Deathly Hallows Thoughts
Hey, loves. :D I'm fresh off reading DH and for those of you who may care, here's what I thought of it!
Overall, I thought that -- up to the epilogue (which I will be ignoring in all further fannish pursuits) -- it was fantastic and my favorite of the series. I wasn't sure how to tackle all this, but here goes, starting with all the positives:
Things I loved:
Trio. They were so strong together, omg. And it was more balanced than I think it's ever been with them each figuring things out. I'm glad that there was still the theme of Harry being all "it needs to be me" and Ron and Hermione all "STFU; we're coming". I loved that the fact that they faltered a bit even before Ron was affected by the Horcrux, with Ron and Hermione having concerns about the progress of the horcrux hunt which seemed realistic to me, and they only proved stronger after Ron came back. I LOVED the bits at Grimmauld Place and the Ministry and the forest and the reunion and and and TRIO FTW.
Harry/Hermione: They were beautiful in this, despite that they don't end up together (yet*cough*). Their bond was so strong throughout the book, when Hermione comforts Harry, when they go to Godric's Hollow together, when she chooses to stay with Harry, and when Harry seeks her out. Yes, it's friendship in canon but it was still beautiful -- and fanfic-wise, there's still the foundation for more in SO many spots. The 'like a sister' thing didn't bother me in terms of fanfic, given the circumstances under which he said it. *will be writing fic ohyes*
House Elves. I cried more for Kreacher and Dobby collectively than I did for anything else, I think, which surprised me. Good lord, the scene at Grimmauld where Kreacher told his story was so gripping and between the story and Hermione's reactions and explanations JKR did a great job of making me empathize SO hard and when Harry got it, I was all "huzzah!" And started bawling when Kreacher gave his little quasi-bow to Hermione before he left to find Mundungus. Coming back with Mundungus and hitting him with the saucepan ("perhaps one more, Master Harry, for luck?" ILU)And then, he goes and rallies all the house-elves at Hogwarts?? Kreacher for the motherfucking win.
And did I mention DOBBY? OHGOD. He didn't get much time but he ROCKED his part in "Malfoy Manor". And I knew it was coming but when Harry looked up and saw him bleeding I burst into tears. I sobbed as he dug the grave, when Luna stepped up to thank him followed by the others, and when Harry had his moment to etch 'here lies dobby, a free elf' into the rock, I had to stop reading for a while. So, yes. House elves FTW.
HERMIONE. She kicked such ass in this, and really seemed back to her OotP self. Brilliant of course, always prepared, and manages to be ruthless and sympathetic at the same time. Sending her parents away ... that was just so her. Doing something like that, so coldly logical yet ultimately loving -- and clearly painful for her. She impressed me so much throughout this book. Some of the best lines ("Oh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry!" "Mudblood, and proud of it!" "Times change." etc. etc. etc.) Not to bring up the house elves again, but I loved her each time that came up. Also loved seeing her stubbornness about the hallows THAT WAS SO IC, because really, it was in a fairy tale -- I would have been disappointed if she had bought it. Her flaws make her who she is and I was so happy to see that.
HARRY. *hugs him hard* I love Harry and I always will. He showed his trademark emo-ness, haha, and I wanted to throttle him sometimes but that's just who he is and I just love him so hard. He grew SO MUCH and was so strong and I wanted to jump up and dance around when he finally, for real, realised how much he needed his friends -- all of them -- and how he didn't have to do it alone. It's something he'd been resisting all the way through HBP and a large chunk of DH and when he finally realised it I cried.
