my DH reactions minus Snape

[Sherry Gomes]

No: HPFGUIDX 172498

No Snape in this one, because we'll be discussing him for years to come, and
I'd like to touch on some other things.  These thoughts are in no particular
order.

still confused.
I do not get the whole deathly Hallows thing at all.  Did Harry end up
Master of death?  But he still destroyed the Horcruxes.  How did Harry live
in the end?  If his mother's blood in Voldemort tethered him to life when
Voldemort killed him in the forest, then how did he live when Voldemort
tried it again in the great Hall?  I just don't get it, and I'd be glad for
clarification.


Things I loved or that moved me or made me laugh.

Ron Saving Harry was great.  At first I was thinking, oh no, not Ron and
Harry fighting again, but I was sure Ron would come back.

In fact, I loved how the trio seemed to mature over the year and worked
together as a smooth team.  I particularly liked and understood why it was
to Ron and Hermione that Harry wanted to talk after the end of Voldemort.
The strength of their friendship was the best part of the book and entire
series.

Kreacher's tale was one of the most moving things in the book to me.  It was
one of the few times I cried while reading, thinking of both Kreacher and
Regulus.  

loved molly being the one to get Bella!  We've debated molly's personality
for a long time, and I loved seeing her take some strong action and do her
part in the war.

Neville.  How to say how wonderful Neville's parts were.  His character has
grown and matured and strengthened with every book, and I was glad to see
him come into his own, show his leadership and courage.  I was scared when
Voldemort put the hat on his head and started it on fire and cheered when he
cut off Nagini's head.  Hey, how did the Sorting hat not burn up anyway?

I loved Potter Watch.  In real world wars, people do communicate that way,
give information and seek it.  Even in the wizarding world, something as
simple as radio was so useful.

In fact, JKR used some interesting ways to give information to Harry, and to
us, things like the radio, overheard conversations, Voldemort's thoughts.

The argument between Harry and Lupin was great!  Yes, it was about time
somebody called Lupin on his self-pitying poor little me attitude.  I had
never disliked Lupin more than when he wanted to cop out and leave his wife
and child, playing up his poor little werewolf status and expecting sympathy
from Harry.  I laughed and applauded when Harry told him off, but I was also
glad when they saw each other again and Lupin asked Harry to be godfather.

I thought Dobby's death and burial was the most moving moment of all in the
book, even more than Harry's walk toward death with his parents, Sirius and
Lupin.  more about that walk in a minute.  The image of Harry manually
digging the grave, the others coming to help him and the words he put on the
stone, will live with me for a long time.   

I actually loved the battle for Hogwarts.  I loved the McGonagall and her
desks, the suits of armor, the Mandrakes, even Grawp.  I particularly
enjoyed the role of the DA.

The walk to death.  I know that was supposed to be very moving, and it was,
but I found myself thinking, is that it?  That's all?  That's the oh so
important reason Sirius had to die, so he can accompany Harry to his death?
I was very disappointed.

I liked Lily.  I've been so afraid I would not like her, because having been
raised by my father, I've almost resented the way fathers are portrayed so
negatively and mothers so wonderfully in the series.  I've sarcastically
called Lily, "the sainted Lily".  But I liked her a lot.  In the Snape
memory scene, I saw a strong girl, a person who befriended people not based
on their looks or standing in the community.  She was a friend to Sev, even
as he turned more toward his death eater type friends, even though she knew
he called other Muggle Borns mudblood.  She tried to accept him and be his
friend, till she couldn't do it anymore.  

All I'll say about Snape here is that I agree with whoever said earlier
today, that perhaps Snape's worst memory is the worst because of calling
Lily mudblood and not because of the incident with the Marauders.  


And of course, there has to be some things I didn't like.  I thought there
was way too much camping.  I missed seeing the other characters.  The scene
in the home of Bathilda Bagshot.  ewwww.  And mostly, Harry using
unforgivable curses.  It's one thing, in a war, for a soldier to have to
kill, but to torture is quite another.  It unsettled me a lot and I wondered
if there couldn't have been other ways for Harry to handle those situations.

I was very glad we didn't see Hermione's torture first hand, as hearing it
was bad enough!

And what about Wormtail?  Did the silver hand punish him for feeling a bit
of concern about Harry, and is that why it strangled him?  That was another
confusing moment for me.

Overall, I think I liked it, though after I finished it the first time, I
felt let down, disappointed and almost like I'd been reading an elaborate
fan fiction story.  I had to think about it a few days for it to settle in
and for me to see its strengths and the great things about it.

How did Hagrid get away from the spiders anyway?  Did I miss that?

Sherry