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Harry, Harry, Harry.... it's all about potter!


Ansamcw

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I started to read this thread before posting but I realized I needed to give my impressions first without getting influenced by y'all.

OVERALL:

This is definitely one of the best books in the series but I would not call it the best...I think that is still GOF and POA for me. I think I had the same reaction as Heidi...expectations were high that it took a while for me to really get into the book. The problem I had I guess was that number 5 seemed so intense and powerful that I expected the story to pick up from there...I expected more of the OoP members to make appearances. But as I got into the story I realized I liked the fact that JK really added a lot of light touches to the book. I am glad Harry was more optimistic and that his terrible experiences actually helped him grow instead of making him a morose and negative person. Heidi you are right this is a much lighter and fun book as a whole. IT was so much fun reading him getting all giddy about Ginny and spending time with her...I was eeeeing about that.

I haven't been reading anything about this book, I was good about keeping away from the spoilers. But I always knew that it would be Harry and Ginny and I also knew that Dumbledore will die. What I didn't really see was that The Half Blood Prince was Snape. I guess the fact that the book was 50 years old threw me. I always knew Dumbledore had to die in order for the story to progress. In the past Dumblebore was always there to save the day. Harry never really stands up against Voldemort on his own. I knew that the Hogwarts people had to have a huge defeat in the sixth so that the seventh will be more dramatic. Harry needed to face Vodemort on his own. But even when I knew it was going to happen I was still riveted to the scene...I still couldn't believe he was really dead...It was still terribly sad.

Romantic subplots:

I knew it will eventually be Harry and Ginny ever since Harry visited the Burrows in Book 2 Its just a typical romance story plot and I liked the way JK developed Ginny's character. I also think it is going to be Ron and Hermione. This was hinted at from the very start when Ron and Hermione can't get along...another typical romance story plot of people who can't stand each othar because they are hidin a strong attraction. I think Hermione always just had platonic felings for Harry. I do love the Harry and Ginny combination. I think Ginny is one of my favorite characters because she is quite feisty and has her own mind. I love her reaction to Harry's decision to cool off. I think she knows deep down that their destiny is really for each other and she can wait until the time is right.

I liked the other love angles in the book with Tonks and Lupin and Bill and Fleur...but I wished they fleshed out the character of Bill a little bit more. I don't think he said one word in the book. Same with Lupin. he is one of my favorite characters and I was disappointed that he didn't have a bigger role...hope we see more of him in the seventh book.

Snapes:

My prediction...he is good. I think that would be the more interesting story line. I do believe that Snapes was secretly in love with Lily...and as much as he hated James Potter, he would never want any harm to come to Lily. I think that is why Dumbledore trusts Snapes he probably knows that he now hates Voldemort for killing Lily adn he can;t stand the fact that it was his info that lead to her death. The tower situation is very telling too...because Dumbledore made sure Harry couldn;t help him...and Snapes never really hurt Harry.

I also have a theroy, if the person has to mean an unforgivable curse for it to work...is it possible that his Kedavra curse didn''t fully work on Dumbledore and that he might still wake up from this deep sleep. The begging was also intersting...I also think he was begging for Snapes to kill him. Finally...I don't think Dumbledore would make such a huge mistake as to trust Snapes completely, with Harry's life no less if he didn't have a good reason to trust him. Finally he seemed too defensive during hi interview with Bella and Narcissa.

I do think Neville, Luna, and Ginny will continue to have a big part in book seven. This time I think we will hear more about Harry's parents and the connection with Snapes.

Time to read what you all thought!!!!

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I really want a happy ending for Harry out of all of this. I am a romantic in every sense of the word. The kid DESERVES it. After Book 7, I will probably have to resort to fanfic it that happy ending doesn't happen, and just live in my own little world of bliss. Heh. Harry's had a raw deal from minute one (and btw, how MUCH did I love it when Dumblebore finally told off the Dursley's? And it just occurred to me this second that Dumbledore's words to them were very...final. He seemed to say everything he needed to say to get Harry through until he turned of age. Interesting I didn't notice that before. Another little clue to the 'is Snape evil or not' mystery. And this is now the world's longest aside. *G* ) 

Dang, you’re right!! I hadn’t thought of that till just now either. Really makes you wonder, doesn’t it?? I, too, hope desperately for a happy ending for Harry – he so deserves it.

