Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

[sophieisgod]

I got the book at midnight. I finished at at 4:30, listening to the OotP soundtrack on repeat all the way ("Possession"...*sob*). I cried until after 5. I reread the last 150 pages. I slept at 7. And I am eternally grateful to darkangsty42 for her magnificent read-all-the-books-in-a-week idea.


Um, wow? I have never cried so hard at a book in my entire life. And I have no idea how to start writing this, so I'm afraid I'm just going to have to spew (har har) it out. I did have some sort of notes, I swear.

Harry's Fakeout!Death
I've never really liked the "Harry is a Horcrux" theory, because the idea of him carrying a piece of Voldemort in him all this time always *really* creeped me out. But this was gorgeous. And because I'd reread GoF (thanks, Morgan!), I'd paid more attention to the "gleam of triumph" and reckoned that the blood thing was pretty damn important. And the whole Deathly Hallows thing (does anyone else always completely forget about the title of the book until it crops up and is immensely important?) was immense and beautiful and so like the Mirror of Erised and I love it. I mean, there's always this thing about 'Harry is an extraordinary character because he can love', and sometimes I love him and sometimes I don't (CAPSLOCK, anyone?) but now I get it. Now I completely understand why he deserves these seven books. And it says so much about the way JK Rowling has written this character and his story that when it was revealed he was a Horcrux and he had to die it didn't seem like a fakeout. It felt like this boy who had been through so much was finally going to be with the people he loved. He was going to sacrifice himself. And it felt right. Of course, I am immensely glad it was a Fakeout!Death because we get all the angst and none of the implications, but WOW.

Ooh, and I *love* that he used Expelliarmus and not Avada Kedavra.
"Expelliarmus is a useful spell, Harry, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move..."
*Especially* because it seemed like he was edging towards it, having already used the Imperius and the Cruciatus. But of course, he's too human, and I love you, Jo!

Dumbledore
Yay, a flawed mentor! With something of a penance complex. I actually love it. And we get the Mirror of Erised mystery solved! And he's not just this fond, benign old man, he's a proper person, with guilt and issues and mistakes in his past! FUCK YEAH!
"I had learned that I was not to be trusted with power..."
As Harry gets more heroic his heroes begin to lose their shine... I love this more than words can say. And again with the PS shoutouts/continuity/awesome... GRINDELWALD! And of course I was already crying by that point (more on that story later) but the "King's Cross" chapter was beautiful. And Aberforth's Patronus is a goat! And there's so much more to say but I'll leave it to someone more articulate... I love you, Jo!

Snape
Snape loved Lily! I knew it! It's weird though, I'd always been on the side of Snape-and-Dumbledore-somehow-arranged-the-death-beforehand until, like, yesterday, when I was finishing up HBP and thought "Come on, he's got to be evil!" And like with the Harry Fakeout!death, it could have been either and it would have been awesome, but this is so much better. "The Prince's Tale" was a truly magnificent chapter. I'm not sure why, but I loved that Lily called him "Sev". And, oh, it's just so fucking tragic. I mean, can you imagine the emotional agony of this character. In love with a dead woman, forced to protect her son (the spitting image of his father), knowing he caused her death, mistrusted by the vast majority of people, thinking he was used by Dumbledore, a double agent for years, killed by a giant fucking snake...
'Look... at... me...' he whispered.
Oh, and Albus Severus? Killed me dead. I love you, Jo.

