[the_old_crowd] HBP Spoilers contained within

[Mike & Susan Gray]

Aaargh! I sent this out six hours ago, but on the wrong account. It's
out of date now, but I'll resend anyway.

* * * * 

Well now. That was quite a read! I'm exhausted, and I have a bit of a
headache, but that was a good read. All I say on this side of the
spoilers is that Jo has decided to shake things up.

> S S S S S S S
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> L L L L L L L
> D D D D D D D
> B B B B B B B
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> W W W W W W W
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> I I I I I I I
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> H H H H H H H
> T T T T T T T

First off, I LIKE this one! Maybe she overworked the tearful ending -
maybe I was just fatigued - but overall, I like the way she has worked
this book. It was scary. Good funny teenage romantic moments. I would
have liked to see more of the Durseleys, but I'm delighted that she has
got the length back down a bit.
 
> Snape - what can I say. It's going to be awfully hard to keep
> defending anything about him at this point, but I will probably try 
> anyway. I'm still not convinced he's irredeemably evil, or even that 
> he's not ultimately on the side of the angels. He took an unbreakable 
> oath - to do what Draco could not do - and he fulfilled it. 

Snape - hm. Jo has her man well in hand, I think. I just don't know what
way he's going to jump - I'm very intrigued. You can argue it either
way. Was Dumbledore right or wrong? We will, I'm sure.

And I'm happy about how she's handled Draco. From statements in
interviews I was expecting Draco to stay on as a one dimensional
mini-baddie - which she has shot down beautifully. It makes you wonder:
has Movie!Draco influenced her more than she should admit? I was
certainly glad to see that he was suffering from conscience rather than
a bad case of Evil-Overlord-Syndrom.

I liked Harry and Ron this time, too. Harry has managed to turn off the
CAPS key and he is finally coming across as someone who could turn into
a real leader and hero, making tough choices and acting like a real
friend and less. I like the new Harry - he's really intersting me this
time round. Ron also seemed to be coming into his own, in a
warts-and-all sort of way.

Anyone want to keep debating about the power in the room?? Looks like Jo
decided to spell things out for us. Jo also continues to grapple with
questions about free will and destiny in the prophecy chapter. 

Well, well, well. I'm a happy camper. I just wish Aberforth hadn't
missed the boat this time.

Baaaaaa!

Aberforth's Goat (a.k.a. Mike Gray) 
_______________________

"Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can read, 
so that may not have been bravery...."