(no subject)
First of all, Happy Birthday Av! And Happy Birthday Jenny! I'm not sure if either of you will see this, but I still wanted to wish you both a happy birthday. I hope you're doing well, Av. *hugs*
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So tonight, for some of my f-list, the time has come. The end of a written era (no doubt to be replaced by the next grand idea in children's literature) is nigh and I for one will be at a release party to see it happen. I regret that I had but one another party to attend two years ago.
But oh, the midnight showings of the last two movies...oh, I will attend them.
Leading up to the arrival of the last book, I'd spent the better part of almost a week rereading the fifth and sixth books. Frankly, I couldn't remember a damned thing from the sixth one as I had only read it the one time when I first got it two years ago. The stuff with Dumbledore at the end (and the fact that I'm convinced part of the damned book reads like a fanfic) definitely didn't convince me to give it a reread at the time. I must say, though, that the fifth book was certainly worth it, despite the end, because so much more of it was hilarious to me. I could tune out the ridiculousness of Umbridge and almost ignore the incessant angsting Harry subjected us to.
While rereading the sixth book, I was scouring for clues and subtext (which I usually miss in the initial read-through) and things like that in regards to Snape. He's one character I just can't wrap my head around. Is he good, is he bad, is he in it for himself, the other two sides be damned? In the second chapter solely about him and the Unbreakable curse, we were finally subjected to a Harry-biased view of him. His talk with Narcissa and Bellatrix was certainly convincing that he was definitely on their side and that Dumbledore was a poor fool to believe him. He is a skilled Occulumens, after all.
But I'm not completely sold that he's completely on Voldemort's side and he's been playing double, triple agent for both sides. I think he's been driven by revenge to get back at those who made his life a living hell at school, two of them being James and Sirius, now both dead. And can't forget that he was brilliant in potions and all those other curses and jinxes he created and scribbled into that book of his. It makes me wonder if he wishes to get back at the remaining two Marauders just for mere association with James and Sirius.
If I leave it like that, I could easily say that he's been on the dark side the entire time. Easily.
However, I can't. The moments leading up to Dumbledore's death prevent me from doing so. Dumbledore knew that Malfoy had been trying to kill him all year, even said so himself. I think that soon after Snape had made the Unbreakable Curse, he told Dumbledore what was going on, what would happen sometime during the year, and that's when Dumbledore decided he'd give those private lessons to Harry and speed up his own search for the Horcruxes. Harry had to learn what he was up against and how to stop him, and only Dumbledore had that knowledge. He knew his time was up, but unlike Voldemort, he wasn't afraid to die. He also didn't want one of his students to become a murderer either. I think he'd planned for Snape to kill him (elsewise, Snape would die as well if Malfoy failed and the Order needed Snape to remain alive.)
Dumbledore would not plea for his life. He's not that kind of man at all. I fully believe he was asking Snape to do it to save face with the rest of them, to follow the order he'd previously given him sometime in the past. He made Harry obey any order he gave him and Harry listened to him and will continue listen to his orders from now on, so why wouldn't Snape be subjected to the same rules? Of course Dumbledore wouldn't have told anyone in the Order about it because they would've tried to talk him out of it, saying that he was too valuable to lose. In some respect, they were right. But his death was the final push for Harry to see what he had to do.
Now, what Snape's gonna do now that he isn't reporting back to the Order, well, I don't know. We'll see soon, won't we?
There's another thing I can't forget either. Wormtail has a debt to be paid to Harry and I no doubt think we'll see him repay that in the final book. Harry saved his life, and like how Snape had a debt to repay in the first book, Wormtail's bound too. I wouldn't doubt if he dies.
Aaand I'd love to go on theorizing, there's so much to theorize, like whether Harry'll live or die. Or if Percy will finally stop being such a prat and get off his high horse. Or if the trio will go back to school before it closes early for some reason, because you know someone will convince them to go back for a while.