Ron
Firstly, and most importantly, he didn't die! He married Hermione and they had clever ginger babies! And oh my fucking god, I love him. My expectations were completely subverted: we didn't get Heroic Ronald, Sacrificer Of Own Life For Sake Of Bespectacled Friend, we got Angsty, Insecure Ron, The Abandoner. And of course we knew he was coming back, but it was still devastating and horrible and genius.
‘He knew what he was doing when he gave me the Deluminator, didn’t he? He - well,’ Ron’s ears turned bright red and he became engrossed in a tuft of grass at his feet, which he prodded with his toe, ‘he must’ve know I’d run out on you.’
‘No,’ Harry corrected him. ‘He must’ve know you’d always want to come back.’
Yeah, I cried (more on that story later). Harry/Ron is one of my favourite (non-slashy) relationships in the series, and this whole arc was so incredibly painful to read. Argh, my heart. And again with the PS continuity and heartbreaking characterisation, with the Horcrux locket playing on all his many insecurities and breaking my heart and he still managed to stab it. That's my boy, Ron. That's my boy. Oh yeah, and Ron-with-Horcrux-round-neck totally = Frodo + The One Ring. And he got to be clever ("Always the tone of surprise...") and heroic (though thankfully without death)! And his first kiss with Hermione was earned on the basis of elf-rights! Excellent kiss, by the way. There was whooping. And I love him.

The Weasleys
I can't believe she did it. She killed Fred. And that was the moment I started full-on, properly, earnestly sobbing, and I didn't stop until half an hour after I'd finished the book. I couldn't breathe properly when George came back all covered in blood, but this was horrible. And I can't say any more about without crying again, so I won't.

Percy came back and redeemed himself! With witty duelling banter and everything! And CAPSLOCK MOLLY killed Bellatrix ('NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!') and Mr Weasley's Patronus is a weasel, and Ginny married Harry and I love them all. And I love you, Jo.

Lupin
Oh, God. Remus did as he always has and broke my heart into little wolf-shaped pieces. With the Tonks/marriage/baby angst, and fighting with Harry and the manly kicking over of chairs!
'Dont' you understand what I've done to my wife and my unborn child? I should never have married her, I've made her an outcast!'
Anyone else feel it'd be worth being an outcast to be married to Remus Lupin?
But then there was joy, and hope, and Teddy Remus Lupin, and making Harry the godfather. And I should have known, I should have known it would end in tears, but I forgot. And we didn't see him die, we just saw him lying there peacefully with Tonks, and the shock of it makes it worse. And as much as I was already crying for Fred, this hurt so much that I couldn't
continue for a full five minutes because I couldn't see the page anymore. And templa_otmena was clinging to the hope that he had to survive and be happy for Lily and James and Sirius, because he was the only one left, but I always knew he'd die, and it fucking hurts. The Marauders are gone; like FilmSirius says, Harry & co. are the young ones now.

I'm clinging to the hope that all this heartbreaking plot means that Steve Fucking Kloves can't escape doing Tonks/Remus in HBP.

Lily as the fourth Marauder
Her Patronus was a doe. Of course it was a doe. And it'll probably anger templa_otmena slightly (through the tears, of course) that once again it's all about Lily rather than James, but that passage in "The Forest Again" was so fucking beautiful that it's hard to care.
Beside him, making scarcely a sound, walked James, Sirius, Lupin and Lily, and their presence was his courage, and the reason he was able to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Neville
Neville's the leader of the fucking Resistance! Neville is the master of the Room of Requirement! Neville killed Nagini! Neville is Professor of Herbology!

A list of Awesome Things
- Harry has Fabian Prewett's watch. Ohh, shoebox_project.
- The Taboo. So very, very warped.
- The Battle Of Hogwarts. I squealed so hard when I saw that chapter title. It was incredible, like the siege in Beauty & The Beast, but better, if that's possible.
- Hermione calling Ron a complete arse
- The return of the DA, including Ernie Macmillan, who I love for being so very pompous.
- Narcissa covering for Harry.
- Harry calling Voldemort 'Tom Riddle'
- George's ear-related humour
- Potterwatch: Romulus!
- Kreacher coming good
- The last words Dumbledore spoke to Kingsley and Remus
- Teddy's turquoise hair
- Robbing FUCKING GRINGOTTS! WITH A DRAGON!
- Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting
- Kingsley Shacklebolt: Minister for Magic
- Malfoy naming his son Scorpius... The fuck?
- James and Lily and Albus Severus
- Luna's bedroom

