(no subject)
So the midnight party was amazing. I am so glad I decided to go. I got incredible amounts of compliments on my shirt, was given free HP glasses and also put on my Gryffindor tie and lightning bolt earrings for kicks. I spent the first hour at the trivia section whispering answers into kid's ears, or just shouting out the hards ones myself, bwahahaha. After realizing this was probably unkind, I fell into conversation with a girl who was probably just 12 or 13 about HP but found it boring after a while and wandered off. I had already wandered around the store several times when I passed by this woman in her thirties and another woman who was probably in her fifties, both dressed in fabulous and elaborate costumes (one was hermione and one was harry) for like the second or third time and the younger lady complimented me on my shirt. We began with the shirt but by 11:45 I was sitting in a chair aroudn their table, along with two younger girls and a boy who was 19 who were also friends of their in deep theory conversation. Oh the mirth I found in this. Speculating with people even older than me who were just as obsessed as I was. And they weren't the only ones. I'd say there was a fair amount of older people there too. I saw many high school groups running around in costumes. One guy who looked like he was maybe a junior or senior in high school was dressed up as Hedwig and his friend was Harry! hah. Ohhh man, but then there was the countdown and unfortunately they wouldn't even let us come up to the front to watch the official box opening unless you were numbers 1-30. As I was 236 I just sat shaking my leg in anticipation with my fellow fans as they quickly got through all the people. It was so quick I had my book by 12:30 went back and squeed with my groupies who were all after me and had them take a picture and said my goodbyes as the two adults' numbers were called and was high tailing it home, speeding more than I usually do. I was also given a really cool poster with pictures from all the books and one of those cool plastic wristbands with "July 16, 2005" written on it and an owl. So cool.
I read the first two chapters that night and was finished with them by 2am so I decided it would be best to get some sleep. After all if I read until I was exhausted, it would all be over so soon! So I tried to sleep but slept so restlessly from excitment it was probably only 3-4 hours of sleep. I awoke the next morning and immediately turned my light on, put my reading glasses on and read. About an hour later I got some breakfast and snarfed my cereal. I think I probably read non-stop until 4pm, when I got up to say hello to everyone, feeling bad for reading all day. I had a pretty bad stomach ache as well. Dunno why. By 6pm I went up to dinner and had promised I would go to a concert with them so I went there and spent the entire time thinking just about going home and reading some more. The concertw as horrendous anyways. I had thought I would enjoy it too b/c it was a Beach Boys group but they didn't sound anything like them, the prats. So I got home from that around 9:45 and read til 12:30 when I was utterly exhausted from no sleep. Only had 100 pages left anyways. I awoke after a very deep sleep around 8:30, got ready for church and then read for an hour. Only 50 pages left but I knew I'd regret not going to church. After church I finished around 1pm. The squeeing, crying, and giggles were over. And all I can say is...
Ok, MANY SPOILERS AHEAD. Do not read if you want it spoiled!!!!!!!!!!
You know what? I almost didn't even care about all the giddy wonderful shippyness after I finished the book. Well, almost! :X But seriously, DUMBLEDORE!?!?!? And he just went in such a horrendous way!!!!!
You know, this is probably just wishful thing but... well...
No I have never been a Snape fan. I WAS fascinated by his characer, LOVED to hate him, but never actually loved him. But I trusted Snape because Dumbledore did. Just like most of the other characters I trusted that there was a good reason Dumbledore had for allowing him so much. I just can't fathom that Dumbledore was so incredibly undeniably wrong about Snape. And after reading that scene at the end of Chapter 27, "The Lightning Struck Tower", like 5 times, I have reason to hope. I just can't believe Dumbledore had made such a horrendous mistake with Snape, even if I loath him all the same. But I also can't believe that Dumbledore would actually plead for his life. And it SOUNDED like he was! After all, wasn't he the one who said "To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure"? Dumbledore made is quite obvious throughout the books he did not fear death. So why did it sound like he was pleading for Snape not to kill him? This may sound incredulous, esp. since Snape DID have a look of pure hatred on his face, but what if Dumbledore had WANTED Snape to kill him??? What if he had asked Snape to kill him so that Draco didn't have to live with that guilt forever? What if it had been Snape's AND Dumbledore's intentions all along ever since Snape did the Unbreakable vow with Narcissa? What if Dumbledore had been showing Harry Voldemort's history and the history of the Hocruxes because he knew he would be killed at the end of the school year? I know it is a long shot but more unbelieveable t me than even Snape performing the killing curse is me thinking that Dumbledore would actually plead for his life.
