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sharelleAnd now, some of my thoughts on the finale of the Harry Potter series. It's been quite a ride.
First, I've been reading a few differing opinions about the content of "Deathly Hallows" (trying not to let them get me down), so I'm sure that my thoughts on the book will not be popular or agreed-upon by everyone on my flist. Having said that, . . . the book? It was marvelous. From start to finish, marvelous.
I had said previously that I liked the idea of the final installment being a travel narrative instead of a run-of-the-mill Hogwarts adventure. In fact, I found that I didn't miss the school at all, and was even glad for its absence, because the world that JKR placed Harry in for this last installment fleshed out the expanse of the universe she had created so much more than those little snippets of "the world beyond Hogwarts" had in previous books. That, and when Harry did, finally, return to his school it really meant something. (The end of his story was nearly palpable at that point.) Harry was already an epic hero, but, until this book, he had yet to have a true epic adventure.
(For the Hermiones among us) The conventions of a traditional epic fell very much into place here:
- The hero is a man of great national, or even supernatural, importance. (In Harry's case, he didn't necessarily welcome the differences between himself and the rest of the world, but they were there all the same.)
- The setting often covers great geographical distances. (Up to this point, most of Harry's journeys had been on a much smaller scale, and many of them internal. This one made up for that in a big way. At least twice Harry, Ron and Hermione actually came right out and called it what it was: a Quest. Capital "Q.")
- The action includes acts of valor and/or superhuman deeds/courage. (The number of times this happens throughout the series, let alone this book, is enough to cover this area. Plus it's nice that Harry is not the only one who falls into this category.)
- There is often some form of divine intervention – "Deus ex machina." (Dumbledore's explanations, naturally, cover this, though in this last book his appearance as a spirit probably fulfills the requirement best.)
Of course, the traditional idea of an epic wasn't the only parallel present in "Deathly Hallows." While I was reading, I found myself constantly comparing it to other stories (also epic in nature). I'm sure many others did as well – especially these two:
Lord of the Rings - This one was extremely obvious: the quest to destroy (a) magical object(s) that a Dark Force wishes to use to solidify his own power. That, and the whole locket scenario magnifying the wearer's darkest thoughts . . . it may as well have been a ring.
Star Wars - I've discussed this comparison before, in greater detail than I will now, but the final book reinforced it: Harry, Ron and Hermione were JKR's own Luke, Han and Leia (Harry even refers to Hermione as his "sister," reassuring Ron as Han was reassured with that same information in Jedi); Dumbledore did his turn as Obi-Wan (albeit a slightly more flawed version); Snape was, indeed, the redeemed Vader figure, and so on.
Some might argue that this only serves as evidence that JKR "ripped off" elements of other classics. I would disagree. She molded certain themes into her own story, true, but what came out was, in my opinion, nothing short of amazing.
So with the more intellectual analysis out of the way, here are some of the details of the book that left the biggest impression on me. (While I may pick apart certain things, any criticism I might express did not detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. When all was said and done, I found it to be the very nearly perfect end to Harry's journey.)
- Things got pretty intense pretty fast. I am now convinced that most of the action of HBP was that backstory-heavy for a reason: it was the exposition needed so things could start off with a bang in DH, and basically never let up. Killing Hedwig so early floored me, and set the stage for what was to be an unrelenting emotional roller coaster throughout the entire book as shocking deaths occurred at shocking moments. Hedwig's death was not only tragic because it happened so soon, but also because Harry himself was forced to blow up her remains to save his and Hagrid's lives. (At the end of the chapter, I was convinced Hagrid was gone too. And I thought to myself, "If this is only the beginning, how am I ever going to get through this entire book?")
- The Dursleys One of the things I loved was also a source of some disappointment. I'm a sucker for redemption, even in the smallest of places. When the Dursleys were fleeing their home and Dudley, with an innocence that belied his older age and tougher persona, asked, "Why isn't [Harry] coming with us?" I nearly started crying right there. Dudley – who may have mistreated his cousin, but at the same time couldn't fathom the idea of not having him around. Dudley who, regardless of Hestia Jones' contradiction, actually did say "thank you." My only disappointment came from the fact that we never learn what becomes of the Dursleys later or if Harry ever sees them again.
