OOP: shipping, characters, death, ghosts, plot, and prophesy...

[Scott]

Wow! Thanks guys for inviting me to this list-- I've tried to keep 
up on the main list but that's much easier said than done...and 
you're the people I really wanted to talk to anyways ;-)

I'm going to try and stick to things that I don't think have been 
mentioned on this list before, but don't be shocked if that doesn't 
work.

SPOILER SPACE

Cm'on

seriously, 

as
 
if
 
this
 
stops

someone

who

is
 
really
 
determined.

(yeah you!)

SPOILER SPACE


I'm still digesting this book (and about to dive into another read 
although I was hoping my British copy would arrive first).  I don't 
think I've "accepted" things completely, or at any rate they have 
yet to sink in. I was running errands today, driving along the road 
when I burst into tears (I'm not even sure *why* really) ...I think 
my eyes must have been puffy because I got funny looks as I 
attempted to chat merrily with my pharmacist shortly afterward. 

SHIPPING
I know that things are still a bit blurred around the edges, but I 
did find it ironically satisfying that the Fandom so discredited 
Harry/Cho for the exact reasons that it didn't work out in canon. 
Everyone just seemed to assume that this was *so* obvious it would 
never happen. But I thought it was realistic and well-handled, if 
not for the "fade-out" on the kiss that hopefully does mean a more 
meaningful one will be described in the future.

I guess I read this from an H/H perspective to start with, but so 
clear was the sub-text in that direction to me (from Hermione, mind) 
that I actually expected, well *hoped* is more appropriate, that it 
was coming in some form or fashion, and at some point in the book.

Obviously not.

But Hermione's continued and pointed efforts to help Harry's 
relationship with Cho along are IMO telling. She *obviously* loves 
Harry (though I don't mean, in this case, romantically), and wants 
what he wants-- wants him to be happy.  But at the same time, as we 
have no canon evidence that she and Cho ever communicate, her take 
on Cho's feelings seem to be conjecture, and possibly a reflection 
of her own [feelings]. (I remember at least thinking that I as read, 
but I've got to mull over it a bit more before I feel sure.) 

In any case Hermione *is* "brisk", "businesslike", "absent" 
and "distant" when discussing the matter and, like Neil, I think 
this is a way of masking any real emotions, though what they may 
be...

Another thing, sort of shippy and sort of not which surprised me, is 
that Hermione came back for Christmas (p498 American Ed.)—not 
because she came back but because she lied to her parents (not that 
she could tell them she was going to Grimmauld place I guess, but I 
do find it odd that Hermione spends almost no time with her 
parents). She says it's because skiing isn't really her thing, but I 
don't really believe that's the reason she came back at all...I 
think it's to be with Harry and the Weasley's which of course 
includes Ron. But mostly I think it's to be with Harry-- she does 
seek him out as soon as she arrives after all, and talks to him 
about her parents and about...then it's almost as if she gets to a 
spot that is uncomfortable talking to Harry alone, and resorts to 
an "Anyway..." in that *brisk* voice. 

It reads to me as if Hermione is making a concerted effort to keep 
things platonic for Harry's sake (and at this point for her own?).  

I also, before I move on, agree that Ron still likes Hermione in a 
way. But I was a fifteen year old boy once (not that long ago) and I 
know that what feels like-- a crush can waver, not necessarily go 
away, but eventually become well, not a crush anymore. As if not 
acting on it makes it seem irrelevant (??)...I can't think of a good 
way to describe this emotion, but I've *felt* it. Has anyone else?

CHARACTERS
I must quickly say that I *do* like Ginny...and I think she's some 
incarnation of pseudo-kick ass!Ginny. She's not like fanon Ginny 
though, at least not like the Ginny with which I'm familiar.  She's 
like Gred and Forge rolled into one (well she's *not* but she could 
be), and I'll be interested to see what happens. I do like her much 
more now; I admit I thought she was pathetic before...but yeah less 
so now.

Neville is also coming into his own and, I shan't dwell on him, but 
I think his role as the series goes on will be an interesting one 
indeed. The scene with his mother in St. Mungo's is arguably the 
most touching moment in the canon. Did anyone *not* sniffle? 
*sniffles*

Is Neville's Gran paternal or maternal? I somehow got the feeling 
it's his dad's mother but this is just conjecture (or is it?)