Quite possibly I am just in denial because I WAS NOT ready for him to die! I hearted Dumbledore :(. And this book made me even more attached to him, what with the incredible amount of love he showed towards Harry, and the fact that he was becoming weaker and weaker, and more human like and elderly than ever imagined. I nearly cried at two instances:
pg 357-8 US version:
"He accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through.'"
"How very rude of him."
"I told him I was."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Harry, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. To Harry's intense embarrassment, he suddenly realized that Dumbledore's bright blue eyes looked rather watery, and stared hastily at his own knees. When Dumbledore spoke,, however, his voice was quite steady.
"I am very touched, Harry."
pg 578
"It's going to be all right, sir," Harry said over and over again, more worried by Dumbledore's silence than he had been by his weakened voice. "We're nearly there... I can Apparate us both back... Don't worry..."
"I am not worried, Harry" said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."
You know Dumbledore never really had a family. I think he truly considered Harry, whom he went to such great lengths as to sacrifice himself for, was truly like his son. I can say quite positively that this death hit me far harder than the fifth book's death even got close to hitting me. I have never actually cried reading a Harry Potter book, but this one I actually did. Came close to not, although they started threatening beginning at the part where Dumbledore was drinking that dreadful potion. But when I read Hagrid walking down the aisle of the funeral holding Dumbledore's limp corpse wrapped in a purple cloth and just imagining seeing Dumbledore, the greatest wizard ever, in the giant arms of Hagrid's looking so powerless, I burst into tears. I am seriously in a state of mourning, because Dumbledore, after all, was the greatest wizard of all time and knew far more than any that love was the greatest magic. He showed, as we could see from the many people who showed up for his funeral, that he spread that love to everybody that he knew.
Speaking of love... SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Ron/Hermione in this book made me giggle uncontrollably!!! It was even better than the fourth book!! Ooooh goodness, I kinda knew there would never really be an "official" getting together of the two but they would just kinda "know" eventually, you know? I think the scene where Hermione invited Ron to the Christmas party was where they both kind of admitted their feelings for each other. Oooh how I squeed!! They both know by now obviously how they feel about each other and after Ron FINALLY ditched that prat Lavender, they seemed to kind of enter some unspoken bond between them where it seems they will never date anyone else ever again. The whole Lavender bit, to me, was kind of necessary because Hermione had already experimented with dating someone else and had figured out she could not possibly like someone as much as she liked Ron. It was Ron's turn to experiment (as much as I cringed at his very immature behavior, he is a boy after all). Ron and Hermione IS happening, just slowly but surely. And I have a feeling it will probably never be to the point where they are incredibly fluffy and gooey with one another because, well, that's just not really them! When he said "I love you, Hermione." so casually, when she said she'd correct his homework for him, my heart just melted with glee! Even though I was sad by the funeral, I couldn't help but smile when Harry saw Ron caressing Hermione's hair, teehee!! YAY. JK Rowling did a very good job with their romance! And to know for sure that Ron/Hermione is true just makes me all giddy inside!! They are so adorable together! I think I've already read all the R/Hr moments in this book three times!
The part where Ron said "I can't stop thinking about her, Harry", I was QUITE sure he was going to admit his feelings for Hermione and when he said Romilda Vane, my heart just stopped and I was like WHAT?!?! And then it dawned on me like 5 seconds later what had happened and I was just on the floor laughing! That was a CLASSIC scene.
As for the Harry/Ginny, I think she was a little more clumsy in writing it. Or was it just me? I mean I was THRILLED they were together, it was SO cute how Harry kissed her after the Quidditch finals, but I thought Harry's little monster kind of came up all of sudden and I would have preferred his feelings for her to be more hinted and gradual AND to see more interaction between them before it all happened. I honestly think Harry made the right choice not being with her though. He has a lot more important things going on right now and besides, if he survives, who knows? The romance could totally come!
The Tonks/Lupin think COMPLETELY caught me off guard!! Never saw it coming! But it made me very happy indeed! The more I think about it they really do fit quite well together. What a cute idea! I wonder if she had that planned out from the introduction of Tonks' character or if she just decided this book to do that romance. Somehow I get the feeling JK wanted to rid any more thoughts of those crazy Sirius and Lupin shippers away, hehe.
I really like how this book kind of centered around love. What with Bill/Fleur, Ron/Hermione (!!!), Harry/Ginny, Tonks/Lupin and all the love the characters showed through their friendships with one another, esp. Harry and Dumbledore's friendship, it was apparent she had an ongoing theme here. Love IS the greatest magic and it conquers over evil. I love that she has made the books about that because it is a truly important lesson.