A list of some of the many things that made me cry
- Dudley's farewell
- George's near-death experience
- Harry vs Lupin
- Ron leaving
- Ron returning
- Ron offering himself to Bellatrix in exchange for Hermione
- Ron bellowing "HERMIONE! HERMIONE!" as he hears her getting tortured.
- Dobby's gravestone
- Fred
- The Weasleys surrounding Fred's body
- Lupin and Tonks
- Colin Creevey
- The Marauders
- Harry choosing death
- The Last Stand
- Harry's Standing Ovation
- Nineteen years later...


Well, that's it then. My childhood is officially over. Tissue, anyone?

Comments

[wickedground.livejournal.com]

At the moment I just can say..screw you, JKR :( I'm disappointed. What a lame last book *sniff* Damn, Jo, you turned the greatest wizard of all time into a fucking nazi ô_O And my favourite character (Lupin) into an asshole...WTF :( And Snape's death was pathetic >_> I'm still slightly mad...

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Aww, I don't think Lupin was an asshole. I think he tried to distance himself from Tonks and the baby so that they wouldn't be as stigmatised by his condition, however misguided this might have been. And he does go back to them, and he does die for them.

I think with Snape's death, that she couldn't just have Voldemort AK him, because he needed to see Harry and give him the memories, so.... she attacked him with a giant snake. Huh.

I'm not really sure what to think about all the Greater Good stuff, really. I think it's important that Dumbledore wasn't perfect, and that he knows he was stupid and arrogant and the rest of it, and he spent the rest of his life making up for it. But, at the same time, a lot of that stuff was uncomfortable to read.

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it, that must suck after waiting so long. :( I'm like a child about it, I'll probably find stuff that I don't like later on but for now I'm just "Aaaah! Harry Potter!"

[wickedground.livejournal.com]

i found it was totally out of character for Lupin to behave like that. It's not him...

yeah, but bleeding to death is not...cool! lol xD

Sure, DD wasn't perfect, probably never was, but he turned into a scary wizard who could easily turned into a villian IMO (I mean he was, after all, greedy and self-centered when he was "younger"). The first six novels, his full name Albus Wulfric Percival Brian Dumbledore applied to his character, after the seventh book it just doesn't fit anymore :( He's probably always been a good wizard, but it was the wand who made him turn into a great one.

I don't know, I wonder if I'd like the book better if I haven't had known the carpetversion beforehand. I'm re-reading right now...

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

What was the carpetversion like? I tried to avoid stuff like that, but was it different to the book?

You're right, DD could have gone down a very differnet path, but I like that whole plot because he *didn't* turn into a villain, even though he had the power. And I don't really think it was just the wand; even when he was a first year he was exceptional. It looks like we're going to have to agree to disagree on this one... :)

And James and Sirius, were pretty dickish when they were at school, but we still love them. *loves*

[wickedground.livejournal.com]

And James and Sirius, were pretty dickish when they were at school, but we still love them. *loves*

uhm...no. I never loved Sirius and James. Actually I rather hated them. And I didn't care when Sirius died, because he was dick *shrugs* And it was his own pride's fault that Kreacher betrayed him. And Lily was a great Gryffindor...so loyal, left her best friend just like *that*. If she really loved him (not love love, but friends love) then she would have talked to Snape and didn't leave him to his destiny as a Death Eater. Actually I'd must say, I always thought being a proud Gryffindor is good, but actually their pride is full of prejudices.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Whoops, sorry! Bad habit of mine, I automatically assume that everyone in the world thinks the same way I do...

I don't know, it seemed to me in Snape's memories of Lily as if she had tried to talk him out of it in the past, but I can understand her disgust and hurt with his prejudice against Muggleborns. There's only so much she could have done if he was set on becoming a Death Eater.

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

I'm back.

