it started burning with the pages turning
I hung out with sweetvalleyslut, theschimmel, and asleepinabox (a bit) on Friday night; frantically rereading Half-Blood Prince, twiddling our thumbs in a nearly-dead restaurant, and singing Harry and the Potters rather loudly about town. Bought my book at midnight, didn't sleep, and finished at about 11:30 a.m. (the same time as two years ago, actually, though I didn't start reading 'til a bit after 2 am this time, since I really wanted to at least skim the rest of HBP first).
I'm still reeling, a bit, and I want to reread it immediately (but I have to wait for my mother to read it, first). So here are some very choppy, abbreviated first thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and also that fandom meme that I didn't get to beforehand.
First, the pre-DH fandom history meme, yoinked from just about everyone:
1. How long have you been in the fandom?
Since the summer of 2001, I believe; I read the first four books all at once and then dove into the fic. I'd read Philosopher's Stone at least a year previous, but stopped there. sweetvalleyslut and asleepinabox heckled me endlessly, however, since they'd just discovered slash (not a new concept for me, though I was still thinking of it as yaoi, I think), and wanted to share.
2. Where did you start out in fandom?
I read whatever I was pointed at; "Irresistable Poison" (rhysenn) and "Protective Bonds" (Sadie Dragonfire) were the first two fic I remember reading. (Oh god, IP.) sweetvalleyslut was already starting her long-lasting job as filter for me, though I'm sure I wandered around Sugar Quill and Fiction Alley a fair bit on my own (and that Remus/Sirius website which I cannot remember the name of).
I never got around to posting more than a chapter or two of very poorly-written fic, which I think went into my old LJ (now deleted) and website, nowhere else. I drew a copious amount of fanart, including site graphics for sweetvalleyslut's old website, "Lily's Eyes."
3. Which fandom pastimes - do you participate in?
(a) analyzing canon for clues - well, who doesn't? Though I'm not as obsessive about it as many seem to be, and have never (as far as I can remember) posted a list of predictions or anything like that.
(b) participating in debates - yes, mostly with offline friends.
(c) writing fan fiction - good lord no. I tried a little, and it really wasn't working. The only piece I ever completed was a very short Ginny/Madam Hooch story for a "drabble" challenge (my story was actually about 400 words, whoops). I do, however, draw fanart upon rare occasion (and I'm thinking about doing some new stuff soonish, though we'll see).
(d) reading fan fiction - absolutely, though not tons of it. I'm too lazy to wade through the immense amount of Potter fic on my own, so I still filter through peoples' recs (sweetvalleyslut's, mostly).
(e) lurking - consistently. I was once part of a very short-lived Harry Potter RPG, but otherwise, I haven't been a member of any communities or archives, and my discussion is almost entirely confined to my small group(s) of friends.
4. What (if anything) has changed for you in fandom?
Well, I expect my taste in fic has matured a bit (heh), but for the most part, not much. I'm still reading the same pairings (Harry/Draco, Sirius/Remus, Ron/Hermione, just about any femslash I can get my hands on), though I guess it took me a little longer to get interested in the trio 'shipping (Harry/Ron/Hermione, you know). The only real change, though, is that this was once my "primary" fandom, and now it's one of many fandoms that I read a bit of here and there.
5. Will you still be with us after Saturday - or is it over now that canon is over?
Well, since I'm making this post . . . I don't think things will change. The book left me hungry for fic, particularly since I disliked the epilogue. It hasn't, as I said, be my primary fandom for ages . . . but closed canons don't bother me.
6. Five fandom memories
*Totally not understanding why my friends liked Draco, after reading the first four books, and being shamefully converted by fanon (not that I don't love him now).
*"This boy is sad, and this other boy doesn't want this boy to be sad, and . . ." attempting to explain some early fanart to a toddler.
*"Oh! You drew Harry Potter!" In response to pretty much any self-portrait I have EVER drawn.
*the drunken, shouting people in the back row at the Prisoner of Azkaban drive-in, definitely.
*My mother attacking me with nutty theories as she reads Deathly Hallows. "Dumbledore made Horcruxes!" "Tonks is really Bellatrix in disguise, and she has Lupin under the Imperius Curse!"
7. Who was your first fandom friend?
I don't have any friends from this fandom, though I have many who share it.
9. Craziest theory you ever heard.
See this.
10. Your favorite crack!theory.
Buckbeak was a symbol of Harry and Hermione's zomg tru lurve. Which is why JKR renamed him "Witherwings," to laugh at the 'shippers. (I don't mind anyone's shipping, particularly, but where do you get something like that?)
And, Deathly Hallows.
Overall, I think I really liked that book. Certainly I loved huge chunks of it. But you know, I actually have no time right now (as well as a befuddled still-emotional state of mind), so let's have some bullet points:
-I loved that last scene with the Dursleys. This book was really great for undoing the "totally black and white BAD" characters, overall. Dudley!
-Remus and Tonks got married? What? But it's only been like, a month since the end of HBP, and it's so awkward and there's just no background for the pairing at all.
