As the Spider said a couple of posts ago, he's on his way to New Jersey to help celebrate "the end of an engagement." Ladybug and I are getting married this very weekend, and the Spider is one of the groomsmen.
Since this effectively turns off the Hive for a little while, it's only fair to answer a couple of requests. The first is from fellow blogger Ms. Maggie, who writes: "But I would have liked for there to have been some words between Harry and Snape AFTER Harry learned the truth. I would love to have known what Snape would have said to Harry."
Yes - she does write; but it's in Spoiler Vision, because it refers to the dratted Seventh Book. (Tracey's take, with a big spoiler alert, can be found here, as can the above comment in context.) Mentally, I and others are already mentally re-writing hunks of the thing. May as well make this bit stick as well. I will warn you, of course, that it may hint at spoiler information, but I am not going to use the Spoiler Vision on the following.
...
As Harry walked onward into the clearing, a thin-fingered hand stretched down to slip gently over the cracked engraving on the Stone, now lying cool amid the dirt and twigs.
"You should have said something to him," a voice behind said.
The hand withdrew into its black-sleeved robe, and the man straightened but did not turn. "As I'm sure you know, he only saw the people he asked for, James."
"And as you know, Severus, the help we never expect is often the greatest benefit."
"You really think that he would have bothered to reply?" he answered, turning on the others. "Your son has always had the annoying habit of 'knowing it all.' At least Ms. Granger usually has the excuse that she actually DID know the facts. Mr. Potter acts before he even gets that far, and gets insulted when anyone informs him otherwise."
"Fair's fair, Severus," Sirius said. "You know exactly how he felt there."
The shadow of old hurts passed across Snape's face, clouding it like smoke. Sallow even in life, the living memory of the headmaster was paler still, but it did not have the steady pearl sheen of the others. But he did not fire back. He admitted the justice of the statement. For a moment he glanced back over his shoulder, to the jeering of the other Death Eaters as Harry faced them, out of sight. It seemed to be happening a lot farther off.
"Something you wanted to say, Severus?" asked Lupin lightly.
Snape did not answer, but stood still, expecting at any minute that the shade of Harry Potter would walk back into the trees; would join his family, walk away into the sunlight of the grounds, happy at last, forsaking the world's troubles. He would not be surprised. He felt almost like it would not be enough, even, to see them turn their backs on him and go. Would they just gather in a bright circle and then fade to gold before his eyes, without so much as a word?
"Sev?"
Maybe nothing else would have gotten him to turn back at that moment but his old nickname, spoken by the voice he best loved in life. He turned to her. She appeared to him almost like the portraits in the castle, as if in a frame, with a unique background, cast about with a billowing glow. The others were worn, sepia prints beside her. Then he blinked and looked at them more closely. Sirius was as he remembered and hated him most, from their school days - he had always lorded it over the House of Slytherin, proud to have "escaped" as he put it - but as he looked more steadily, something in him shifted slightly. Hadn't he been proud to have escaped his childhood home, proud to have been elevated forever beyond the Muggles' filth and prejudice and mulish fears? What appeared to be proper pride in him must have seemed rot to Sirius Black.
And looking for that instant through Sirius' eyes made him see Sirius' smile differently: the joy of it, the feeling that life was long and free and happy, that he could write anything he pleased within its pages. Lupin, too, snapped into focus at once - a shy youth, forever shunned and set apart, through no fault of his own; grateful for his few friends.
James was last, but Severus would possibly have succeeded in avoiding his gaze altogether if he hadn't slipped his hand into his wife's. His eyes felt drawn up the arm to the face that was so like his son's, with the unruly black hair, glasses, and smile. Only the eyes were different.
"I wanted to be misunderstood," he said at last, surprised. He would never have believed it to be true until the instant he heard it, and wondered that he could speak the words without exactly knowing them beforehand. "I knew I could never be liked, so I wanted to be disliked for a good reason, so I could enjoy it. So I could feel like I had a valid grudge against the world."
As he spoke, it all came back to him - all the arrogance, the sniping in the halls, the hexes and plots and crude practical jokes, the cutting words, the dreams of a final vengeance. Severus did not run away from it this time. He had certainly paid it out as good as he'd gotten, and each side had felt justified. For what end? In the end, he had come round to fighting the Dark Lord, though he had to confess, now, that he never quite understood what would happen to him after it was over. But had he ever switched sides?
"It was easier than hating him simply because his eyes were in the wrong face."
He'd been so busy dreaming of Lily's eyes all his life that he had never permitted himself to see what was in James' eyes. It was the final shock - a force so solid that the headmaster's form seemed to waver before it. He recognized them. They were the wrong color, for sure, but they were Harry Potter's eyes. Reaching out, always, to others; disregarding any restriction in order to set things right, if he could - the strengths that of necessity led to his blundering forward until maturity and insight could catch up.
