HARRY POTTER & THE HBP - what did you think? (SPOILERS!) (2 Viewers)

[bubz :D]

rhysenn has an excellent review, found at her livejournal.

i've picked out a few parts that i either found interesting or agreed with:


snape:

Okay, I don't know about everyone else but I'm getting a little bit tired of this, He's good! No, he's a spy, but for the good side, only that the bad side think's so too, and he's being all sneaky and weird so he's REALLY bad, since he was anyway, except that he's also good, and MUST BE because Dumbledore says so, except that surely he's bad, but actually he's GOOD.

I don't quite understand why quite a few people are so upset and think that killing Dumbledore is last-nail-in-the-coffin proof that Snape is bad. I think that the second chapter, when Narcissa visits Snape, it's so obvious in its effort to show that Snape is REALLY working for Voldemort that it's thus equally obvious he's REALLY not.

I think that Snape has been working for Dumbledore all along. Probably Dumbledore knew that Snape was the one who carried the (conveniently inaccurate) prophecy to Voldemort that eventually led to his downfall; and like Harry, Dumbledore had made Snape swear to do what he tells him, without question, without hesitation. Probably the order from Dumbledore had always been, simply, to do what he had to do to bring Voldemort down, and they had discussed a worst-case scenario which had played itself out there and then, and Dumbledore had said that Snape was to kill him if he had to. Which explains the pleading, because so much that they'd worked for and built up (Snape's guise as a REALLY-Death-Eater-but-actually-not) hinged on this defining moment. And probably the "hatred and revulsion etched on his [Snape's] face" was because he loathed himself for doing what he needed to do.

That being said, however, I think it will be ballsy of JKR to go with the flow of Snape being truly bad, pretending to be good. Now that makes Snape an even better villain than Voldemort, doesn't it? But all signs indicate that the obviousness with which SNAPE-IS-BAD is being shoved in our faces means it's really the opposite.

I wonder about the Unbreakable Vow, though, and why Snape was so ready to take it. I don't believe it has anything to do with him killing Dumbledore - it's not as if he were protecting Draco by that - but I think it comes into play in the final book. The fact that he so readily agrees to help Narcissa on a private basis is also intriguing - whichever side he eventually figures to be on, this favour is out of line, even if he was with Voldemort. What does he owe the Malfoys, to undertake such a great responsibility, and what is the nature of the Unbreakable Vow?

draco malfoy:

My second favourite character, finally getting some canon fleshing out. As I said before it's nothing compared to what fandom has done for Draco's character but it's great to see it as part of canon. For one, I really like the dark path that Draco is treading (or being forced to tread) - I'd have liked a little more ambiguity about his motivations, or for this to be a smokescreen for more complex intentions, but at the same time the possibility for redemption and lots of angst is great.

I also like that he cries. I really like this, and the description "Draco Malfoy was standing with his back to the door, his hands clutching either side of the sink, his white-blond head bowed" - it just brings out the vulnerability and catches him in such a private moment that I almost felt like we were intruding too much, and it was so good to see Malfoy something other than smirking and sneering.

Harry/Draco (yes, i'm into slash):

Apart from the oft-quoted references to "Harry was becoming obsessed with Malfoy" and the line "I need to see what Draco Malfoy is doing inside you" (which cracked me up), there was so much to love about the new fodder we have for this pairing. For once we see Harry not always winning with Draco - in the train compartment, when Malfoy senses Harry and kicks his ass. I like that scene because it's everything H/D is in canon, where we as slashers extrapolate from as the base; as what they are where we begin, and change as we go along.

My favourite H/D line is:

"Harry realised, with a shock so huge that it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying - actually crying - tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin" - Chapter 24.

it just really hit me hard in the pit of my stomach, and there was just so much H/D going on there that I can't begin to describe it. We're looking at it from Harry's POV, and it's almost as if Harry has honestly let himself believe that Malfoy is stronger than he really is.

 

[ishq]

Wow...the slash bit... so very wrong..and yet, spoken about so very seriously...
Who here actually appreciates the slash fan fiction?

 

[LadyBec]

Wow...the slash bit... so very wrong..and yet, spoken about so very seriously...
Who here actually appreciates the slash fan fiction?

*raises hand*
some of it anyways. some is just wrong, but some is good...