As for another theory I have already formed, I think I know what R.A.B. stands for. The name came to me IMMEDIATELY after I read the initials. Regulus Black, Sirius's brother. I dunno why that name came to me but it was like I was quite sure immediately after reading those initials that it was him. Then I went back after finishing HBP and read the part in OotP where Sirius shows his ancestry to Harry and sure enough the description of Regulus's history leaves plenty of room for it to be him.
pg 112 OotP, US version
"But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first."
"Was he killed by an Auror?" Harry asked tentatively.
"Oh no," said Sirius. "No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death."
What do you guys think?
Did anyone else feel actually sorry for Draco? I mean, seriously, he had resorted to crying in the presence of Moaning Myrtle. He had so much pressure to do such a terrible task at such a young age from every person that meant so much to him. And it seems like his chances of surviving right now are pretty slim. Poor Draco :(. I really think if he DOES survive he's going to turn good or something. Which is kinda weird because I always imagined he would ALWAYS be bad and Snape would be the one to turn good. Kinda ironic how that's changing. Or is it?
Did anybody else just fall in love with Profssor Slughorn??? I know he had incredible faults and he's a SLYTHERIN but, I just thought he was great, despite his faults! I hope he becomes... well...
What is to become of Hogwarts, now? Will it be closed? What about Harry, Ron and Hermione finishing up school? Will they ever finish school? Did anybody think perhaps SINCE he might now be going to school next year that perhaps there might be an 8th book? I know, wishful thinking but it crossed my mind! I was so relieved when Ron and Hermione demanded on going with Harry to continue fighting Voldemort. The thought of them not playing a big role in the next book made me really sad. I hope Neville, Ginny, and Luna also continue to play roles in the 7th book. I just dunno if I can truly see the books WITHOUT Hogwarts. Every book so far I have longed for the first couple chapters to skip over so I could get to the Hogwarts part because I love Hogwarts. Its like.... home. Well you know what I mean. That's where all the characters I love come together. I just.... I just hope that we aren't deprived of all the wonderful characters whom I've fallen in love with even though Harry finally feels mature enough to take on his mission of destroying Voldemort on his own (along with the lovely R/Hr of course!!) I want to learn more about Slughorn. I can't deny even though I am VERY sad obviously that Dumbledore is gone, that I want to see Hogwarts under the new Headmistress McGonagall. I want more of our favorite D.A. members like Luna, Neville, and Ginny. I want more of Hagrid (btw, Hagrid as head of Gryffindor!! What do you think??)!!
Harry without Hogwarts just seems unfathomable.
Yet, I know the 7th book is destined to be amazing no matter how it is written. The set up for it just screams wonder. JK Rowling has NEVER let me down yet. She is such a phenomenal writer. This book proves that even after all the media pressure, fan pressure, and time pressure, JK Rowling exceeds expectations. This book really was a masterpiece.
I read the first two chapters that night and was finished with them by 2am so I decided it would be best to get some sleep. After all if I read until I was exhausted, it would all be over so soon! So I tried to sleep but slept so restlessly from excitment it was probably only 3-4 hours of sleep. I awoke the next morning and immediately turned my light on, put my reading glasses on and read. About an hour later I got some breakfast and snarfed my cereal. I think I probably read non-stop until 4pm, when I got up to say hello to everyone, feeling bad for reading all day. I had a pretty bad stomach ache as well. Dunno why. By 6pm I went up to dinner and had promised I would go to a concert with them so I went there and spent the entire time thinking just about going home and reading some more. The concertw as horrendous anyways. I had thought I would enjoy it too b/c it was a Beach Boys group but they didn't sound anything like them, the prats. So I got home from that around 9:45 and read til 12:30 when I was utterly exhausted from no sleep. Only had 100 pages left anyways. I awoke after a very deep sleep around 8:30, got ready for church and then read for an hour. Only 50 pages left but I knew I'd regret not going to church. After church I finished around 1pm. The squeeing, crying, and giggles were over. And all I can say is...
Ok, MANY SPOILERS AHEAD. Do not read if you want it spoiled!!!!!!!!!!
You know what? I almost didn't even care about all the giddy wonderful shippyness after I finished the book. Well, almost! :X But seriously, DUMBLEDORE!?!?!? And he just went in such a horrendous way!!!!!
You know, this is probably just wishful thing but... well...