It had gotten quieter behind him. He looked, but could see nothing through the trees, could barely hear what he knew must be shrieks of triumph... but then he heard a whisper as if in his ear. "He's in the castle?"
"Yes."
Cissy, and Harry. Even Draco Malfoy was someone to reach out to for Harry Potter, if he could. Even Severus Snape - though it was too late to be spoken between them.
"Does he realize how shockinly lucky he's been?" he said suddenly, with his old asperity.
They all roared with laughter, even Lily. Perhaps only the dead could fully appreciate the difference - Severus' tone and manner were unchanged, but drained of the venom they'd borne before. It wasn't Severus and his bitterness, Severus and his hate, but just Severus alone; for the first time in many years, Severus Snape, not as he was but as he could have been.
"He was lucky enough to have you," James said, holding out his hand in welcome.
"So he won't be along presently, I expect."
"I expect not."
"Pity," he said, with his old smile. "It would be worth it for the look on his face. But I suppose it would quite spoil the whole point."
Showing posts with label Potterama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Potterama. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Harry in review, part III
Folks, before you go on - read part one and then part two. Then we can roll forward! Cry, "For Harry, God, and St. George!"
19. Rallying the students: likewise a letdown. This is where Draco could have stared down that simpering Pansy Parkinson and stood with Hogwarts. (Grade – P.) Here, let me:
... “Help Potter?” said Pansy Parkinson in shock.
... “You can clear out, but I’ve had enough,” Malfoy said roughly.
... “But Draco…” Pansy said. “This is for us!”
... “Really?” he replied. “How is this working out for us so far, Parkinson?” She recoiled when hearing her last name, as if Malfoy had dashed a cup of pumpkin juice in her face. “All he does is take for himself. He says it will help purebloods, but when?” Unconsciously, his voice had begun to rise. “I’ve lost my wand, my home, my friend, and my freedom. What's next? Do I lose my family, get killed? Why? This is MY school! I will not give it up just so Voldemort can kill a worthless git like Harry Potter!”
... The hall was about to cheer, but at the word “Voldemort,” they stood dumbstruck, forgetting even to take offense at the insult to Harry. Malfoy suddenly stabbed out with his hand, and shoving aside Parkinson’s arms, he rummaged in her robe and yanked her wand free. “Shove off if you want to be pawns,” he said to the Slytherin table. He turned back to the astonished Professor McGonigal and said, “Slytherin for Hogwarts,” and raised the wand, which fired off green and silver sparks to the ceiling.
... There was a small silence, and McGonigal said, “Very good, Mr. Malfoy. Anyone else?”
... “Hufflepuff for Hogwarts!” said Ernie McMillan at once, and there was a shower of yellow and black.
... Cho Chang stood. “Ravenclaw for Hogwarts!” she cried, and fired off sparks of blue.
... And a dozen voices competed at once to yell, “Gryffindor for Hogwarts!” and a wave of scarlet and gold burst out. Under cover of the cheers and fireworks, Harry noticed that many of the Slytherins had slunk from the hall – but a solid minority remained. Malfoy still stood, arms folded now, looking over the entire crowd as if he was personally leading each and every one to glory. Well, it was a start, he supposed. Malfoy caught his eye and they regarded each other coolly; then, for no reason he could discover, Harry grinned and stuck his tongue out at him.
... Draco arched his eyebrows in amusement, and then called, “Haven’t you somewhere to be?”
20. The fight for the tiara: mostly well-done in the execution, as Harry gets to put his Seeker skills to use, but kind of pointless in the consequence – for one thing, the tiara perishes in the Fiendfyre, and for another, it has pretty much no effect on Draco Malfoy. You’d think that being asked to kill Dumbledore, having to host 180-proof evil under his roof, having his wand stolen, watching one of his best buds snuff it, and having his life saved by Harry Potter would be enough to sink into his head. Worse, Rowling had set us up for Draco’s change of heart, where (as the Tick would say) he “knocks off all that evil!” Then she never gives it. That was a serious misstep. Grade – D.
21. I’ve just noticed that with the rewrite Draco wouldn’t be confronting Harry about the tiara, it would just be Crabbe and Goyle. I give myself a P. But - but still - somehow I think that this beats the "INSERT SYMBOLISM HERE" moment, where the Slytherin hourglass is smashed during the fight. I think the book is stronger if all four houses band together, the way Dumbledore and Snape worked together. Even the Sorting Hat talked about it!
22. The Shrieking Shack: poor Severus. It’s a hell of a way to die. But it does demonstrate what he’s been doing under the deadliest peril for seven straight books, and unlocks the character most completely. Grade – E+.
