As for me... things I liked and didn't like in OotP

[Alia]

No: HPFGUIDX 64655

Hello all,

Just had to post this somewhere and here works respond away -flames 
are fine if that really floats your boat.Before you go on, as this is 
a list of what I liked, loved, hated and didn't like, there will 
obviously be some spoilers. Don't read if you don't know, or want to 
know what kinds of things might be included in such lists. :)
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Things I HATED:
1)That Harry wasn't made a prefect.
2)That of all people, RON, was instead (who hasn't done anything 
except on Harry's coatails).
3)The backtracking on how Harry does in classes. Past books have only 
mentioned that Harry did at least moderately well, and certainly 
better than Ron (never fully stated, but clearly implied) - now she 
makes a note to say that Harry did only barely passing and just as 
bad as Ron.
4)The bitter unfairness of that cow of a DADA teacher, and of the 
system that allowed her to do the things she did (the MOM) - This, I 
admit is my very own thing - I had a similar teacher allowed to do 
similar things (and worse) in my own early school days - it stresses 
me.
5)Not knowing (and likely having to wait three years or more) for the 
OWL results.

Things I didn't really like:
1)Sirius dieing. It's not that I can't handle angst, but... I need 
some redeaming quality to the end of a story, and, the death of 
Sirius, how it happened, how easily it could have been avoided... 
Very upsetting. I understand that these things happen, and that it's 
all part of a larger journy that JKR is taking us on - I hope 
something good will come of this in the remaining books. I don't 
need, or want an all happy ending, but a glimmer of hope...
2)Harry even *trying* the Cruciatus!!! Where the hell did *that* come 
from?!
3)Why couldn't Harry see the Thestrals before? We know from what he 
hears around dementors that he witnessed his mother's death at least -
 the memory of a flash of green that he had even before that suggests 
he might even have *seen* it... if this is deliberate and not 
a 'flint', I would have liked to have had this explained.
4)Maybe I missed it, I was reading it really quickly early, and 
haven't had time to re-read it (at a conference last weekend), but 
when did he get the mauraders map back?  Fake Moody had it last time 
I checked.

Things I liked:
1)The interraction with the Dursley's: Harry wanting to listen to the 
news and Vernon not believing him, him sneaking around to hear what 
is going on...
2)Harry being on alert and saving Dudley's sorry hide, whether he 
deserves it or not.
3)The screaming portrait of Sirius' mother. I don't like her - hate 
her, but the image of a snoozing portrait with fluttering black 
curtains hiding her, screaming obscenities every time she's awakened -
 it just cracked me up.

Things I LOVED:
1)JKR's continuing brilliant use of language and 'real' myth and 
history to spin another captivating tale!
2)The popular 'rebellion' against that cow Umbridge. Minerva shutting 
her down, Dumbledore fixing it so that even after he's been 'forced 
out' even the building still recognising him as being in charge and 
locking her out of his office, even Snape being less than 
accomodating, nobody helping her undo the twins pranks, or making any 
real effort at catching others for pranking her... loved that.
3)That Dumbledore finally admitted that he'd been wrong to keep all 
this from Harry. It seemed harsh at the time, but I think it'll do a 
lot to help Harry grow - not just to know that Dumbledore isn't 
perfect, but also to know that Dumbledore *truly* deserves and earns 
his respect by standing up (figuratively) admitting his error and 
doing what he can to make amends from here out. *That* above all 
makes him a great man (much less wizard). I hope he burns out his 
anger, and learns this.

Alright, that's enough from me. Cheers, all for reading.

~Alia