- The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore It was strange to spend six books (and several movies) being told what a great man Dumbledore was, only to have him torn completely to shreds in the last installment (not only by Ministry forces – which was expected – but also by his family – which was not). While reading, I expected a lot of the nastier information to eventually be debunked. It was interesting that JKR had the courage to "go there" and make some of that be the truth. Some of it read strangely to me – it felt out of character for Dumbledore to be doing and saying some of the things he did – but I suppose that was the point. He was only human, and prone to mistakes – something he had been telling Harry from Book 1. (It was an argument that many used as their support as to why Snape must be truly evil. I'm happy that this did not rank among DD's mistakes. But more on Snape later.) Although I had a few lines of reasoning as to why Dumbledore may not be dead, in the end I was pleased with the way things turned out. Aberforth was a great character, and I enjoyed hearing his version of the Dumbledore story very much.
- All those deaths I'm actually more satisfied with my reading experience this time because I did not know who would make it through to the end. I'm also glad that some of my own predictions did not come true, because it meant that JKR did not do anything obvious or take any easy ways out. The deaths were hard to take, as, I'm sure, they were meant to be. (There were times when my hands were shaking so badly with the anticipation of not-knowing who would die or when, I could barely hold the book.)
I've already said that I was shocked and saddened by Hedwig. Mad-Eye's death was not unexpected after what happened during Harry's exodus from Privet Drive, but particularly sad because the eye was the only part of him that was ever found (and buried in a meager grave somewhere in the woods where the Quidditch World Cup was held – not an ideal spot for an Auror of his merit). Dobby's death was very sad, though I must admit I was a little relieved given the circumstances: Although I was doing my best to avoid spoilers, I'd heard a nasty rumor that Bellatrix was supposed to kill Ron. It didn't seem likely to me at the time, so I wasn't too worried, but when things started to play out as they did during the scene at Malfoy Manor, and Ron was throwing caution to the wind in his effort to save Hermione, and then came this line:
"As he turned into darkness he caught one last view of the drawing room: of the pale, frozen figures of Narcissa and Draco, of the streak of red that was Ron's hair, and a blur of flying silver, as Bellatrix's knife flew across the room at the place where he was vanishing—" (pp. 474-475 U.S.)
After Dobby's death, I had to re-read that passage to realize that the "he" mentioned was Harry, not Ron. It did give me a few-minutes heart attack, though. The scene at the grave really got me afterward, since it was probably one of the most detailed descriptions of grief in the book.
The deaths of Tonks and Lupin were my "harpoon-through-the-chest-for-no-good-reason" deaths. Not because I was particularly in love with those characters (sadly, Remus bothered me a little in this book, which hurt because I adored him in PoA), but because it was so abrupt. Minimal description or time for grieving was given beforethe Reavers started coming everyone was forced to move on quickly, regardless of what the deceased were leaving behind. It occurred to me that Harry may have to take on the role of Sirius afterward, since he, Harry, was Teddy's godfather, and the idea of him raising a child who had lost his parents to similar circumstances as his own was interesting. Then I remembered that Andromeda would probably raise the baby. But there were so many missed chances – especially for commentary on the Wizarding World and species tolerance – with the deaths of Tonks and Lupin.
Fred's death broke me. (Especially after he had just reconciled with Percy.) Percy's reaction broke me more. (I flashed back to Harry clinging to Cedric's body.) I'd had a feeling we might lose a Weasley, but after George's accident, I thought the twins, at least, were safe. (I had actually expected to lose Bill, Percy, Arthur, or Molly – the latter because of her encounter with the boggart in Book 5: I thought she might die rather than see her worst fear come true.)
Weasley is (Still) Our King My Ron finally, finally shines. And then, what's best, is that he doesn't stop. (Though he's still his sarcastic, slightly immature self a lot of the time.) DH, for me, was finally the payoff for all the time spent waiting for Ronald Weasley (the underdog) to be or do something special. I've said it before:
". . . if you look at the Weasley children, Bill’s the cool one, Charlie’s the athletic one, Percy’s the ambitious one, the twins are the funny ones, and Ron . . . Ron is the hero." (And Ginny's the girl.)
Or at least he was meant to be. Of course DH takes it a step further and makes him a knight (chivalry, sword, and all). Wizard Chess is, after all, his game. He set himself up in that role all the way back in Book 1. And he finally lived up to it.
