How has HBP effected your favorite characters?

[sbursztynski]

No: HPFGUIDX 134521

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "prep0strus" 
<prep0strus at y...> wrote:
> "Tammy" <elsyee_h at y...> wrote:
> > In general, how did HBP effect who your favorite characters 
were 
> > and how? (feel free to add your least favorites as well!)
> 
> Good question!  In general, I think Ginny came off great, 
Dumbledore
> and Snape both had an amazing book that will only really be 
understood after the final book, and we got a little more of Lupin.
> 
> But my actual FAVORITE (admitedly minor) character, didn't 
even get an appearance - Lee Jordan!  5 books of backin' up the 
Weasely twins,
> smart talking at Quidditch, and then he's gone, without even a 
bit of
> exposition to tell how he's doing. :(
> 
> I also was really disappointed in poor old Ron - there has to be 
more
> to him, and I thought this was his book.  Those chess skills 
should
> extrapolate into something else, shouldn't they?  Ron's a great
> character, but I was hoping this was the book that JKR would 
give him
> a little more.  I hope I'm not disappointed in him by the end.
> 
> I feel that most of our characters were put on pause in this 
book,
> waiting.  Neville did less than he did in previous books, Luna 
barely
> got to grow, and if anybody else was hoping, like I was, that the 
DA
> would become a school-age Order of the Phoenix, with 
individual
> members coming into their own, you were, like, I was, 
disappointed. 
> McGonagal, who really shone in 5, once again faded to the 
back burner.  And, I agree, where's Moody?
> 
> I know that 7th book has to be about Harry, and about Snape, 
and about Voldemort and saving the world and Ron/Hermione 
consumating their rather tepid relationship... but I hope the 
legions of minor
> characters that JKR has invested her time and our emotions in 
get
> their payoff as well.  If Dumbledore's right, and it's about love,
it
> can't just be about 'The Chosen One' loving enough for 
everyone - it
> has to be everyone loving him, and they all should have a part 
to
> play.  I hope they do.
> 
> Hm, I don't think I precisely answered the question, but that's 
my
> take on the characters in Book 6 anyway.
> 
> ~Prep0strus


Sue here:

Good point about the minor characters - I did enjoy the fun JKR 
had with the new commentators (don't forget, Lee Jordan was a 
dyed-in-the-wool Gryffindor and showed his bias too). I, too, 
missed Mad-Eye - the problem is, the Mad-Eye we thought we 
knew was actually Barty Crouch Jr, so it would be like having a 
new character - he didn't do much in OoP. I thought there'd be 
more Luna and, yes, DA. 

But if the next book takes place away from Hogwarts, we will be 
out of our comfort zone anyway. It will be Harry and Snape, LV 
and Draco and maybe Harry will have some help from Lupin snd 
the last bits of the OoP. I will be very annoyed, though, if she 
doesn't tie up the loose ends of such characters as Neville and 
Luna. I really thought those two would come into their own in this 
book, as much stronger characters.

I have said in another post that I am going to wait and see with 
Snape - he isn't yet in my bad books!

One thing, though - if, as has been said, it's about love - and I 
think it is - it seems to me that those characters who are capable 
of loving, or of being loved, are capable of redemption. I don't 
think LV is going to be redeemed, any more than Sauron! In this 
book he showed he couldn't love and didn't want any. But Draco - 
a character who has been pretty 2-dimensional stereotyped till 
now, has suddenly become a frightened teenager whose mother 
loves him, whatever you think of his father, and who cares about 
his family. I think he will be redeemed.

Harry has definitely improved from the last book, and has 
become the kind of hero who is capable of going on that quest. 
(Oh, that scene in the cave, where he is having to take DD 
through that agony! I got a lump in the throat! The earlier Harry 
couldn't have done this task)
Possibly he's made a mistake in turning down Ginny's love - he 
needs all the love he can get, and, let's face it, all LV needs to do 
is attack any member of the Weasley family, not just his 
girlfriend.