OOP: Disappointing

[Scott]

No: HPFGUIDX 66227

.(Quotes belong to Phyllis)
I understand your frustrations, although I admit that I liked OOP 
for some of the same reasons you *dis*liked it. It was a departure 
though and I can see why that was disconcerting (and even 
disappointing) to some people.

PHYLLIS DISLIKED
"1. ...Voldemort could have easily Appararated into the Ministry 
disguised as an Unspeakable (or under an Invisibility Cloak, or 
disillusioned) and gone after the prophecy. And we keep hearing that 
Dumbledore is the only one Voldemort was ever afraid of (other than 
Harry, of course!), so it doesn't seem as if any member of the Order 
other than Dumbledore could have kept a disguised Voldy out of the 
prophecy room."
--This really doesn't make sense to me either. I kept thinking that 
the security wizard would be mentioned as having been killed by a DE 
or something, but that didn't happen. And, I know people have 
brought this up, but at the point Harry et al. go into the Ministry 
via the phonebooth he was still considered a "nutcase" and a liar 
who likes to play the hero. If there is ANY sort of screening 
process for people entering the MoM then I feel sure "Harry Potter-
Rescue Mission" would be right up there on the NO ADMITTANCE LIST 
with "Voldemort-Murdering Spree" or something similar. 

"Percy's prefect badge was silver in SS/PS, but Ron's is gold and 
scarlet"
--I'm afraid JKR is suffering from movie corruption and the 
profusion of red and gold. Did anyone else laugh out loud when at 
the Quidditch match everyone wore scarves in their house colours. 
Suddenly all these kids have green and silver, or red and gold 
scarves that were never mentioned before...don't get me wrong I LOVE 
the scarvestoo, but I found it amusing that Jo liked them enough to 
write them into the books.

"No one from the Order guarding the prophecy when the DEs show up at 
the end"
--Like I said I thought they'd been killed by the DEs, but 
apparently not...


"No mention of Halloween whatsoever"
--No mention of Harry's birthday either, and that's a first. Well 
there was a passing mention of his "birthday card" but the day 
itself was a non-issue.

"Harry going to the trouble of using the fire in Umbridge's office 
instead of using the 2-way mirror to talk to Sirius"
--I don't think this was a mistake at all. When Harry got the 
package he said he wasn't going to use it, and with everything else 
going on I'm not suprised he forgot. This just seems to be part of 
the idea that, in all honesty, it was Harry's foolishness that 
brought about Sirius's death. I'm not the only person who has put 
forth this idea, but I'm not sure what the overall concensus is.

PHYLLIS LIKED
"5. Finding out that Arabella Figg is a squib, and that squibs 
can communicate with their cats."
--I don't understand why people are assuming this. I could swear 
that I read in a JKR interview that Miss Figg breeds Kneazles, but 
that could be a fandom concept that I've gotten confused. In any 
case it makes more sense (to me) that Mr. Tibbles and for that 
matter Mrs. Norris are kneazles then to think Squibs are possessed 
by only one rather odd ability.

"7. Hermione's patronus is an otter! I'll be doing a separate post 
on that..."
--JKR did say that the otter is her favourite animal so I wasn't too 
suprised that it's Hermione's patronus. Just another detail that 
backs up the idea that "Hermione-is-Jo-in-HP". Even with that aside 
I think it fits nicely with Hermione's character...can't wait to 
read your post on the subject.

Scott