don't give up, it's just the weight of the world...
Okay, I have about a billionty-one tabs open in Firefox right now with everybody's DH reactions, but I'm not reading them until I write mine, so there.
First, non-spoiler reaction:
Love. Utter, utter love.
While it wasn't perfect and there were things I wish were different, it was a good ending. Maybe not my ending if I were writing it (you all know mine would have more buttsex), but a good ending nonetheless.
And now, for deeper, bullet-pointed thoughts.
In an attempt to organize my brainmeats, I've made categories! Do the dance of joy.
Plot things
- The opening chapter. JESUS H CHRIST ON A BROOMSTICK, what a way to start. It's like, 'Hello little fanfic writers who've been drooling over Malfoy Manor since you knew that it was a manor, let's go on inside! And while you're here, let's watch Voldie feed someone to his snake. Snake as means of death will in no way reoccur in this book. Now, on to the tapestries.'
- The Hallows. Last week, while I was fucking around at work I read an article about what the hallows might be, and it brought up the story of the Fisher King and a different trio of important ('hallowed') objects. These Hallows were pretty badass, though. I loved Harry having company with him on his own (Green Mile) long walk. I love the fact that Draco was really once the master of the Elder Wand. I love that Expelliarmus, Harry's signature move he'd been warned against at the beginning of the book, was what saved the day.
- Dumbledore's back story. Damn, JK, do you know how to give a guy some baggage or what. And was anybody else thinking of Gandalf and the ring when King's Cross!Dumbledore talked about how he shouldn't have power? Thought so.
- Speaking of which, did anybody else think that the locket horcrux was like the One Fucking Ring? *ticks off points on fingers* Bit of jewelry, belonged to The Evil Overlord, Evil Overlord put some of his power into it, wearing it warps your personality, hits one member of the group harder than the rest and causes him to go batshit...Need I say more?
People
- Luna Lovegood. The OotP movie helped me rediscover my love for that girl and DH cemented it forever. She's a darling and I want to squeeze her with joy. My favorite bit, I think, was her at the end when Harry just wanted to get away from everybody and she (once again; how does she do it?) read his mind and said, "If I were you, I'd want some peace and quiet...Look! A Blithering Humdinger!" ♥♥♥
- Neville Longbottom. Dayum! Neville became completely and utterly the man while the narrative wasn't paying attention. He's all running around, defying Voldemort, getting set on fire, and then decapitating Nagini. Rock the fuck on, Neville.
- Mrs. Weasley going all Ripley-in-Aliens, "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH" on Bella. That was hot. I cheered.
- Kreature (whose name I can't spell). He became so damn cool in this book, I wanted to give him socks. And the scene where he leads the house elves out of the kitches, waving knives and raising a battle cry of Regulus' name? I wibbled.
- Ariana Dumbledore. I wish we got to know her more. I keep turning her attack over in my head, and the possibilities only get worse every time. I'd like to see who Dumbledore would have been were she whole. I'd like to see who she'd have been whole.
- Narcissa Malfoy. Her checking Harry's 'corpse' and asking about Draco and lying--oh, I cheered for her there. She's a brilliant, brave, fierce mother and I love her for that.
Ships
- Tonks/Lupin. I said it before, and I'll say it again: WTF?? I suspect Lupin was Confunded, in order to both marry and impregnate her, but with them both dead, that solves the problem of the poor pairing being forced down our throats any further. Yes, this is harsh, but the only thing I could ever figure he saw in her was the metamorph ability to turn into Sirius. And then they had sex. And it was good. Until that one night they were both a little wasted and got the holes mixed up. And thus was born Teddy Lupin, whom I love even though he never really appears in the book and I think his parents have been acting like prats since book 6.
- Harry/Ginny. Even if it was rather forced (see also: camel through eye of needle), I can almost kind of through-my-rose-colored-glasses believe that between the end of the war and the epilogue, they got a chance to actually form a relationship rather than just a teenage crush.
- Ron/Hermione. I did the fist-pumping-the-air thing when they kissed. I think that's all I need to say.
- Harry/Draco. YES, IT'S STILL ALIVE!!! Dude, he kept using Draco's wand and then he saved the little ferret's life. I want somebody to write summer after the war fic with all the seventh years taking summer school at Hogwarts to make up for the fucked up school year, during which they shag. Possibly in a broom closet.
