Obligatory Deathly Hallows post
There are so many things that I want to squee and bounce about that I'm definitely going to forget a few, but here goes anyway.
- It didn't disappoint me. Not in the least bit. Someone asked me whether I was disappointed and, to be honest, the idea that I could be hadn't even occurred to me. It wasn't what I expected in places, but it made me satisfied and very happy.
- As others have said, when JKR killed Hedwig and Mad-Eye so early in the book, I immediately knew all bets were off. I'd expected her to save it for the end like she usually does, but this time I knew that I couldn't get complacent about anyone.
- The siege atmosphere throughout fitted. In book six we had the odd hint that things were happening on the outside world (Hannah Abbot being taken out of class because a relative disappeared) but mostly we were still inside the comfortable world of Hogwarts and everything was still going to turn out right in the end. The tone and atmosphere of this book, while still unmistakable HP, was darker and there was a real sense of foreboding. Bad things were happening everywhere and nobody was safe. The wizarding world was under siege.
- At various moments I gasped out loud.
- The biggest of those moments was when Kingsley's Patronus arrived at the wedding and announced that the Ministry had fallen. Despite the first chapter, I wasn't expecting it. In fact, I assume that the Ministry wouldn't fall at all. It was kind of like a punch to the stomach to read that.
- I've heard comments that people aren't happy with the length of time Harry, Ron and Hermione spent wandering around bleak landscapes, hungry and getting nowhere. OK, JKR may have overdone it a tiny bit to ensure that it fits the usual school year time-line, but not by much. The important thing in here is that we still, essentially, have three kids trying to do an adult job and out of their depths. The fact that they survived despite all the people looking for them helped them to mature. Could the Harry of page 20 done what he needed to do? Possibly, but not for the right reasons. And as for Ron and Hermione...what they went through during that time - even Ron leaving - was important to mature their characters.
- Hermione's handbag deserves a point of its own.
- Hermione deserves a point of her own. I remember Ron saying something about her being "scary, but brilliant" in book one and she really is. Memory wiping her own parents for their protection, her ruthlessness at times and the foresight she had to have everything packed in that handbag were Hermione to the core.
- Neville also deserves his own point for being absolutely wonderful. I love the way JKR has gradually grown and matured him, from the frightened boy who can't control his own toad (yet still stands up to the Trio) into this capable, fighting wizard who destroyed the final Horcrux. It's been a wonderful story for him. I really need some book seven Neville fic about leading the Hogwarts resistance :-)
- Ron can't not have his own point. I was almost convinced that it was imposter!Ron they'd brought back from the Ministry. The Trio without Ron seemed unbalanced in some way, but I can see that it was important for Ron to finally work out his own worth and value to the group. Dumbledore might not have spent much time with him, but it seems that he knew Ron would always want to come back. Ron came back and I loved his whole return scene. It's a more mature Ron that returned, a Ron that was ready for what happened further on in the book in a way he wouldn't have been without all of that.
- I've been reading all sorts of theories about how Snape could still be good despite killing Dumbledore, and this one worked. In fact, it wasn't too far off some of the fan theories I saw about two months ago. Thing was, none of them caught the motivation behind it. I hadn't even considered that Snape could have been in love with Lily all along (apparently other people did think of that one...) and that they could have been best friends simply didn't occur. I'd assumed that his worst memory from book five had been because of the humiliation. Somehow, it's oddly beautiful that it was because of what he did to Lily. Aw. It makes sense Dumbledore's actions towards him and even of why he couldn't tell anyone why Snape could be trusted.
- Harry having to sacrifice himself to live. Not something I'd thought of, but worked brilliantly.
- I'd been puzzling over how Harry could kill Voldemort and survive considering what JKR says about murder throughout the books. It was what convinced me that Harry wouldn't survive. Voldemort's arrogance and assumption that human nature had to match his killed him in the end. It allowed Voldemort to be killed but without the effects rebounding on Harry because he essentially killed himself.
- Despite Harry surviving, I'm pretty happy with the idea of no more HP books. The last thing I want is for JKR to say "Er, actually, that wasn't ultimate evil, my new Evilest Ever Dark Lord is ultimate evil" and send everyone on another fight. I've seen other authors do it and it never works. Obviously I want lots of post-DH fanfic, but I'm quite content for JKR to leave them where they are.
- On that theme, the epilogue wasn't my favourite part but I can't begrudge her its existence. If we want to write non-canon post-DH pairings, the phrase "AU: Pretend the epilogue didn't happen" is short and simple to type. And there's plenty of scope for us if we want to write within canon. People are already contemplating Next Gen stories. The post-DH story that I most want to see? The re-building of Hogwarts. Not sure why, but that's the one I'm most curious about.
There are sure to be more things that I've missed and will have to talk about in coming days. In summary, I loved this book to little pieces and find myself completely satisfied despite JKR killing off several of my favourite characters (Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Hedwig) and not ending it in any way that I expected. It's edged its way into a close second from Azkaban in my favoured HP rankings and I expect to enjoy it even more once I've re-read and absorbed even more.
I'm not even feeling the downer from knowing HP is over yet because I know that it doesn't have to end if I don't want it to: there's always fanfic to keep it going :-)