- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
I don't want to hear any grief if someone opens this thread and hasn't finished the book yet! Still, just in case....
Random thoughts:
Because I don't read spoilers and didn't know someone would die, I didn't see the Dumbledore death coming. Still, I have to believe he'll play some part (maybe through a portrait or a Phoenix rising from the ashes?) in Book 7.
I also don't know if Snape really betrayed Dumbledore. Of course that's how it reads...but I can't help thinking that Dumbledore's "Servus...please" to Snape right before Snape killed him was something along the lines of, "Please, do it. Just like we discussed and planned". I know it's hard to imagine JKR being able to provide a scenario that will redeem Snape, but it's just too pat for me. Snape's reason for not killing Harry makes me more suspicious of Snape's true motives.
I'm am thrilled at the prospect that Book 7 may take us away from Hogwarts. Harry's decision not to return really does open the world up and I am anxious to see him embrace his destiny fully.
A lot more humor...and horniness...compared to Book 5.
Missed George and Fred. Glad that Hagrid didn't play a big role. And ??? over Slughorn. Not sure how I feel about him.
And the Defense Against the Dark Arts curse holds true. Snape only held it for one year...
I did miss the team aspect we saw in the Order of Phoenix. While it was nice to see Harry and Dumbledore really spend more time together, I missed Luna, Neville and the others rallying behind the cause.
And I admit I openly wept during the description of Dumbledore's funeral.
I finished it in one sitting. I am mixed on this one. It was a jarring shift in tone from Book 5 (which was almost exhaustively tension-filled with a sense of peril) to Book 6 (which is more intellectual and fact-finding). But I understand that Book 6 had to serve as the proverbial "calm before the storm" and, overall, I liked it.
Edited to add: I'm convinced more than ever that Dumbledore knew he had to die in order for Harry to succeed, and that he worked it out with Snape that he had to be the one to strike the final blow. It makes the argument that Hagrid overheard more sense, and allows for a character to get more closer to Voldermort than Dumbledore ever could. And it provided the impetus Harry needed to shake off Hogwarts and embrace his destiny. Dumbledore's death has a real Yoda-dies-but-is-not-truly-gone kind of moment.
Random thoughts:
Because I don't read spoilers and didn't know someone would die, I didn't see the Dumbledore death coming. Still, I have to believe he'll play some part (maybe through a portrait or a Phoenix rising from the ashes?) in Book 7.
I also don't know if Snape really betrayed Dumbledore. Of course that's how it reads...but I can't help thinking that Dumbledore's "Servus...please" to Snape right before Snape killed him was something along the lines of, "Please, do it. Just like we discussed and planned". I know it's hard to imagine JKR being able to provide a scenario that will redeem Snape, but it's just too pat for me. Snape's reason for not killing Harry makes me more suspicious of Snape's true motives.
I'm am thrilled at the prospect that Book 7 may take us away from Hogwarts. Harry's decision not to return really does open the world up and I am anxious to see him embrace his destiny fully.
A lot more humor...and horniness...compared to Book 5.
Missed George and Fred. Glad that Hagrid didn't play a big role. And ??? over Slughorn. Not sure how I feel about him.
And the Defense Against the Dark Arts curse holds true. Snape only held it for one year...
I did miss the team aspect we saw in the Order of Phoenix. While it was nice to see Harry and Dumbledore really spend more time together, I missed Luna, Neville and the others rallying behind the cause.
And I admit I openly wept during the description of Dumbledore's funeral.
I finished it in one sitting. I am mixed on this one. It was a jarring shift in tone from Book 5 (which was almost exhaustively tension-filled with a sense of peril) to Book 6 (which is more intellectual and fact-finding). But I understand that Book 6 had to serve as the proverbial "calm before the storm" and, overall, I liked it.
Edited to add: I'm convinced more than ever that Dumbledore knew he had to die in order for Harry to succeed, and that he worked it out with Snape that he had to be the one to strike the final blow. It makes the argument that Hagrid overheard more sense, and allows for a character to get more closer to Voldermort than Dumbledore ever could. And it provided the impetus Harry needed to shake off Hogwarts and embrace his destiny. Dumbledore's death has a real Yoda-dies-but-is-not-truly-gone kind of moment.
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