As for Tonks I liked her-- a lot-- comparison to the matrix aside as 
I have never seen the film, and I hope that she is used in the 
future, but I do feel she will be so there's not much worry there.  
She is a relative of Sirius after all so she's mourning him too. 
(and the only relative who his
if you don't count the Weasleys) .

The jury, or should I say the Wizengamot?, is still out on Luna. She 
reminds me in a disconcerting sort of way of someone for which I 
don't care. But over the course of the book I began to like her a 
bit more...I'm just...not sure...I think though that there must be 
some important reason for her. I do wish though that we'd at least 
had mention of her before, odd yes, but I have faith in Jo.

I'm not going to bemoan the Grawp sub-plot because it's already been 
done, but to say the least I didn't care for it...and the word Grawp-
- I can't seem to say it. It just won't roll from my tongue. Is it 
gwuhARP, or gwuhOP (op as in hop), or can I just not write phonetics?

PLOT
Was there one? ;-) I'm not trying to be sceptical or anything, but 
honestly as much as I enjoyed reading about revisions, O.W.L.s, and 
Umbridge (I didn't mention her earlier, but I LOVED her...erm...I 
mean because I never HATED someone so much!) I wasn't for the 
longest time sure *where* the story was going. I kept thinking it 
all had something to do with the Ministry, but I didn't realise that 
the dreams of the corridor were essentially forwarding the book to 
it's end (if it was an inevitable one it wasn't to me)...this is 
kind of getting incoherent, but the book didn't feel so much as a 
book in and of itself as it did a part of what is the larger story. 
IOW, whilst it's well written and well crafted, I don't think it 
could stand alone like the others (or at least PS,CoS et PoA).

I did like that the stone, the chamber etc...That these things were 
tied back into the story. It helps make the books seem like they are 
a series, a story, ONE story, and not so episodic.

(Was Harry's dream in PS/SS about the Turban telling him to transfer 
to Slytherin an early form of Voldemort's Legilimens
unwarranted? Am 
I barking?)

DEATH
At first I couldn't really believe that Sirius had died, because I 
mean...well it was anti-climatic as someone else mentioned, and my 
initial thought was that it was meant to be. I thought Jo was trying 
to say that when someone dies it just happens, even when you'd like 
to give them a hero's death. But Sirius died because of a foolish 
mistake. I *do* think it was worthwhile because Harry *can* learn 
from this, but I don't find much satisfaction in that, and I'm not 
sure why.  When I cried I wept far more for Harry than for Sirius, 
he's been through so damn much and I don't want him to go through 
anymore. (I do feel the loss of Sirius though just more for Harry's 
sake than for my own love of Sirius)

I've really got a lot of thoughts on this and I'll try and expound 
them in greater detail later. Maybe.

What is the consensus-- Did Sirius die from a curse or from falling 
through the veil? (And isn't the veil room call the "room of death" 
or something like that...I can't find it at the moment)

GHOSTS
Jo did say that we'd find out why some people become ghosts and 
others don't which I guess we sort of do even if it isn't a straight 
answer...they choose it. But I'm not sure it's so much of a 
conscious choice, Binns didn't apparently even know he'd died so he 
can't have chose to stay, it seems to be the way one lives...but 
this is another topic to which I intend to come back.

Isn't that going to be hard for Harry when he realises that not only 
Sirius but his parents--that they chose not to come back...

THE PROPHESY
I'm a bit tired, getting incoherent, and so this will be far less 
explanatory than I'd like...I thought it was kind of dumb to have 
the prophesy (itself such a beautiful and terrible thing) be so 
tangible as a tiny glass orb. Mostly however I want ask a question 
because I guess I don't exactly get the wording. It says "and either 
must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the 
other survives..." Now I take this to mean..." and either Harry or 
Voldy must die at the hand of the other for neither Harry nor Voldy 
can live while the other is [living].

I think that for some reason, and maybe I'm being dense or I'm tired 
or just emotionally drained, but the word neither is throwing me. 
When I first read this passage I took it to mean that Harry and 
Voldemort must both die...I guess that is totally incorrect, but 
they're both living NOW.

I though it meant that Harry *can't* live if Voldy does and Voldy 
*can't* live if Harry does. Does that explain it? Am I chasing my 
own tail???

Overwhelmed, exhausted, and sobbing on Harry's behalf....
Scott
PS I'm sure this is riddled with mistakes that make it un-
comprehendible, my deepest apologies in advance.