Ends and Beginnings
- The deaths. I think that just after the sixth book came out, now that Dumbledore was gone, I resigned myself to the fact that rocks could fall and everyone could die. And especially given the breakneck pace of this book, you didn't really have any time to absorb any of the deaths. And to be blatantly honest, I wasn't all that upset by any of them. I mean, I figured we'd lose a Weasley twin, given that it's something so many fanfic writers (including me) have put in wartime/post-war fics. And likewise, I've seen fic writers (and RPers) come up with Tonkses and Lupins that I loved much more than this sort of OOC version of them in DH, that I couldn't cry for the death of people I almost didn't believe were Tonks and Lupin anymore. Snape was the only one that really bummed me out, but not at the time. It wasn't until later that I got weepy over it. (More on that in the next bullet point.)
- The kids. While yeah, the epilogue was sort of some overly sweet frosting on the little cake of finale, I liked it. I liked confirmation of who hooked up, of what their kid's names were. Draco named his kid Scorpius! XD I lay in bed for ages trying to come up with a decent nickname for the kid and could not do it. Let's hope he has a good middle name. We always sort of figured Harry would name his first boy and girl James and Lily; it was just a given. And then I got to Albus and went both 'awww' and 'hehehe, Albus Potter; what a clunky name.'
And then Harry called him by his full name, 'Albus Severus.'
At which point I burst into tears.
I can't explain why it was that moment in the litany of moments all through that book that made me lose it. That it wasn't Snape's death but Snape's namesake that made me bawl until I couldn't see through my glasses and I had to spend a few minutes collecting myself before I could make it through that last page and a half. Maybe it was how the fact that he had a namesake, that this boy also stood for Albus who was gone, that made Severus being gone real to me. I can't explain it. But I do know that I love Albus Severus Potter and I hope he ends up in Slytherin. I hope he has the courage to go there. I hope he and Scorpius are friends.
And then they can form a club for boys with famous fathers who gave them unfortunately clunky names and sleep over at each other's houses on holidays and give their father's migraines and eventually snog while drunk on butterbeer and be awkward at each other until suddenly they aren't any more because they are their fathers' sons and they go after what they want.
I think I really need to write that fic now. And don't any of y'all beat me to it.
And now I go to read your thoughts and to comment. And I want y'all to comment on my thoughts, and then we can keep the sexy fandom dialog going.
Because never say we die, kids. Never shall we die.
First, non-spoiler reaction:
Love. Utter, utter love.
While it wasn't perfect and there were things I wish were different, it was a good ending. Maybe not my ending if I were writing it (you all know mine would have more buttsex), but a good ending nonetheless.
And now, for deeper, bullet-pointed thoughts.
In an attempt to organize my brainmeats, I've made categories! Do the dance of joy.
Plot things
- The opening chapter. JESUS H CHRIST ON A BROOMSTICK, what a way to start. It's like, 'Hello little fanfic writers who've been drooling over Malfoy Manor since you knew that it was a manor, let's go on inside! And while you're here, let's watch Voldie feed someone to his snake. Snake as means of death will in no way reoccur in this book. Now, on to the tapestries.'
- The Hallows. Last week, while I was fucking around at work I read an article about what the hallows might be, and it brought up the story of the Fisher King and a different trio of important ('hallowed') objects. These Hallows were pretty badass, though. I loved Harry having company with him on his own (Green Mile) long walk. I love the fact that Draco was really once the master of the Elder Wand. I love that Expelliarmus, Harry's signature move he'd been warned against at the beginning of the book, was what saved the day.
- Dumbledore's back story. Damn, JK, do you know how to give a guy some baggage or what. And was anybody else thinking of Gandalf and the ring when King's Cross!Dumbledore talked about how he shouldn't have power? Thought so.
- Speaking of which, did anybody else think that the locket horcrux was like the One Fucking Ring? *ticks off points on fingers* Bit of jewelry, belonged to The Evil Overlord, Evil Overlord put some of his power into it, wearing it warps your personality, hits one member of the group harder than the rest and causes him to go batshit...Need I say more?
People
- Luna Lovegood. The OotP movie helped me rediscover my love for that girl and DH cemented it forever. She's a darling and I want to squeeze her with joy. My favorite bit, I think, was her at the end when Harry just wanted to get away from everybody and she (once again; how does she do it?) read his mind and said, "If I were you, I'd want some peace and quiet...Look! A Blithering Humdinger!" ♥♥♥
- Neville Longbottom. Dayum! Neville became completely and utterly the man while the narrative wasn't paying attention. He's all running around, defying Voldemort, getting set on fire, and then decapitating Nagini. Rock the fuck on, Neville.