Ron still had his frustrating moments, though: I got a little annoyed when he had another tantrum a-la "Goblet of Fire," leaving Harry and Hermione on their own again. But I did like that it had more to do with the way the locket affected him than his own true motives. (Although I suppose it's true that they were his own true feelings, just magnified by wearing the Horcrux. But what makes a hero if not rising above his flaws and temptations?)
And then how much did I love the entirety of Chapter 19? I must have read the segment from the appearance of the doe through the end at least 10 times. It was an amazing (and quite dark) portrayal of Ron's struggle with feeling second best in so many aspects of his life, a beautiful description of Harry finally realizing his friend's turmoil, a chilling depiction of how Ron nearly lost his fight with Riddle (and how it truly scared Harry). And Hermione's reaction to Ron's return? . . . Classic.
After that, everything from Ron charging first into a room filled with Death Eaters to imitating Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets totally made up for all the goofing around and playing with flying brains that he did in the last few books. He got a little of what he'd seen in the Mirror of Erised. And he even got the girl. (If I read page 625 again I may wear it out. *G*)
Molly Weasley, Meet Ellen Ripley "Get away from her, you BITCH!" It may have been paraphrased, but that was the essence of it. And she killed Bellatrix so quickly. (After all, you really have to mean it.) The portrayal of motherly love in these books is probably one of its finest messages. And Molly Weasley, Matriarch, is certainly no one to be messed with. *applauds*
Speaking of those Unforgivable Curses Lots of characters were really throwing those around, weren't they? (Neat little gray area there.)
The Horcruxes I thought that the last one might be Harry, but I still wasn't prepared for the way it was revealed – as well as his reaction afterward. But when it comes to the Horcruxes overall, I thought it was especially well done that each one was destroyed by someone different (and that those who did so had been from Gryffindor and Slytherin):
1) The Diary -- Harry
2) The Ring -- Dumbledore
3) The Locket -- Ron
4) The Cup -- Hermione
5) The Diadem -- Crabbe (although accidentally)
6) The Snake -- Neville
7) Harry -- Voldemort
Strange that while Harry was the one charged with destroying the Horcruxes, he didn't destroy a single one after being given that task. (Aside from Riddle's diary, which was accomplished way back during his second year.)
Neville: Harry 2.0 I can't say enough about the wonderfulness that is Neville Longbottom. He has completely changed since his first appearance, and it has been an amazing transformation. It was fitting that he was the last to wield the Sword of Gryffindor. And the scene where he faced down Voldemort, knowing full well (for all intents and purposes) that Harry was dead and would not be there to back him up – fantastic. (On a side note, thinking back to seeing OotP last week, I thought it fitting that, in the movie, Neville was the one to find the Room of Requirement instead of having Dobby show it to Harry. It solidifies the connection that he, Neville, seems to have with the room – as mentioned in DH.)
Harry's Fate Personally, I thought it was brilliant: the self-sacrifice (and the complete willingness to do so), that brief betrayal of his fear when he asks his ghostly loved ones if death will hurt, Hagrid's reaction, the school's reaction, his reappearance (talk about a triumphant scene!), even the requisite Dumbledore-explains-it-all sequence in the King's Cross station – everything was portrayed and wrapped up perfectly. And I couldn't see it ending any other way.
Some readers have expressed their displeasure in regards to Harry's fate (or non-fate, as it were, seeing as how he was "only mostly dead"). I even read one comment by someone who stated that (s)he was disappointed in JKR for "not having the stones to write the book's true ending." (One in which Harry dies for the world.) I'm sorry, but "true ending?" The true ending would be the one that the author writes and presents to her readers. It's not "cowardice" and it's not "pandering;" it's her world, and her ultimate decision. And I thought it was a good one: Harry faces down Voldemort in front of everyone, calling him "Tom" instead of the grandiose name Riddle had given himself (and in doing so, releasing everyone from their fear, because *that* was what had held the Wizarding World captive for so long. Not necessarily Voldemort himself). And, in the end, it was fitting to have Harry ultimately use Expelliarmus to triumph over Voldemort – his "signature move," for which he had been chastised earlier – because while he had been willing to die for the world, he still, even in the end, didn't need to kill. To me, it was perfect.
Loose Ends In general, I was thrilled at the lack of them! (We even got the explanation for that "look of triumph" Dumbledore had displayed in GoF.) I'm sure there are things that didn't get explained to the satisfaction of many, but overall I thought the story was perfectly mapped out, from beginning to end. (And by that I mean from the first book to the last.)