23. Three cheers for Percy. I knew that deep down he wasn’t such a prat. Head Boy, after all, and the Weasley blood runs in him. I would NOT want to be Rookwood. Grade – E.
24. Eleven cheers for Rowling herself, for making death stick. Grade – O.
25. Harry in the Forbidden Forest: this is troubling to me, especially after the curse lands and he goes down. I was a little hazy on the explanation for his ability to come back. Was it just the nobility of the thing, his choosing not to resist? Did his mother’s blood have something to do with it? But then why was Voldy such a threat for the rest of the book? Did it have something to do with his possession of the Stone and Cloak, being struck by a spell from the Elder Wand, thus uniting the three elements of the Hallows and giving Harry control over death? That seems the likeliest according to the logic of the story, but Dumbledore seems not to give that as an answer. Of course, at this point it was about four in the morning and I couldn’t understand English anymore. In any case, this is how Harry does in the last Horcrux – himself – and so it’s essential that he do it and then somehow get back to finish the job. There’s a ready explanation at hand. Even if that’s not what the book actually said, I’ll give it to her. Grade – A. It goes up to E if it turns out that the Hallows thing is the explanation, and I don’t remember it right.
26. Yay, I got my centaur charge! Grade – O.
27. Neville rocks so wicked hard I have to go beyond grade O. Fact: cutting off Nagini’s head with the sword of Godric Gryffindor is AWESOME. I waved a lit Zippo over my head while twelve ninjas started wailing on guitars. Bonus points – this means that tool Griphook lost the sword AGAIN. Grade – \m/ ^.^ \m/
28. Leader say Mrs. Weasley don’t shiv. Grade – O.
29. After all of that, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Harry rules Voldemort. I don’t know that I was totally behind that explanation of the Elder Wand thing – I would have to reread it to really get what was being said. What I do get is how this sums up why Harry has become the best wizard of his age. He always had the character, he used that to get the superior knowledge, and then all of that plus his skill means a walkover, one-spell duel. Voldemort may as well tried to fight him with a conductor’s baton. Good touch at the end with repairing his own wand, and the salute from the portraits. Grade – E.
30. The epilogue: Necessarily scant on the details. Still, I would have liked to have known more. Did Harry ever reconcile with his Aunt Petunia? Does Dudley run Grunnings now? Has Krum retired from International Quidditch, did he play in England – or did Harry? Did he ever follow through on becoming an Auror? Etc, etc. One thing that kind of bothered me is that most of the Order wound up snuffing it. It's not that I preferred half the school under shrouds - it was bad enough that Colin Creevey was killed - it's just that, logically, one would expect the Order to suffer losses at a lesser rate, being fully-trained (some of them professional Aurors) and well-practiced. Grade – A+.
So, that’s it. I rather suspect that Harry did become an Auror, if he isn’t teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He’s already got job training for those, after all. Luna is in the Department of Mysteries. Kingsley runs the Magical Enforcement department. Hermione could of course teach Charms or Transfiguration if she pleased, but I think she’s more of a writer and researcher. Percy, naturally, is now the undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, his father. George is carrying on at Weasley’s with Ron. Lee Jordan is now editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet. Ginny held the Charms post herself for a while after Professor Flitwick became headmaster, but resigned to accept a full-time position on the Wizengamot. The Patils do astronomical research. Draco is a resident at St. Mungo’s, and his potions work has given him a thriving private practice.
He never gave back Pansy’s wand. (She moved to Yorba Linda and currently owns 43 cats.)
Thanks for reading! Any thoughts? I know Spoiler Vision is unavailable in comments, but go ahead - everyone is advised to be careful clicking through if you're not done reading! You have been warned!
19. Rallying the students: likewise a letdown. This is where Draco could have stared down that simpering Pansy Parkinson and stood with Hogwarts. (Grade – P.) Here, let me:
... “Help Potter?” said Pansy Parkinson in shock.
... “You can clear out, but I’ve had enough,” Malfoy said roughly.
... “But Draco…” Pansy said. “This is for us!”
... “Really?” he replied. “How is this working out for us so far, Parkinson?” She recoiled when hearing her last name, as if Malfoy had dashed a cup of pumpkin juice in her face. “All he does is take for himself. He says it will help purebloods, but when?” Unconsciously, his voice had begun to rise. “I’ve lost my wand, my home, my friend, and my freedom. What's next? Do I lose my family, get killed? Why? This is MY school! I will not give it up just so Voldemort can kill a worthless git like Harry Potter!”
... The hall was about to cheer, but at the word “Voldemort,” they stood dumbstruck, forgetting even to take offense at the insult to Harry. Malfoy suddenly stabbed out with his hand, and shoving aside Parkinson’s arms, he rummaged in her robe and yanked her wand free. “Shove off if you want to be pawns,” he said to the Slytherin table. He turned back to the astonished Professor McGonigal and said, “Slytherin for Hogwarts,” and raised the wand, which fired off green and silver sparks to the ceiling.