RON: Another one who grew so much. I love him, and his feelings for Hermione actually came through this time -- in more than just a petty bickering and jealous way; he showed genuine concern and maturity, and what I like about it is that it wasn't a complete 180 -- he had major asshat moments but over the book he developed into someone whom I could believe Hermione would be into. And I have never seen that from him before. Never thought I'd say that. haha! Don't get me wrong; I still feel as though Harry and Hermione have a deeper connection, but I found I didn't mind the ron/hermione, because it was better handled and more mature than I've seen it before. When he left, I was so angry, but when he came back and they reconciled and he admitted to being a prat, it was just amazing. *loves on him*
LUNAAAAAAA: OMG. She rocked my face so hard. From dancing by herself at the wedding, to her wonderful trademark astuteness, to her interactions with Harry OMG, to working with Neville and Dean for the DA, and so much love for her with the painting and the stunning Carrow in Ravenclaw Tower and generally winning at life oh my GOD. *will so be writing her now*
NEVILLE: I cried the moment you showed up all bruised and happy to see Harry et al. He kicked major ass and stayed in the RoR all that time nd killed Nagini and stood up to Voldemort and was. Just. Love. Also, Gran!! Heee!
DUMBLEDORE's ARMY -- and the resistance in general: You know, this book was so incredibly dark and things were just Very Bad. And every time I read about the resistance at Hogwarts, the DA, and PotterWatch, and the Order, etc. my heart just filled and I got all teary. It was just so awesome. The Battle at Hogwarts when all the teachers got involved? I mean, Mandrakes? Crystal Balls? It was so bloody fantastic and page-turning, and I loved seeing everyone just come together like that, and McGonagall was amazing. She really loves that kid, and that School, and she rocked. I just can't list all the parts I loved. This is getting long enough.
PERCY: I loved When he just showed up and started fighting and when he met the Minister? "Did I mention I'm resigning?" Fucking-A. Also, when Fred died and he couldn't leave the body, I just broke. I'd hoped for some redemption for this prodigal, and I loved the way it was handled.
DRACO: -pets him- He spent half the book scared out of his everloving mind. I liked seeing his indecision and how it was kept ambiguous as to why -- whether cowardice or burgeoning morality, it was good to see. Also *cuddles the Malfoys and their love for each other* Their cowardly, self-serving, and totally IC love for each other.
SNAPE. The biggest surprise of the book, for me. Not because he turned out good (loosely) -- I never thought he was evil. Not because it turned out he loved Lily after all -- though, I liked how that was done. It was suggested often enough in fandom, but I mean, someone's theories somewhere had to be validated, right? This isn't Kafka we've all been analysing for ten years.
No, the surprise for me was how much I was affected by it. It's been said, but when he held Harry's gaze as he died ... I sobbed. Then to read how it all came to that point -- that was one of the strongest chapters she's ever written. I LOVE that Snape wasn't revealed to be some big hero -- he was weak, self-serving, and his guilt over that drove so many of his actions -- but he was SO TRAGIC. He got used by everyone, and he gave himself over to it for years, because he couldn't save her. And I felt for him so much more than I ever thought I would. I mean, what a miserable life. And his death was -- fitting, to me. If he'd gone down in a blaze of glory and snark as he defended Harry, I'd have been disappointed.
That's not all I loved, but really -- this is getting long. haha!
Things I Did Not Love, but Liked Okay:
Dumbledore. I wasn't sure how to describe how I felt about him. I like how that was handled. I LOVE that he wasn't the saint he was cracked up to be. But huh. What a cold bastard, in a way, right? I liked getting this insight into him, but he used the hell out of Snape and Harry. 'I open at the close'. Oh, great. JUST SEND HIM TO HIS DEATH, WHY DON'T YOU. Harry broke my heart as he made his way down to the forest, reminiscing about Hogwarts and knowing what he had to do, and I wanted Dumbledore to kiss my ass in that moment. I mean, I get it, and it worked, huzzah, but man. Not sure I could do that.
The Exposition. Just in general but especially toward the end. It's hard to tie up all those loose ends, I know, and not saying I can at all do better, but I just felt 'meh' about the scene at Kings Cross -- felt like it could have been a lot shorter. And harry and voldie's exchange at the end was definitely too long and kind of forced as a way to clear snape's name in an easy way. It just didn't seem realistic that two bitter enemies would spend that much time chatting. Seems like one or the other would have shot off an 'AK' while the other was talking.
