, and she had always refused to tell us if anyone else was present when James and Lily were killed.

[dolphinluv2783]

That's exactly how I felt about Snape/Lily also. I just could not believe it. I literally rolled my eyes when I started that chapter, and realized what was going to happen. But I basically bawled my way through it once Snape went to DD for help. That poor man. I realize he made his own choices, but still. The guilt of it all..... And the part where Dumbledore says, "After all this time?" and Snape says "Always" killed me.

[gioiamia]

I'm amused right now because my hubby, who is only as far as the chapter "Goblin's Revenge," just came in and announced to me his three suspicions at this point:

1) He thinks something is off with Remus, especially since when he met up with the trio at Grimmauld place his identity declaration was lame.
2) He thinks Ron is being possessed or controlled somehow, which is why Ron ran off.
3) He's just announced with great shock that he thinks Snape actually IS evil.

Hehehehe!

[dolphinluv2783]

My good friend Mary is only up to the chapter where Luna's dad explains what the Deathly Hallows are. She started talking about Snape, saying that he better have a good reason for killing Dumbledore and being so horrible and on and on, and I couldn't say anything. Poor, poor man. :(

[gioiamia]

Awww!!!

Josh came in a few minutes ago and said, "Dobby's dead!" He was so upset he put down the book and went to mow the lawn. Not unlike your reaction!

[gioiamia]

P.S. Imagine all the fanfic possibilities for what was going on at Hogwarts during the year Snape was headmaster!