As for Ron and Hermione, I think he needs her. Ron is, shall we say, not the most talented wizard in the world. While Harry struggles with classes, he is very gifted and thinks well on his feet. Ron is in his own world on this. I was honestly surprised that he got so many OWLs, from the way JK writes about his school troubles.

But we didn’t see what his OWLs consisted of. Harry got an O, an A and all the rest E’s for his OWL subjects. Ron could have gotten all A’s – that’s passing with OWLs, but it doesn’t make him even close to Harry or Hermione. The only thing Harry said about Ron’s grade sheet was that he didn’t see any O’s there. Which was a tad smug, but hey, he’s earned it. Harry should have been prefect instead of Ron, after all.

Hermione will be a good match, she has the smarts, but is too focused on doing what's 'right' ALL of the time, while Ron is impulsive enough to push her into living a little, I think. I didn't particularly like Hermione in this book, but then I didn't particularly care for Ron most of the time either. It's really becoming obvious to me that Harry is maturing and growing up, and is outpacing the two of them quite a bit. Of course, he's had to grow up, and the idea of being 'The One' weighs heavily on him.

I think JKR made it very clear in this book that Harry has outpaced both of them, what with Hermione’s over the top behavior and Ron’s being…Ron. <g>

The prospect of a Year 7 book without Hogwarts is interesting. It also might be necessary. Harry is going to have one focus now: Kill Voldemort. Any thing beyond that will feel like a waste of his time, a distraction. As he realized in the book, he's lost his last parental figure, the last person who looked at as a role model, and realized that he's only got himself in this, that HE has to do the job, that there is no one else to rely on. It felt to me that THAT moment, that realization, was when Harry became an adult. You could almost feel the change in him on the pages. Or that could just be my overactive imagination, and the fact that I read this part at midnight when I was starting to see triple. *G*

It’s NOT your imagination – I saw the exact same thing. It started almost from the moment he arrived at the Burrow and told Hermione and Ron about the prophesy and just steadily grew.

I am also of the opinion that Dumbledore was not worried about dying, or maybe even felt that he HAD to, because Harry needed that push into manhood if he was going to survive Voldemort – Dumbledore would always stand between Harry and Voldemort and maybe he felt that his death would hasten a victory for Harry. I think he certainly believes that Harry has what it takes to do the job.

The only person I am certain will die on Book 7 is Lord Voldermort or else this whole series has been a waste.  However, I also think someone VERY close to Harry or Harry himself will not make it through to the end.  I keep thinking that someone (Ginny, Ron, or Hermonie) will make a Lily-like sacrifice or Harry will sacrifice himself in order to  kill Voldermort.  And the thought of one of those 4 not making it is heartbreaking. *sniff*

Oh well, I have two years to dream it will all end like a fairy tale.

I agree with what you say about JKR and how she may end the book – but I sure as hell hope she doesn’t kill Harry. You can do just about anything – kill just about anyone else (although I’m sure you’ve heard the reaction to Dumbledore’s death, it’s made the news) – but as soon as you kill Harry, even heroically; you potentially destroy the whole series. How many people are going to get invested in a series, be it movie or TV, where the main character dies in the end? Sure, you can do that in movies – I’ve been to lots of foreign films where they don’t have happy endings and that’s fine. I don’t need a happy ending for a two hour movie. But an epic story like this? I think it would destroy her franchise. You would hope a series of books like this would sell forever, along with all the associated merchandise – I don’t think she would want to chance that.

Romantic subplots:

I knew it will eventually be Harry and Ginny ever since Harry visited the Burrows in Book 2 Its just a typical romance story plot and I liked the way JK developed Ginny's character. I also think it is going to be Ron and Hermione. This was hinted at from the very start when Ron and Hermione can't get along...another typical romance story plot of people who can't stand each othar because they are hidin a strong attraction.

