DH:36 - The Flaw in the Plan (Bloomsbury 2007) - 1pica_scribitSeptember 3 2007, 21:15:36 UTC
Italics are impressions from my first read, when I did not yet know what was going to happen.
1) Harry's awareness returns. Again. He has the presence of mind this time not to move. He plays dead and waits to see what will happen.
2) "It was Bellatrix's voice, and she spoke as if to a lover." It seems to me that that makes Voldie/Bella pretty explicitly canon. Anyone have any objections? So, what happened to Rodolphus? We haven't seen him at all in this book. Did Bella dump him, or did he die off screen and no one cared?
3) Voldemort apparently took a hit. The AK he cast at Harry knocked him down or something. He does not understand why this has happened, but it makes him understandably nervous. Voldemort is just now getting up, which probably means that Harry's chat with Dumbledore took no time at all.
4) Harry's luck holds. Of all the Death Eaters, the one to come and examine his body is Narcissa Malfoy -- someone Harry can bargain with. Because Harry can offer her something far more valuable that anything Voldemort has: The knowledge that her son lives and is in the castle. I knew it! I always knew Narcissa would be the weak link in Voldemort's plan. She is as much a mother as Lily was, and no cause means more to her than that of protecting her child. But Voldemort has never understood what a mother's love means. As with Snape, it is for love that she betrays Voldemort.
5) Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse does not harm Harry. This had me *really* confused on the first read. I had no idea what it must mean. Because I was really tired and slow by the time I got to this chapter. Harry's luck continues to hold.
6) Hagrid carries Harry. A perfect mirror to the first chapter of the first book. Once again, Hagrid is given the task of carrying Harry away from what was meant to be his death. Poor Hagrid, thinking Harry is dead. :(
7) Voldemort lies. He tells the besieged that Harry died running from him. Already he seeks to besmirch Harry's name and dishearten the "defeated". He gives his final ultimatum: Surrender or die. He is confident now that he has won, and we know that when villains get overconfident, they get sloppy.
8) McGonagall's is the first reaction Harry hears. I am mourning my dead theory. I so, so wanted at least one person to walk out of the castle here and smugly stand by Voldemort's side, declaring they had been working for him all along. Jo has taught us to expect a major twist -- a hidden evil -- at the end of each of the previous books. I kept waiting for it, and it never came. The only hidden evil at the end of this book is that bloody epilogue. *stabbity*
9) Ron, Hermione and Ginny. My heart breaks for them here. After all their hard work, to think even for a moment that all is lost, and a dear friend lost with it ... well, it's the stuff of nightmares. Those kids are going to be dreaming this moment for a long time, I think. PTSD fics, anyone?
10) Neville, defiant. Could I love this boy any more? He rushes forward first and alone, ready to duel with Voldemort one-on-one, ready to die in order to carry out the last request Harry made of him. He faces Voldemort, unarmed and defiant, unwilling to hide behind the purity of his blood. Blood doesn't matter; Neville is one of his story's few pure souls. This boy believes absolutely that his cause is worth fighting and dying for, and he loves Harry, possibly more purely, truly and unconditionally than anyone else does.
Re: DH:36 - The Flaw in the Plan (Bloomsbury 2007) - 1beatletteSeptember 3 2007, 21:23:44 UTC
I agree about LV/Bella. I felt for McGonagall, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. Though we, the reader, know Harry's alive, they don't and it's heart breaking to see their reactions :(
And Neville is amazing. I bought the shirt from Hot Topic with him on it...I thought it was so appropriate it said "my hero" on it :) I usually don't like HT that much, but hey! I love me some HP stuff.
Re: DH:36 - The Flaw in the Plan (Bloomsbury 2007) - 1saraste_impiSeptember 3 2007, 21:46:16 UTC
2. I think Bella might have 'disposed' of her husband discreetly in favor of her love for Voldie. Push him down a cliff, fling a careless AK to his chest, that sort of thin, you know.
Re: DH:36 - The Flaw in the Plan (Bloomsbury 2007) - 1jademgSeptember 4 2007, 13:51:27 UTC
my heart *broke* when reading about everyone's reaction to Harry's "death". It made me start crying, I have so much empathy for them at that moment. It's truly heartbreaking.
Neville, could I love you any more? He is so effing awesome right here. You really put a nice touch on describing the kind of relationship Harry/Neville have/could have.
1) Harry's awareness returns. Again. He has the presence of mind this time not to move. He plays dead and waits to see what will happen.
2) "It was Bellatrix's voice, and she spoke as if to a lover." It seems to me that that makes Voldie/Bella pretty explicitly canon. Anyone have any objections? So, what happened to Rodolphus? We haven't seen him at all in this book. Did Bella dump him, or did he die off screen and no one cared?
3) Voldemort apparently took a hit. The AK he cast at Harry knocked him down or something. He does not understand why this has happened, but it makes him understandably nervous. Voldemort is just now getting up, which probably means that Harry's chat with Dumbledore took no time at all.
4) Harry's luck holds. Of all the Death Eaters, the one to come and examine his body is Narcissa Malfoy -- someone Harry can bargain with. Because Harry can offer her something far more valuable that anything Voldemort has: The knowledge that her son lives and is in the castle. I knew it! I always knew Narcissa would be the weak link in Voldemort's plan. She is as much a mother as Lily was, and no cause means more to her than that of protecting her child. But Voldemort has never understood what a mother's love means. As with Snape, it is for love that she betrays Voldemort.
5) Voldemort's Cruciatus Curse does not harm Harry. This had me *really* confused on the first read. I had no idea what it must mean. Because I was really tired and slow by the time I got to this chapter. Harry's luck continues to hold.
6) Hagrid carries Harry. A perfect mirror to the first chapter of the first book. Once again, Hagrid is given the task of carrying Harry away from what was meant to be his death. Poor Hagrid, thinking Harry is dead. :(
7) Voldemort lies. He tells the besieged that Harry died running from him. Already he seeks to besmirch Harry's name and dishearten the "defeated". He gives his final ultimatum: Surrender or die. He is confident now that he has won, and we know that when villains get overconfident, they get sloppy.
8) McGonagall's is the first reaction Harry hears. I am mourning my dead theory. I so, so wanted at least one person to walk out of the castle here and smugly stand by Voldemort's side, declaring they had been working for him all along. Jo has taught us to expect a major twist -- a hidden evil -- at the end of each of the previous books. I kept waiting for it, and it never came. The only hidden evil at the end of this book is that bloody epilogue. *stabbity*
9) Ron, Hermione and Ginny. My heart breaks for them here. After all their hard work, to think even for a moment that all is lost, and a dear friend lost with it ... well, it's the stuff of nightmares. Those kids are going to be dreaming this moment for a long time, I think. PTSD fics, anyone?
10) Neville, defiant. Could I love this boy any more? He rushes forward first and alone, ready to duel with Voldemort one-on-one, ready to die in order to carry out the last request Harry made of him. He faces Voldemort, unarmed and defiant, unwilling to hide behind the purity of his blood. Blood doesn't matter; Neville is one of his story's few pure souls. This boy believes absolutely that his cause is worth fighting and dying for, and he loves Harry, possibly more purely, truly and unconditionally than anyone else does.
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And Neville is amazing. I bought the shirt from Hot Topic with him on it...I thought it was so appropriate it said "my hero" on it :) I usually don't like HT that much, but hey! I love me some HP stuff.
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lol, I like the epilogue, but that made me laugh. :)
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Neville, could I love you any more? He is so effing awesome right here. You really put a nice touch on describing the kind of relationship Harry/Neville have/could have.
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