Not gonna lie, I shrieked when George lost his ear. And then thought about how they'd never mix the twins up again. Now they really won't mix them up. *sob*

I'll be posting some more in-depth stuff on my LJ.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

TWINS! Lots of tears for the twins.

I could not believe it all kicked off so quickly. Hedwig! Mad-Eye! George's ear! And again at the wedding... "The Ministry has fallen." It was actually, properly war.

[darkangsty42.livejournal.com]

And stupid me, "Oh George's ear got lobbed off. That means that the twins are safe." Nope. JK is evillllllllll. But I love her.

I know. I was amazed how quickly the action picked up.

[scissorgypsy.livejournal.com]

Lovely post - I will just say yes yes yes.
Except I amazed myself by not crying AT ALL! I welled up at a couple of points, especially at Ghost!Lupin and Albus Severus, but no proper crying. This is amazing for me because I always always cry at every opportunity. There was lots of gasping though - 'The ministry has fallen' :O

PS On my second viewing of OoTP I made sure I paid much attention to the doorway-lean-o-sex :D

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

No tears? Clearly you are dead inside :p

Ohh, Ghost!Lupin broke my heart. Actually, Lupin in general broke my heart. Yay for 2010! And if Thewlis can make leaning in a doorway sexy, imagine what he can do with manfully kicking over chairs!

I'm seeing it again tomorrow (because I am sad)!

[movie-licious.livejournal.com]

I've just downloaded the book and I'm tempted to read it... But then, I read the 5th part in English, before Polish translation, and I regreted it later. So I probably will wait these few months (!)...
I just hope that Weasley twins will survive!

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Good luck with the waiting! I hope you don't explode...

NO COMMENT

[movie-licious.livejournal.com]

Fuck. I guess reading the comments wasn't the best idea. So I know that Fred's kaputt. Damn it!

[edge-of-night.livejournal.com]

• I've said this to everyone else's HP related post...I KNEW HARRY WAS GONNA BE A HORCRUX!! Why did no one believe me??
  
• SNAPE! TRUST SNAPE!! Dumbledore trusted him, I trusted him. I knew he couldn't be evil because he's too evil on the outside. After reading his back story, you really feel so horrible about his death, even though you knew it was coming.
  
• I *love* that he used Expelliarmus and not Avada Kedavra. AGREED.
  
• Ron is THE AWESOME.
  
• The Weasleys are THE AWESOME. (Yeah Molly. Heaps of sadness for Fred. I really hate JK for that.)
  
• Neville. No words for the awesome that is Neville. AND HIS GRAN!! Go granny GO!!
  
• Love your lists, too. I agree completely.
  
• AHHHHH!!! (again!) I loved this so much. I want to read it again now!
  

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

- I didn't want to believe it! It just seemed too horrible! Now, of course, she wrote it beautifully and I feel like a fool, but at least you can feel superior!
- Yay for Snape! He is too, too tragic. *needs to get a Snape icon*
- Ron is, indeed, THE AWESOME. In every possible way. And he is incredibly famous, so the world has clearly recognised his greatness. :)
-Whoa, Molly! Although, much as I love Fred (and that is lots), I don't *hate* JK for killing him. It would have sucked if nobody we love died, I think. And that was probably the most shocking death for me, which is... good? And it says a lot for the quality of the writing that it made me cry like a tiny lost child. What I mean is, in the universe of the books, I hate that Fred died because it's so fucking sad, but as a reader of the books, I don't mind? I think. I like that sad stuff happened, I guess.
- AHHHHH!!!

[edge-of-night.livejournal.com]

• LOL...I don't feel superior at all! I am just glad one of my little theories came true. Although, I didn't know how it'd play out, it was more fascinating to read what she wrote and how it worked!
  
• You DO need a Snape icon! My sis made this one! *loves*
  
• It's about time the world recognised his greatness!!
  
