What I liked about DH (a positive post)

[krista7]

No: HPFGUIDX 173707

In light of recent posts asking for positive 
commentary on the book, I thought I'd share my list:

*I really liked the surprisingly nuanced vision of 
human "evil" here, with people able to move--if gradually--
from the constraints of prejudice, family, and social 
environment. We see someone from a horrible
family, absolutely lonely, a social pariah, in a 
racist environment--who rises above all that to
grasp the meaning of love, regardless of the risk 
to himself. We see Draco's family and their own slow
dawning awareness that the Voldemort choice is not for them. 
And this I think was especially well-done and 
realistic. Like Snape, the change is slow coming--but it 
*does* come, to the point that Draco is acknowledging
the trio--not mocking them, sneering at them, etc.--at
the station at the end. You get the sense that Draco 
and Harry's kids could believably become friends, unlike 
James and Snape, or Harry and Draco.

*Neville. What can one say? When all hope seemed lost, who
charged Voldemort personally, despite having been told for 
years that he was incompetent, pathetic, etc.? Neville's 
courage outweighed Harry's, to me, because Neville never 
had the mental comfort (or torture) of believing himself
"chosen" to do anything, and he certainly never had 
the one-one-ones with Dumbledore to give him any confidence.
Neville had every reason to believe he would die rushing
Voldemort, but Neville *still* did it. Fantastic!

*Molly Weasley and Narcissa Malfoy. If Lily is in the book
just as a distant figure of worship, Molly and Narcissa
show off the amazing strength of mothers and their love.
Molly--with presumably little recent practice of "ninja 
wandage" (to quote Jason Isaacs in the A&E special)--took
on Bellatrix, possibly the nastiest killer in Voldemort's
entourage. Narcissa dared to look him in the face and lie.
(Never mind the guts of going to Snape for her son, or asking
Harry about Draco--when Harry could've given her away, just
to use her as a distraction.) Moms rock here, and not just
as saintly cookie-baking figures. 

*Neville's grandma. Need I say more?

*The fact Harry gave Voldemort a choice to repent. That said
a great deal of Harry's character. (Just as his first impulse, 
when seeing "the ugly baby thing," was to go help.) 

*The fact Harry "killed" Voldemort with Expelliarmus--that, 
as ever, it was really Voldemort doing himself in.

*That despite the flawed Dumbledore we got to know
through the book, we were reunited with the AD we know
and love in the final scenes.

Krista