And what the hell is that last Horcrux? Harry has to find where the R.A.B. thief took the locket, find where Hufflepuff's cup is, and locate some item that either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor had (I'm betting it's Ravenclaw's because the sword is already in Dumbledore's office, out of reach from Voldemort....UNLESS that's what we're being led to believe! *dramatic music* But I doubt it. What kind of object would remain from Ravenclaw? A quill? A pair of glasses? Maybe a bracelet? So far, we have an item that's practical and perhaps representing friendship (tea amongst friends, anyone?), a decorative or sign of wealth and status kind of item, an item for battle and bravery, so that leaves...something representing intelligence, wit, and knowledge. I doubt it's another book. We've already had Riddle's diary, so I think Voldemort wouldn't double-up on any thing like that. Maybe an inkwell...
But what about R.A.B. him or herself? I'm convinced this has to be Regulus Black, someone who's already dead. The initials are too damn close, but really, who else could it be besides someone we've yet to be introduced to? And where is that damned locket anyway? Maybe it's still in Grimmauld Place, amongst the things Mundungus had yet to sell--unless it was one of the things he nicked from there when Harry caught him in Hogsmeade.
Or, god forbid, what if Harry himself is the last Horcrux? Or, simpler, if one of them is in Godric's Hollow? In the grand scheme of things, Harry can't be the last Horcrux because how would he kill Voldemort? And he wouldn't fit in with the founders of Hogwarts theme already built up, but then again, Nagini doesn't fit either, but there she is. (Never mind that the "Harry being the last Horcrux" theory fits into my own theory that Harry'll kill Voldemort but yet suffer mortal wounds himself. >.>) Yeah, yeah, it's a children's book, but that hasn't stopped JKR from offing people before. Even one of her most favorite characters wasn't safe! The books have gotten increasingly darker, which is only to be expected when you have the most evilest wizard EVER alive and wreaking hell all over the place again.
Besides, I've read other books, one series I can think of in particular, where the main character WAS killed at the end, or other main-ish characters bit the dust. And those books were aimed at children too.
On a lighter note, I wonder how Bill and Fleur's wedding will go. That will be one hell of a celebration.
As much as I'd love go on theorizing, I...just can't. I'm too excited about the upcoming book now. ^^; I do hope my ramblings were somewhat coherent (and if they weren't, well, you know where to add the appropriate possible missing words.) To all my friends going to midnight releases, have fun!
And to everyone, have a fantastic weekend! ^.^
---
So tonight, for some of my f-list, the time has come. The end of a written era (no doubt to be replaced by the next grand idea in children's literature) is nigh and I for one will be at a release party to see it happen. I regret that I had but one another party to attend two years ago.
But oh, the midnight showings of the last two movies...oh, I will attend them.
Leading up to the arrival of the last book, I'd spent the better part of almost a week rereading the fifth and sixth books. Frankly, I couldn't remember a damned thing from the sixth one as I had only read it the one time when I first got it two years ago. The stuff with Dumbledore at the end (and the fact that I'm convinced part of the damned book reads like a fanfic) definitely didn't convince me to give it a reread at the time. I must say, though, that the fifth book was certainly worth it, despite the end, because so much more of it was hilarious to me. I could tune out the ridiculousness of Umbridge and almost ignore the incessant angsting Harry subjected us to.
While rereading the sixth book, I was scouring for clues and subtext (which I usually miss in the initial read-through) and things like that in regards to Snape. He's one character I just can't wrap my head around. Is he good, is he bad, is he in it for himself, the other two sides be damned? In the second chapter solely about him and the Unbreakable curse, we were finally subjected to a Harry-biased view of him. His talk with Narcissa and Bellatrix was certainly convincing that he was definitely on their side and that Dumbledore was a poor fool to believe him. He is a skilled Occulumens, after all.
But I'm not completely sold that he's completely on Voldemort's side and he's been playing double, triple agent for both sides. I think he's been driven by revenge to get back at those who made his life a living hell at school, two of them being James and Sirius, now both dead. And can't forget that he was brilliant in potions and all those other curses and jinxes he created and scribbled into that book of his. It makes me wonder if he wishes to get back at the remaining two Marauders just for mere association with James and Sirius.
If I leave it like that, I could easily say that he's been on the dark side the entire time. Easily.
