Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Reaction Thread - SPOILERS!!!!

me | 7/21/2007 | me

[JenB]

So you finally know what happens to Harry. All our questions are answered. Or not. What are your reactions? Whose death hurt the most? Do you want more, and about whom?

SPOILERS are ok on this thread! You have been warned!

Wow. It's over.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Good point... I think I remember reading in the books that her brothers wouldn't let her play Quidditch with them, so she practiced on her own. Very much an "I'll show them!" attitude. ;-)

[Tax-chick]

With all those older brothers, you’re going to get a tough girl (or a quivering nonentity).

I can see Harry Potter, in middle age, as someone who was happy to let his wife take charge, at least at home, so he could relax!

[SuziQ]

That’s a great interview with Daniel. I like the way he reads it with the idea of how the screenwriters will set it up for him for the movie.

[kevkrom]

Finally finished!

I guess Snape is a main character, but his death was pretty much expected so again there was little emotional impact.

I disagree -- at first, at the moment, Snape's death has no impact, but then when you see his memories and know his full story... at the very, very end, just as he lays dying, he has to be distraught at not being able to fulfill Dumbledore's last order.

And then, just as life is fading from his body, he sees it -- Harry, with Lily's eyes looking at him, and one last chance to pass the vital message along.

Pretty powerful, in my book.

[kevkrom]

Speaking of Umbridge...I know Sirius was certainly right in saying that the world wasn't divided up between good people and Death Eaters, but Umbridge's continued support of the Ministry--fervent support--well, she may not have been a DE but she certainly was in collusion with them. I was really looking forward to seeing her die.

I am surprised that she didn't take one last chance to abuse Umbridge further -- she's stated how much fun it is to do, and I thought maybe she'd get one more go at it before the end...

[kevkrom]

My ending would have had Harry lose all his magical powers

That the biggest prediction I got wrong (ok, that and Hermione dying, but I KNEW I was reaching there...) -- in the literary tradition she followed, he should have had to give up something of that degree to win the final battle. I suppose all of the sacrifices he made, and were made for him, make up for it, but even so...

[kevkrom]

Ginny was a natural choice for Harry.

Of course -- what's his reward for his suffering? To truly be part of a family. Marrying into the Weasley family is the only fitting reward for his labors.

[kevkrom]

Well, there should be a portrait of Snape in the headmaster’s office.

One could make the argument that Snape was no longer Headmaster st the time of his death.

[kevkrom]

Oh my, there's been something there since at least "Goblet of Fire"!

Personally, in Chamber of Secrets, I don't think the two of them spent ALL that time in Myrtle's bathroom when Harry wasn't around JUST brewing polyjuice potion...

[Politicalmom]

I just read an interview with Rowling a couple days ago.

She said he effectively abandoned his position, which is why it wasn’t there, but that she thought Harry would have seen that one was installed at a later date.

[kevkrom]

It really shook me when Harry told his son, “You’re named after two Hogwarts Headmasters. One of them was a Slytherin and he was the bravest man I ever knew.” THAT’s saying something.

That was the only worthwhile moment of the epilogue, in my view.

[Politicalmom]

JKR also said that Umbridge was arrested and spent a lot of time in Azkaban for the things she did.

I hope Harry the Auror got to arrest her. :)

[CholeraJoe]

I found this the other day. The Sorting Hat:Find Your Hogwarts House

I'm a Ravenclaw.

[CholeraJoe]

See 1533.

[kevkrom]

Except that Dumbledore won it from Grindewald in that famous duel right?

Mrs. kevkrom postulates that Grindelwald never "won" the wand from Gregorovich, he merely stole it like Voldemort stole it from Dumbledore's tomb. Therefore, the wand never recognized Grindelwald as its "true" master.

The hitch in this theory is that it would then still have to recognize Gregorovich as its master, and he died after Dumbledore...

[kevkrom]

By the way, I must have missed it but does anyone know what happened to Crookshanks?

You know, when the letter talked about baby Harry and the cat, I had the fleeting thought, just for a minute, that Crookshanks was the same cat. It would explain how Crookshanks knew not to trust Scabbers and to trust SIrius...

[Tax-chick]

That’s cute! I’m a Hufflepuff :-).

[CholeraJoe]

Never thought of that. Interesting.

[kevkrom]

JKR also said that Umbridge was arrested and spent a lot of time in Azkaban for the things she did. I hope Harry the Auror got to arrest her. :)

I do like the way they changed the dialog in the movie for OotP, and let Harry say to her, "I'm sorry, but I must not tell lies." as he lets her be dragged away by the centaurs.

[kevkrom]

IMO, it would have been much more interesting and had greater emotional impact if she had kept Harry dead.

No offense, but that's ridiculous. The scene in "King's Cross" is essential -- it is the final chance to explain the unresolved threads and to finally get the whole, entire truth. After that, it would be anti-climactic for Harry to simply die, so he is given the choice instead: die, lay down your burdens, and move on to what lies ahead, or go back, fight, endure pain and humiliation.

And there's only one way that the Harry Potter that has been developed over 7 books could possibly answer that call.