JKR answering fan concerns/correcting impressions (was: My Reaction)

[Cathy Drolet]

No: HPFGUIDX 134150

SSSusan:
Just picking this one little bit of Lupinlore's post to respond to.
I also felt this, to some degree.  Chapter 2, especially, and a
couple of other places in the book felt to me like JKR crossing
items off a list.  "Fan complaint #1?  Yes, took care of that.  Fan
misinterpretation #2?  Yep.  Fan concern #3?  Got it."  I mean, when
Bella asked all those questions in Spinner's End, and Snape provided
answers -- BING BING BING -- to them all, didn't anyone else feel
like JKR had created a list of most-often asked or complained-about
points and just got them out of the way?

Angel Lima said:

"I had been trying to bite my tongue on this. But yes! YES BING BING BING
YES!
HBP was a dastard disappointment. I remember putting the book away, shaking
my head and picking it up again to see if there were any pages left unread.
It felt as if JKR spent more time putting to rest rumours and miscontruals
than on what's to come. The red herring on HBP was an utter shocker too, I
remember feeling disgusted by that and the lack of Sirius angst. Still, it
had its moments."


Well, I'm so glad I'm not the only one that feels that way, although it
wasn't just chapter 2.  I thought the whole book was rather a long list of
answer questions, fleshed out responses to things she couldn't answer in
interviews, with a little story - a very little IMO - thrown in for good
luck.  I didn't find the HBP pronouncement particularly shocking as it had
passed through my mind how upset HP would be if it turned out to be Snape's
book.  I knew for certain when Snape showed up in the bathroom, knew exactly
what had happened to Malfoy and wanted to see the book.  I thought whole
Slughorn-giving-Harry-Snapes-old-book bit a tad ridiculous though, in all
honesty.  Snape may not have been teaching Potions that year but he is still
a potions master and I don't care what anyone says, would not have left his
book in that room.  In fact, I find it very difficult to believe that book
was ever out of his office.

The whole explanation about underage wizards doing magic outside of school
is still a bit odd, don't you think?  Harry was caught out when Dobby
smashed the pudding because Harry is the only wizard in that house so it
must be him.  But F&G can do magic at home and not get caught because the
ministry can't tell who in the house did the magic?  Ron and Hermione's
Lumos' at the QWC were not noticed because there were too many wizards to
count. Why, though, was there not a peck of owls when Arthur Weasley blew
apart the Dursley's living room, and later fixed Ton Tongued Dudley (GOF)?
Why was there not a herd of owls, and ministry wizards as well, the night
the Advance Guard showed up to take Harry away from Privet Drive?  That
time, in particular, I would think the ministry would be watching 4 Privet
Drive like a hawk trying to catch Harry again.  Oops, magic going on there
better swoop in.  It just doesn't add up..to me anyway.

One of my favourite moments, though - well really, anything to do with F&G
is a favourite - is Fred's left buttock.
Of course another is Ginny's absolute reaming out of Ron when he and Harry
walked in on Ginny and Dean kissing.  And of course her "A Pygmy Puff"
response to Harry's question about Ron's tattoo.


CathyD
DuffyPoo