Sure there were a few things that I wouldn't have minded seeing: More Slytherins taking part in the final fight, for instance. We were supposed to be building toward complete unity here. (I thought, after all this time, Pansy Parkinson's appearance would be to bring about this change . . . but then all she did was flip out.) I've already mentioned that I would have liked to have seen the Dursleys at least once more. And I would have enjoyed seeing more of Snape overall.
Snape I'm not going to start in with the OMG I SOOOO CALLED THAT ONE! SNAPE WAS NEVER WITH VOLDY! AND I KNEW HE WOULD DIE! IN UR FACE, HATERS!!!11! Because, you know what? Half the reading population made the same prediction. As far as my reaction to it: I must say that JKR is pretty skilled in getting a reader to doubt themselves – even if they feel very sure they know something. Snape's absence from the majority of the book, while regrettable since I would have loved to see more of him, was probably important when it came to keeping the ruse going. (Not just for us, but for Harry as well. Had he suspected that Dumbledore may have been right about Snape, it would have severely impeded Snape's ability to be such a good spy).
I am in the camp of those who adored the Snape/Lily relationship and its role in bringing about the downfall of Voldemort. As with most relationships in the Harry Potter universe, their connection was more about their friendship than anything else. The fact that Snape was also in love with her added that extra depth to his character (and made his story that much more tragic). In "The Prince's Tale" we saw more of Snape's sad story with more of an emotional punch than we probably could have gotten had there been 7 companion books in JKR's series, dedicated exclusively to his side of the story.
I loved Snape's past, his vulnerable moments, his desperation, his reaction to Harry (seeing the eyes of the person he had loved in the face of a man he despised), his deadpan banter with Dumbledore, and especially the explanation for his Patronus. ("After all this time?" "Always.")
In the end, it was Severus Snape who brought about Voldemort's downfall. Harry may have been the instrument – the tool that Voldemort, himself, had marked – but Voldemort was finally gone because one Slytherin had understood more about selfless love than most people do in a lifetime.
At the end of Snape's life we get a very short, almost rushed, scene of Snape giving Harry his memories. Naturally, he wanted to pass on the information that Harry would need. Then Snape spoke and his last words were a whispered "Look…at…me…" The most obvious conclusion is that he was referring to the memories he was giving to Harry: look at my life; look at me and see what you need to see. But somehow I think that, in his final moments, he was being more literal. I think what Snape really wanted in asking specifically to see Harry's eyes was to look at Lily as he died (though we don't know this at the time). Snape needed a little lie (reminiscent of the last Fred and Wesley scene in the Angel series finale) to give him some comfort and see, at last, the woman he had loved behind the boy he had died to protect.
That pesky Epilogue For all its cheesiness, I didn't mind the epilogue at all. The entire scene was an example of events coming full circle. It was also a landmark for Harry: not only do we see a more tolerant side of him in regards to Slytherin (the Wizarding World may have had its prejudices, but then so did Harry himself – big ones), but it also showed us how Harry was able to earn a little of what he, himself, had seen in the Mirror of Erised in Book 1. Not only did he have a family now, but a big, close-knit one. The one thing he had always wanted . . . and all is well.
And finally, some miscellany
- Grammar, Jo. There was some rather strange punctuation in some places. (In addition to JKR's continued love affair with adverbs and alliteration, she really is flirting with an excessive use of commas and semicolons. I'm not sure they were all necessary. Many were, in fact, distracting.)
- I'd be very interested in any interview she gives now that the series is complete. I'm sure we'll eventually learn the answers to some of the more technical questions (such as which two characters died who weren't originally supposed to and which one got the reprieve.) I have my guesses, and I'd be interested to learn the definite answers.
- Moaning Myrtle. I would have liked to know how, exactly, she had come to connect with Draco Malfoy. (And why he had been so comfortable as to cry in front of her in HBP.)
- We may not have gotten a resounding Slytherin battle cry alongside the other schools of Hogwarts during the final fight, but we do get a solid sense that not all Slytherins are Voldemort supporters either. The Malfoys, for example, portrayed in all the books as quintessential Death Eaters, did not spare a moment fighting for Voldy's side during the final battle, but instead dropped all their allegiances in favor of searching for their son. Snape and the Malfoys – tried and true Slytherins, yet proven to be just as capable of love and sacrifice as any of the more prominent heroes of the series.