... There was a small silence, and McGonigal said, “Very good, Mr. Malfoy. Anyone else?”
... “Hufflepuff for Hogwarts!” said Ernie McMillan at once, and there was a shower of yellow and black.
... Cho Chang stood. “Ravenclaw for Hogwarts!” she cried, and fired off sparks of blue.
... And a dozen voices competed at once to yell, “Gryffindor for Hogwarts!” and a wave of scarlet and gold burst out. Under cover of the cheers and fireworks, Harry noticed that many of the Slytherins had slunk from the hall – but a solid minority remained. Malfoy still stood, arms folded now, looking over the entire crowd as if he was personally leading each and every one to glory. Well, it was a start, he supposed. Malfoy caught his eye and they regarded each other coolly; then, for no reason he could discover, Harry grinned and stuck his tongue out at him.
... Draco arched his eyebrows in amusement, and then called, “Haven’t you somewhere to be?”
20. The fight for the tiara: mostly well-done in the execution, as Harry gets to put his Seeker skills to use, but kind of pointless in the consequence – for one thing, the tiara perishes in the Fiendfyre, and for another, it has pretty much no effect on Draco Malfoy. You’d think that being asked to kill Dumbledore, having to host 180-proof evil under his roof, having his wand stolen, watching one of his best buds snuff it, and having his life saved by Harry Potter would be enough to sink into his head. Worse, Rowling had set us up for Draco’s change of heart, where (as the Tick would say) he “knocks off all that evil!” Then she never gives it. That was a serious misstep. Grade – D.
21. I’ve just noticed that with the rewrite Draco wouldn’t be confronting Harry about the tiara, it would just be Crabbe and Goyle. I give myself a P. But - but still - somehow I think that this beats the "INSERT SYMBOLISM HERE" moment, where the Slytherin hourglass is smashed during the fight. I think the book is stronger if all four houses band together, the way Dumbledore and Snape worked together. Even the Sorting Hat talked about it!
22. The Shrieking Shack: poor Severus. It’s a hell of a way to die. But it does demonstrate what he’s been doing under the deadliest peril for seven straight books, and unlocks the character most completely. Grade – E+.
23. Three cheers for Percy. I knew that deep down he wasn’t such a prat. Head Boy, after all, and the Weasley blood runs in him. I would NOT want to be Rookwood. Grade – E.
24. Eleven cheers for Rowling herself, for making death stick. Grade – O.
25. Harry in the Forbidden Forest: this is troubling to me, especially after the curse lands and he goes down. I was a little hazy on the explanation for his ability to come back. Was it just the nobility of the thing, his choosing not to resist? Did his mother’s blood have something to do with it? But then why was Voldy such a threat for the rest of the book? Did it have something to do with his possession of the Stone and Cloak, being struck by a spell from the Elder Wand, thus uniting the three elements of the Hallows and giving Harry control over death? That seems the likeliest according to the logic of the story, but Dumbledore seems not to give that as an answer. Of course, at this point it was about four in the morning and I couldn’t understand English anymore. In any case, this is how Harry does in the last Horcrux – himself – and so it’s essential that he do it and then somehow get back to finish the job. There’s a ready explanation at hand. Even if that’s not what the book actually said, I’ll give it to her. Grade – A. It goes up to E if it turns out that the Hallows thing is the explanation, and I don’t remember it right.
26. Yay, I got my centaur charge! Grade – O.
27. Neville rocks so wicked hard I have to go beyond grade O. Fact: cutting off Nagini’s head with the sword of Godric Gryffindor is AWESOME. I waved a lit Zippo over my head while twelve ninjas started wailing on guitars. Bonus points – this means that tool Griphook lost the sword AGAIN. Grade – \m/ ^.^ \m/
28. Leader say Mrs. Weasley don’t shiv. Grade – O.
29. After all of that, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that Harry rules Voldemort. I don’t know that I was totally behind that explanation of the Elder Wand thing – I would have to reread it to really get what was being said. What I do get is how this sums up why Harry has become the best wizard of his age. He always had the character, he used that to get the superior knowledge, and then all of that plus his skill means a walkover, one-spell duel. Voldemort may as well tried to fight him with a conductor’s baton. Good touch at the end with repairing his own wand, and the salute from the portraits. Grade – E.
30. The epilogue: Necessarily scant on the details. Still, I would have liked to have known more. Did Harry ever reconcile with his Aunt Petunia? Does Dudley run Grunnings now? Has Krum retired from International Quidditch, did he play in England – or did Harry? Did he ever follow through on becoming an Auror? Etc, etc. One thing that kind of bothered me is that most of the Order wound up snuffing it. It's not that I preferred half the school under shrouds - it was bad enough that Colin Creevey was killed - it's just that, logically, one would expect the Order to suffer losses at a lesser rate, being fully-trained (some of them professional Aurors) and well-practiced. Grade – A+.