No I have never been a Snape fan. I WAS fascinated by his characer, LOVED to hate him, but never actually loved him. But I trusted Snape because Dumbledore did. Just like most of the other characters I trusted that there was a good reason Dumbledore had for allowing him so much. I just can't fathom that Dumbledore was so incredibly undeniably wrong about Snape. And after reading that scene at the end of Chapter 27, "The Lightning Struck Tower", like 5 times, I have reason to hope. I just can't believe Dumbledore had made such a horrendous mistake with Snape, even if I loath him all the same. But I also can't believe that Dumbledore would actually plead for his life. And it SOUNDED like he was! After all, wasn't he the one who said "To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure"? Dumbledore made is quite obvious throughout the books he did not fear death. So why did it sound like he was pleading for Snape not to kill him? This may sound incredulous, esp. since Snape DID have a look of pure hatred on his face, but what if Dumbledore had WANTED Snape to kill him??? What if he had asked Snape to kill him so that Draco didn't have to live with that guilt forever? What if it had been Snape's AND Dumbledore's intentions all along ever since Snape did the Unbreakable vow with Narcissa? What if Dumbledore had been showing Harry Voldemort's history and the history of the Hocruxes because he knew he would be killed at the end of the school year? I know it is a long shot but more unbelieveable t me than even Snape performing the killing curse is me thinking that Dumbledore would actually plead for his life.
Quite possibly I am just in denial because I WAS NOT ready for him to die! I hearted Dumbledore :(. And this book made me even more attached to him, what with the incredible amount of love he showed towards Harry, and the fact that he was becoming weaker and weaker, and more human like and elderly than ever imagined. I nearly cried at two instances:
pg 357-8 US version:
"He accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through.'"
"How very rude of him."
"I told him I was."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Harry, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. To Harry's intense embarrassment, he suddenly realized that Dumbledore's bright blue eyes looked rather watery, and stared hastily at his own knees. When Dumbledore spoke,, however, his voice was quite steady.
"I am very touched, Harry."
pg 578
"It's going to be all right, sir," Harry said over and over again, more worried by Dumbledore's silence than he had been by his weakened voice. "We're nearly there... I can Apparate us both back... Don't worry..."
"I am not worried, Harry" said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."
You know Dumbledore never really had a family. I think he truly considered Harry, whom he went to such great lengths as to sacrifice himself for, was truly like his son. I can say quite positively that this death hit me far harder than the fifth book's death even got close to hitting me. I have never actually cried reading a Harry Potter book, but this one I actually did. Came close to not, although they started threatening beginning at the part where Dumbledore was drinking that dreadful potion. But when I read Hagrid walking down the aisle of the funeral holding Dumbledore's limp corpse wrapped in a purple cloth and just imagining seeing Dumbledore, the greatest wizard ever, in the giant arms of Hagrid's looking so powerless, I burst into tears. I am seriously in a state of mourning, because Dumbledore, after all, was the greatest wizard of all time and knew far more than any that love was the greatest magic. He showed, as we could see from the many people who showed up for his funeral, that he spread that love to everybody that he knew.
Speaking of love... SQUEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Ron/Hermione in this book made me giggle uncontrollably!!! It was even better than the fourth book!! Ooooh goodness, I kinda knew there would never really be an "official" getting together of the two but they would just kinda "know" eventually, you know? I think the scene where Hermione invited Ron to the Christmas party was where they both kind of admitted their feelings for each other. Oooh how I squeed!! They both know by now obviously how they feel about each other and after Ron FINALLY ditched that prat Lavender, they seemed to kind of enter some unspoken bond between them where it seems they will never date anyone else ever again. The whole Lavender bit, to me, was kind of necessary because Hermione had already experimented with dating someone else and had figured out she could not possibly like someone as much as she liked Ron. It was Ron's turn to experiment (as much as I cringed at his very immature behavior, he is a boy after all). Ron and Hermione IS happening, just slowly but surely. And I have a feeling it will probably never be to the point where they are incredibly fluffy and gooey with one another because, well, that's just not really them! When he said "I love you, Hermione." so casually, when she said she'd correct his homework for him, my heart just melted with glee! Even though I was sad by the funeral, I couldn't help but smile when Harry saw Ron caressing Hermione's hair, teehee!! YAY. JK Rowling did a very good job with their romance! And to know for sure that Ron/Hermione is true just makes me all giddy inside!! They are so adorable together! I think I've already read all the R/Hr moments in this book three times!
The part where Ron said "I can't stop thinking about her, Harry", I was QUITE sure he was going to admit his feelings for Hermione and when he said Romilda Vane, my heart just stopped and I was like WHAT?!?! And then it dawned on me like 5 seconds later what had happened and I was just on the floor laughing! That was a CLASSIC scene.