- Mrs. Weasley going all Ripley-in-Aliens, "GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH" on Bella. That was hot. I cheered.
- Kreature (whose name I can't spell). He became so damn cool in this book, I wanted to give him socks. And the scene where he leads the house elves out of the kitches, waving knives and raising a battle cry of Regulus' name? I wibbled.
- Ariana Dumbledore. I wish we got to know her more. I keep turning her attack over in my head, and the possibilities only get worse every time. I'd like to see who Dumbledore would have been were she whole. I'd like to see who she'd have been whole.
- Narcissa Malfoy. Her checking Harry's 'corpse' and asking about Draco and lying--oh, I cheered for her there. She's a brilliant, brave, fierce mother and I love her for that.
Ships
- Tonks/Lupin. I said it before, and I'll say it again: WTF?? I suspect Lupin was Confunded, in order to both marry and impregnate her, but with them both dead, that solves the problem of the poor pairing being forced down our throats any further. Yes, this is harsh, but the only thing I could ever figure he saw in her was the metamorph ability to turn into Sirius. And then they had sex. And it was good. Until that one night they were both a little wasted and got the holes mixed up. And thus was born Teddy Lupin, whom I love even though he never really appears in the book and I think his parents have been acting like prats since book 6.
- Harry/Ginny. Even if it was rather forced (see also: camel through eye of needle), I can almost kind of through-my-rose-colored-glasses believe that between the end of the war and the epilogue, they got a chance to actually form a relationship rather than just a teenage crush.
- Ron/Hermione. I did the fist-pumping-the-air thing when they kissed. I think that's all I need to say.
- Harry/Draco. YES, IT'S STILL ALIVE!!! Dude, he kept using Draco's wand and then he saved the little ferret's life. I want somebody to write summer after the war fic with all the seventh years taking summer school at Hogwarts to make up for the fucked up school year, during which they shag. Possibly in a broom closet.
Ends and Beginnings
- The deaths. I think that just after the sixth book came out, now that Dumbledore was gone, I resigned myself to the fact that rocks could fall and everyone could die. And especially given the breakneck pace of this book, you didn't really have any time to absorb any of the deaths. And to be blatantly honest, I wasn't all that upset by any of them. I mean, I figured we'd lose a Weasley twin, given that it's something so many fanfic writers (including me) have put in wartime/post-war fics. And likewise, I've seen fic writers (and RPers) come up with Tonkses and Lupins that I loved much more than this sort of OOC version of them in DH, that I couldn't cry for the death of people I almost didn't believe were Tonks and Lupin anymore. Snape was the only one that really bummed me out, but not at the time. It wasn't until later that I got weepy over it. (More on that in the next bullet point.)
- The kids. While yeah, the epilogue was sort of some overly sweet frosting on the little cake of finale, I liked it. I liked confirmation of who hooked up, of what their kid's names were. Draco named his kid Scorpius! XD I lay in bed for ages trying to come up with a decent nickname for the kid and could not do it. Let's hope he has a good middle name. We always sort of figured Harry would name his first boy and girl James and Lily; it was just a given. And then I got to Albus and went both 'awww' and 'hehehe, Albus Potter; what a clunky name.'
And then Harry called him by his full name, 'Albus Severus.'
At which point I burst into tears.
I can't explain why it was that moment in the litany of moments all through that book that made me lose it. That it wasn't Snape's death but Snape's namesake that made me bawl until I couldn't see through my glasses and I had to spend a few minutes collecting myself before I could make it through that last page and a half. Maybe it was how the fact that he had a namesake, that this boy also stood for Albus who was gone, that made Severus being gone real to me. I can't explain it. But I do know that I love Albus Severus Potter and I hope he ends up in Slytherin. I hope he has the courage to go there. I hope he and Scorpius are friends.
And then they can form a club for boys with famous fathers who gave them unfortunately clunky names and sleep over at each other's houses on holidays and give their father's migraines and eventually snog while drunk on butterbeer and be awkward at each other until suddenly they aren't any more because they are their fathers' sons and they go after what they want.
I think I really need to write that fic now. And don't any of y'all beat me to it.
And now I go to read your thoughts and to comment. And I want y'all to comment on my thoughts, and then we can keep the sexy fandom dialog going.
Because never say we die, kids. Never shall we die.