• I think I understand what you're saying...I do love a good tragedy because I think in a small way, it's now more like life, because the good DO die and the people who we think should always live, don't. So, I guess my initial reaction is just outrage, but the further away I get from it, I can "appreciate" it?? lol True, there is also something about the quality in this respect, too. You have helped me see the light!! ;)
  

[psychie.livejournal.com]

OMGGGG! I thought the exact same thing---->FINAL BATTLE=BEAUTY AND THE BEAST BATTLE!! ♥

However I found it to be lame. Lame lame lameee.

I think Lupin should have gave his son Sirius as a middle name!!

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

It was beyond awesome.

The whole thing? Or just particular bits? I know a lot of people aren't happy with the epilogue...

Aww. But you can bet that James has it! Or maybe James' middle name is Fred...

[psychie.livejournal.com]

OR Hugo is Hugo Fred Weasley. LULZ.

The end was lame. The epilogue and the battle. It needed to be something moree.

[clouded-logic.livejournal.com]

*cries* REMUUUUS. We need the Marauders back in our lives... he needed to survive... *cries some more* I miss him.

I'm not sure why, but I loved that Lily called him "Sev".

Me too! I thought it was just adorable. And I love them both so much more.

Malfoy naming his son Scorpius... The fuck?

Haha indeed.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

I love them all! So hard. In the face. And wait until you see Film!Sirius... I'm so in love with Gary Oldman right now that it's worrying me a little bit.

REMUUUUS! *is bereaved* But it feels a bit like closure, in a right, heartbreaking, soul-destroying, painful kind of way. Poor, poor Teddy, though. And Tonks!

I tried to read some Shoebox, but it was just too painful! they're all so young and beautiful and dead! *gulp*

Also, Eep! http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959323

[clouded-logic.livejournal.com]

I heard Gary Oldman was amazing! I can't wait, I'm seeing it tomorrow XD I was kind of counting on Young!Sirius being hot, but considering he's barely there at all... :o(

*hugs Teddy*

DEAD! *CRIES IN CAPSLOCKS*

I still really want to know what happened with George. Poor George. But look how incredibly sweet this icon (my userpic) is from here.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

*wails* GRED AND FORGE!!!! SEPARATED FOREVER!!!!

At least we will always have the perfect Young!Sirius in Shoebox...

*returns to deafult setting:REMUS GRIEF*

[clouded-logic.livejournal.com]

I prefer Young!Sirius in the beginning parts of SBP rather than later on. He goes all moody and less lovable. *needs to go back and read earlier chapters*

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

But it's not like CAPSLOCK HARRY moody and unlovable, it's I'M TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH REMUS ANGST ANGST ANGST moody and unlovable... So much tension! And he's not moody by the end, I don't think.

Byt playful!Sirius > angsty!Sirius, methinks. With the nuzzling (oh god! the nuzzling) and so on.

[clouded-logic.livejournal.com]

I'm not a huge fan of angst. I like cockiness and playfulness and cuteness XD

Have I read the end? It's been a while. I ought to go check. lmao.

[sophieisgod.livejournal.com]

Angst owns my soul... probably why I love Remus so very very much :D Is it weird that possibly the thing I love most about Shoebox!Sirius is his hair?

Ahh, read the end! The last few chapters are AWESOME! And not very angsty. There is some snot, though.

[clouded-logic.livejournal.com]

I ADORE his hair. Sirius is so beautiful. As is his handwriting, actually.

I shall make that my top fic priority!

[thedreamygirl.livejournal.com]

I didn't cry. But then I read this and I started (although my defenses were a little weakened anyway having watched Eccleston's DW episode "Father's Day" for the first time only an hour ago and snivelling over that).

So very much WORD, and I can only compose myself enough to say these few things:
+ The Prince's Tale owned. Oh Snape! *wails*
+ Lupin!!!!!!!!!! I cannot love Jo because she killed him too. She killed James and Sirius and I thought she would let Lupin live - he has A SON!!!!! - but no. He died. As did FRED and Tonks and Mad-Eye and DOBBY and buh...I'm blubbering now. I can't go on....*sniffles*