-actually? I hate how very shafted Remus was in this entire book. a very tacked-on-feeling marriage, GUILT, baby, and then an off-panel death.
-Tonks also. I thought she was a very fun character in OoTP, and nicely un-domestic/feminine. But then? Mopey unrequited love, and stuck at home with baby. WTF?
-My love for the twins! Joking after George lost his ear! Fred's joy at Percy's return . . . and his death (one of the more affecting ones for me).
-The trio were just amazing together. That's true love.
-Ron! It was quite in character for him to leave (and gut-wrenching, and upsetting the entire time he was gone), and amazing when he came back.
-Ron/Hermione. Nicely handled . . . considering how weirdly rushed/unsubstantiated a number of pairings in this book/HBP were, I love the way JKR handled them, taking her time, getting Harry to FIRMLY step aside, and then a mid-battle kiss at last.
-Luna was lovely in all of her scenes, and her father was hilarious and very much what I might have expected.
-what happened to Ginny? I was sure we'd get to know her at least a little better, but after making her look cool in OoTP, it seems as though all JKR wanted was to get her together with Harry . . . and then she's done as a character. I cannot care about their "love" at all.
-actually, most of the women got the shaft in this book, rather badly. All of a sudden, they were all about romance and babies.
-I'm still processing Dumbledore's history and final plan. The latter makes sense to me; the former I'll get back to you on.
-Snape's history with Lily, on the other hand, was pretty nifty; I also LOVED our glimpse of little Petunia. Though that chapter seriously smacked of exposition.
-Snape is a creepy creepy man. His last words, and Harry as surrogate!Lily . . . ye gods.
-The house elves were actually big favorites of mine, for once. I liked Kreacher's fleshing-out, and Dobby almost made me cry.
-Percy! I cheered out loud when he showed up at Hogwarts. Rereading the series last week, I realized how very much his defection always upset me.
-There was not nearly enough Draco (considering how very much he was focused on in HBP; I wanted more closure), but I loved Harry saving him. I also liked that, in the end, family came first for the Malfoys (didn't expect that of Lucius).
-The final battle and confrontation stuff was so messy, and I was so completely exhausted by that point, that I'm going to need to reread it before I can make heads' or tails of most of it. There were certainly many things I liked.
-I really did not like the epilogue. It felt tacked-on and substanceless; and frankly, I think that we don't need to know those things. It's like "After the Happily Ever After," it almost feels cheap. Plus, I don't care who people married; I'd rather have had "one year later, this is how the wizarding world is shaping up, and everyone recovering." If I were ever planning on writing fic again, I would ignore the epilogue entirely. (Although, I cannot stop cracking up over Draco's son's name. Aack.)
There's more, much more, but for now I'm out of time.
I'm still reeling, a bit, and I want to reread it immediately (but I have to wait for my mother to read it, first). So here are some very choppy, abbreviated first thoughts on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and also that fandom meme that I didn't get to beforehand.
First, the pre-DH fandom history meme, yoinked from just about everyone:
1. How long have you been in the fandom?
Since the summer of 2001, I believe; I read the first four books all at once and then dove into the fic. I'd read Philosopher's Stone at least a year previous, but stopped there. sweetvalleyslut and asleepinabox heckled me endlessly, however, since they'd just discovered slash (not a new concept for me, though I was still thinking of it as yaoi, I think), and wanted to share.
2. Where did you start out in fandom?
I read whatever I was pointed at; "Irresistable Poison" (rhysenn) and "Protective Bonds" (Sadie Dragonfire) were the first two fic I remember reading. (Oh god, IP.) sweetvalleyslut was already starting her long-lasting job as filter for me, though I'm sure I wandered around Sugar Quill and Fiction Alley a fair bit on my own (and that Remus/Sirius website which I cannot remember the name of).
I never got around to posting more than a chapter or two of very poorly-written fic, which I think went into my old LJ (now deleted) and website, nowhere else. I drew a copious amount of fanart, including site graphics for sweetvalleyslut's old website, "Lily's Eyes."
3. Which fandom pastimes - do you participate in?
(a) analyzing canon for clues - well, who doesn't? Though I'm not as obsessive about it as many seem to be, and have never (as far as I can remember) posted a list of predictions or anything like that.
(b) participating in debates - yes, mostly with offline friends.
(c) writing fan fiction - good lord no. I tried a little, and it really wasn't working. The only piece I ever completed was a very short Ginny/Madam Hooch story for a "drabble" challenge (my story was actually about 400 words, whoops). I do, however, draw fanart upon rare occasion (and I'm thinking about doing some new stuff soonish, though we'll see).
(d) reading fan fiction - absolutely, though not tons of it. I'm too lazy to wade through the immense amount of Potter fic on my own, so I still filter through peoples' recs (sweetvalleyslut's, mostly).
(e) lurking - consistently. I was once part of a very short-lived Harry Potter RPG, but otherwise, I haven't been a member of any communities or archives, and my discussion is almost entirely confined to my small group(s) of friends.