So, that’s it. I rather suspect that Harry did become an Auror, if he isn’t teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. He’s already got job training for those, after all. Luna is in the Department of Mysteries. Kingsley runs the Magical Enforcement department. Hermione could of course teach Charms or Transfiguration if she pleased, but I think she’s more of a writer and researcher. Percy, naturally, is now the undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, his father. George is carrying on at Weasley’s with Ron. Lee Jordan is now editor-in-chief of the Daily Prophet. Ginny held the Charms post herself for a while after Professor Flitwick became headmaster, but resigned to accept a full-time position on the Wizengamot. The Patils do astronomical research. Draco is a resident at St. Mungo’s, and his potions work has given him a thriving private practice.
He never gave back Pansy’s wand. (She moved to Yorba Linda and currently owns 43 cats.)
Thanks for reading! Any thoughts? I know Spoiler Vision is unavailable in comments, but go ahead - everyone is advised to be careful clicking through if you're not done reading! You have been warned!
Harry in review, part two
11. Between popping up to save Harry and taking the lead while Harry has been sidetracked by the Hallows, Ron comes into his own and lives up to his family standard. We really see what Hermione sees in Ron, especially as he overcomes his darkest fears to destroy the locket. Best Ronald Weasley ever. Grade – O.
12. The capture and escape: this began to stretch my credulity a bit. The capture was well-done, but the escape was very strange. I fully expected more of Peter Pettigrew’s help to make this happen, to meet the “life debt” from Goblet of Fire; his fate was ignoble and useless. Equally useless was Fenrir Greyback. Obviously, if you introduce him in “Half Blood Prince” you have to use him later, but this was kind of a letdown. [Aside – as I commented at SarahK’s blog, I had a dream that I’d hunted down Greyback and presented each of his fangs on a gold chain to Bill and Fleur as keepsakes; it’s sort of sad when my subconscious spits out a better plot turn than the actual book.] Obviously, Rowling needed Harry to get Griphook’s help and the wand info from Ollivander, and so on… it was a nice bonus to be able to rescue Luna and the others as well – it’s just not ringing true for me in the way the Ministry raid did. Darn it, I can’t quite figure it out, but it irks me a little. Grade – A.
13. It’s realistic that they would luck into something that was essential later (Draco’s wand), and Harry certainly makes great use out of his terrible mistake in breaking the Taboo. It also makes sense that Harry stays free so long precisely because Voldemort isn’t leading the hunt himself, and forbidding his followers to kill him when they get the chance. It makes sense that therefore they can escape Malfoy’s home with help. One of the better parts of the story dynamic is the consistency of underestimating Harry and his friends. Voldy himself calls it luck in chapter one. In fact, it’s resourcefulness and determination, and we see Harry pass these on back in “Order of the Phoenix.” Grade – E.
14. All the scenes at Bill and Fleur’s home are wonderful, from Dobby’s funeral to Harry’s deal with Griphook, and his interview with Ollivander. This is where Harry turns the corner. To his many talents he adds the initiative, of which we’ve only seen flashes so far: in many of the books Harry is nearly always reacting, either to events as they happen (as he tries to untangle them) or to his friends (as one or the other needs him or gives new information) or even to Dumbledore. He decides to stick to Dumbledore’s plan to finish off the horcruxes, but it’s much like what we saw near the end of “Half Blood Prince.” It’s the difference between being forced and moving ahead under one’s own power. It’s the difference between letting your talents bail you out and actually using them for a single aim. He has mastered himself. He doesn’t just ask questions, but knows what to ask, why to ask it… Not surprisingly, this is where both he and we realize that he actually can win. Grade – O.
15. Busting into Gringott’s: yet more daring escapes, and Death Eaters knocking down the door, and etc. etc. SEEN IT. And I hated that initial reaction to a well-written set piece, especially one so essential to the plot. My first feeling was, how many times can we do the “Harry does something desperate and foolish and barely escapes?” Then I realized why it was different – this is the first time he’s tried it since he’s turned that corner. I took a closer look and compared it to the parallel plan, breaking into the Ministry, and that’s when I saw the difference: no desperate panic. He knows how little time he’s got, sees the goblins and knows the Dark Wizards are going to arrive, and sticks it out until he gets what he’s come for and goes. Sure, Griphook screws them out of the sword (little fink), but (again) they get the goods. That brings up the score. Grade – E.
