OOP: Funniest bits, disbelief, knowledge in HP etc.

[Dan Feeney]

No: HPFGUIDX 62466

Well, did anyone else find (p. 284UK) 'Yeah, Quirrell was a great 
teacher,' said Harry loudly, 'there was just that minor drawback of 
him having Lord Voldemort sticking out of the back of his head....' 
hilarious? Also when Snape (or HP) inadvertantly knocks over his 
successful potion after handing it in class? I mean, I laughed aloud 
at both, not without wincing at the same time, in the latter one. 
(Snape fan here.)
Does anyone find the "disappointment" expressed by some about this 
latest novel to be quite similar to the response of MoM - 
disbelieving? I mean, I have made the comparison between the function 
of the novels in relationship to adult readers and the function of 
the magical world and the muggle world in the novels. OOP extends and 
broadens this. Certainly nothing in the new book contradicts this - 
I'm so happy nothing contradicts my fan fiction either. I even said 
MoM took over the school in year five. 10 points for me! And good for 
Parvati (my favourite "minor" character) and her reducto.
The fact that a whack of aurors greet the Dursleys at the station 
might seem a breech - a breaking of barriers, precident set by AD's 
howler. It is an incipient flood, I'm guessing.
Also, what is the new Slytherin group going to be named, the one 
that's formed in response to DA after the disbanding of the 
inquisitors? Draco's Allies?
Finally, notice how carefully Rowling metes out glimpses of LV to 
students? I mean, it's still only HP and GW who've actually seen Tom. 
My assumption is that DA will get their glimpse later.
Some thought the fight scene artificial. Myself, I loved it - we got 
to see some of the DoM, hints at the core of the "power." But the 
time of AD and Fawkes is drawing to a close, methinks - that is why 
the scene had a sense of closure to it.
But it was Knowledge at centre place. I had argued that knowledge was 
highly controlled in Rowling, that Harry was successful insofar as he 
was ignorant, in some ways. Rowling has addressed that as the central 
issue in this book, and thank goodness. This is probably the 
disappointment some have over the book, I say, the loss of ignorance 
looks like loss of innocence. Wrong, of course, they are distinct, at 
least outside of the garden of eden, anyway.
More later. Love reading the comments.