4. What (if anything) has changed for you in fandom?
Well, I expect my taste in fic has matured a bit (heh), but for the most part, not much. I'm still reading the same pairings (Harry/Draco, Sirius/Remus, Ron/Hermione, just about any femslash I can get my hands on), though I guess it took me a little longer to get interested in the trio 'shipping (Harry/Ron/Hermione, you know). The only real change, though, is that this was once my "primary" fandom, and now it's one of many fandoms that I read a bit of here and there.
5. Will you still be with us after Saturday - or is it over now that canon is over?
Well, since I'm making this post . . . I don't think things will change. The book left me hungry for fic, particularly since I disliked the epilogue. It hasn't, as I said, be my primary fandom for ages . . . but closed canons don't bother me.
6. Five fandom memories
*Totally not understanding why my friends liked Draco, after reading the first four books, and being shamefully converted by fanon (not that I don't love him now).
*"This boy is sad, and this other boy doesn't want this boy to be sad, and . . ." attempting to explain some early fanart to a toddler.
*"Oh! You drew Harry Potter!" In response to pretty much any self-portrait I have EVER drawn.
*the drunken, shouting people in the back row at the Prisoner of Azkaban drive-in, definitely.
*My mother attacking me with nutty theories as she reads Deathly Hallows. "Dumbledore made Horcruxes!" "Tonks is really Bellatrix in disguise, and she has Lupin under the Imperius Curse!"
7. Who was your first fandom friend?
I don't have any friends from this fandom, though I have many who share it.
9. Craziest theory you ever heard.
See this.
10. Your favorite crack!theory.
Buckbeak was a symbol of Harry and Hermione's zomg tru lurve. Which is why JKR renamed him "Witherwings," to laugh at the 'shippers. (I don't mind anyone's shipping, particularly, but where do you get something like that?)
And, Deathly Hallows.
Overall, I think I really liked that book. Certainly I loved huge chunks of it. But you know, I actually have no time right now (as well as a befuddled still-emotional state of mind), so let's have some bullet points:
-I loved that last scene with the Dursleys. This book was really great for undoing the "totally black and white BAD" characters, overall. Dudley!
-Remus and Tonks got married? What? But it's only been like, a month since the end of HBP, and it's so awkward and there's just no background for the pairing at all.
-actually? I hate how very shafted Remus was in this entire book. a very tacked-on-feeling marriage, GUILT, baby, and then an off-panel death.
-Tonks also. I thought she was a very fun character in OoTP, and nicely un-domestic/feminine. But then? Mopey unrequited love, and stuck at home with baby. WTF?
-My love for the twins! Joking after George lost his ear! Fred's joy at Percy's return . . . and his death (one of the more affecting ones for me).
-The trio were just amazing together. That's true love.
-Ron! It was quite in character for him to leave (and gut-wrenching, and upsetting the entire time he was gone), and amazing when he came back.
-Ron/Hermione. Nicely handled . . . considering how weirdly rushed/unsubstantiated a number of pairings in this book/HBP were, I love the way JKR handled them, taking her time, getting Harry to FIRMLY step aside, and then a mid-battle kiss at last.
-Luna was lovely in all of her scenes, and her father was hilarious and very much what I might have expected.
-what happened to Ginny? I was sure we'd get to know her at least a little better, but after making her look cool in OoTP, it seems as though all JKR wanted was to get her together with Harry . . . and then she's done as a character. I cannot care about their "love" at all.
-actually, most of the women got the shaft in this book, rather badly. All of a sudden, they were all about romance and babies.
-I'm still processing Dumbledore's history and final plan. The latter makes sense to me; the former I'll get back to you on.
-Snape's history with Lily, on the other hand, was pretty nifty; I also LOVED our glimpse of little Petunia. Though that chapter seriously smacked of exposition.
-Snape is a creepy creepy man. His last words, and Harry as surrogate!Lily . . . ye gods.
-The house elves were actually big favorites of mine, for once. I liked Kreacher's fleshing-out, and Dobby almost made me cry.
-Percy! I cheered out loud when he showed up at Hogwarts. Rereading the series last week, I realized how very much his defection always upset me.
-There was not nearly enough Draco (considering how very much he was focused on in HBP; I wanted more closure), but I loved Harry saving him. I also liked that, in the end, family came first for the Malfoys (didn't expect that of Lucius).
-The final battle and confrontation stuff was so messy, and I was so completely exhausted by that point, that I'm going to need to reread it before I can make heads' or tails of most of it. There were certainly many things I liked.
-I really did not like the epilogue. It felt tacked-on and substanceless; and frankly, I think that we don't need to know those things. It's like "After the Happily Ever After," it almost feels cheap. Plus, I don't care who people married; I'd rather have had "one year later, this is how the wizarding world is shaping up, and everyone recovering." If I were ever planning on writing fic again, I would ignore the epilogue entirely. (Although, I cannot stop cracking up over Draco's son's name. Aack.)
There's more, much more, but for now I'm out of time.