OOP. Impressions. Spoilers. Anyone? By Prof Monkshood

[kirst_inn]

And again:


Professor Monkshood wrote:
Long post alert.  It's now 3:45am in New Zealand so I would tend to 
babble, without the benefit of babbling beverage.

Just finished myself.  Although, like everyone, I am still a bit 
confused about the big death.  Could anyone explain that part?

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Big Death
I was prepared for it because the manner JKR put it in her 
interview.  I've always thought that Hagrid's death would be less 
tramatizing than this big death and it would be the cruelest thing 
possible and therefore, is the last thing she would do.  I was wrong 
and there you go, she did it.

Theme: Death of father figures 

I thought JKR has destroyed all the father figures in Harry's life 
rather throughoutly in this book: Dumbledore turns out to be great 
but fallible, The Big physical DEATH, and the worst one, James -- 
the spiritual guide, the perfect idol, the palace of everything 
Harry wants to be, smashed down completely.  JKR has destroyed that 
image now.

Talk about red herrings we've been given from book 1 to 4, I think 
this has to be the biggest of them all.  I kept thinking back of 
Dumbledore's remark in PS/SS that Snape and James were a bit like 
Harry and Draco.  We now know that this was a complete 
misdirection.  Yes, they were a bit like that but it was James who 
was like Draco.  Not only the public humiliation but that git don't 
even duel fairly -- unexpected attack, one against two, what sort of 
fight is that!

I think JKR is setting up for Book 6&7, that Harry now has to stand 
on his own spiritually.  He can no longer emulate his father, Sirius 
or Dumbledore because they all have their own flaws.  In many ways, 
Harry is already a better person than they would ever be.  He now 
has to establish his own identity, to know who he is, which is the 
most important part of growing up.

Revolution of Structure
Has anyone noticed that JKR has moved out of murder mystery in Book 
1-4?  There is no hidden villain (okay, except that awful elf but it 
wasn't hard to guess) and no big revealation.  The tension now comes 
from the uncertainties and the fight. You get the sense that this is 
the beginning of an epic showdown.

New characters
Not many makes much of an impression.
1. Tonks was a total odd character.  Don't exactly know what she's 
doing in the book.  The same goes for most of the people in the 
Order.
2. After all that anticipations, Figg got a total of five lines!
3. Moody (He's new because he wasn't exactly in book 4, was he?) 
stands out from the crowd.  The gruffy sense of humour, the 
toughness and the paranoia.  No wonder he is so respected.
4. Luna Lovegood.  I think she likes Ron and the only new female 
student to make a mark because you could never be sure whether she 
was agreeing with Harry or being sacrastic.  And I want to know 
whether all the weird things she mentions exist.

A slight whinge: there has been no complex, central characters 
introduced since book 3.  Although JKR has enough on her hand as it 
is, can't we have someone who is more complex, who would last more 
than one book?  Or cut down on the number of newbies?

Romance
I'm glad Harry's got over Cho.  Gosh, what's wrong with her anyway?  
I kind of like Cho in Book 4 but does she really need to burst into 
tears every five seconds?

None of the predicted big romance happened.  The H/Her and the R/Her 
and the D/G and H/G etc. can start bickering once more.  Honestly, I 
don't expect anything more; sticking with the same pairing for the 
next two books would be quite boring.

The teenage version of Men are from Mars, women are from Venus is 
wonderful though, especially when Ron kept asking Hermione whether 
she is going to write a book.

I know you Lily/Snape shipper is going to have a grand time.  All I 
can say is: have fun.  Dance Flamingo.

Bits that I love

Fred and George: Civil disobedience

...Which is what Gred&Forge and the entire school has done during 
Umbridge reign.  Passive resistance.  Love the Swamp and the 
subsequent flight, stuff of the legend.

The way the teachers act is also very, very funny.  I love the line 
at the end, where Flitwick removed the swamp in three seconds.

Tough McGonagal: my favourite female character in the series and did 
she show them this time!  Standing up to four Wizards at once.  I 
gasped when she was hit by the stunning spells.  And that line to 
Peeves, who was destroying the chandelier -- "It unscrewed the other 
way".

Random Snape and Harry thoughts
I think this would now be the relationship most explored in the next 
two books.
1. The Occlumency lessions.  I think Snape has come to realise that 
Harry did not exactly lead a happy life outside Hogwarts.  The most 
moving part (apart from the big death, of course) for me was Snape 
asking Harry 'To whom did the dog belong?', and he has softened 
considerably afterwards.
2. JKR wants to keep Harry in Potions class.  a. He needs it if he 
wants to become an Auror b. he doesn't seem to have done too badly 
in OWLs.
3. Okay, in keeping with his behaviour this year, Harry is going to 
vent his frustration on Snape, even though there is virtually 
nothing going on with.  From what it looks like, things are going to 
be interesting next year.
4. Snape obviously knew about the prophecy.  It becomes obvious now 
why he picked out Harry and Neville on their very first lesson.  He 
knew that it has to be these two.  Also explains why he is totally 
filthy with Neville whenever he messes up.
5. But how much does he know about the prophecy?  My heart jumped a 
beat when Dumbledore said that someone eavesdrops on the Trelaway 
interview and that this person only knows about the first part of 
the prophecy.  I hope it wasn't Snape but there's always a chance.  
(Please, let it be Wormtail)

Speaking of which ... Missing Person(s) Notice
Where is Wormtail?  Has he been fed to the snakes?  Totally 
disappeared from view.  JKR hasn't forgotten him, has she?

Where is Karkaroff? Just ran off, did he?  So LV is just bragging 
about killing traitors etc.?

Where is Bagman? Is he a DE or what?