Things I Did Not Love-- At All:
House unity? What house unity? The Slytherins all got painted with the same brush and that disappointed me. A LOT. Especially given that it's one of the overarching themes of the book, IMO. Not one of them was shown to stay and fight. It was clearly said that the whole table was empty after they left, and you would think that some would have stayed. How hard would that have been to add in? So that was a fail. Big time.
Remus, Tonks, and Remus/Tonks: That was poorly handled from the word go. I wasn't expecting Remus to be a huge hero or anything, or even for him to have a huge role. But I didn't like the way either he or Tonks was presented, and the marriage and baby just ... I don't know. Didn't get the point, in the scheme of things. Didn't take anything from it, and now we've got a kid who'll never know his parents. I get that war is senseless as hell, but still.
ETA: Oh, yeah. Much as I felt for Ron, I was not squeeing about Horcrux!H/Hr.
Last but not least. The Epilogue of Utter Crapitude. It was poorly tacked on, poorly written, and a load of hokey crap. JKR failed to sell Harry/Ginny to me the way she did R/Hr. She was barely there. Harry doesn't even go SEE her after he wins. Then she's making his babies. His poorly named babies. I don't mind r/hr's Rose and Hugo, but Albus Severus? MEH. James and Lily? I get it but MEH. And Draco's kid. haha. Scorpius. hahaha. Mostly I just think it's funny. But no, the epilogue was so unneccessary when they had SUCH a perfect ending. He killed Voldemort, he's with his friends and has his whole life ahead of him, and he wants a sandwich.
WTF was wrong with that? It goes without saying that the epilogue will be ignored or written around for fanfiction purposes. And since shipping wasn't made a focus in this one? That will be pretty easy. So, all in all, I utterly loved this book despite its shortcomings. I'm sad that it's over. *CLINGS TO FANDOM* And I feel inspired to write. What more could I ask for?
Overall, I thought that -- up to the epilogue (which I will be ignoring in all further fannish pursuits) -- it was fantastic and my favorite of the series. I wasn't sure how to tackle all this, but here goes, starting with all the positives:
Things I loved:
Trio. They were so strong together, omg. And it was more balanced than I think it's ever been with them each figuring things out. I'm glad that there was still the theme of Harry being all "it needs to be me" and Ron and Hermione all "STFU; we're coming". I loved that the fact that they faltered a bit even before Ron was affected by the Horcrux, with Ron and Hermione having concerns about the progress of the horcrux hunt which seemed realistic to me, and they only proved stronger after Ron came back. I LOVED the bits at Grimmauld Place and the Ministry and the forest and the reunion and and and TRIO FTW.
Harry/Hermione: They were beautiful in this, despite that they don't end up together (yet*cough*). Their bond was so strong throughout the book, when Hermione comforts Harry, when they go to Godric's Hollow together, when she chooses to stay with Harry, and when Harry seeks her out. Yes, it's friendship in canon but it was still beautiful -- and fanfic-wise, there's still the foundation for more in SO many spots. The 'like a sister' thing didn't bother me in terms of fanfic, given the circumstances under which he said it. *will be writing fic ohyes*
House Elves. I cried more for Kreacher and Dobby collectively than I did for anything else, I think, which surprised me. Good lord, the scene at Grimmauld where Kreacher told his story was so gripping and between the story and Hermione's reactions and explanations JKR did a great job of making me empathize SO hard and when Harry got it, I was all "huzzah!" And started bawling when Kreacher gave his little quasi-bow to Hermione before he left to find Mundungus. Coming back with Mundungus and hitting him with the saucepan ("perhaps one more, Master Harry, for luck?" ILU)And then, he goes and rallies all the house-elves at Hogwarts?? Kreacher for the motherfucking win.