16. Hogsmeade: three cheers for Aberforth, for the true tale of Dumbledore, and for Harry passing the last test of his loyalty to and admiration for the headmaster. Two cheers for the last hidden passage into the castle. One big razz to the stupidity of Harry’s pursuers. They didn’t even search the bar? Morons. Grade – A.
17. The resistance: great to see everyone again, and to see Harry’s friends rally around him. You can see the parallel development of free allies vs. Voldy’s fear-driven masses. They are willing to face death and suffer alongside Harry, and they don't fall for Voldemort's "it's his fault you are getting killed by Death Eaters" jive. On the other hand, even the Malfoys think they're getting a bad bargain in the end. Grade – E.
18. Uhm – I know Ron’s doing that whole “fulfill your destiny” thing, and it’s really awesome, but I call total Bravo Sierra on his being able to fake Parseltongue and getting into the Chamber of Secrets for the basilisk fangs. NO WAY. Grade – T.
Shorter? Sure. But that's just a deep breath. The next hunk is the big one. Scroll up, friends!
12. The capture and escape: this began to stretch my credulity a bit. The capture was well-done, but the escape was very strange. I fully expected more of Peter Pettigrew’s help to make this happen, to meet the “life debt” from Goblet of Fire; his fate was ignoble and useless. Equally useless was Fenrir Greyback. Obviously, if you introduce him in “Half Blood Prince” you have to use him later, but this was kind of a letdown. [Aside – as I commented at SarahK’s blog, I had a dream that I’d hunted down Greyback and presented each of his fangs on a gold chain to Bill and Fleur as keepsakes; it’s sort of sad when my subconscious spits out a better plot turn than the actual book.] Obviously, Rowling needed Harry to get Griphook’s help and the wand info from Ollivander, and so on… it was a nice bonus to be able to rescue Luna and the others as well – it’s just not ringing true for me in the way the Ministry raid did. Darn it, I can’t quite figure it out, but it irks me a little. Grade – A.
13. It’s realistic that they would luck into something that was essential later (Draco’s wand), and Harry certainly makes great use out of his terrible mistake in breaking the Taboo. It also makes sense that Harry stays free so long precisely because Voldemort isn’t leading the hunt himself, and forbidding his followers to kill him when they get the chance. It makes sense that therefore they can escape Malfoy’s home with help. One of the better parts of the story dynamic is the consistency of underestimating Harry and his friends. Voldy himself calls it luck in chapter one. In fact, it’s resourcefulness and determination, and we see Harry pass these on back in “Order of the Phoenix.” Grade – E.
14. All the scenes at Bill and Fleur’s home are wonderful, from Dobby’s funeral to Harry’s deal with Griphook, and his interview with Ollivander. This is where Harry turns the corner. To his many talents he adds the initiative, of which we’ve only seen flashes so far: in many of the books Harry is nearly always reacting, either to events as they happen (as he tries to untangle them) or to his friends (as one or the other needs him or gives new information) or even to Dumbledore. He decides to stick to Dumbledore’s plan to finish off the horcruxes, but it’s much like what we saw near the end of “Half Blood Prince.” It’s the difference between being forced and moving ahead under one’s own power. It’s the difference between letting your talents bail you out and actually using them for a single aim. He has mastered himself. He doesn’t just ask questions, but knows what to ask, why to ask it… Not surprisingly, this is where both he and we realize that he actually can win. Grade – O.
15. Busting into Gringott’s: yet more daring escapes, and Death Eaters knocking down the door, and etc. etc. SEEN IT. And I hated that initial reaction to a well-written set piece, especially one so essential to the plot. My first feeling was, how many times can we do the “Harry does something desperate and foolish and barely escapes?” Then I realized why it was different – this is the first time he’s tried it since he’s turned that corner. I took a closer look and compared it to the parallel plan, breaking into the Ministry, and that’s when I saw the difference: no desperate panic. He knows how little time he’s got, sees the goblins and knows the Dark Wizards are going to arrive, and sticks it out until he gets what he’s come for and goes. Sure, Griphook screws them out of the sword (little fink), but (again) they get the goods. That brings up the score. Grade – E.
16. Hogsmeade: three cheers for Aberforth, for the true tale of Dumbledore, and for Harry passing the last test of his loyalty to and admiration for the headmaster. Two cheers for the last hidden passage into the castle. One big razz to the stupidity of Harry’s pursuers. They didn’t even search the bar? Morons. Grade – A.
17. The resistance: great to see everyone again, and to see Harry’s friends rally around him. You can see the parallel development of free allies vs. Voldy’s fear-driven masses. They are willing to face death and suffer alongside Harry, and they don't fall for Voldemort's "it's his fault you are getting killed by Death Eaters" jive. On the other hand, even the Malfoys think they're getting a bad bargain in the end. Grade – E.
