Harry Potter Discussion Thread....(Spoilers)

[razzzorsharp]

Yeah, I am done with the book and had a couple thoughts.

 

1) None of the three main characters bit it which was surprising.

 

2) Snape's story was understandable but a little weak.

 

3) How did Neville get the sword? If Harry got it from the hat it would mean he is the heir, correct? Now Neville can get it too?

 

4) Random profanity is dumb. Mrs. Weasly didnt need to swear.

 

5) I thought Malfoy would end up being on the good side and was incorrect.

 

6) Rowling said she killed two characters that were originally going to die and saved one that was going to die. My guess is Lupin/Tonks for the first ones and Hagrid for the latter.

[Team Canada]

Yeah, that bit with Mrs. Weasley was a little silly and seemed out of character for the books.

 

I was a little surprised when Harry didn't end up dying, I think I would've been ok with it ending like that, although maybe she didn't want to do that because a lot of people theorized that Harry was the 7th horcrux and he would have to die to kill Voldemort.

[JoeHova]

Quote:

---

Mrs. Weasly didnt need to swear

---

 

I think that was the point, that it was so out of character. After all, it was a fight to the death and one of her sons had already been killed. Decorum is usuallly out the window in that sort of situation, which I think Rowling was trying to stress.

 

I liked it, but I wish the epilogue had been a little more robust. I wanted to see what a sans-Dumbledore/Voldemort wizarding world would look like. I guess that comes from me wanting there to be more books, which I know (probably) won't happen.

 

As for Draco, I think his mom redeemed him when she lied to Voldemort about Harry. That was my take at least.

[rwa12]

I read the book as well, and enjoyed it overall. I agree with most of the OP's thoughts, and my initial reaction was that this was written more as a screenplay than a novel. Movies can overlook how Neville wound up with the sword. Mrs. W swearing and running to defend her child is the clapping "turning point" moment of the battle for the crowd in the theatre. Agree with Joe that the epilogue was weak, but I would offer my screenplay explanation, this is what the crowd wants to see. Not my favorite of the series, but I'm not sure I would have been satisfied with any ending for this enjoyable storyline.

[Oldcity]

I'm thinking the epilogue is Rowling's way of preventing other authors from writing Harry Potter (or at least limiting it).

 

Readers know he lives peacefully, marries Ginny, has three kids, etc. It limits what other authors can do. It's an alternative to killing Harry.

[JoeHova]

Quote:

---

I'm thinking the epilogue is Rowling's way of preventing other authors from writing Harry Potter (or at least limiting it).

 

Readers know he lives peacefully, marries Ginny, has three kids, etc. It limits what other authors can do. It's an alternative to killing Harry.

---

 

I almost read it as the opposite (however, that may be colored (or should I say coloured?) by my desire for more books in the series). Rowling didn't mention at all any of the main character's occupations (except Neville's, but that has seemed a foregone conclusion since he discovered his aptitude in an early book) or anything. It seemed like she was leaving it open to go various ways. All we really know is that Harry is alive, married, and has 3 kids by the time he's 36. Wizards seem to live a very long time (Dumbledore seems to have been at least 80 judging from the timeline of the books and he was still in his "prime", as it were) in her mythos, so plenty could still happen to Harry even if we rule out a flashback to a time before the epilogue. We don't even know what career Harry chose. You would think he could have a nice political career if he was interested (and he may have been, considering the various semi-political causes he endorsed throughout the series), but he may also have become an auror, a pro Quidditch player, or whatever.

 

I do have on equestion though. There were 7 horcruxes, right?

 

Diary

Ring

Locket

Cup

Diadem

Nagini

Voldemort

Harry

 

But that's 8 things. Which was not a horcrux? Voldemort himself? But that makes very little sense, doesn't it? How could he be alive without some remnant of himself present in his body? Or were there 8 horcruxes and Dumbledore just lied to Harry so as to not freak him out? But if that's the case, why stop at 8? The rationale for 7 was that it's a very magical number, which made some sense.

 

Oh, and one more question, how did Gryffindor's sword get back in the sorting hat after Harry traded it to that goblin? Was the one Neville pulled out of the hat another fake made by Dumbledore?

 

Those were really the only two things that stuck out to me as being kind of poorly explained or plotted.

[Team Canada]

There are 7 horcruxes plus Voldemort. Your own original body is not a horcrux.

[JoeHova]

Quote:

---

There are 7 horcruxes plus Voldemort. Your own original body is not a horcrux.

---

 

Ok, so Dumbledore's original explanation in the Half Blood Prince was a lie to protect Harry. That's kind of what I figured.

[Team Canada]

Ok, so Dumbledore's original explanation in the Half Blood Prince was a lie to protect Harry.

 

I don't remember, what did he tell Harry beyond the fact that there were 7 horcruxes?

