DH: Epilogue, Unforgivables and Other Quick Thoughts

[elfundeb]

No: HPFGUIDX 172223

Short review:  I loved it, despite some obvious flaws.  Other than a few
moments during the tent-camping adventure, I felt that the story had an
intensity matched only by the second half of GoF.  I was especially pleased
at the handling of some of my favorite characters, especially Neville and
Ron.  I don't have time for a full review, so I've cobbled together a few
quick thoughts, plus a quick list of what I got right.

THE EPILOGUE

On its surface, it is banal, uninformative and reeks of bad fanfic.  But I
think that misses the point.  The function of the epilogue is clearly not to
convey the surface information.  It sets a mood, and beneath its banal
shippiness it tells us a lot.

Here's a link to Cheryl Klein's blog (she's with Scholastic):

http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/

I think she makes some good points.  However, I think the epilogue reveals
larger facts about the WW that cannot easily be conveyed otherwise.

In some corners there is disappointment because the defeat of Voldemort was
not accompanied by changes in the WW.  The Statute of Secrecy is still
there, the House system remains at Hogwarts, and there is no indication of a
new, less corrupt regime in power at the Ministry. JKR must have realized,
though, that this was too much to expect three young wizards to accomplish
within the boundaries of her story.  Their task was to defeat a wizard whose
existence pushed any debate of such reforms off the agenda entirely.

Harry's defeat of Voldemort has set the stage for changes in the WW, but it
will be for the next generation (or perhaps even the one after) to
implement.  Underneath the surface silliness of the Epilogue, it tells us
that this process is happening:  (1) Harry is comfortable with the
possibility that his son will be sorted into Slytherin, (2)  wizards seem to
be less isolated from the Muggle world, or else Ron would have magicked a
car to Kings Cross and not bothered with getting a muggle driver's license,
and (3) barriers will break down further in the next generation of wizards
(Ron, in his own way, all but foretold his daughter's marriage to Scorpius
Malfoy).   And above all, the WW is at peace; this generation's symbolic
outcast orphan is fed dinner by loving godparents four nights a week and
wins a part-veela girlfriend.

So while I don't love the epilogue, it's much more valuable as written than
would a catalogue of what all the significant surviving characters are doing
for a living these days.

UNFORGIVABLES

Too many Unforgivables were cast by Harry and co.  There may be concepts in
Wizarding law of self-defense and heat-of-battle exceptions, but I found
this unforgivable simply because JKR made them Unforgivable and used that
very point to illustrate how little separated the Death Eaters and the
Aurors under Barty Crouch Sr.

PERCY AND THE TWINS

I have long believed that the books are character-driven, and it is the
appeal of her characters that kept so many playing in her world for so
long.  JKR has a knack for building relationships (I am NOT talking about
SHIPs) that are believable.  But I don't think she understands what she has
done.  The Weasley family, for example, has a very believable dynamic, with
sufficient dysfunction and enough underlying love to carry the day.
However, she seems not to have understood the dynamic she created, and how
the Twins' relentless persecution of Percy contributed to the rift.  Percy
had a lot to apologize for, but JKR hands him all the blame, and then kills
off Fred (who I acknowledge, despite my personal dislike of many of their
jokes, was the most quirkily brilliant of all the Weasleys), leaving him no
opportunity for personal growth.  (She didn't give Percy any personal growth
either, considering his brief treatment in the epilogue.)

 THINGS I GOT RIGHT

Harrycrux, including the fact that Harry would survive, even though I never
got around to posting the magnus opus defense of the theory.

DD asked Snape to kill him.  Snape was not happy about it.  Also, that Snape
was not DDM because he liked DD's agenda, but for his own, personal
reasons.  TEWW EWW (and the desire for personal redemption that fueled his
loyalty to DD thereafter) is much more OFH! than DDM!, which I suspect is
one reason why many Snapefans are more distraught at the outcome than those
who were sure he was ESE!
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/142005

And, finally, JKR's interviews are not canon, because Grindelwald was not
dead as she had claimed.  I think some readers are contemplating going after
JKR with  pickaxes after repudiating that claim.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/55957

Don't ask me about the deaths.  Aside from Snape, everyone whose demise I've
ever predicted is still walking this earth. :-)  And I got a gazillion other
things wrong too.

Debbie


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