Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...*DEFINITE SPOILERS*

[The Ace]

10 hours.

[Adasunshine]

Considering I've got 2 kids under 5 I did well to read it in under 10 hours!

Worth every single minute of lost sleep....

Brilliant... loved it.

************TEENY SPOILER*********************

I'm especially pleased that my prediction about Neville doing something wonderful was proved so spectactularly right... I'd never have pictured him pulling out Godric Gryffindor's Sword!

xx

xx

[HoopyFrood]

I'm actually taking my time with it this time...usually I read them in one sitting, but the book is actually sitting in front of me, closed, at the moment. I'm surprised by how thin it is, to say it's the last book...I expected, with many of the loose ends to be tied up, that it would be as long as the Order of the Phoenix at least. And also, I'm about one fifth of the way through (despite telling myself I'd just read the first chapter then leave it until tonight to actually sit down and start reading it properly) Harry still hasn't left to go on his quest thing.
I've actually laughed out loud at a couple of witty one liners, such as Aunt Muriel telling George his "ears are lopsided" and Harry having to escape a drunk 'uncle' who couldn't decide if he were his son or not.
While on the subject of George...very glad that that's the worst that happened to him...and his initial reaction was quite good. Although, I know the twins are the pranksters, never really serious, but I would've thought he'd have a slightly more serious reaction, at least at first...
Anyway, I'm sure more will follow once I've finished...and so many Harry potter threads around here, I'll have to break up my thoughts and put them into the correct threads!

[little smaug]

PTeppic - if someone can't work out from the thread title that Here Be Spoilers, then they've got big problems.


6 hours 10 minutes. Got my copy delivered to the door at 8:30am, just as I woke up. Now that's good service. Gotta love the Royal Mail.

My first thought on finishing? "Damn. Who knew that 'Rocks fall, everyone dies' would actually happen?!"

Gotta say, the first half of the book was pretty slow. 'Run, hide, run, hide, ad infinitum' gets old very fast. But the entire Hogwarts battle was worth it.

That Snape was a good guy all along, and that he killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's own request, was a given. But doing it because he was in love with Lily just seems too fanfic-y for my liking. Yes he's good, but isn't he also supposed to be a badass? I didn't actually see that coming, though I did work out that the doe Patronus was connected to Lily in some way.

I was actually expecting Draco to switch sides at the eleventh hour, especially after Harry saved his life in the Room of Requirement. You disappoint me, Ferret-boy.

Am I reading it right that Harry's related to Salazar Slytherin? He's related to Peverell, and Gaunt said (IIRC) that he was related to Peverell and Slytherin. Still, at least he's not the sole heir of all four founders. *rolls eyes*

I predicted that one of the twins would die (right) and that Snape would die saving Harry's life (semi-right). I was actually more upset when Hedwig and Dobby died than any of the humans. I'm wrong in the head.

But she didn't kill Ron or Hermione?! Lady, you are no Joss Whedon. Killing Tonks and Remus does make up for it a tad, although I'm starting to suspect Jo has some kind of orphan fixation. Speaking of - I cannot believe Lupin had a cub and didn't name it Sirius. Some best friend he is.

Also predicted that Harry would defeat Voldemort without actually killing him. But Expelliarmus? He's already used Crucio and Imperius, and it just seems like Jo's still trying to make him out to be all noble and innocent. Didn't love that bit.

Originally Posted by purple_kathryn

Did anyone else nearly cry at the Snape Pensieve thing and Harry giving Albus the middle name Severus? Gah I'm getting weepy thinking about it.

Personally I was punching the air shouting "YES, show some humility you unbelieving sod!" But that's just me.


On the matter of the invisibility cloak - if it's impervious to all spells, how did Draco Petrificus Totalus Harry when he was hiding on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of Half-Blood Prince?

[The Ace]

Was anyone else's heart in their mouth when Molly Weasley said; "Out of my way girls, she's mine," ?