All this, and still so much more I could write about. Suffice it to say: this book, this series, was truly amazing.
And "Deathly Hallows" will make one incredible movie.
First, I've been reading a few differing opinions about the content of "Deathly Hallows" (trying not to let them get me down), so I'm sure that my thoughts on the book will not be popular or agreed-upon by everyone on my flist. Having said that, . . . the book? It was marvelous. From start to finish, marvelous.
I had said previously that I liked the idea of the final installment being a travel narrative instead of a run-of-the-mill Hogwarts adventure. In fact, I found that I didn't miss the school at all, and was even glad for its absence, because the world that JKR placed Harry in for this last installment fleshed out the expanse of the universe she had created so much more than those little snippets of "the world beyond Hogwarts" had in previous books. That, and when Harry did, finally, return to his school it really meant something. (The end of his story was nearly palpable at that point.) Harry was already an epic hero, but, until this book, he had yet to have a true epic adventure.
(For the Hermiones among us) The conventions of a traditional epic fell very much into place here:
- The hero is a man of great national, or even supernatural, importance. (In Harry's case, he didn't necessarily welcome the differences between himself and the rest of the world, but they were there all the same.)
- The setting often covers great geographical distances. (Up to this point, most of Harry's journeys had been on a much smaller scale, and many of them internal. This one made up for that in a big way. At least twice Harry, Ron and Hermione actually came right out and called it what it was: a Quest. Capital "Q.")
- The action includes acts of valor and/or superhuman deeds/courage. (The number of times this happens throughout the series, let alone this book, is enough to cover this area. Plus it's nice that Harry is not the only one who falls into this category.)
- There is often some form of divine intervention – "Deus ex machina." (Dumbledore's explanations, naturally, cover this, though in this last book his appearance as a spirit probably fulfills the requirement best.)
Of course, the traditional idea of an epic wasn't the only parallel present in "Deathly Hallows." While I was reading, I found myself constantly comparing it to other stories (also epic in nature). I'm sure many others did as well – especially these two:
Lord of the Rings - This one was extremely obvious: the quest to destroy (a) magical object(s) that a Dark Force wishes to use to solidify his own power. That, and the whole locket scenario magnifying the wearer's darkest thoughts . . . it may as well have been a ring.
Star Wars - I've discussed this comparison before, in greater detail than I will now, but the final book reinforced it: Harry, Ron and Hermione were JKR's own Luke, Han and Leia (Harry even refers to Hermione as his "sister," reassuring Ron as Han was reassured with that same information in Jedi); Dumbledore did his turn as Obi-Wan (albeit a slightly more flawed version); Snape was, indeed, the redeemed Vader figure, and so on.
Some might argue that this only serves as evidence that JKR "ripped off" elements of other classics. I would disagree. She molded certain themes into her own story, true, but what came out was, in my opinion, nothing short of amazing.
So with the more intellectual analysis out of the way, here are some of the details of the book that left the biggest impression on me. (While I may pick apart certain things, any criticism I might express did not detract from my enjoyment of the book as a whole. When all was said and done, I found it to be the very nearly perfect end to Harry's journey.)
- Things got pretty intense pretty fast. I am now convinced that most of the action of HBP was that backstory-heavy for a reason: it was the exposition needed so things could start off with a bang in DH, and basically never let up. Killing Hedwig so early floored me, and set the stage for what was to be an unrelenting emotional roller coaster throughout the entire book as shocking deaths occurred at shocking moments. Hedwig's death was not only tragic because it happened so soon, but also because Harry himself was forced to blow up her remains to save his and Hagrid's lives. (At the end of the chapter, I was convinced Hagrid was gone too. And I thought to myself, "If this is only the beginning, how am I ever going to get through this entire book?")
- The Dursleys One of the things I loved was also a source of some disappointment. I'm a sucker for redemption, even in the smallest of places. When the Dursleys were fleeing their home and Dudley, with an innocence that belied his older age and tougher persona, asked, "Why isn't [Harry] coming with us?" I nearly started crying right there. Dudley – who may have mistreated his cousin, but at the same time couldn't fathom the idea of not having him around. Dudley who, regardless of Hestia Jones' contradiction, actually did say "thank you." My only disappointment came from the fact that we never learn what becomes of the Dursleys later or if Harry ever sees them again.
