My Harry Potter Experience
Well, two years after the last book and this is STILL the only Harry Potter icon I've got.
I ended up reading the book yesterday itself because I couldn't bear the idea of not being able to read it until next Sunday, so I dragged my mother to Frys and bought it for $15.99.
I just, I don't know. Last night, I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not after speedreading through all 759 pages in 4 hours. I wasn't prepared to immerse myself in this last book, not when HBP completely and utterly wrecked me.
Not that I would have been able to, because my 3 year old cousin decided that yesterday was when he liked me, and clambered all over me trying to figure out if I was done yet. I'm a very expressive reader, so when I'd gasp or go "Oh no!" about something, this little guy's all "What happened! Where's the bad guy?"
5 chapters in and 3 people had already died, plus an ear, and one wandmaker in serious jeopardy. And that's when I realized that this was going to be a bloodbath. I had heard the rumors, and I was pretty sure it was going to be the case, but I was still holding out hope. Ah well.
I was grateful beyond belief to see that she had made Snape loyal, but the idea that his love for Lily Evans is what motivated absolutely everything for him was repulsive. Of course, that played a large part in helping Harry respect Snape, but still. AND OMG, I don't want him to be dead!
The Final Battle itself, though? I loved it. I loved it beyond the telling of it, well, except for the death toll. The frantic chaos just poured off the page, and I was so caught up in it. It was fabulous. And that little detail of Percy announcing his resignation as the Minister and the rest of them swoop in? FABULOUS.
The Golden Trio setting out together though, even if there were so many ups and downs, was perfect. Exactly right.
I hated that she knocked Dumbledore completely off his pedestal. I want him to be this omnicient, benevolent grandfather type that cares about everyone and can be a complete and total badass when necessary.
As for the shipper stuff, the book wrecked pretty much all of it, but that's why denial is such a wonderful place. The 3 people I like Hermione with most are dead (Sirius, Snape, Lupin) and the one living declared that they're like brother and sister. Remus marrying Tonks and being so crazed by doubts and fears really, REALLY bothered me. And, that 19 years later business completely rubbed me the wrong way. The only thing I liked about it was what Harry said about Snape to little Albus.
On the whole, the actual events of the book sit pretty well with me, except for the death toll. The completely and total destruction of all my shipper stuff blows, but this is where denial and fanfiction come in handy.
I started reading Harry Potter in 1999. I was gifted with the first 3 books in rapid succession, and I fell head over heels in love. It took me a few years, but HP was what got me into fanfiction. November 2002 is when I started reading, and I was so utterly fascinated by ff.net's character menus that you could randombly pair up, so just for the hell of it, I put in Hermione/Snape, and I was lucky enough to have the first fic be KazVL's Falling Further In (can't find link now, but if you google Hermione, Snape, and the phrase "Falling Further In", you'll find it) and I was beyond hooked.
I read some of the most gorgeous fanfic, and I'm sorry to say that it must have colored my perception of the books. SS - GoF I can reread over and over and be as enthralled with them as I was the first time reading it, because they were the foundation for my HP world. But OoTP on, I just couldn't.
When I thought I wouldn't be able to read the book until a week from now, I was bound and determined to stay far away from the internet, because I may have been dreading the reading of this book, but I'll be damned if anyone was going to ruin it for me. I still remember last year's OC finale, when the MSN homepage had as one of their headlines that Mischa Barton died in the finale, and I remember thinking how enraged I'd be if I was a fan who hadn't managed to catch the episode in real time.
I've invested so much time and emotion into this world. I owed it to myself to see it out properly. And so, I may disagree with a number of things, but my refuge is in fanfic. The actual events of the book? They sit wellish with me, and that was more than I was hoping for.
I ended up reading the book yesterday itself because I couldn't bear the idea of not being able to read it until next Sunday, so I dragged my mother to Frys and bought it for $15.99.
I just, I don't know. Last night, I couldn't decide whether I liked it or not after speedreading through all 759 pages in 4 hours. I wasn't prepared to immerse myself in this last book, not when HBP completely and utterly wrecked me.
Not that I would have been able to, because my 3 year old cousin decided that yesterday was when he liked me, and clambered all over me trying to figure out if I was done yet. I'm a very expressive reader, so when I'd gasp or go "Oh no!" about something, this little guy's all "What happened! Where's the bad guy?"
5 chapters in and 3 people had already died, plus an ear, and one wandmaker in serious jeopardy. And that's when I realized that this was going to be a bloodbath. I had heard the rumors, and I was pretty sure it was going to be the case, but I was still holding out hope. Ah well.
I was grateful beyond belief to see that she had made Snape loyal, but the idea that his love for Lily Evans is what motivated absolutely everything for him was repulsive. Of course, that played a large part in helping Harry respect Snape, but still. AND OMG, I don't want him to be dead!
The Final Battle itself, though? I loved it. I loved it beyond the telling of it, well, except for the death toll. The frantic chaos just poured off the page, and I was so caught up in it. It was fabulous. And that little detail of Percy announcing his resignation as the Minister and the rest of them swoop in? FABULOUS.
The Golden Trio setting out together though, even if there were so many ups and downs, was perfect. Exactly right.
I hated that she knocked Dumbledore completely off his pedestal. I want him to be this omnicient, benevolent grandfather type that cares about everyone and can be a complete and total badass when necessary.
As for the shipper stuff, the book wrecked pretty much all of it, but that's why denial is such a wonderful place. The 3 people I like Hermione with most are dead (Sirius, Snape, Lupin) and the one living declared that they're like brother and sister. Remus marrying Tonks and being so crazed by doubts and fears really, REALLY bothered me. And, that 19 years later business completely rubbed me the wrong way. The only thing I liked about it was what Harry said about Snape to little Albus.
On the whole, the actual events of the book sit pretty well with me, except for the death toll. The completely and total destruction of all my shipper stuff blows, but this is where denial and fanfiction come in handy.
I started reading Harry Potter in 1999. I was gifted with the first 3 books in rapid succession, and I fell head over heels in love. It took me a few years, but HP was what got me into fanfiction. November 2002 is when I started reading, and I was so utterly fascinated by ff.net's character menus that you could randombly pair up, so just for the hell of it, I put in Hermione/Snape, and I was lucky enough to have the first fic be KazVL's Falling Further In (can't find link now, but if you google Hermione, Snape, and the phrase "Falling Further In", you'll find it) and I was beyond hooked.
I read some of the most gorgeous fanfic, and I'm sorry to say that it must have colored my perception of the books. SS - GoF I can reread over and over and be as enthralled with them as I was the first time reading it, because they were the foundation for my HP world. But OoTP on, I just couldn't.
When I thought I wouldn't be able to read the book until a week from now, I was bound and determined to stay far away from the internet, because I may have been dreading the reading of this book, but I'll be damned if anyone was going to ruin it for me. I still remember last year's OC finale, when the MSN homepage had as one of their headlines that Mischa Barton died in the finale, and I remember thinking how enraged I'd be if I was a fan who hadn't managed to catch the episode in real time.
I've invested so much time and emotion into this world. I owed it to myself to see it out properly. And so, I may disagree with a number of things, but my refuge is in fanfic. The actual events of the book? They sit wellish with me, and that was more than I was hoping for.