You’re right – this is typical romance sub-plots. I hadn’t thought of that, really. Mainly because Hermione is so passionate about and loyal to Harry – but there is no reason that can’t be platonic.

I think Hermione always just had platonic felings for Harry. I do love the Harry and Ginny combination. I think Ginny is one of my favorite characters because she is quite feisty and has her own mind. I love her reaction to Harry's decision to cool off. I think she knows deep down that their destiny is really for each other and she can wait until the time is right.

Well, of course she can wait. She’s already been waiting this long, remember?? <g> I loved how she said she never really gave up on him and how Hermione told her to just be herself around him. She KNEW he was going to do that, because she knows him. I don’t see her giving up now – because she knows him. <g>

Snapes:

My prediction...he is good. I think that would be the more interesting story line. I do believe that Snapes was secretly in love with Lily...and as much as he hated James Potter, he would never want any harm to come to Lily. I think that is why Dumbledore trusts Snapes he probably knows that he now hates Voldemort for killing Lily adn he can;t stand the fact that it was his info that lead to her death. The tower situation is very telling too...because Dumbledore made sure Harry couldn;t help him...and Snapes never really hurt Harry.

Yeah, this occurred to me as well. I definitely think there is more to the story.

Guess who’s on the cover of Entertainment Weekly this week!!!!

http://www.mugglenet.com/viewer/?image_loc...y2005/cover.jpg

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I do love the Weasleys – but Ron is my least favorite there too. Fred and George are the main dudes.

Oh man. I loooove the twins. And here comes a really big gripe about the movies; which really doesn't belong here, not really: how do these directors make Fred and George so boring??!@! The twins rock so much in the book and in the movies, they just kind of fall flat. Bleh.

Yup another twin lover here...and I am also totally intrigued by Charlie and Bill...that is why I'm sad that the focus never said a thing. I do think he will have a bigger role in the next book. I am intrigued by what his werewolf bites would do to his personality.

Well, my main beef with the movies thus far is that they just don't capture all of the nuances in the books. I know it's nearly impossible to do that, but if they can do it with Lord of the Rings, I hope that they manage to capture more of the characterization and nuances of the universe in the rest of the movies. This particular book will be interesting to see on the big screen. Really, a LOT of the time is spent doing things that are not so action friendly, but IMO, all of the 'downtime' so to speak with Harry and the little things that happen around him all add and make a big difference to the story. I miss all of the introspection in the movies, I guess, and the introspection in the books makes a big difference in how you react to Harry and others, because you see them through his eyes more, and in the movies, you have to use the impression you are given from the action on the film itself, not Harry's thoughts about them and what goes on.

That is my main beef with the first two movies...I really hated Christopher as a director because he went more for the big CGI effects. I remember being so furstrated by the very long a boring quidditch scene...I felt they could've kept more charcter bulding scene than wasting precious time on them flying through the stand.

Oh yeah they are!  I LOVE the twins.  I just wish they were in the books more than they are.  Does anyone else think that one of their joke inventions will come in handy when Harry fights Voldermort?  That whole subplot has to have some reasoning besides just being there for laughs.

yeah I think they will end up having heroic roles in the end. Ron is probably my most hated character. I do believe Hermione has been more loyal to Harry than Ron. Ron often gets his ego and jealousy get in the way of friendship. Yeah Hermione was a pain in this book. I hated how petty she was about the potions class.

I am a Harry's girl just like I was a Luke Skywalker's girl years ago.

There is someone else that thinks like me! I have to admit, I was kind of devastated when Leia turned out to be his sister (cause, eww). And reading the books set after RotJ didn't satisfy me any, because Luke never seemed to catch a break.

Hee another Luke and Harry girl here. I was really sad that Luke never got anybody in the end.

