Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Discussion (SPOILERS)

[P-Siddy]

All in all, I was surprised at how well Rowling had tied up alot of things (and people) that I had forgotten about and only wonder whatever happened to that old bat Umbridge.

I thought that, too. There was no mention of her when the Ministry had fallen and she never showed up to the battle. Is it to be presumed that she died along with Scrimegour (sp?) when the Death Eaters took over?

That was a great book. Those that predicted that Harry died were both right... from a certain point of view.  Sad to see Fred die as he was half of the comic duo. I figured that it'd be Charlie, Arthur, or Bill to die in the Weasley family. Glad to see Percy make it back, too. It was also interesting to see that Crabbe and Goyle were no longer Malfoy's flunkies.

[name]

cross-posting here and GH in the hope of an explanation...


Something that's bothering the crap out of me...it's minor, and yet so glaring....


In the chapter "The Ghoul in Pajamas" or something like that, when Hermione and Ron are telling Harry the lengths they've gone to to protect their families, Hermione says that she performed memory charms on her parents to make them think they were from Australia and had no daughter.

Later, in "A Place to Hide," after the diner battle they decide to perform a memory charm on their attackers to clean up behind them....she says she's never done one but knows the theory.

 

[Scott]

Did she actually say she did the memory charms on her parents or did she say that she had them done on them (by a member of the Order)??  Not having the book here I'm just asking

[Brian]

Yahoo News has posted an article where J.K. Rowling discusses what the future held for a number of the characters from the Potter universe - things that weren't detailed in the epilogue.  Spoilers present for those who haven't read the book yet.  If anyone saw her interview on Dateline on Sunday, she discussed some of this there as well.  I'll post it below


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SPOILER ALERT: Those who do not wish to know what happens to the characters after the book ends should stop reading here.

Rowling said the world was a sunnier, happier place after the seventh book and the death of Voldemort.

Harry Potter, who always voiced a desire to become an Auror, or someone who fights dark wizards, was named head of the Auror Department under the new wizarding government headed by his friend and ally, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

His wife, Ginny Weasley, stuck with her athletic career, playing for the Holyhead Harpies, the all-female Quidditch team. Eventually, Ginny left the team to raise their three children — James, Albus and Lily — while writing as the senior Quidditch correspondent for the wizarding newspaper, the Daily Prophet.

Harry's best friend Ron Weasley joined his brother, George, as a partner at their successful joke shop, Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Hermione Granger, Ron's wife and the third person of the series' dark wizard fighting trio, furthered the rights of subjugated creatures, such as house elves, in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures before joining the magical law enforcement squad. The couple had two children — Rose and Hugo.

Luna Lovegood, Harry's airily distracted friend with a love for imaginary animals who joins the fight against Voldemort in the Order of the Phoenix, becomes a famous wizarding naturalist who eventually marries the grandson of Newt Scamander, author of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

And what Muggle, or non-wizard, song would have been played at the funeral of Albus Dumbledore, the most brilliant and talented wizard the world had ever known?

"Surely 'I Did It My Way' by Frank Sinatra," Rowling told her fans, referring to the song "My Way," written by Paul Anka but popularized by Sinatra, among other singers.

As the chat wrapped up, Rowling thanked readers for their loyalty to the series.

[Darth_Anton]

I finished the book last Thursday standing in line at Comic-Con. Loved it. Fred's death probably effected me the most as George and Fred were among my favorite characters. Though, his death wasn't one of the parts that chocked me up. I got chocked up when everybody was showing up at Hogwarts to fight and pretty much the entire last chapter. Albus Severus, come on, if you're not leaking eye fluid reading those two words, you're a robot.

[Dr. Zoltar]

Zoltar, Doyou really think VOldemort would make Harry A horcrux??

Maybe, but not intentionally.  Maybe his soul has been so damaged from all the killing it just kind of happened.  He's the only wizard that has made more than one horcrux.

It was just a theory.  I was kind of wondering why Harry was being written as so moody and dark, and that JK made sure the reader knew that.  I think it was a foreshadowing of something bad.

SPOILERS!!!!!!!
















I told you so...

[Rob]

Just finished it.

There's not much to say... I wish there was more - these books have been coming out for 10 years now.  It's very weird to think that it's over.

As for the book - I think it was pretty much perfect.

[TheBlackDog65]

I finished the book and though I enjoyed the series, I found Harry himself to be somewhat of a boring character. Harry besides being an a typical moody teenager, doesn't really change or grow in the series.  Harry's destiny is to confront Voldemort and defeat him, and in the end, he does just that. Snape is my favorite character and in the end, is released from his torment and by his actions by dying. Snape faces himself and has to come to terms with what Sirrus says about our choices making us who we are.  What choice does Harry have? He is destined, predestined even, to defeat Voldemort and he does it. Can someone help me to see where Harry ever doubts his mission and his destiny?  Snape choices reveal that he is human and that his choices make him who he is.  Harry on the other hand, never doubts his mission/destiny, never confronts his own weaknesses and sins, and for that reason I think Harry is less than a mythic hero. 
When comparing Harry to hero's like TH. White's Wort/King Arthur, Beowulf, Frodo, and other legendary mythic heros (I am thinking of famous Greek mythic heros also) Harry doesn't ever have to face his own humanity, his own weaknesses and limitations.  All Harry really has to do is to figure out the riddle and then defeat the Master Riddle, Tom Riddle. 
Again, I really enjoyed the series but still find some critical findings on the main character. 

[Rob]

Snape is the most tragic part of the whole series for me.

Misunderstood his whole life and then killed over nothing.  Hated by so many people, but just undercover...

[Smartypants1635]

You know What I noticed?? It said the event where His parents died was in '81, so 17 years later would be 1998 so this last book took place in 98   Kinda odd, Since the date had not been mentioned yet, you might think that she would have tried to tie the story in to end in the year 2007 and that his parents died in 90. Oh well.

And to all of you who came up with the horcrux theory, thank you. I got much joy gloating over my sister when she refused to believe me, and it turned out to be true. 

[Mikey D]

The time period HP takes place in has been known since Chamber of Secrets because of Nearly Headless Nick's death day party.  Granted, Rowling didn't come out and say the exact date, but simple math established the time line.

[Smartypants1635]

Hmmm, I forgot about the death day party. He mentioned a specific year in time?

[Mikey D]

It mentioned that Nick died in 1492 and Nick tells Harry that this coming Halloween would be his 500th deathday.

[EdSolo]

You know What I noticed?? It said the event where His parents died was in '81, so 17 years later would be 1998 so this last book took place in 98   Kinda odd, Since the date had not been mentioned yet, you might think that she would have tried to tie the story in to end in the year 2007 and that his parents died in 90. Oh well.

And to all of you who came up with the horcrux theory, thank you. I got much joy gloating over my sister when she refused to believe me, and it turned out to be true. 

JKR has been detailing dates on her website for quite some time.  Harry was born in 1980, so this book took place in 1997 to 1998 and the epilogue actually takes place in our future since it was 19 years later I believe.  The books even show the year 2000 hype by Nimbus labeling their "newest" broom the 2000 when it came out in 1990.

[Smartypants1635]

Well I Havn't read the earlier books in a few years, but man I guess I missed all those subtle hints