 

[know_it_all]

Spoiler

where to begin...i jst finished it, it kept staring at me on my desk so of course it gets priority over my assessments...
how cud she kill him!? ohk, i no she had to ...but still...
1. what was with her descriptions of ron gettin it on ...limbs all over the place..lol
2. her writing seemed kinda deflated, not her usual magical self..but i guess the backstories needed to b clearly communicated otherwise #7 wont make sense...
3. mayb dumbledore n snape planned for that to happen...mayb it aint over yet...the "fat lady" (excuse the lame jk!) has yet to sing..
4. snape/malfoy truly evil....hmmm?
5. my theory is that harry is the final horcrux---> and that is why the prophecy says only one can survive, perhaps this may even mean that harry will end up killing himself to completely rid the world of riddle...like, maybe he planned to make the final one after he killed harry but obviously things didnt go to plan n it somehow put bits of his soul into harry...parseltongue...etc

(i did like seeing the similarities btwn them, n snape is half blood!)

btw, how do u think she'll end it, since we'r all political these days
if harry kills himself--shes advocating suicide
if he murders them all--shes promoting revenge, an eye for an eye
i no it shudnt matter and i dont care, its jst that JKRs been getting crap for things like the racism in her text...

i cant believe he died! i didnt like how it like jst ended, i wanted harry to cry ...or say something conclusive!
n can she hurry up with the hermione/ron thing, we cant wait much longer! even though it wud b interesting to see hermione n harry jst to explore before she chooses ron

RAB? black's brother maybe?
do u think once harry wins, that all those who riddle killed will come back outa his wand?

i love arrogant, powerhungry, smartass harry...works for me lol
but yeh overall, it was a necessary book but the writing n events (with the exception of the tearjerking ending!) werent as whoa as i had anticipated

nonetheless, im forever a fan n cant wait til the nxt one...

 

[braindrainedAsh]

Spoiler

I enjoyed the book, well enjoyed isn't the word considering the ending, but you can tell it was a lead on for the final book because not much really happened until the end.... there were a lot of pages about stuff which could have been said more succinctly.

I cried a bit for Dumbledore, but most of all I cried for Harry.... imagine being 16 and everyone you have ever loved or who has ever really taken care of you has died? Plus how he says he isn't coming back to Hogwarts, that is unexpected. And Ron and Hermione joining him on his quest... should be interesting indeed.

But it was a good read, I think some of the people who have written the harshest reviews are forgetting that it is a series, and we are having to wait two years between each book coming out.... once they have all been published, you will be able to sit down and read the whole series from start to finish and then you would get more of an idea about how the whole thing works as a series.

 

[funniboi]

i can't wait for the next book!!!

this is no longer a 'kids' book, with the use of the word 'slut' and stuff like that.

having said that, the story didn't kick off hard enough for me, i felt that at the beginning of the story, harry was still kinda.. im some way 'immature' if thats the correct word, and the story didn't sorta kick off and change his personality till about a few chapters into it, which i sorta liked. his new changed personality i much prefer, then his old one, as we previously seen. i dunno if anyone else noticed it, but i have. but yeah. having said all that, i honestly would want to see what happens and how jkr would finish of the story. i sure hope she wont leave us dissapointed. this book, compared to the others, i liked more for some reason. perhaps because it's more aimed at young-adults rather then children? i dunno, but i liked it.

 

[braindrainedAsh]

Yeah I think the books are more young adult than childrens now... I wouldn't really want my kid who was under 12 reading all the stuff about them making out etc... it's not really age appropriate.... who knows where it will go the next book!!!

 

[townie]

*cries* i stayed up all night reading it, it was good 2 finally get the backstory, and the sense of magic.

i'm still not convinced harry is ready to stand up to Tom, i thought in this one harry would suddenly assume greater powers, but one assumes that will dealt with in book7

AD dying was a bit sad, but one wonders if he's really dead, like Gandalf from LOTR, i suspect he will be lurking around, somehow, in book7, havent decided on snape yet.

i cant wait for the next one!