I really want a happy ending for Harry out of all of this. I am a romantic in every sense of the word. The kid DESERVES it. After Book 7, I will probably have to resort to fanfic it that happy ending doesn't happen, and just live in my own little world of bliss. Heh. Harry's had a raw deal from minute one (and btw, how MUCH did I love it when Dumblebore finally told off the Dursley's? And it just occurred to me this second that Dumbledore's words to them were very...final. He seemed to say everything he needed to say to get Harry through until he turned of age. Interesting I didn't notice that before. Another little clue to the 'is Snape evil or not' mystery. And this is now the world's longest aside. *G* )

WORD on wishing for a happy ending for HArry...or at least a possibility for one. I do believe he will lose another person that is important to him. I don't think it would be Ginny but I think either ROn or Hermione.

love that interview with JK...she sounds like one of us...cool!

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third part of JK Rowlings interview with mugglenet.com is up.

Very interesting...there seem to be things that I totally overlooked. She mentioned getting clues to the other Horcruxes from rereading the books...and she didn;t shoot down my theory about Snapes in love with Lily....

Anyway...they reference things that I don't remember...who is Grinwald...and Gleam of triumph...what the heck are they talking about...any ideas?

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I've realized reading this last book that I have little memory of the details in a few of the other books. I need to go back and read PoA and GoF again before I reread HBP again. I had just reread OotP, so it was fresh in my mind. Perhaps I should just start from book one and go on from there again.

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Anyway...they reference things that I don't remember...who is Grinwald...and Gleam of triumph...what the heck are they talking about...any ideas?

I know way to much about Harry Potter.....

Grinwald, I believe, is the dark wizard Dumbledore defeated in the past. It was mentioned in SS when Ron and Harry are reading those chocolate frog cards on the train to Hogwarts. It think it may have been mentioned a time or two elsewhere. They mentioned time-frame in the interview and I am not sure exactly what they were talking about. Dumbledore defeated Grinwald in 1945 which was around the time of WWII. Voldermort killed his dad and grandparents in 1943. Not sure if there is any relationship there or not.

The gleam of triumph. This is in Goblet of Fire after Harry comes back from the graveyard. Harry is telling Dumbldore what happened and Harry mentions where they took his blood to bring Voldermort back to life. JKF describes Dumbledore as having a gleam of triumph in his eye when Harry mentions this. No one is quite sure what the gleam means, but suspect it has something to do with using Harry's blood specifically.

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Anyway...they reference things that I don't remember...who is Grinwald...and Gleam of triumph...what the heck are they talking about...any ideas?

I know way to much about Harry Potter.....

Grinwald, I believe, is the dark wizard Dumbledore defeated in the past. It was mentioned in SS when Ron and Harry are reading those chocolate frog cards on the train to Hogwarts. It think it may have been mentioned a time or two elsewhere. They mentioned time-frame in the interview and I am not sure exactly what they were talking about. Dumbledore defeated Grinwald in 1945 which was around the time of WWII. Voldermort killed his dad and grandparents in 1943. Not sure if there is any relationship there or not.

The gleam of triumph. This is in Goblet of Fire after Harry comes back from the graveyard. Harry is telling Dumbldore what happened and Harry mentions where they took his blood to bring Voldermort back to life. JKF describes Dumbledore as having a gleam of triumph in his eye when Harry mentions this. No one is quite sure what the gleam means, but suspect it has something to do with using Harry's blood specifically.

Thanks Buzztechie...this saves me from actually going back and searching for these...

Now I know who to go to when I have a Harry question *g*...there are others things in that interveiw that went over my head...I will ask another time..

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I do love the Weasleys – but Ron is my least favorite there too. Fred and George are the main dudes.

Oh man. I loooove the twins. And here comes a really big gripe about the movies; which really doesn't belong here, not really: how do these directors make Fred and George so boring??!@! The twins rock so much in the book and in the movies, they just kind of fall flat. Bleh.

Hello?!?!?!? YES! I love the Weasley Twins! In fact, I am Fred & George on the Harry POtter board in my profile. In fact all I do is talk aobtu Harry POtter there....we've reached some pretty cool theories. If anyone wants to check it out!

