OoP: Mixed feelings (spoilers)

[GulPlum]

It took me a little longer than I'd expected to finish the book (around 
11pm last night)  and I thought I'd sleep on my thoughts to get them into 
some kind of perspective. I've kept away from online discussions elsewhere 
(and frankly don't know if I *want* to catch up with the hundreds of 
messages on the main list!) although I've read what folks here have to say. 
I shall try not to repeat the comments others have made, and assume they 
are taken as accepted.

Spoilers forthcoming... Any quotes refer, of course, to the Bloomsbury edition.

As the subject indicates, I can't make my mind up whether or not I like 
this book.

My basic problem (as with PS and GoF) is the foundation of the plot. In 
other words, what is the point of the Prophecy Room? And related thereto, 
I'm curious about how the glass orbs are created, and perhaps more 
relevantly, WHY? Do *all* (human, wizard) predictions result in orbs being 
created? If so, to what end? Have Ron's correct (if jokey) predictions made 
during the course of Divination lessons resulted in the shelves filling up? 
If predictions do not automatically create an orb, then who decides that a 
prediction "qualifies" for inclusion? And how does that person know about 
the prediction's existence?

Dumbledore implies that he is the only person who is aware of the full 
wording of the prophecy, yet at least the Keeper of the Hall of Prophecy 
knew enough to decide to re-label the "official record" (all p. 742). Why 
hasn't Voldemort (and the DEs) gone after him/her before? Who is s/he? 
Rookwood worked for the Department, but he wasn't the Keeper (otherwise 
Voldemort would have known more than he does).

Considering getting his hands on the Prophecy was so important to 
Voldemort, I consider Dumbledore to have made one massive and fundamental 
blunder which he didn't recognise in his speech to Harry (and neither did 
Harry). It's a plot hole which JKR clearly didn't spot herself either.

Over the Christmas break, it became clear that Voldemort was aware of his 
psychic connection with Harry. Why the hell didn't Dumbledore just take 
Harry on a visit to the Hall of Prophecy to get the orb and destroy it 
there and then? Of course, Harry hadn't started Occlumency training and 
thus it would have been dangerous for him to have known the content, and 
there are several ways to protect him from that knowledge at that time. 
(Harry got the orb to Neville who ultimately dropped and smashed it, so it 
seems that whilst only the subject(s) of the prophecy can take it from the 
shelf, others can handle it without going mad).

Alternatively, Snape was aware that Harry was seeing visions of the Dept. 
of Mysteries, and should have been more forthcoming about why it was 
important for Harry not to delve into it. Sure, Harry doesn't like or trust 
Snape, so it wasn't really worthwhile for Snape to go about it in person. 
He should, however, have got Sirius (or Lupin) to get Harry to report any 
instances of thinking about it, and perhaps even explain to him what was 
going on.

It's often been said that Harry has a big problem with trusting people. 
That's not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is that Dumbledore has a 
problem with trusting Harry.

One way or another, the Order played the situation all wrong, and I simply 
can't see any reason why the orb was't destroyed (or better still, replaced 
with a fake) from the outset. Nobody seems to have made anything of the DA 
members wrecking whole shelves of the things, and in any case, as implied 
above, I can't see any real reason for keeping them. If the orbs can only 
be handled by the subject of the prophecy, and (certainly in Harry's case) 
the subject isn't necessarily aware of the prophecy's existence, what 
earthly reason does the Ministry have for keeping them? Especially if, once 
revealed, the record is destroyed.

On to other observations...

I was *especially* unimpressed with the DEs' tactics during the battle with 
the kids. What on earth were they playing at? For starters, as soon as they 
showed up, a quick STUPEFY or LOCOMOTOR MORTIS would have kept the kids at 
bay and allowed the DEs to deal with them at their leisure (or a quick 
ACCIO PROPHECY). Why the goading? And why hit Neville with a bloomin' 
TARANTALLEGRA? It just doesn't make any senseat all. These people are EVIL, 
yet the best thing they can think of are childish hexes? Bleurgh!

I'm inclined to agree with Snape. Harry is perhaps just a little more 
arrogant than teenagerhood permits. He really does think he knows (and 
understands) what's going on around him better than the adults who care for 
him. He knows that there are things going on from which he is being 
protected but he insists on getting himself involved. Yet he doesn't really 
know what to do. It's interesting that the DA is not his idea, but once 
it's up and running, he relishes it. When it comes to the crunch, though, 
he doesn't summon the whole gang, but wants to go off alone. Harry is a 
very silly boy (in a Monty Python/Dad's Army tone). :-)

Oh well, as ever, it's not JKR's plot that has me going, it's the little 
details. Fred & George's departure will go down as an absolute classic in 
any kids' book. Magnificent.

Then there are bits of phrasing.

In the Hog's Head, "Harry was very conscious of the slurping noises coming 
from the table next door" (p. 494) had me in stitches.

The arcane marking/grading system is another JKR classic for her 
upside-down world. I feel compelled to reproduce it (p. 278):
"O" for "Outstanding"
"E" for "Exceeds Expectations"
"A" for "Acceptable"
"P" for "Poor"
"D" for "Dreadful"
"T" for "Troll".

Dumbledore's full name: Albus Percival Wulfric Brian (p. 127). It just 
seems wonderful for him to have been given such a ... Muggle... name in the 
mixture. Oh, and talking of Percival, it seems that "Percy"  is Percy 
Ignatius Weasley's full first name. And is Fudge's second given name, 
Oswald, an authorial nod towards Oswald Moseley (I don't expect anyone to 
admit not knowing who he was)?

A couple of potential foreshadowings:

In the Hog's Head, the barman is described as looking "vaguely familiar to 
Harry" (p. 300). The bandaged man and the veiled "woman" were both later 
revealed, but the barman was not mentioned again.

Lily's maiden name now having been revealed in canon, is "Mark Evans", the 
10 year-old boy Harry states Dudley to have beaten up two nights before the 
beginning of the book, any relation? Is the fact that he's 10 significant? 
(i.e. he'll be 11 and a potential Hogwarts first year for Book Six). Are 
these Evanses related to Petunia?

That's enough for now., I have other things I need to be doing. I have some 
travelling (and work away from home) over the next couple of days, so I 
hope to be reading the book again to see if I pick up anything more...