 

[PerfectByNature]

I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i had to work Saturday and Sunday but then yesterday (cos it was a pupil free day) i begged my mum to take to my nearest "city" cos we dont have a bookshop in our stupid little town and i got it!!!!!! i got home and started reading it at about 1.30 and finished this morn. i made myself go to sleep last night... at bout 9.30....otherwise i wouldve stayed up till id finished it and i had to come to school today, i had to tear myself away from the book to eat dinner and do other stuff... i was soooooooooo excited and it was really good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant believe she killed off Dumbledore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wheni read it i thought it must be a mistake and he wouldnt really be dead... that was soooo sad... i must admit i cried at the end... it was so sad.
And i confess i had no idea until i read it who the HBP was... my friend said she knew all along but i just had no idea.
i loved it!!!!
<333333333333333333333333333333

 

[PerfectByNature]

So whaddya all think about Harry and Ginny? I was always a Harry and Hermione kind of girl, but i liked their whole relationship thing. Except for the fact that it lasted like two pages!

NO way!!!!!!! that sucked... i so dont reckon they should have gotten together in the first place it was soooo obvious and stupid... dont reckon that was good at all... but i wont air my fanific-er fantasies.

 

[klh]

wouldnt he be lurinking around? his potrait is in the headmasters office....maybe he might give a few hints to harry. cozi was thinking how can harry get to all those horcruxes and stuff. plus harry's magic is not as powerful, i mean snape just blocked them off easily...maybe Dumbledore might give a few hints there too?

 

[PerfectByNature]

haha persephone, i agree about the fanfiction thing!!! i was happy about the

Spoiler

harry ginny and ron hermione...those 2 were always my favourite ships

. ginny is fast becoming my favourite character...i just love her!!! i love that she's hot and all the guys like her!!! go girl!!! but some bits like

Spoiler

ron and lavender, malfoy as a failed death eater (which incidentally made me think vividly of the sound of music where the captain is talking to rolf), harry breaking up with ginny because he loves her too much, remus/tonks

and so on are so very fanfictiony!!! it's sad but the first time i read OotP and even this for a bit, i was critiquing it like a fanfic in my head.

Spoiler

speaking about harry and ginny though, the only plausible reason i can see for them getting together before ron and hermione is that either one or both is going to die. like jkr is obviously leaving r/hr for the last bit so that if they marry or whatever it's way more plausible that they will last the distance.

but omg if she kills harry i won't be able to cope..last night i just re-read the end of HBP and actually sobbed. i've never done that before.

No way, those are all crap! i hate Harry/ Ginny and Ron/ Hermione, cos their way way too obvious... nothing special about them, i knew from like the first book that each of those chars liked each other ... how boring... i think a good Hermione/ Draco pairing would be tops! or a slashy pairing thatd be just brilliant... i mean you never see any of that sort of stuff... but the world is becoming more... i guess the word is tolerant.... of that. you know?

 

[klh]

i didnt say he didnt die, but since he is a headmaster, he still is in the present world right? throught the portrait system?

 

[PerfectByNature]

Did anyone else get the feeling that a LOT was left out? There weren't that many "unsolved puzzles" revealed. And I've read it thrice already, each time was crappier. It does sound really sold out... The quest for missing pieces blah blah, hero must do it alone without anyone blocking his path. Meh. Great book though. Probably the best. I just wanted more substance to it! There were a few needless and stupid chapters, e.g. the first one. Btw was it just my version that had quite a few grammatical and spelling errors? It kinda distracted me, e.g. the fug patch that was left at the window by his breath?

um... fug is a word... its the actual word for the residue of breath left on wondows n shit... havent you ever seen it used before... but there were a couple of weird word choices.... like when

Spoiler

Slughorn "ejaculates"... i mean what the hell is the deal with that?

 

[klh]

Yeah the portrait (notice his frame is gold whereas all the others aren't ...) but there's been a few posts suggesting that Dumbledore somehow survive. If you think he did, I'd like to hear how he did it.