And did I mention DOBBY? OHGOD. He didn't get much time but he ROCKED his part in "Malfoy Manor". And I knew it was coming but when Harry looked up and saw him bleeding I burst into tears. I sobbed as he dug the grave, when Luna stepped up to thank him followed by the others, and when Harry had his moment to etch 'here lies dobby, a free elf' into the rock, I had to stop reading for a while. So, yes. House elves FTW.
HERMIONE. She kicked such ass in this, and really seemed back to her OotP self. Brilliant of course, always prepared, and manages to be ruthless and sympathetic at the same time. Sending her parents away ... that was just so her. Doing something like that, so coldly logical yet ultimately loving -- and clearly painful for her. She impressed me so much throughout this book. Some of the best lines ("Oh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry!" "Mudblood, and proud of it!" "Times change." etc. etc. etc.) Not to bring up the house elves again, but I loved her each time that came up. Also loved seeing her stubbornness about the hallows THAT WAS SO IC, because really, it was in a fairy tale -- I would have been disappointed if she had bought it. Her flaws make her who she is and I was so happy to see that.
HARRY. *hugs him hard* I love Harry and I always will. He showed his trademark emo-ness, haha, and I wanted to throttle him sometimes but that's just who he is and I just love him so hard. He grew SO MUCH and was so strong and I wanted to jump up and dance around when he finally, for real, realised how much he needed his friends -- all of them -- and how he didn't have to do it alone. It's something he'd been resisting all the way through HBP and a large chunk of DH and when he finally realised it I cried.
RON: Another one who grew so much. I love him, and his feelings for Hermione actually came through this time -- in more than just a petty bickering and jealous way; he showed genuine concern and maturity, and what I like about it is that it wasn't a complete 180 -- he had major asshat moments but over the book he developed into someone whom I could believe Hermione would be into. And I have never seen that from him before. Never thought I'd say that. haha! Don't get me wrong; I still feel as though Harry and Hermione have a deeper connection, but I found I didn't mind the ron/hermione, because it was better handled and more mature than I've seen it before. When he left, I was so angry, but when he came back and they reconciled and he admitted to being a prat, it was just amazing. *loves on him*
LUNAAAAAAA: OMG. She rocked my face so hard. From dancing by herself at the wedding, to her wonderful trademark astuteness, to her interactions with Harry OMG, to working with Neville and Dean for the DA, and so much love for her with the painting and the stunning Carrow in Ravenclaw Tower and generally winning at life oh my GOD. *will so be writing her now*
NEVILLE: I cried the moment you showed up all bruised and happy to see Harry et al. He kicked major ass and stayed in the RoR all that time nd killed Nagini and stood up to Voldemort and was. Just. Love. Also, Gran!! Heee!
DUMBLEDORE's ARMY -- and the resistance in general: You know, this book was so incredibly dark and things were just Very Bad. And every time I read about the resistance at Hogwarts, the DA, and PotterWatch, and the Order, etc. my heart just filled and I got all teary. It was just so awesome. The Battle at Hogwarts when all the teachers got involved? I mean, Mandrakes? Crystal Balls? It was so bloody fantastic and page-turning, and I loved seeing everyone just come together like that, and McGonagall was amazing. She really loves that kid, and that School, and she rocked. I just can't list all the parts I loved. This is getting long enough.
PERCY: I loved When he just showed up and started fighting and when he met the Minister? "Did I mention I'm resigning?" Fucking-A. Also, when Fred died and he couldn't leave the body, I just broke. I'd hoped for some redemption for this prodigal, and I loved the way it was handled.
DRACO: -pets him- He spent half the book scared out of his everloving mind. I liked seeing his indecision and how it was kept ambiguous as to why -- whether cowardice or burgeoning morality, it was good to see. Also *cuddles the Malfoys and their love for each other* Their cowardly, self-serving, and totally IC love for each other.