[Thurston Fluff]

The soul was split seven times which is not the same as seven horcruxes. His body had one.

[pogokat]

I think voldemort intended for there to be 7 piueces of his soul, but he inadvertantly put one in harry when he tried to kill him the first time...

 

in other words, there were 8 pieces of soul, but voldemort only thought there wwere seven (as well as dumbledore, who didnt think harry could handle the truth yet)

[Team Canada]

Yeah, that sounds right.

[logan82]

Quote:

---

We don't even know what career Harry chose.

---

I prefer to believe that he was independantly wealthy.

[jackellberry]

I don't think Neville has to be the heir of Gryffindor to get the sword; Dumbledore told harry in the chamber of secrets that only a true gryffindor can pull the sword out of the hat; Neville could pull the sword out of the hat because he was a "true Gryffindor"

[BucketheadBrigader]

As well as the ever-famous line "help will always be present at Hogwarts to those who ask for it..."

[JoeHova]

Quote:

---

Neville could pull the sword out of the hat because he was a "true Gryffindor"

---

 

yeah, but the goblin had the sword. I dunno, it just seemed incongruous.

[samwise]

Just finished about 5 minutes ago. Pretty good book and a good end to the series. The book was great after they arrived at Hogwarts, a pretty long and epic battle. Before that it was good, but seemed to drag at some points.

 

Since I just finished the Dark Tower series 2 months ago, I feel like comparing the two, although this is very unfair because Rowling writes for children and King writes for adults. The Dark Tower is an unbelievable journey that is so deep and complex, while the Potter books in the end are a big long childrens story/fairytale. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but there was no question that these books were written for a diffrent audience.

 

All in all, I started reading Harry Potter in the summer of 03 and I just finished today, 4 years later. I feel like I read an awesome story, maybe not the best books I ever read, but a very engrossing and fun story. I will be passing them on to my kids. (If I ever have any)

[Boy Jeenius]

Rowling said in USA Today that she was going to kill Mr. Weasley, but killed Tonks and Lupin instead. Said killing Fred made her genuinely sad. I thought Mrs Weasley going off like that was fantastic, not lame. I too am puzzled about the sword, and how Hagrid fell out of the sky and not only lived, but was standing there when Harry woke up. Tough dude.

Things I wished I would have read - A wayward bolt of green light hits the top of a window trim and a small beetle (Rita Skeeter trying for the story of the battle) drifts to the ground dead - Delores Umbridge gets hit with a charm that knocks her nutty and she is interred next to Nevil's parents.

[fondybrewfan]

I just thought I would come and read this thread without ever reading a HP book or ever seeing a movie. I have no freaking idea what you guys are talking about but somehow I am entertained

[Menotti80]

Some comments and answers to some of the questions:

 

1. jackelberry was right: only "true gryffindor" could pull the sword out of the hat. all this means is that neville is a true gryffindor. it doesn't matter where the sword is before it is pulled from the hat. when harry pulled the sword out fo the hat in the chamber of secrets, it never mentions where to sword was originally...

 

2. I thought that Snape was good all along, but was surpised at all of the explanations that were given as to why he did the things he did throughout the entire series. Every question I answered, and I loved the tie-in with Lily. I wondered why she KEPT going on about Harry's eyes being like his mothers. but now i know. When Snape wanted Harry to look at him before he died... that was so well written. one of the best parts of the book.

 

3. pogokat is right about the horcruxes

 

4. harry became an auror. so did ron. theres an article somewhere . i think msnbc.com. j.k. mentions several other things such as hermoine and luna's jobs.

 

5. j.k. will be releasing a character encyclopedia sometime in the future. it will have lengthy explanations of each characters past and future... so something to look forward to!

 

i cant wait to find out these things:

 

what happened to the joke shop? does george run it by himself.

did hermione find her parents and undo the charm she put on them?

what happened to umbridge, skeeter, and the malfoys?

does harry ever see the dursleys again? is vernon and "tuney" now nice to harry? do big d and harry become friends???

 

overall, loved the book. and the series?

 

did anyone cry??? haha

[Boy Jeenius]

If the horcrux thing is correct, then refresh my memory as to how Voldemort "possessed" Professor Quirrel in book 1. Wouldn't that have counted as a horcrux as well?

[Ando Calrissian]

Quote:

---

If the horcrux thing is correct, then refresh my memory as to how Voldemort "possessed" Professor Quirrel in book 1. Wouldn't that have counted as a horcrux as well?

---

 

Being a horcrux is not a prerequisite to being possessed. Voldemort tried to possess Harry in Order of the Phoenix but was unable to do so.

[wisconsinfan47]

did anyone cry??? haha

 

Not me, but when I finished I felt like my childhood had just ended http://static.yuku.com/v2//domainskins/bypass/img/smileys/wink.gif