Dumbledore had to die. there's no way he'd let Harry face Voldemort alone, but Harry has to take on Riddle one-on-one, mano-e-mano, face-to-face. There's a suggestion that Harry and Voldemort will meet in the Department of Mysteries and fall through the veil and this will be where the Final Fight takes place, with Sirius to guide Harry. Whoever wins will then be able to emerge from the veil, ad whoever loses, dies. I don't think JKR will kill harry, as it would be very cruel, rather like the theory that the wizarding world is some weird dream or that Harry is a Squib is Voldemort's soul (now proven to be untrue) and when Voldemort dies, Harry will lose his powers.

im sure he is dead, let me make that clear, plus he is getting old. im just saying that harry needs much more info to do his predetermined task.

from the start i predicted that harry and voldemort both die, alothough i rely on intuition and not on reasoning.
yes the golden frame...maybe that is signalling that its his resting days or funeral etc.. before he is of assistance to the new headmaster/mistress?

im thinking its funny he is leaving hogwarts...and hermione too! thought she loved books etc. what can harry do? another wand dule? their wands are already linked to gether, maybe a fist fight? ok..ive run out of any ideas, but your version seems possible too.

 

[bubz :D]

Slughorn "ejaculates"... i mean what the hell is the deal with that?

very austen-esque of JKR

as for harry returning to hogwarts or not, i dunno... would he? i mean, when would he have time to find the remaining horcruxes if he had NEWTs to worry about? i'm sure he'd still go back and visit, and for guidance from dumbledore's portrait, but...

 

[funniboi]

I don't think Harry would go back to Hogwarts, to 'study', I think he might go back to speak to the previous headmasters. I reckon Neville will come along with Harry as well. The ministry wil fall apart, so will the Order. I think Tonks and Remus will also assist Harry, as much as they can, and watch out for them. I think Harry will save Malfoy, though he doesn't really want to, and Malfoy's mother, before Tom kills them, and they would tell Harry something which will lead to finding one of the other horcuxs or whatever. That's just what I think, but really there is no point predicting what'll happen, it's more exciting when you dont know and you are reading it, so who knows when the next book is due out ?

 

[Sarah168]

There's a suggestion that Harry and Voldemort will meet in the Department of Mysteries and fall through the veil and this will be where the Final Fight takes place, with Sirius to guide Harry. Whoever wins will then be able to emerge from the veil, ad whoever loses, dies.

I like that theory!! thats a really interesting one. Im still so curious about so many things from OOTP, and that veil is one of them

 

[BillyMak]

Yeah the portrait (notice his frame is gold whereas all the others aren't ...) but there's been a few posts suggesting that Dumbledore somehow survive. If you think he did, I'd like to hear how he did it.

Before I start, I don't believe that Dumbledore survived, just thought I'd try to point out how he *could* have (even if it is extremely unlikely).

Firstly, when it was just Dumbledore, Harry, and Draco on the roof, Dumbledore stunned Harry and let himself be disarmed by Draco. This was a bit weird I thought, because Harry was wearing the invisibility cloak, and Draco didn't know he was there. Even if Draco disarmed Dumbledore, Harry could have quite easily fucked Draco up. I think it's possible that Dumbledore may have stunned Harry because he wanted Harry to see Dumbledore be "killed" by Snape.

Secondly, during Harry and Snape's little duel where Snape easily blocked all of Harry's spells, he kept saying that it was so easy to predict and defend himself when Harry was saying the incantations, however, when Snape "killed" Dumbledore, he himself said the "Avada Kedavra" incantation. Although JKR said that a green light came from Snape's wand and hit Dumbledore in the chest (which is the basic description of the Avada Kedavra spell being performed), he may have somehow thought of another spell, but said a different incantation to disguise it. (Not really possible but I'm really just chucking thoughts around). Also, near the start when Bella and Draco's Mum were going to Snape's house, Bellatrix killed a fox using Avada Kedavra without the incantation, so we know the spell can be cast without saying the words.

Thirdly, Dumbledore fell a hell of a long way before hitting the ground. We have seen something like this occur before though, in HP3 when Harry fell off his broom because of the Dementors, and Dumbledore managed to decrease Harry's injuries by slowing him down before he hit the ground. I know Dumbledore didn't have his wand on him when he fell, this is probably the biggest hole in my little theory.

Harry was with Dumbledore's corpse for a while, and he well and truly looked dead. Also, Dumbledore's portrait in the Headmaster's office now, surely that means that he really did die.

Anyways, just a thought.

 

[klh]

ive re-read that part, i just want someone to verify whether dumbledore was pleading to snape for help or for mercy? like did dumbledore know snape was going to kill him from the first step he took into the tower[disregarding the theories that this was set up by dumbledore] or that he thought snape was going to help him recover and save him and harry?
maybe im all jumbled up with too much stuff in my mind...