Deathly Hallows reactions!
My first set of thoughts after reading Deathly Hallows, after letting it simmer in my mind for an evening....
I liked the book. I'm pleased with it as an ending, and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried.
Sure, the epilogue was crappy, but when isn't an epilogue crappy? JKR showed us what she saw in Harry and co's future, and it might not be what we would have imagined, but then again - it didn't really knock too many things out of play either, besides a couple marriages we all knew would happen and kid's names. (Though, really, Scorpius? I really really hope his wife is not only a muggleborn, but a huge Scorpions fan. That is the only way that is acceptable.)
I loved so many things about this book. I am going to have to read it lots more.
ABERFORTH.
In fact, the entire Dumbledore backstory made my heart leap with glee. JKR ruthlessly tarnished the history of her venerable, untarnished character and it was beautiful. He was human, and had the same temptation for evil - went partway down that path - and then came back to the side of good.
And all the Grindelwald stuff! I never would have guessed that she would actually go so far into Grindelwald, which made me gleeful.
Seriously, that whole bit just pleased me beyond measure. Like, Albus admitting his inclination towards dark magic that Riddle never even guessed at, lending even more weight to his 'choices make who you are' spiel and and and the whole thing where he didn't know - want to know - whether or not he killed his sister. I mean. Just. I LOVE YOU JKR!
I LOVED how she kept Snape's true loyalties secret until the very end. After I was mostly through the book and Snape still wasn't absolved I began to even doubt my own conviction that he was good. That was ballsy of JKR.
And Snape did love Lily! And wee kiddie Snape was ADORABLE.
Voldemort trusted Bellatrix with his *soul*. Sure, that's practically meaningless to him, but it was also his key to immortality, which is everything to him. That made me so happy.
We got to meet Andromeda! I'd hoped we would. And Ted too, and I liked him, even if he wasn't what I imagined. Total bummer that he was killed off, though, especially since he went on the run. I guess he protected Andromeda ('Dromeda, hee!) and Tonks and the baby.
Bad, bad canon, killing off Tonks and Fred. But I can deal. Really.
I knew a Weasley would have to die (statistically probable!), but I was hoping for a Percy-redemption-through-death. Not Fred! Especially after George lost an ear!
It was HARSH killing Hedwig and Mad-Eye right off the bat, though. Especially not showing Mad-Eye's body, when especially with a character like him, you can't trust anything without a body. I actually kind of squeaked when Hedwig died, and that was the moment I realized that JKR was not going to hold back at all with this one.
Narcissa FTW. Seriously. Turns out she wears the pants in the Malfoy family. *happy sigh* When she absolutely looked straight and Voldemort and lied about Harry being dead? So. Flippin'. Awesome.
Okay, I knew Bellatrix couldn't live, so I'm completely okay with Molly going momma bear on her. Especially when it means Molly being so very kickass.
NEVILLE. Oh, Neville, I knew you were awesomely awesome. Seriously. <3333
Little Petunia, writing Hogwarts wanting to be able to attend!!! And Lily and Severus being so adorable and friends and Snape being so devoted to her and and I'm totally a sap for that whole situation.
Snape's final year makes me terribly sad and terribly proud of him. How alone he must have been, alienated from the Order because of the mission Albus set on him, having to *be* a Death Eater in order to be able to curb the damage wrecked on Hogwarts as best he could, all the time reviled by the people he was trying to save. All because Voldemort would not spare Lily's life.
I heart Regulus just as much as I thought I would heart Regulus. I'm so glad that he was indeed R.A.B. And Kreacher! <3 I do love that the 'kindness to house-elves' thing came into play in that part of the story, esp. with how Sirius' treatment of Kreacher was such a factor.
Ron killing the locket was AWESOME.
Ron/Hermione finally happening was done really well, actually. Nothing sappy, just... natural and Harry's "hey, remember, war is on" reaction was great.
Dudley! I am so happy Dudley and Harry had that moment. And that Dudley grew up, and made gestures toward Harry.
And the "awful boy" Petunia mentioned in OotP was Snape!! Imagine if Harry knew that then!
All the camping and Hermione's beaded bag and Harry searching for the rest of Lily's letter thinking it had a clue when really Snape took it and Trelawney dropping crystal balls on DEs and the MALFOYS and albino peacocks and Malfoy Manor really has dungeons and the Lovegood's house and NEVILLE.
And Harry all indignant at the polyjuiced Potters stripping down without care for his modesty!
MURIEL.
Harry finally seeing his parents' grave. And seeing James and Lily's last moments from Voldemort's pov.
And the Malfoys just being out for themselves, which was so perfectly them.
Okay, I know I have a lot more to say on this, but it's getting late, and as I've had about three hours sleep over the past two days, I have a feeling I might not make much sense anymore. I shall go on more about this tomorrow.
Suffice to say I am a lot happier with the book than I had hoped. So much happened! It feels like it was way longer than it was, and I need a lot more time to digest it all and remember everything. I know I haven't talked about half of what I want to here.
