CHAPDISC: DH, EPILOGUE.

[eggplant107]

No: HPFGUIDX 185348

"kneazlecat54" <12newmoons at ...> wrote:

> One of the complaints about the epilogue is
> that it is heteronormative. Is that a fair critique? 

No it is not, not every work of fiction is required to make a
comment abut gay people, and if you want to send a message 
use Email.

By the way, this is the very first time I've seen the word
"heteronormative" in my life, I hope it is the last.
Words like that are just too diphesadore for me, at least in a
klogknee sort of way they are if you don't count the refungent
parameters of the epicenters. 
 
> James and Albus have very low opinions of
> Slytherin House, despite their parents' 
> attempt to teach them otherwise. 

Harry tells Albus that he won't mind one bit if he's sorted into
Slytherin, he says he'll be happy as a clam because Slytherin house is
a Jim Dandy house, yes indeed, just Jim Dandy. Happy happy happy Harry
tells his son he will be behind clenched teeth. If I were on that
train station I'd tell my son the exact same thing, but I'd be lying
through my teeth as I'm certain Harry was. I do not believe
for one second that Harry was indifferent about which house his
only son who inherited Lilly's eyes was sorted into. If Albus was
sorted into Slytherin I think Harry would be devastated, but he'd
never let his son know that. Fortunately I think that is very unlikely
to happen, the hat doesn't seem to put people in houses
that they hate. 
  
> If there is no difference (at least officially) among houses,
> why is there still a Sorting Hat? 

I saw nothing to suggest officially or unofficially that now there
is no difference among houses. It's a fact that some people are braver
than others, some are smarter than others, some are harder workers
than others, and some are meaner than others. That is a
fact now and it will be a fact in 19 years.

> Do you agree with Harry's opinion of Snape?

I agree that Snape was a very brave man, but I also agree with the
opinion Harry had in book 1, Snape was a very unpleasant man; I
certainly wouldn't want to spend more time with him than I had to.

And yet in what is perhaps the ultimate test of virtue I'd have to say
that the world would have been be a poorer place if 
Severus Snape had never been born, and that I think is why Harry named
his son after him; but if Snape were still alive I still
don't think Harry would want to hang around with him,
nor do I think Snape would appreciate the company.

> In SS, the Sorting Hat considers putting Harry in Slytherin 
> because, among his other traits, Harry has "a nice thirst 
> to prove yourself" (SS 121). We know that when Voldemort 
> attempted to curse Harry, he inadvertently created a connection
> between Harry and himself. Do you think that any of Harry's
> personality or behavior was influenced by this bit of Voldemort?

No. There is nothing wrong with having a bit of ambition and trying to
prove yourself, in fact it is a virtue. And artistically it
would be poison if at the end of 7 books it turned out that Harry's
emotions that we've been reading about for years have all been
canned and just came from Voldemort. If true then even after
reading thousands of pages Harry would still be a stranger.
That would suck!

> What would Harry see if he looked once more into the
> Mirror of Erised? 

Harry would see the entire world groveling at his feet.
Just kidding. Probably he would see lots of happy grandchildren.

 Eggplant