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SPOILERS:

A person on our site thinks he figured out what one of the horcruxes is. At Lord Voldemort's rebirth....Harry was tied to Tom Riddle's grave....and the grave opened up when Voldemort commanded it to (tho wormtail did it for him) You think that for the rebirth he needed a little bit of soul into that potion? With the gravestone cracking open, this guy thinks that that is one of the horcruxes.

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I love the Harry Potter books! I'm still working on the 3rd book. I haven't finished it yet. My favorite book so far is The Chamber of Secrets. However, The Goblet of Fire sounds like a great book! I can't wait to read it! But first, must finish Prisoner of Azkaban.

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So, who else has the next book on pre-order? I'm looking forward to it!

learned my lesson about pre-orders...it does not get here on time and I amost always could get one at walmart. Looking forward to it too...

what date is it exactyl?

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I've just been listening to the Harry Potter Half-Blood Prince while working here on the computer...

In Chapter 6, Harry & Co are in the twins' joke shop. Fred (or George) just told Harry they had sold 500 "shield hats" to the Ministry, and were also developing shield cloaks and gloves. Then they were going to start to develop a line of "Defense Against the Dark Arts" items soon.

I can definitely see Harry taking advantage of some of their expertise for his horcrux hunt. It would probably come up at Bill & Fleur's wedding, if not before!!

and BTW - if anyone would like the audio book of HBP - PM me, I can upload it chapter by chapter and you can download and listen to it before next Saturday if you'd like! This one is done by Stephen Fry, who is very good at narrating!

dieVdie-sm-linear.jpg

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thanks chacha...I did listen to the audio when it first came out...it was great

except when he does the girls... I often get confused with Hermione and ginny.

I love that scene in the twins shop...what enterpreneurs. they're favorites of mine.

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Went to the book store last night with my two daughters to pick up the Deathly Hallows.

I had gone earlier in the day (before noon) to pick up our wristbands and we were in the first group!

I think we were outta there by about 12:30!! The three of us stayed up reading till 5-ish. :lilredani:

AND............... I just finished reading it!!! So when ever anyone else wants to discussssss.........

I don't want to spoiler it for anyone........

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I finished the book at 4:30 PM today. Had to run off to take my daughter to perform in 'Chorus Line' tonight and just got back, so haven't had a chance to post about it until now.

I thought it was FANTASTIC! Wow, JK Rowling did an amazing job of putting all of the plot strings together at the end.

So, should we discuss it here, or by PM, so that those who haven't finished it aren't spoilered??

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We can discuss but put what chapters...and if you can use spoiler tags on really important stuff.

to spoiler tags...just change the color of the font to white.

I can;t wait...I was able to download the audiobook...Im just in the second disk jus before the wedding...the scenes before that were pretty intense...I;m loving it so far. already have a theory...

spoiler for chapter 1-5:

I think dumbledore is like obiwan...his spirit is alive and is helping Harry...he took control of Harry's wand when voldermort was chasing him.

hee...no need to tell me if I'm right or not. It would be interesting to see if I get it right. Don't know how soon I can finish cos its planning day for Couchie and me....YAY

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YAY I finished it...OMG I loved it. What a great and satisfying ending.

I was crying in so many parts and cheering and I went through so many emotions. I loved the epilogue...

I have so many favorite parts but I think the one part when I cheered was:

when Nevile cut off Nagini's head.

I wasn't right about Dumbledore coming back but I am so happy to be right about Snape. I loved it.

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Hey! I have been listening to a few podcasts.

One in particular is on mugglenet.com called STREAMING SPOILERS!!!

CAUTION: DO NOT GO THERE IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS!!!

Anyhow... a lot of people weren't happy with the epilogue. Saying it didn't contain enough information, or was too far in the future, etc. Here is a site set up for alternate (fanfic) epilogues! You can submit one and they'll post the best ones. There's one posted by the person who started the blog. (my daughter!)

LOSTEPILOGUE.BLOGSPOT.COM

CAUTION: ALSO CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!

ENJOY!

btw - Please feel free to post this blog on other Harry Potter message boards. I don't know of too many others besides here!

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