As for the Harry/Ginny, I think she was a little more clumsy in writing it. Or was it just me? I mean I was THRILLED they were together, it was SO cute how Harry kissed her after the Quidditch finals, but I thought Harry's little monster kind of came up all of sudden and I would have preferred his feelings for her to be more hinted and gradual AND to see more interaction between them before it all happened. I honestly think Harry made the right choice not being with her though. He has a lot more important things going on right now and besides, if he survives, who knows? The romance could totally come!
The Tonks/Lupin think COMPLETELY caught me off guard!! Never saw it coming! But it made me very happy indeed! The more I think about it they really do fit quite well together. What a cute idea! I wonder if she had that planned out from the introduction of Tonks' character or if she just decided this book to do that romance. Somehow I get the feeling JK wanted to rid any more thoughts of those crazy Sirius and Lupin shippers away, hehe.
I really like how this book kind of centered around love. What with Bill/Fleur, Ron/Hermione (!!!), Harry/Ginny, Tonks/Lupin and all the love the characters showed through their friendships with one another, esp. Harry and Dumbledore's friendship, it was apparent she had an ongoing theme here. Love IS the greatest magic and it conquers over evil. I love that she has made the books about that because it is a truly important lesson.
As for another theory I have already formed, I think I know what R.A.B. stands for. The name came to me IMMEDIATELY after I read the initials. Regulus Black, Sirius's brother. I dunno why that name came to me but it was like I was quite sure immediately after reading those initials that it was him. Then I went back after finishing HBP and read the part in OotP where Sirius shows his ancestry to Harry and sure enough the description of Regulus's history leaves plenty of room for it to be him.
pg 112 OotP, US version
"But I bet my parents thought Regulus was a right little hero for joining up at first."
"Was he killed by an Auror?" Harry asked tentatively.
"Oh no," said Sirius. "No, he was murdered by Voldemort. Or on Voldemort's orders, more likely, I doubt Regulus was ever important enough to be killed by Voldemort in person. From what I found out after he died, he got in so far, then panicked about what he was being asked to do and tried to back out. Well, you don't just hand in your resignation to Voldemort. It's a lifetime of service or death."
What do you guys think?
Did anyone else feel actually sorry for Draco? I mean, seriously, he had resorted to crying in the presence of Moaning Myrtle. He had so much pressure to do such a terrible task at such a young age from every person that meant so much to him. And it seems like his chances of surviving right now are pretty slim. Poor Draco :(. I really think if he DOES survive he's going to turn good or something. Which is kinda weird because I always imagined he would ALWAYS be bad and Snape would be the one to turn good. Kinda ironic how that's changing. Or is it?
Did anybody else just fall in love with Profssor Slughorn??? I know he had incredible faults and he's a SLYTHERIN but, I just thought he was great, despite his faults! I hope he becomes... well...
What is to become of Hogwarts, now? Will it be closed? What about Harry, Ron and Hermione finishing up school? Will they ever finish school? Did anybody think perhaps SINCE he might now be going to school next year that perhaps there might be an 8th book? I know, wishful thinking but it crossed my mind! I was so relieved when Ron and Hermione demanded on going with Harry to continue fighting Voldemort. The thought of them not playing a big role in the next book made me really sad. I hope Neville, Ginny, and Luna also continue to play roles in the 7th book. I just dunno if I can truly see the books WITHOUT Hogwarts. Every book so far I have longed for the first couple chapters to skip over so I could get to the Hogwarts part because I love Hogwarts. Its like.... home. Well you know what I mean. That's where all the characters I love come together. I just.... I just hope that we aren't deprived of all the wonderful characters whom I've fallen in love with even though Harry finally feels mature enough to take on his mission of destroying Voldemort on his own (along with the lovely R/Hr of course!!) I want to learn more about Slughorn. I can't deny even though I am VERY sad obviously that Dumbledore is gone, that I want to see Hogwarts under the new Headmistress McGonagall. I want more of our favorite D.A. members like Luna, Neville, and Ginny. I want more of Hagrid (btw, Hagrid as head of Gryffindor!! What do you think??)!!
Harry without Hogwarts just seems unfathomable.
Yet, I know the 7th book is destined to be amazing no matter how it is written. The set up for it just screams wonder. JK Rowling has NEVER let me down yet. She is such a phenomenal writer. This book proves that even after all the media pressure, fan pressure, and time pressure, JK Rowling exceeds expectations. This book really was a masterpiece.