[PTeppic]

Ace - Molly Weasley - yeah, very much the "Aliens" showdown with the power-lifter quote from Ridley... We shouldn't be surprised: she's also a former Gryffindor and has generally been forced to keep the home-fires burning whilst her family are out and in danger. And what mother would do less, one son dead, another still healing from serious injuries (in "Prince"), now seeing her daughter in danger...?

smaug - cloak: I didn't read it that it was impervious, just invisible, so if you KNEW someone was there, you could still blast them (could be wrong though)

smaug: Harry's bloodline - as highlighted in a number of books (usually referring to Weasley or Black lines) the number of "true-bloods" in Britain is sufficiently small and interconnected that most end up being related to everyone else, at least by marriage. Probably means he's related to Ginny too...

smaug: deaths - to be honest I thought most of the deaths were pretty interchangeable. Almost any of the Order/volunteers could have been lost during the first break out, and similarly during the various stages of the Hogwarts' show-down. They seemed almost random, were only really mentioned in passing and whilst the characters obviously cared, it was in the middle of a battle and we were being swept by, almost watching from the tour bus. I didn't feel any sympathy about them at all. (But it was c.6 hours into a non-stop read, having had a night of almost no sleep beforehand.) The Hogwarts' ones almost felt to be being reported, like a newspaper, rather than as an emotional part of the narrative. Hedwig was more the shock (and Harry didn't seem to get too upset either, apart from the initial shock), whilst I did feel for Dobby. It was the only death which had specific meaning and contact with the readership.

smaug: expelliarmus - two sides to that; we know Harry wouldn't want to kill, but, I think he'd already worked out he didn't need to. As long as he got A spell head-to-head with whatever Voldemort tried to do with the Elder Wand, it would backfire. It was always going to be the backfire, so using Voldemort against himself. A hair-dying charm would have done, though we know he's fond of expelliarmus in battle. Surely protego would have been quicker...being two syllables shorter?

kathryn: Severus - I half-missed the implication of naming Albus with the middle name Severus. I saw the subsequent dialogue, showing Harry's understanding and acceptance of Snape's role the whole time, but didn't twig the name till cooking tea tonight.

[Lenny]

On the subject of not killing Ron or Hermione - she got very close to doing in with Hermione. And I have to admit, I was clawing the edge of my computer chair during that time thinking "Please don't kill her, please don't kill her!"

I know, I'm a big softie. And I still don't the typing for the embarrassed smiley.

Just a bit more on the deaths... in fact, no, I'll start a new thread specifically for them. Anyone mind? I mean, we've got this thread for overall thoughts, one for Teps answered and unanswered questions, why not one specifically for deaths?

[BrightFeather]

Originally Posted by SJAB

607 pages is short???

yeah, it didnt give you enough to get your teeth into!

The order of the phoenix was 956 pages much better

[Balinor]

Originally Posted by BrightFeather

yeah, it didnt give you enough to get your teeth into!

The order of the phoenix was 956 pages much better

Too right. I got it at about half twelve last. Read till 4 am ish then fel asleep. Woke up just before eleven and finished at 3.

SPOILERS
The final battle in Hogwarts should have been much longer. and the start with hte sesarch for the Horcrux needed to have more dialogue and description. I thought the search was over too quickly and there were places where it didn't describe what they did for weeks. 1000+ pages would have been my dream with
-More dialogue
-Longer description of the battles
-An extended search for the Horcruxes

Havingsaid that I thought the part about Snape with the pensice was very well done. gave a good insight into the character and confirmed that he was (although not fully) good.

I also would have liked t have read more about what happened to the deatheaters (especially Lucius) when Voldy got peeved witht them.

[Balinor]

Originally Posted by little smaug

Gotta say, the first half of the book was pretty slow. 'Run, hide, run, hide, ad infinitum' gets old very fast. But the entire Hogwarts battle was worth it.