18. Uhm – I know Ron’s doing that whole “fulfill your destiny” thing, and it’s really awesome, but I call total Bravo Sierra on his being able to fake Parseltongue and getting into the Chamber of Secrets for the basilisk fangs. NO WAY. Grade – T.
Shorter? Sure. But that's just a deep breath. The next hunk is the big one. Scroll up, friends!
The Potter review, part one
The book! That’s it, the end, the final installment of the Potterness – The Deathly Hallows is out, read, digested, and now I’m ready for some half-considered blurting on the subject. I’m going to use Spoiler Vision, so highlight the blank areas to read up. Beforehand, I wish to make clear that I don’t have the book in front of me, since the Ladybug is annoyed that I zoomed ahead and is now zooming to catch up. As a result I can’t do a lot of quoting or such. We’ll be assigning the traditional wizarding grades to each element: Outstanding, Exceeds expectations, Acceptable, Poor, Dreadful, and Troll. And as this gets long, it will be chopped up into three installments.
These are my general impressions, as follows:
1. Good use of the ancillary characters. In particular, I like how Rowling is willing to let people be themselves: for example, Mundungus bailing on the mission and being generally unreliable in the pinch. Grade – E.
2. Early chapters: I felt that some of this was very odd. Why not let the Dursleys take Hedwig and the Firebolt for safekeeping? At the very least, they could have given Hedwig to one of the decoys, and then she could Portkey to the Burrow that way. If you’ve got six fake Hedwigs, obviously the real one is going to be a giveaway; to say nothing of toting Harry’s distinctive Firebolt as cargo. It’s not like Mad-Eye Moody to have a plan that he hasn’t thought through completely. Unfortunately, it looks like Rowling required Harry not to be able to zip around on the broom or send messages, so she dispensed with them in a way that made them too obviously plot elements. Hedwig deserved better. On the other hand, the characters were strong, and that’s the point. I liked Dudley and Harry’s good-bye. Grade – A.
3. Voldemort can fly? What the heck is that? It seemed, again, like nothing more than a cheap way to be able to get him in on the action as required while letting him run around the Continent on his Elder Wand search. Having the other characters act surprised that he can do this is not remotely enough to establish it as a viable element of the story. Grade – D.
4. Wonderful near-escape at the beginning. Rowling’s action sequences have gotten better. Grade – E. (And no, that's not a spoiler. Everyone should know there are going to be some near-escapes, and this is early. Read up!)
5. As much of a beast as Rita Skeeter is, I think it’s very strong for Rowling to show that she’s been abiding (more or less) by her agreement with Hermione from “Goblet of Fire.” She’s telling the truth, albeit maliciously. Harry learns a lot this way, and it sets up much of the later book very well – it naturally flows from the characters and the previous action. It only highlights the oddity of Flying Super Voldemort even more when you see that Rowling knows how to do this as well as it’s done here. Grade – O.
6. Odd things that worked, more or less: Kreacher coming around so quickly, the Taboo on Voldmort’s name (I was visited every ten minutes by Death Eaters just writing this review), talking Patronii, and Harry’s wand defending him. I found some of the explanations a little dodgy. The talking Patronus Charm especially teetered on the line: I do remember mention in previous books of non-owl messaging between wizards, so this at least had the realm of possibility about it. But this was introduced as a powerful, hard-to-master defensive spell with a particular application, and now it’s a singing telegram? Grade – A.
7. The raid on the Ministry – Umbridge is as odious as ever; she doesn't even bother with disguises now, her inner bitch is quite apparent. Rowling’s chief strength has always been in characters, so much that she has a good ear for trusting them. Moreover, she trusts the reader to stay with the characters even when they’re making mistakes the reader would “avoid” (in the sense that the reader knows it’s a mistake as it’s happening). The mis-steps are a nearly-seamless part of the storyline. In this case, it means that our Three Amigos take a truly foolhardy challenge and lose their stable base of operations as a result, though they do secure the goods. Another fine set piece. Grade – O.
8. I liked that it wasn't just Harry running around destroying horcruxes; it was obvious that in some ways, they were in over their heads. Remember, these are 17-year olds who skipped their NEWT year in school. It's the wizarding equivalent of a bunch of law students arguing a case against Perry Mason before the Supreme Court. As a result, I didn’t find (like others) that the forest stuff dragged on too long. In fact, it dragged on the proper amount of time. They struggled terribly and reached an impasse. In many ways it was the most “realistic” part of the book. It’s only after Ron’s breakaway and return that they get unstuck, and something that big is usually what it takes. Grade – E.
9. Godric’s Hollow: a disaster from Harry’s point of view. A fine chapter from ours. We needed to know about Harry’s past, and this was well-executed: not forcing, full of details and fine touches. (Somehow, I pictured the town as somewhat of a larger version of New Hope/Peddlar’s Village in Pennsylvania.) Grade – E.
