OOP: Disappointing

[annemehr]

No: HPFGUIDX 66148

------ In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Phyllis" 
<erisedstraeh2002 at y...> wrote:
> I've been away from a computer since OoP was released, and I'm 
afraid 
> it's hopeless at this point to try to catch up on all of the 
message 
> that have transpired since, so I beg your forgiveness if I repeat 
a 
> point that someone has already made.

Annemehr:
Hello to you and the rest of the group!  I'm going to jump back in 
with my first post-OoP post by replying to this message which piqued 
my interest (as a family member is recovering well from surgery, 
which has put me also hopelessly behind).

Phyllis: 
> I almost hate to write this, since it's so negative, but here 
goes – 
> I was very disappointed in OoP.  I thought it lacked the momentum, 
> the energy, the excitement, the tricks and the humor that made the 
> first four books so terrific.

Annemehr:
I can understand feeling that way, but I actually laughed more 
during the first reading of this book than in any of  the others. Of 
course, partly that's because two of the "things you /know/ will be 
in OoP" predictions came true so spectacularly: that Ron would talk 
with his mouth full, and that bodily functions would be mentioned 
(kudos to whoever posted those)!  As I couldn't put the book down, I 
guess I don't think it lacked momentum, but that's just a purely 
personal opinion.

I do agree that the book was very different from the first four, but 
I also think that was very fitting given what had just happened at 
the end of the previous term.

Phyllis: 
> Here's what particularly bothered me:
> 
> 1.	Why are we exposed for the first time to wizards who can 
> change their appearance, Vanishing Spells and Disillusionment 
Charms 
> when Voldemort doesn't attempt to use any of the above to go after 
> the prophecy? <snip>

Annemehr:
Disillusionment charms are mentioned more than once in FBAWTFT, as 
some of the magical beasts, when kept by wizards, are required to be 
kept under this charm so Muggles don't see them.  Vanishing spells 
just seem to fit right in as a new spell Harry finds out about, and 
which you might expect to see in the wizarding world.  I do agree 
with you about the Metamorphmagus, though -- it seems to be one of 
those things JKR introduced to use in a future book, but to me it's 
probably always going to feel a bit like deus ex machina.

Phyllis:
> Granted, the Order was standing guard, but once the 
> snake attacked Arthur Weasley, Voldemort could have easily 
> Appararated into the Ministry disguised as an Unspeakable (or 
under 
> an Invisibility Cloak, or disillusioned) and gone after the 
> prophecy.

Annemehr:
I imagine Lord Thingy would always want to risk a DE first on a 
dangerous job if he could.

Phyllis:
> 2.	The Thestrals:  When we first learn that the only people who 
> can see thestrals are those that can see death, I immediately 
started 
> to wonder why Harry can only see them after Cedric's death when he 
> saw his Mum die as a baby.  I kept hoping that an explanation 
would 
> be provided, but when none came by the end of the book, I was very 
> disappointed.  IMO, this is a major flint.>

Annemehr:
Although it took me a while, I was actually okay with this by the 
end of the book.  The experience of witnessing someone's death 
changes you, but not all at once.  As a baby, Harry experienced his 
mother's strong emotions as well as a great catastrophy happening 
around him, but was not /aware/ that this was death.  After Cedric's 
death, Harry was so drained and exhausted that he did not begin 
processing what happened to him for a while (which I think is well 
displayed in GoF).  However, I also would have liked to have seen 
more of an explanation of this in the text, during the CoMC lesson 
or in a conversation with Luna (I liked her!).

Phyllis: 
> 3.	Sirius' Death:  Several things bothered me here.  The first 
> was the way he died – taunting his cousin.  How arrogant is that?  
> Couldn't he have died a more noble death – in the midst of a 
proper 
> duel, perhaps?

Annemehr:
This wasn't noble, because he merely taunted Bellatrix?  He put 
himself in great danger because he found out his godson had been 
lured into a trap!  So what if he taunted her; maybe he was just 
trying to get her angry so she would make mistakes.  No, to me this 
just shows how suddenly death can take you.

Phyllis:
  The second was that I didn't feel as if we had enough 
> character development on Sirius to warrant Harry's feeling of 
grief.

Annemehr:
Yes, we've been debating this for a while on this list, haven't we?  
I guess that for Harry, who has never had anyone like a parent that 
he can remember, he might well make a very quick attatchment when he 
found out just who Sirius was.

Phyllis:
> 4.	The Prophecy:  We had already pretty much figured this out – 
> the only twist for me was that it could have been Neville.  I 
think I 
> expected JKR to come up with something more clever than what I had 
> already concluded.  And Voldy already seems determined to 
personally 
> kill Harry – what would he really gain by hearing the rest of the 
> prophecy?

