Emotional connections with the characters

[Mike]

No: HPFGUIDX 172217

> Dung:
> > Over the weekend the only really strong reaction I had was 
> > laughing out loud when the twins left Hogwarts. I distinctly 
> > remember a sensation of shock in the pit of my stomach when I 
> > read Snape AKing DD the first time, but honestly, *as I'm re-
> > reading* I don't react much. The emotional reactions come later 
> > when I'm thinking about it and discussing things on-list, and 
> > even then, (and this is really difficult to put into words)
> > they're not really real emotions. 
> 
>
> Jen:  
> 
> There are several distinct emotional reactions I remember very 
> keenly from the moment of reading certain passages, like when my 
> surprise over the events on the tower was broken by sadness at this
> line: "...but there was still no preparation for seeing him here, 
> spread-eagled, broken:  the greatest wizard Harry had ever, or 
> would ever, meet."  The finality of those words moved me.

Mike:
I remember being quite emotional after both Sirius' and Dumbledore's 
deaths, that is only natural for anyone that loves these characters 
as much as we do. I admit to being much more sad for Sirius, him 
having to spend 12 years in that horrible prison and then having to 
be on the run from the law for the last three years of his life. I 
guess that's why I cut Sirius so much slack, I think he had as tough 
a life as Harry has without any of the accolades. Life sure wasn't 
fair to Sirius Black.

The funny thing is that JKR brought out the biggest emotions from me 
twice, completely different reactions, with *one* word each time.

1) The second time was in GoF. JKR set me up perfectly. Here's Harry 
having trouble with his best friend not believing him, the rest of 
the school shunning him as some kind of usurper of Cedric, and now 
he's got a secret rendezvous in a not so secret locale later with 
Sirius. So what the heck does Hagrid want to show him? And now he 
brings along Madame Maxime, sheesh, he doesn't have time for this. 
Then after walking around forever, even considering whether this is 
worth it, he rounds the corner to see:

DRAGONS

Oh boy, did that one surprise me. And scare me out of my wits for 
Harry. He's gotta fight *that*. How in the hell does one 14-year-old 
wizard contend with a dragon. And I knew right off, after Charlie 
explained the breeds, that Harry was getting the Hungarian Horntail.

2) The first time JKR got me, still gets me to this day. It's almost 
too painful to try to explain my feelings. It starts when Harry is 
crouching by that bush and thinking, "Where are you? Dad..." The 
sadness at what Harry has missed, not knowing his parents; especially 
knowing how much a 13-year-old boy needs his father and Harry can't 
have him. But Harry steps up to the plate, and manages to conjure the 
Patronus that saves his and the others past lives. But when that Stag 
Patronus returns to Harry's side, instead of simply dissolving away, 
I knew something special was happening. So when Harry reaches out his 
hand and whispers:

Prongs

I knew then that Harry had not used Lupin's "happy memory" to conjure 
his Patronus. No, Harry had used the *love* for a father he had never 
known to conjure his essence in the form of his Patronus. And it 
still saddened me to know that this was the closest Harry would get 
to his father.

That's my list. We'll see if JKR can top those in Deathly Hallows. 
But she's set the bar awfully high in mine eyes.

Mike