Couldn't agree more. I found the first half lacking in action...or anything in general but the horwarts battle had my heart racing. Pity it wasn't longer

Originally Posted by little smaug

That Snape was a good guy all along, and that he killed Dumbledore at Dumbledore's own request, was a given. But doing it because he was in love with Lily just seems too fanfic-y for my liking. Yes he's good, but isn't he also supposed to be a badass? I didn't actually see that coming, though I did work out that the doe Patronus was connected to Lily in some way.

I am glad snape tuned out good. I had my suspicions (Dumbledore wouldn't get it wrong) and I thought the Lily connection was a very good way of letting Snape have a reeason to hep Harry whilst stilldespising him for being like his father. On the other hand I didn't connect the doe to Lily and I thought Dumble had a hand in it.

[quote=little smaug;884619]
I was actually expecting Draco to switch sides at the eleventh hour, especially after Harry saved his life in the Room of Requirement. You disappoint me, Ferret-boy.[quote]
I dunno about that. I quite liked the way Malfoy was handled but yes it does seem like he owes Harry a debt that he should have paid (although his mum sort of makes up for it)

Originally Posted by little smaug

I predicted that one of the twins would die (right) and that Snape would die saving Harry's life (semi-right). I was actually more upset when Hedwig and Dobby died than any of the humans. I'm wrong in the head.

When I first read about the knife sticking out of his chest I wasn'tparticularly bothered but the part about the grave and funeral I found really emotional (not usual for me)

Originally Posted by little smaug

But she didn't kill Ron or Hermione?! Lady, you are no Joss Whedon. Killing Tonks and Remus does make up for it a tad, although I'm starting to suspect Jo has some kind of orphan fixation. Speaking of - I cannot believe Lupin had a cub and didn't name it Sirius. Some best friend he is.

Same. I didn't hink she really made it sad enough. Fred's death seemed too skipped over and I think there really needed to be a funeral.

[Balinor]

Originally Posted by The Ace

Was anyone else's heart in their mouth when Molly Weasley said; "Out of my way girls, she's mine," ?

"NOT MY DAUGHTER YOU BITCH!"

Heart was in mouth at the time

[Mithridelle]

So - what does everyone think?
Do you think it was sad with all the deaths?
Which death effected you the most?
Which part/s made you become rather emotional?
Happy with the outcome?
Etc, etc...

Just wanted to know what everyone feels about the conclusion of such a outstanding and moving series!


Mithridelle

[pyan]

Four hours, fifty minutes.,seven cups of coffee and a bacon sandwich.
And now I'm going to sleep until lunchtime. At least.

[Commonmind]

I purposely tried to take longer with it, savor it, soak it all in...but instead ended up finishing it between breakfast and my afternoon run.

I thought the book was fantastic overall, with the middle playing out like a WWII spy novel, anti-regime rebels escaping, running across the countryside, from uniformed individuals intent on purifying the world. It could've been campy, but was done well. The end was, obviously, very climactic, and the sequence of events played out in such a way that the pacing seemed no less than flawless, causing me to forget a cup of tea I had seeping for nearly two hours as I rounded the last few hundred pages.

My only complaint is that, while I thought some questions were most definitely answered, I also had a few more after I had finished. Not so much involving resolution to specific plot points, but I wanted to know more about other characters, what had happened to them, where they ended up, how the deaths were handled by certain families... I wanted a sort of "picking up the pieces" epilogue - with a speech, some fireworks, and one of those credit sequences where we catch up on everyone and what they've done in the subsequent years to follow the book. Now, generally, I get this feeling about every series I've read, but besides the very short yet very sweet look into the future that was given to us, the curtains fell pretty quickly on the main story. I barely had time to breathe before I was closing the book and letting it set in.

[PTeppic]

I've re-read from chapter 31 onwards, again, just to make sure I didn't miss anything in the heat of the first (accelerating) read. I don't think I did, but it's great story-telling. Agree with the war metaphor above, which is entirely what it was: small renegade groups fighting against on overwhelming dark force, with distinct, minor skirmishes, culminating in the massive showdown.