I liked the book. I'm pleased with it as an ending, and I am not ashamed to admit that I cried.
Sure, the epilogue was crappy, but when isn't an epilogue crappy? JKR showed us what she saw in Harry and co's future, and it might not be what we would have imagined, but then again - it didn't really knock too many things out of play either, besides a couple marriages we all knew would happen and kid's names. (Though, really, Scorpius? I really really hope his wife is not only a muggleborn, but a huge Scorpions fan. That is the only way that is acceptable.)
I loved so many things about this book. I am going to have to read it lots more.
ABERFORTH.
In fact, the entire Dumbledore backstory made my heart leap with glee. JKR ruthlessly tarnished the history of her venerable, untarnished character and it was beautiful. He was human, and had the same temptation for evil - went partway down that path - and then came back to the side of good.
And all the Grindelwald stuff! I never would have guessed that she would actually go so far into Grindelwald, which made me gleeful.
Seriously, that whole bit just pleased me beyond measure. Like, Albus admitting his inclination towards dark magic that Riddle never even guessed at, lending even more weight to his 'choices make who you are' spiel and and and the whole thing where he didn't know - want to know - whether or not he killed his sister. I mean. Just. I LOVE YOU JKR!
I LOVED how she kept Snape's true loyalties secret until the very end. After I was mostly through the book and Snape still wasn't absolved I began to even doubt my own conviction that he was good. That was ballsy of JKR.
And Snape did love Lily! And wee kiddie Snape was ADORABLE.
Voldemort trusted Bellatrix with his *soul*. Sure, that's practically meaningless to him, but it was also his key to immortality, which is everything to him. That made me so happy.
We got to meet Andromeda! I'd hoped we would. And Ted too, and I liked him, even if he wasn't what I imagined. Total bummer that he was killed off, though, especially since he went on the run. I guess he protected Andromeda ('Dromeda, hee!) and Tonks and the baby.
Bad, bad canon, killing off Tonks and Fred. But I can deal. Really.
I knew a Weasley would have to die (statistically probable!), but I was hoping for a Percy-redemption-through-death. Not Fred! Especially after George lost an ear!
It was HARSH killing Hedwig and Mad-Eye right off the bat, though. Especially not showing Mad-Eye's body, when especially with a character like him, you can't trust anything without a body. I actually kind of squeaked when Hedwig died, and that was the moment I realized that JKR was not going to hold back at all with this one.
Narcissa FTW. Seriously. Turns out she wears the pants in the Malfoy family. *happy sigh* When she absolutely looked straight and Voldemort and lied about Harry being dead? So. Flippin'. Awesome.
Okay, I knew Bellatrix couldn't live, so I'm completely okay with Molly going momma bear on her. Especially when it means Molly being so very kickass.
NEVILLE. Oh, Neville, I knew you were awesomely awesome. Seriously. <3333
Little Petunia, writing Hogwarts wanting to be able to attend!!! And Lily and Severus being so adorable and friends and Snape being so devoted to her and and I'm totally a sap for that whole situation.
Snape's final year makes me terribly sad and terribly proud of him. How alone he must have been, alienated from the Order because of the mission Albus set on him, having to *be* a Death Eater in order to be able to curb the damage wrecked on Hogwarts as best he could, all the time reviled by the people he was trying to save. All because Voldemort would not spare Lily's life.
I heart Regulus just as much as I thought I would heart Regulus. I'm so glad that he was indeed R.A.B. And Kreacher! <3 I do love that the 'kindness to house-elves' thing came into play in that part of the story, esp. with how Sirius' treatment of Kreacher was such a factor.
Ron killing the locket was AWESOME.
Ron/Hermione finally happening was done really well, actually. Nothing sappy, just... natural and Harry's "hey, remember, war is on" reaction was great.
Dudley! I am so happy Dudley and Harry had that moment. And that Dudley grew up, and made gestures toward Harry.
And the "awful boy" Petunia mentioned in OotP was Snape!! Imagine if Harry knew that then!
All the camping and Hermione's beaded bag and Harry searching for the rest of Lily's letter thinking it had a clue when really Snape took it and Trelawney dropping crystal balls on DEs and the MALFOYS and albino peacocks and Malfoy Manor really has dungeons and the Lovegood's house and NEVILLE.
And Harry all indignant at the polyjuiced Potters stripping down without care for his modesty!
MURIEL.
Harry finally seeing his parents' grave. And seeing James and Lily's last moments from Voldemort's pov.
And the Malfoys just being out for themselves, which was so perfectly them.
Okay, I know I have a lot more to say on this, but it's getting late, and as I've had about three hours sleep over the past two days, I have a feeling I might not make much sense anymore. I shall go on more about this tomorrow.
Suffice to say I am a lot happier with the book than I had hoped. So much happened! It feels like it was way longer than it was, and I need a lot more time to digest it all and remember everything. I know I haven't talked about half of what I want to here.