10. Dumbledore’s gifts: the book is perfect, the snitch is odd but well-done. The Deluminator is the most curious… How does it pick up Hermoine like a wireless whenever she mentions Ron? Is it because she is his light? In a way (less than the talking Patronii) it’s somewhat of a plot device to enable Ron to find them again, only with valuable information they couldn’t have otherwise – but I think Rowling makes it smoother. Grade – A.
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These are my general impressions, as follows:
1. Good use of the ancillary characters. In particular, I like how Rowling is willing to let people be themselves: for example, Mundungus bailing on the mission and being generally unreliable in the pinch. Grade – E.
2. Early chapters: I felt that some of this was very odd. Why not let the Dursleys take Hedwig and the Firebolt for safekeeping? At the very least, they could have given Hedwig to one of the decoys, and then she could Portkey to the Burrow that way. If you’ve got six fake Hedwigs, obviously the real one is going to be a giveaway; to say nothing of toting Harry’s distinctive Firebolt as cargo. It’s not like Mad-Eye Moody to have a plan that he hasn’t thought through completely. Unfortunately, it looks like Rowling required Harry not to be able to zip around on the broom or send messages, so she dispensed with them in a way that made them too obviously plot elements. Hedwig deserved better. On the other hand, the characters were strong, and that’s the point. I liked Dudley and Harry’s good-bye. Grade – A.
3. Voldemort can fly? What the heck is that? It seemed, again, like nothing more than a cheap way to be able to get him in on the action as required while letting him run around the Continent on his Elder Wand search. Having the other characters act surprised that he can do this is not remotely enough to establish it as a viable element of the story. Grade – D.
4. Wonderful near-escape at the beginning. Rowling’s action sequences have gotten better. Grade – E. (And no, that's not a spoiler. Everyone should know there are going to be some near-escapes, and this is early. Read up!)
5. As much of a beast as Rita Skeeter is, I think it’s very strong for Rowling to show that she’s been abiding (more or less) by her agreement with Hermione from “Goblet of Fire.” She’s telling the truth, albeit maliciously. Harry learns a lot this way, and it sets up much of the later book very well – it naturally flows from the characters and the previous action. It only highlights the oddity of Flying Super Voldemort even more when you see that Rowling knows how to do this as well as it’s done here. Grade – O.
6. Odd things that worked, more or less: Kreacher coming around so quickly, the Taboo on Voldmort’s name (I was visited every ten minutes by Death Eaters just writing this review), talking Patronii, and Harry’s wand defending him. I found some of the explanations a little dodgy. The talking Patronus Charm especially teetered on the line: I do remember mention in previous books of non-owl messaging between wizards, so this at least had the realm of possibility about it. But this was introduced as a powerful, hard-to-master defensive spell with a particular application, and now it’s a singing telegram? Grade – A.
7. The raid on the Ministry – Umbridge is as odious as ever; she doesn't even bother with disguises now, her inner bitch is quite apparent. Rowling’s chief strength has always been in characters, so much that she has a good ear for trusting them. Moreover, she trusts the reader to stay with the characters even when they’re making mistakes the reader would “avoid” (in the sense that the reader knows it’s a mistake as it’s happening). The mis-steps are a nearly-seamless part of the storyline. In this case, it means that our Three Amigos take a truly foolhardy challenge and lose their stable base of operations as a result, though they do secure the goods. Another fine set piece. Grade – O.
8. I liked that it wasn't just Harry running around destroying horcruxes; it was obvious that in some ways, they were in over their heads. Remember, these are 17-year olds who skipped their NEWT year in school. It's the wizarding equivalent of a bunch of law students arguing a case against Perry Mason before the Supreme Court. As a result, I didn’t find (like others) that the forest stuff dragged on too long. In fact, it dragged on the proper amount of time. They struggled terribly and reached an impasse. In many ways it was the most “realistic” part of the book. It’s only after Ron’s breakaway and return that they get unstuck, and something that big is usually what it takes. Grade – E.
9. Godric’s Hollow: a disaster from Harry’s point of view. A fine chapter from ours. We needed to know about Harry’s past, and this was well-executed: not forcing, full of details and fine touches. (Somehow, I pictured the town as somewhat of a larger version of New Hope/Peddlar’s Village in Pennsylvania.) Grade – E.
10. Dumbledore’s gifts: the book is perfect, the snitch is odd but well-done. The Deluminator is the most curious… How does it pick up Hermoine like a wireless whenever she mentions Ron? Is it because she is his light? In a way (less than the talking Patronii) it’s somewhat of a plot device to enable Ron to find them again, only with valuable information they couldn’t have otherwise – but I think Rowling makes it smoother. Grade – A.
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