- The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore It was strange to spend six books (and several movies) being told what a great man Dumbledore was, only to have him torn completely to shreds in the last installment (not only by Ministry forces – which was expected – but also by his family – which was not). While reading, I expected a lot of the nastier information to eventually be debunked. It was interesting that JKR had the courage to "go there" and make some of that be the truth. Some of it read strangely to me – it felt out of character for Dumbledore to be doing and saying some of the things he did – but I suppose that was the point. He was only human, and prone to mistakes – something he had been telling Harry from Book 1. (It was an argument that many used as their support as to why Snape must be truly evil. I'm happy that this did not rank among DD's mistakes. But more on Snape later.) Although I had a few lines of reasoning as to why Dumbledore may not be dead, in the end I was pleased with the way things turned out. Aberforth was a great character, and I enjoyed hearing his version of the Dumbledore story very much.
- All those deaths I'm actually more satisfied with my reading experience this time because I did not know who would make it through to the end. I'm also glad that some of my own predictions did not come true, because it meant that JKR did not do anything obvious or take any easy ways out. The deaths were hard to take, as, I'm sure, they were meant to be. (There were times when my hands were shaking so badly with the anticipation of not-knowing who would die or when, I could barely hold the book.)
I've already said that I was shocked and saddened by Hedwig. Mad-Eye's death was not unexpected after what happened during Harry's exodus from Privet Drive, but particularly sad because the eye was the only part of him that was ever found (and buried in a meager grave somewhere in the woods where the Quidditch World Cup was held – not an ideal spot for an Auror of his merit). Dobby's death was very sad, though I must admit I was a little relieved given the circumstances: Although I was doing my best to avoid spoilers, I'd heard a nasty rumor that Bellatrix was supposed to kill Ron. It didn't seem likely to me at the time, so I wasn't too worried, but when things started to play out as they did during the scene at Malfoy Manor, and Ron was throwing caution to the wind in his effort to save Hermione, and then came this line:
"As he turned into darkness he caught one last view of the drawing room: of the pale, frozen figures of Narcissa and Draco, of the streak of red that was Ron's hair, and a blur of flying silver, as Bellatrix's knife flew across the room at the place where he was vanishing—" (pp. 474-475 U.S.)
After Dobby's death, I had to re-read that passage to realize that the "he" mentioned was Harry, not Ron. It did give me a few-minutes heart attack, though. The scene at the grave really got me afterward, since it was probably one of the most detailed descriptions of grief in the book.
The deaths of Tonks and Lupin were my "harpoon-through-the-chest-for-no-good-reason" deaths. Not because I was particularly in love with those characters (sadly, Remus bothered me a little in this book, which hurt because I adored him in PoA), but because it was so abrupt. Minimal description or time for grieving was given before
Fred's death broke me. (Especially after he had just reconciled with Percy.) Percy's reaction broke me more. (I flashed back to Harry clinging to Cedric's body.) I'd had a feeling we might lose a Weasley, but after George's accident, I thought the twins, at least, were safe. (I had actually expected to lose Bill, Percy, Arthur, or Molly – the latter because of her encounter with the boggart in Book 5: I thought she might die rather than see her worst fear come true.)
Weasley is (Still) Our King My Ron finally, finally shines. And then, what's best, is that he doesn't stop. (Though he's still his sarcastic, slightly immature self a lot of the time.) DH, for me, was finally the payoff for all the time spent waiting for Ronald Weasley (the underdog) to be or do something special. I've said it before:
". . . if you look at the Weasley children, Bill’s the cool one, Charlie’s the athletic one, Percy’s the ambitious one, the twins are the funny ones, and Ron . . . Ron is the hero." (And Ginny's the girl.)
Or at least he was meant to be. Of course DH takes it a step further and makes him a knight (chivalry, sword, and all). Wizard Chess is, after all, his game. He set himself up in that role all the way back in Book 1. And he finally lived up to it.
Ron still had his frustrating moments, though: I got a little annoyed when he had another tantrum a-la "Goblet of Fire," leaving Harry and Hermione on their own again. But I did like that it had more to do with the way the locket affected him than his own true motives. (Although I suppose it's true that they were his own true feelings, just magnified by wearing the Horcrux. But what makes a hero if not rising above his flaws and temptations?)