SNAPE. The biggest surprise of the book, for me. Not because he turned out good (loosely) -- I never thought he was evil. Not because it turned out he loved Lily after all -- though, I liked how that was done. It was suggested often enough in fandom, but I mean, someone's theories somewhere had to be validated, right? This isn't Kafka we've all been analysing for ten years.
No, the surprise for me was how much I was affected by it. It's been said, but when he held Harry's gaze as he died ... I sobbed. Then to read how it all came to that point -- that was one of the strongest chapters she's ever written. I LOVE that Snape wasn't revealed to be some big hero -- he was weak, self-serving, and his guilt over that drove so many of his actions -- but he was SO TRAGIC. He got used by everyone, and he gave himself over to it for years, because he couldn't save her. And I felt for him so much more than I ever thought I would. I mean, what a miserable life. And his death was -- fitting, to me. If he'd gone down in a blaze of glory and snark as he defended Harry, I'd have been disappointed.
That's not all I loved, but really -- this is getting long. haha!
Things I Did Not Love, but Liked Okay:
Dumbledore. I wasn't sure how to describe how I felt about him. I like how that was handled. I LOVE that he wasn't the saint he was cracked up to be. But huh. What a cold bastard, in a way, right? I liked getting this insight into him, but he used the hell out of Snape and Harry. 'I open at the close'. Oh, great. JUST SEND HIM TO HIS DEATH, WHY DON'T YOU. Harry broke my heart as he made his way down to the forest, reminiscing about Hogwarts and knowing what he had to do, and I wanted Dumbledore to kiss my ass in that moment. I mean, I get it, and it worked, huzzah, but man. Not sure I could do that.
The Exposition. Just in general but especially toward the end. It's hard to tie up all those loose ends, I know, and not saying I can at all do better, but I just felt 'meh' about the scene at Kings Cross -- felt like it could have been a lot shorter. And harry and voldie's exchange at the end was definitely too long and kind of forced as a way to clear snape's name in an easy way. It just didn't seem realistic that two bitter enemies would spend that much time chatting. Seems like one or the other would have shot off an 'AK' while the other was talking.
Things I Did Not Love-- At All:
House unity? What house unity? The Slytherins all got painted with the same brush and that disappointed me. A LOT. Especially given that it's one of the overarching themes of the book, IMO. Not one of them was shown to stay and fight. It was clearly said that the whole table was empty after they left, and you would think that some would have stayed. How hard would that have been to add in? So that was a fail. Big time.
Remus, Tonks, and Remus/Tonks: That was poorly handled from the word go. I wasn't expecting Remus to be a huge hero or anything, or even for him to have a huge role. But I didn't like the way either he or Tonks was presented, and the marriage and baby just ... I don't know. Didn't get the point, in the scheme of things. Didn't take anything from it, and now we've got a kid who'll never know his parents. I get that war is senseless as hell, but still.
ETA: Oh, yeah. Much as I felt for Ron, I was not squeeing about Horcrux!H/Hr.
Last but not least. The Epilogue of Utter Crapitude. It was poorly tacked on, poorly written, and a load of hokey crap. JKR failed to sell Harry/Ginny to me the way she did R/Hr. She was barely there. Harry doesn't even go SEE her after he wins. Then she's making his babies. His poorly named babies. I don't mind r/hr's Rose and Hugo, but Albus Severus? MEH. James and Lily? I get it but MEH. And Draco's kid. haha. Scorpius. hahaha. Mostly I just think it's funny. But no, the epilogue was so unneccessary when they had SUCH a perfect ending. He killed Voldemort, he's with his friends and has his whole life ahead of him, and he wants a sandwich.
WTF was wrong with that? It goes without saying that the epilogue will be ignored or written around for fanfiction purposes. And since shipping wasn't made a focus in this one? That will be pretty easy. So, all in all, I utterly loved this book despite its shortcomings. I'm sad that it's over. *CLINGS TO FANDOM* And I feel inspired to write. What more could I ask for?