However, I can't. The moments leading up to Dumbledore's death prevent me from doing so. Dumbledore knew that Malfoy had been trying to kill him all year, even said so himself. I think that soon after Snape had made the Unbreakable Curse, he told Dumbledore what was going on, what would happen sometime during the year, and that's when Dumbledore decided he'd give those private lessons to Harry and speed up his own search for the Horcruxes. Harry had to learn what he was up against and how to stop him, and only Dumbledore had that knowledge. He knew his time was up, but unlike Voldemort, he wasn't afraid to die. He also didn't want one of his students to become a murderer either. I think he'd planned for Snape to kill him (elsewise, Snape would die as well if Malfoy failed and the Order needed Snape to remain alive.)
Dumbledore would not plea for his life. He's not that kind of man at all. I fully believe he was asking Snape to do it to save face with the rest of them, to follow the order he'd previously given him sometime in the past. He made Harry obey any order he gave him and Harry listened to him and will continue listen to his orders from now on, so why wouldn't Snape be subjected to the same rules? Of course Dumbledore wouldn't have told anyone in the Order about it because they would've tried to talk him out of it, saying that he was too valuable to lose. In some respect, they were right. But his death was the final push for Harry to see what he had to do.
Now, what Snape's gonna do now that he isn't reporting back to the Order, well, I don't know. We'll see soon, won't we?
There's another thing I can't forget either. Wormtail has a debt to be paid to Harry and I no doubt think we'll see him repay that in the final book. Harry saved his life, and like how Snape had a debt to repay in the first book, Wormtail's bound too. I wouldn't doubt if he dies.
Aaand I'd love to go on theorizing, there's so much to theorize, like whether Harry'll live or die. Or if Percy will finally stop being such a prat and get off his high horse. Or if the trio will go back to school before it closes early for some reason, because you know someone will convince them to go back for a while.
And what the hell is that last Horcrux? Harry has to find where the R.A.B. thief took the locket, find where Hufflepuff's cup is, and locate some item that either Ravenclaw or Gryffindor had (I'm betting it's Ravenclaw's because the sword is already in Dumbledore's office, out of reach from Voldemort....UNLESS that's what we're being led to believe! *dramatic music* But I doubt it. What kind of object would remain from Ravenclaw? A quill? A pair of glasses? Maybe a bracelet? So far, we have an item that's practical and perhaps representing friendship (tea amongst friends, anyone?), a decorative or sign of wealth and status kind of item, an item for battle and bravery, so that leaves...something representing intelligence, wit, and knowledge. I doubt it's another book. We've already had Riddle's diary, so I think Voldemort wouldn't double-up on any thing like that. Maybe an inkwell...
But what about R.A.B. him or herself? I'm convinced this has to be Regulus Black, someone who's already dead. The initials are too damn close, but really, who else could it be besides someone we've yet to be introduced to? And where is that damned locket anyway? Maybe it's still in Grimmauld Place, amongst the things Mundungus had yet to sell--unless it was one of the things he nicked from there when Harry caught him in Hogsmeade.
Or, god forbid, what if Harry himself is the last Horcrux? Or, simpler, if one of them is in Godric's Hollow? In the grand scheme of things, Harry can't be the last Horcrux because how would he kill Voldemort? And he wouldn't fit in with the founders of Hogwarts theme already built up, but then again, Nagini doesn't fit either, but there she is. (Never mind that the "Harry being the last Horcrux" theory fits into my own theory that Harry'll kill Voldemort but yet suffer mortal wounds himself. >.>) Yeah, yeah, it's a children's book, but that hasn't stopped JKR from offing people before. Even one of her most favorite characters wasn't safe! The books have gotten increasingly darker, which is only to be expected when you have the most evilest wizard EVER alive and wreaking hell all over the place again.
Besides, I've read other books, one series I can think of in particular, where the main character WAS killed at the end, or other main-ish characters bit the dust. And those books were aimed at children too.
On a lighter note, I wonder how Bill and Fleur's wedding will go. That will be one hell of a celebration.
As much as I'd love go on theorizing, I...just can't. I'm too excited about the upcoming book now. ^^; I do hope my ramblings were somewhat coherent (and if they weren't, well, you know where to add the appropriate possible missing words.) To all my friends going to midnight releases, have fun!
And to everyone, have a fantastic weekend! ^.^