OOP: pre-release spoilers regret

[karenkyla3]

No: HPFGUIDX 63016

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Tara Blackman" <ttb827 at y...> 
wrote:
> --- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "mtwelovett" <mbush at l...> 
wrote:
> > Things that I thought were harmless teasers that I was sorry to 
have
> > known:
> > 
> > 1. Someone dies... because as I read it, I thought Percy was 
going 
> to
> > die, then Mr Weasley, then Hagrid, then Hermione, then Umbridge 
> (which
> > I would have cheered for) then Hermione again, then Ron 
(especially
> > with the blood bubbling from his mouth)... 
> 
> The other thing we knew- that JKR said she considered that person a 
> *major* character. So when Mr Weasley was attacked, I started 
crying 
> thinking this was it... But then he was okay. On the flip side, 
when 
> Harry was dreaming that Sirius was being tortured, I thought that 
he 
> would end up being fine, and that someone else would go. I thought 
> that killing Sirius was a major stunner and I can't wait to see how 
> JKR will have them all dealing with his death. I thought she did a 
> great job with Harry's shock/denial/grief. I cried from when 
> Dumbledore shed a tear to when Harry went to Nick to see if Sirius 
> could come back. 
> 
> Tara (first time posting- woo hoo!)

Me now:

Ya know, as much as I might rant against them now, I really secretly 
love pre-release hints and trying to figure it out on my own.  My 
frustration this time was that the clues seemed to be pretty 
deliberately wrong.  Or at least it seemed that way to me.  The major 
character that was going to die was described as a 'big fan' of 
Harry's and I certainly wouldn't describe Sirius as a big fan.  He 
was a father-figure, a friend, a comrade.  He loved and supported 
Harry, he wasn't a mere "fan".  Fans are the Creeveys or Dobby, maybe 
even Hagrid sometimes.  argh.  Then the whole prediction that readers 
would be quite surprised by the new Gryffindor Quidditch captain.  
Which had me thinking well, it must not be Angelina who was the 
obvious choice - pretty much anyone established as a previous good 
player was an obvious choice, the more upperclass the more likely.  
Which I mean, the whole point is for you NOT to know ahead of time, 
but a the same time it's just frustrating because I would have had 
better guesses without the help.  

Stac (who always has to throw a tantrum when things don't go her way)