OOP: My thoughts (long)

[Gabriel]

No: HPFGUIDX 62376

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1. As I began (with my boyfriend) to read this book, I was struck over 
and over how MEAN HArry was... not just angry, but outright ready to 
*curse* Muggles, wanthing them to start something with him.  I turned 
to my boyfriend with my mouth open and said "WHAT is this?  I know 
Harry's had it tough, but he's had it tough throughout these books!  
Why is he being so aggressive?"

Caesar shook his head.  "Hello?  He's a 15 year old boy."

And I mulled that over.  Most of the teenage boys I know turned into 
totally asses around13 or 14, so I guess we've had two extra years of 
"sweet" Harry.  Puberty, ugh!

2. O.W.L. results - I haven't seen anyone else post this, but I know 
it's not just me.  In POA, the exam results come in on "the last day 
of term," and Fred and George each "scrape a handful of O.W.L.'s."  
Suddenly now we have to wait until July to get the results?  How's 
that go?

3. The "teaser" deaths.  JKR announced quite some time ago that 
"someone" was going to die and it was going to "tear her heart out" to 
do it.  I, like many of you, assumed that was Hagrid.  I when he 
didn't show up, I thought "Oh, there you are."  Then all of a sudden 
when the boggert-in-the-desk scene showed up, I had an instant, nasty 
jolt of "WHAT? RON?  She CAN'T!"  Over quickly, but it gave me a 
taste... then Arthur Weasley was attacked and I literally teared up.  
I was sure that he was the one... then he wasn't.  Then Hagrid showed 
up.  Firenze's warning made it seem the Hagrid death was on-track 
again.  The Proffessor McGonnagal thing had my heart pounding again.  
And then Hermione in the "showdown" in the MoM, for an instant I 
wondered: "Could JK do that??"  So when Sirius finally died, it 
actually took me a moment to believe it... I kept waiting for her to 
"take it back" the way she had with the others.  Does anyone thing she 
did all that on purpose?

4. This prophesy thing seems like a load of dung, personally.  It 
contradicts earlier stuff.  Remember in POA when Sirius said it musat 
have made Wormtail so happy to be able to tell LV that he could "hand 
him the last of the Potters"?  That clearly and strongly implied that 
LV had been trying to eliminate the *Potters* themselves, and that's 
why Harry has no family left except the Dursleys... so what's with 
this prophesy?  How does that fit in?

5. I think Cho wanted to connect with Harry ABOUT Cedric.  After all, 
they're both teens, emotional and easily confused, and often mistake 
connection for attraction or love.  I think it was pretty clear that 
what Cho needed from Harry was to talk with him about Cedric, to get 
it off her own chest, to talk to the one person who was with him when 
he died, to know if he thought of her before he died... and the only 
way she could think to make a conneciton with him was this awkward 
pseudo-romance that just ended up making her feel worse.

6. Sirius' death did NOT seem "important."  Now, I'm not saying Sirius 
isn't important to fans, or whatnot, but it didn't seem important or 
plot pivotal EXCEPT to take away yet another support strut from Harry 
and to hurt him some more.  And frankly, that kid's been an emotional 
punching bag his whole life.  Did Sirius need to die to show Harry he 
had to "go it alone?"  No, because he made strong efforts this whole 
year to do just that.  Did Sirius need to die to teach Harry not to 
"make mistakes and ignore his lessons?"  Sure, I suppose - if JKR was 
some sort of Old-Testament Lightning-Bolt Flinger.  I hope it gains 
more "meaning" in the last two books, because it really seemed to have 
naught in this one.  And yes, I think a funeral would have given it 
more "meaning."

7. Will Hermione realize that she's now made much MORE WORK for Dobby 
through her underhanded attempts to manipulate the Hogwarrts 
House-Elves?  Hopefullly... but somehow I doubt it.  Hermione is the 
Great Never-Wrong.

8. In the Howler (which DD explains that he sent) he tells Petunia 
"REMEMBER MY LAST."  Last what?  How does that connect to "the 
enchantment she took on when she took Harry in?"

9. AGAIN there are NO redeemable Slytherins.  What a disappointment.  
The Sorting Hat OBVIOUSLY doesn't go throwing all the little berks 
that get into the school into Slytherin, otherwise it wouldn't have 
considered Harry (who was a very sweet kid in the first book) for the 
House.  So where are the nice Slytherins?  Hiding?

10. Speaking of the Hat, we at last find out that Harry isn't the only 
one it talked to, and not the only one it debated Houses with!  Very 
nice, that it considered putting Hermione in RC (and thank GOD Luna 
asked the question so many of us have been asking for years!!)

11. I too got a definately "Luna/Ron" vibe, mostly from her side of 
it.  So whoever posted that, it wasn't just you.

12. Here's a nice one: In Azkaban, Sirius and Hagrid describe it as 
being trapped in your own worst memories, a terrible place, dark, 
sucking the soul out of you, driving you mad.  Hmm... what was Number 
12 to Sirius?  Maybe a dark place where he was trapped with his own 
worst memories in a place he couldn't ever get out of?  Hmm, somewhat 
like sending Harry back to the Dursley's every year, eh?  I'm sorry, 
but I just don't see where DD gets ANY pats on the back for what he 
keeps doing to Harry and for what he did to Sirius.  Surely there were 
other places Sirius could have stayed.  And DD himself said that as 
long as Harry returned to the Dursley's "once per year" he would be 
protected, so why not keep him there for a day - or a week - and then 
let him stay somewhere else??  Why not let Sirius stay at Lupin's 
house, or in dog form in Hagrid's hut with Fang (also a big black dog) 
until he needed to Floo in for meetings?  What is DD's problem with 
torturing these people?

13. I agree with whoever said that Lily seeing and commenting on 
Snape's "undies" made that scene even worse.  It must have made him 
crazy that he was trapped, helpless, unable to defend himself or even 
move away from what was being inflicted on him.  Couldn't even SPEAK 
about it.  And then James started CHOKING him with soap.  That scene 
infuriated me.  Lily coming to his rescue must have just heaped the 
humiliation on him, especially if she's pretty and popular (as she 
seems to be) and everything Snape couldn't have (whether or not he had 
a crush on her specifically).  That scene broke my heart, and it 
wasn't just the *bullying* that made it bad... it was the fact that 
they ganged up on him and held him completely immobile and helpless.  
And Lupin hiding in his book and frowning while they did it, and him a 
prefect!  Shame on him!

14. Speaking of Lupin, where was the caring, careful teacher who was 
always so interested in thoroughly explaining things to the trio?  
Couldn't HE have been the one to give poor Harry some info, since 
Sirius was too wild/sulky, DD too scared of LV and Molly too worried 
about Harry's feelings?  Lupin's always been a marvel at explaining 
things without making the exposition boring... hell, he got Harry to 
stand down when he was wound to the breaking point in the Shrieking 
Shack long enough to listen to Lupin & Sirius' side of the story.  
Where was that?  Lupin was sadly, sadly under-and-mis-used in this 
book.

15. I agree with those who felt this was a subpar ending.  Totally 
anticlimactic, a real letdown from all the pages and pages of 
beautifully layered buildup and work and development.  And back to the 
Dursley's AGAIN, without being told exactly how long he'll have to be 
there.  That's so wrong.