Annemehr:
He would gain the knowledge that /Dumbledore/ couldn't kill him!  He 
would never have the same fear of him again!  Actually, given his 
supreme arrogance, he might well lose all fear of Dumbledore, which 
would work to D's advantage, so maybe that wouldn't be all bad...

Phyllis: 
> 5.	Inconsistencies/Unanswered Questions:  <snipping most as I 
either agree or have no brilliant ideas on> ...No one from the 
> Order guarding the prophecy when the DEs show up at the end...

Annemehr: Well, obviously Voldemort would have taken care that no 
one was there, but you do wonder how he did it..

Phyllis:
>Harry going to the trouble of using 
> the fire in Umbridge's office instead of using the 2-way mirror to 
> talk to Sirius...

Annemehr:
But Harry /always/ forgets about his presents, and anyway, he put 
this one away and out of his mind because he thought if he used it 
(and he didn't even know what it was at the time), it would lure 
Sirius out of the safety of his house.


Phyllis: 
> 6.	Harry's temper:  This really took me by surprise.  Harry 
> starts the book by taunting Dudley and it just escalates from 
there.  
> This is so unlike the Harry of the first four books – the Harry 
that 
> says nothing when Lucius Malfoy tells him in CoS that he'll meet 
the 
> same sticky end as his parents.  Granted, Harry's getting older, 
but 
> I thought his temperament change was a bit too abrupt to be 
> believable.

Annemehr:
Ah, but I thought this was just right, although it /was/ difficult 
to read.  Many people are putting it down to Harry being 15, but to 
me this is only maybe 30 percent of the reason.  Remember that Harry 
had just gone through a very horrible experience.  I personally 
agreed with many on this list who hoped, before OoP came out, 
that /someone/ would see to Harry over the summer, looking out for 
his emotional health and trying to help him heal his psychological 
wounds.  Instead, apparantly because Dumbledore thought it was 
neccessary to preserve his life, the very worst was done to him: he 
was left completely alone and in the dark, and this was never 
sufficiently remedied even after he rejoined the others.  Here is 
what bothers me: before sending Harry home at the end of GoF, 
Dumbledore never took Harry aside for just a few words on what to 
expect; would just a few words have spoiled Dumbledore's plan to 
conceal from Voldemort how closely he works with Harry?  How 
closely /has/ he worked with Harry, anyway?

Phyllis: 
> 7.	Dumbledore-Harry relationship:  Dumbledore says he didn't 
> tell Harry about the prophecy because he loved him too much.  As 
with 
> Sirius, I don't see how Harry and Dumbledore have had enough 
> interaction in order for Dumbledore to have developed such a 
love.  
> Dumbledore "watching" Harry's accomplishments isn't a basis for 
love, 
> IMO.

Annemehr:
See above, although I can believe Dumbledore does love Harry and 
hasn't shown it much.  Harry used to admire and trust Dumbledore, 
and phoenix song reminded him of Dumbledore, but I'm not sure where 
that turns into love.

Phyllis: 
> 1.	I was happy to see Ron get a bit of glory for once.

Annemehr:
Yes!  I especially liked how Ron's year as keeper worked out, 
because it was such a wonderful opportunity for him to develop.  Ron 
always worried too much about what other people thought of him, and 
he's now spent months working on that problem.  First of all, it 
took guts for him just to decide to keep showing up for Quidditch 
despite how badly things were going for him.  Beyond that, he 
continued his efforts to concentrate on a difficult task in front of 
scores of jeering and disappointed people until that last successful 
game.  He overcame his self-consciousness and then he got the glory! 
It was great to see after all that Jealous!Ron and Betrayed!Ron 
stuff from before!

Phyllis:
> 3.	I guessed correctly on the Room of Requirement!

Annemehr:
Yay!  I guessed correctly on the Department of Mysteries!

Phyllis:
> 
> 4.	Neville's improvement under Harry's defense against the dark 
> arts teaching.
> 
> 5.	Finding out that Arabella Figg is a squib, and that squibs 
> can communicate with their cats.
> 
> 6.	Wondering what Dudley heard when attacked by the dementors.
> 
> 7.	Hermione's patronus is an otter! 

Annemehr:
Ditto.

And now I'll add another thing that I liked: that family tree 
tapestry in Sirius' house!  I found it fascinating for some reason, 
and full expect that it's actually magical in some way; that it 
confers certain advantages on those whose names are on it (and 
that's my first prediction).

I also loved the Snape/James character development.  But -- weren't 
we supposed to find out more about Lily?  I was also very happy to 
see McGonagall's development, and hope to see more of her!

To sum up, I was very pleased with OoP even though much was so 
upsetting.  I would have thought it was very strange if it wasn't, 
given the rise of Voldemort again.  I think a lot has happened, and 
after I let it all sink in, I too will be asking "when is the sixth 
book coming out?"

Annemehr