Last book woes

[pippin_999]

No: HPFGUIDX 145510


> Jen D. here:
> I tried to say this in our previous exchange but it was Christmas 
> Eve and things were chaotic but here's the thing: I believe you have 
> hit on the most important factor in Book 7, the fact that JKR has no 
> further books to clear things up, make things right, explain odd 
> plot points, deal with relationships, answer questions, find those 
> Horcruxes and deal with Voldemort. She has a whale of a job to do 
> and extremely little time to do it in and I fear she'll rely on 
> shorthand or worse a fair few deaths to eliminate the need to clear 
> things up. Wars have deaths. And they clear out plot threads fast as 
> well as create further motivation for winning the war. How far will 
> this thing go? How many pages will Book 7 be? I agree with Lupinlore 
> that we may all be saying "That's it?" about our favorite character 
> or plotline but it may be a little more final than we expected.

Pippin:
I don't think this will be as much of a problem as some readers are
imagining provided the book is judged on its own terms. Look at
GoF. In outline it has the same structure we might expect to find
in HP7: four tasks preceded by a Weasley confab and followed by
a showdown with LV, leading to a false climax, culminating in the
genuine climax in which All is Revealed. GoF had subplots
beyond subplots, including Rita Skeeter, the Crouch family saga,
Ron's jealousy, Karkaroff, Snape's backstory, Bagman, the Twins,
Krum's pursuit of Hermione, Harry's pursuit of Cho, House Elf
liberation and more, but JKR managed to work them all in. In
HP7 she won't be able to leave things hanging, but then she
doesn't have to introduce any major new characters or plotlines
either. 

Some saw unrealized possibilities in the Crouch saga, many readers
were hoping the Pensieve mystery woman would reappear as a femme 
fatale, there are people who aren't yet satisfied with JKR's cursory
explanations as to portkeys  or who think we should have
found out more about Bagman, but on its own terms the
book works.  I think HP7 will too. 

Pippin