And then how much did I love the entirety of Chapter 19? I must have read the segment from the appearance of the doe through the end at least 10 times. It was an amazing (and quite dark) portrayal of Ron's struggle with feeling second best in so many aspects of his life, a beautiful description of Harry finally realizing his friend's turmoil, a chilling depiction of how Ron nearly lost his fight with Riddle (and how it truly scared Harry). And Hermione's reaction to Ron's return? . . . Classic.
After that, everything from Ron charging first into a room filled with Death Eaters to imitating Parseltongue to open the Chamber of Secrets totally made up for all the goofing around and playing with flying brains that he did in the last few books. He got a little of what he'd seen in the Mirror of Erised. And he even got the girl. (If I read page 625 again I may wear it out. *G*)
Molly Weasley, Meet Ellen Ripley "Get away from her, you BITCH!" It may have been paraphrased, but that was the essence of it. And she killed Bellatrix so quickly. (After all, you really have to mean it.) The portrayal of motherly love in these books is probably one of its finest messages. And Molly Weasley, Matriarch, is certainly no one to be messed with. *applauds*
Speaking of those Unforgivable Curses Lots of characters were really throwing those around, weren't they? (Neat little gray area there.)
The Horcruxes I thought that the last one might be Harry, but I still wasn't prepared for the way it was revealed – as well as his reaction afterward. But when it comes to the Horcruxes overall, I thought it was especially well done that each one was destroyed by someone different (and that those who did so had been from Gryffindor and Slytherin):
1) The Diary -- Harry
2) The Ring -- Dumbledore
3) The Locket -- Ron
4) The Cup -- Hermione
5) The Diadem -- Crabbe (although accidentally)
6) The Snake -- Neville
7) Harry -- Voldemort
Strange that while Harry was the one charged with destroying the Horcruxes, he didn't destroy a single one after being given that task. (Aside from Riddle's diary, which was accomplished way back during his second year.)
Neville: Harry 2.0 I can't say enough about the wonderfulness that is Neville Longbottom. He has completely changed since his first appearance, and it has been an amazing transformation. It was fitting that he was the last to wield the Sword of Gryffindor. And the scene where he faced down Voldemort, knowing full well (for all intents and purposes) that Harry was dead and would not be there to back him up – fantastic. (On a side note, thinking back to seeing OotP last week, I thought it fitting that, in the movie, Neville was the one to find the Room of Requirement instead of having Dobby show it to Harry. It solidifies the connection that he, Neville, seems to have with the room – as mentioned in DH.)
Harry's Fate Personally, I thought it was brilliant: the self-sacrifice (and the complete willingness to do so), that brief betrayal of his fear when he asks his ghostly loved ones if death will hurt, Hagrid's reaction, the school's reaction, his reappearance (talk about a triumphant scene!), even the requisite Dumbledore-explains-it-all sequence in the King's Cross station – everything was portrayed and wrapped up perfectly. And I couldn't see it ending any other way.
Some readers have expressed their displeasure in regards to Harry's fate (or non-fate, as it were, seeing as how he was "only mostly dead"). I even read one comment by someone who stated that (s)he was disappointed in JKR for "not having the stones to write the book's true ending." (One in which Harry dies for the world.) I'm sorry, but "true ending?" The true ending would be the one that the author writes and presents to her readers. It's not "cowardice" and it's not "pandering;" it's her world, and her ultimate decision. And I thought it was a good one: Harry faces down Voldemort in front of everyone, calling him "Tom" instead of the grandiose name Riddle had given himself (and in doing so, releasing everyone from their fear, because *that* was what had held the Wizarding World captive for so long. Not necessarily Voldemort himself). And, in the end, it was fitting to have Harry ultimately use Expelliarmus to triumph over Voldemort – his "signature move," for which he had been chastised earlier – because while he had been willing to die for the world, he still, even in the end, didn't need to kill. To me, it was perfect.
Loose Ends In general, I was thrilled at the lack of them! (We even got the explanation for that "look of triumph" Dumbledore had displayed in GoF.) I'm sure there are things that didn't get explained to the satisfaction of many, but overall I thought the story was perfectly mapped out, from beginning to end. (And by that I mean from the first book to the last.)
Sure there were a few things that I wouldn't have minded seeing: More Slytherins taking part in the final fight, for instance. We were supposed to be building toward complete unity here. (I thought, after all this time, Pansy Parkinson's appearance would be to bring about this change . . . but then all she did was flip out.) I've already mentioned that I would have liked to have seen the Dursleys at least once more. And I would have enjoyed seeing more of Snape overall.
Snape I'm not going to start in with the OMG I SOOOO CALLED THAT ONE! SNAPE WAS NEVER WITH VOLDY! AND I KNEW HE WOULD DIE! IN UR FACE, HATERS!!!11! Because, you know what? Half the reading population made the same prediction. As far as my reaction to it: I must say that JKR is pretty skilled in getting a reader to doubt themselves – even if they feel very sure they know something. Snape's absence from the majority of the book, while regrettable since I would have loved to see more of him, was probably important when it came to keeping the ruse going. (Not just for us, but for Harry as well. Had he suspected that Dumbledore may have been right about Snape, it would have severely impeded Snape's ability to be such a good spy).
I am in the camp of those who adored the Snape/Lily relationship and its role in bringing about the downfall of Voldemort. As with most relationships in the Harry Potter universe, their connection was more about their friendship than anything else. The fact that Snape was also in love with her added that extra depth to his character (and made his story that much more tragic). In "The Prince's Tale" we saw more of Snape's sad story with more of an emotional punch than we probably could have gotten had there been 7 companion books in JKR's series, dedicated exclusively to his side of the story.
I loved Snape's past, his vulnerable moments, his desperation, his reaction to Harry (seeing the eyes of the person he had loved in the face of a man he despised), his deadpan banter with Dumbledore, and especially the explanation for his Patronus. ("After all this time?" "Always.")
In the end, it was Severus Snape who brought about Voldemort's downfall. Harry may have been the instrument – the tool that Voldemort, himself, had marked – but Voldemort was finally gone because one Slytherin had understood more about selfless love than most people do in a lifetime.
At the end of Snape's life we get a very short, almost rushed, scene of Snape giving Harry his memories. Naturally, he wanted to pass on the information that Harry would need. Then Snape spoke and his last words were a whispered "Look…at…me…" The most obvious conclusion is that he was referring to the memories he was giving to Harry: look at my life; look at me and see what you need to see. But somehow I think that, in his final moments, he was being more literal. I think what Snape really wanted in asking specifically to see Harry's eyes was to look at Lily as he died (though we don't know this at the time). Snape needed a little lie (reminiscent of the last Fred and Wesley scene in the Angel series finale) to give him some comfort and see, at last, the woman he had loved behind the boy he had died to protect.
That pesky Epilogue For all its cheesiness, I didn't mind the epilogue at all. The entire scene was an example of events coming full circle. It was also a landmark for Harry: not only do we see a more tolerant side of him in regards to Slytherin (the Wizarding World may have had its prejudices, but then so did Harry himself – big ones), but it also showed us how Harry was able to earn a little of what he, himself, had seen in the Mirror of Erised in Book 1. Not only did he have a family now, but a big, close-knit one. The one thing he had always wanted . . . and all is well.
And finally, some miscellany
- Grammar, Jo. There was some rather strange punctuation in some places. (In addition to JKR's continued love affair with adverbs and alliteration, she really is flirting with an excessive use of commas and semicolons. I'm not sure they were all necessary. Many were, in fact, distracting.)
- I'd be very interested in any interview she gives now that the series is complete. I'm sure we'll eventually learn the answers to some of the more technical questions (such as which two characters died who weren't originally supposed to and which one got the reprieve.) I have my guesses, and I'd be interested to learn the definite answers.
- Moaning Myrtle. I would have liked to know how, exactly, she had come to connect with Draco Malfoy. (And why he had been so comfortable as to cry in front of her in HBP.)
- We may not have gotten a resounding Slytherin battle cry alongside the other schools of Hogwarts during the final fight, but we do get a solid sense that not all Slytherins are Voldemort supporters either. The Malfoys, for example, portrayed in all the books as quintessential Death Eaters, did not spare a moment fighting for Voldy's side during the final battle, but instead dropped all their allegiances in favor of searching for their son. Snape and the Malfoys – tried and true Slytherins, yet proven to be just as capable of love and sacrifice as any of the more prominent heroes of the series.
All this, and still so much more I could write about. Suffice it to say: this book, this series, was truly amazing.
And "Deathly Hallows" will make one incredible movie.
