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tarotgalJust finished listening to HP6. This is the second time I've made it through this book (read it the weekend it came out, and this was my first time listening to it)
I'm DEFINITELY glad I re-read it! So much exposition and so many details. I remembered the big stuff: Ginny/Harry, Tonks being depressed, the potions book, Draco and the cabinet (& the bathroom scene), the introduction of horcruxes, the locket-retrieval scene, and Snape killing Dumbledore. I didn't remember: all the twists and turns (read: drama) of Quidditch and relationships, Harry inherriting Kreacher and Dung stealing from the house, the luck potion, the multiple attempts on Dumbledore's life, all the trips into the pensive and Voldy's background, the fact that Snape had been the one to overhear the prophecy, the fact that Snape took charge of Malfoy after the deed was done, the fact that Nev & Luna were the only DA people to respond and help.
Somehow, this time around I was less angry with Dumbledore, though still a bit pissed right up until the death scene. And somehow, this time Harry/Ginny sat a little better with me.
I'd forgotten how grown up Harry seems at the end of the book. Maybe it's the fact that I read all the books in order straight over the last 19 days... so I got to see him grow up all at once. Or maybe it's because I was listening to him say his lines, instead of just reading it, but this time I was really struck with how well he was taking on this immense responsibility- and not just in a "Voldy and I will have to fight to the death" sort of way like at the beginning of the book... he's more come into his own now and he's not doing it for anyone else or because of anyone else. He's doing it for himself, because he's the sort of person who will fight evil. I was rather impressed this time around.
I really liked book 6 when I read it the first time... but I still really like it. It's got its moments of brilliance, even though it feels unfinished.
My thoughts about the next book: (obviously no spoilers, because I haven't read it, LOL)
1- I want RAB to be Regulus Black, I really do. But even if it's not, the interesting point I took out of reading HP6 again was the fact that Dumbledore says no one person could retrieve the locket. It's pretty clear that even as resolved as D was, he couldn't have gulped down all that stuff in the basin without Harry's help. So how did RAB do it? And who was helping him? It had to have been a non-wizard or a child. And is the person who helped him still alive?
2- I'm still hoping for some joining of houses and creatures/species in the fight. So many themes in the books point to this, and I'd love to see it.
3- I think Snape's good. I'm probably wrong, but that's where I stand.
4- I still don't understand the prophecy completely. I get all the stuff about how it wouldn't necessarily come to pass yet Voldy acted on it, making it happen and causing his own downfall. I get the Neville part, and Harry being marked as his equal and having powers Voldy doesn't know about. And I get the "either MUST die at the hand of the other" part (notice it doesn't say BOTH must die). But the "neither can live while the other survives" part still bothers me. I mean, technically they're both alive now, right? Does that mean that they can't have normal lives while the other is alive? They're forced to give up their normal pursuits in order to pursue each other?
5- I find it interesting that Voldemort says 7 is the most magical number... and Harry was born in the 7th month of the year
6- I want to see Wormtail repay his life debt to Harry (finally)
7- I want to see Godric's Hollow very badly... and I have a feeling we might get clues about a Gryffindor object there
8- I would LOVE for one of the Horcruxes to be at Hogwarts and that was one reason Voldy wanted back in... however, I think it just as likely the only reason he wanted in was to get objects to make Horcruxes, not to retrieve already-created ones. Still... I want to go back to Hogwarts at least one more time :-)
9- I want Ron & Hermione to finally get together, damnit.
10- I want to see Lupin do something extremely nice and/or extremely noble. I'd prefer he not die, obviously, but if he does, I want the last Marauder to go down fighting or with good reason
11- I want that line Luna says to Harry in the 5th movie (you know, THAT line) to be an omen of something for the 7th book, either relating to Dumbledore (portrait?) or Sirius (preferably).
12- I want those damn mirrors from book 5 to come into play somehow cuz otherwise the irony for irony's sake is painful and even more heartbreaking... but considering that wasn't in the movie, I'm not getting my hopes up
Oh, and I don't want to be spoiled :-)
I'm DEFINITELY glad I re-read it! So much exposition and so many details. I remembered the big stuff: Ginny/Harry, Tonks being depressed, the potions book, Draco and the cabinet (& the bathroom scene), the introduction of horcruxes, the locket-retrieval scene, and Snape killing Dumbledore. I didn't remember: all the twists and turns (read: drama) of Quidditch and relationships, Harry inherriting Kreacher and Dung stealing from the house, the luck potion, the multiple attempts on Dumbledore's life, all the trips into the pensive and Voldy's background, the fact that Snape had been the one to overhear the prophecy, the fact that Snape took charge of Malfoy after the deed was done, the fact that Nev & Luna were the only DA people to respond and help.
Somehow, this time around I was less angry with Dumbledore, though still a bit pissed right up until the death scene. And somehow, this time Harry/Ginny sat a little better with me.
I'd forgotten how grown up Harry seems at the end of the book. Maybe it's the fact that I read all the books in order straight over the last 19 days... so I got to see him grow up all at once. Or maybe it's because I was listening to him say his lines, instead of just reading it, but this time I was really struck with how well he was taking on this immense responsibility- and not just in a "Voldy and I will have to fight to the death" sort of way like at the beginning of the book... he's more come into his own now and he's not doing it for anyone else or because of anyone else. He's doing it for himself, because he's the sort of person who will fight evil. I was rather impressed this time around.
I really liked book 6 when I read it the first time... but I still really like it. It's got its moments of brilliance, even though it feels unfinished.
My thoughts about the next book: (obviously no spoilers, because I haven't read it, LOL)
1- I want RAB to be Regulus Black, I really do. But even if it's not, the interesting point I took out of reading HP6 again was the fact that Dumbledore says no one person could retrieve the locket. It's pretty clear that even as resolved as D was, he couldn't have gulped down all that stuff in the basin without Harry's help. So how did RAB do it? And who was helping him? It had to have been a non-wizard or a child. And is the person who helped him still alive?
2- I'm still hoping for some joining of houses and creatures/species in the fight. So many themes in the books point to this, and I'd love to see it.
3- I think Snape's good. I'm probably wrong, but that's where I stand.
4- I still don't understand the prophecy completely. I get all the stuff about how it wouldn't necessarily come to pass yet Voldy acted on it, making it happen and causing his own downfall. I get the Neville part, and Harry being marked as his equal and having powers Voldy doesn't know about. And I get the "either MUST die at the hand of the other" part (notice it doesn't say BOTH must die). But the "neither can live while the other survives" part still bothers me. I mean, technically they're both alive now, right? Does that mean that they can't have normal lives while the other is alive? They're forced to give up their normal pursuits in order to pursue each other?
5- I find it interesting that Voldemort says 7 is the most magical number... and Harry was born in the 7th month of the year
6- I want to see Wormtail repay his life debt to Harry (finally)
7- I want to see Godric's Hollow very badly... and I have a feeling we might get clues about a Gryffindor object there
8- I would LOVE for one of the Horcruxes to be at Hogwarts and that was one reason Voldy wanted back in... however, I think it just as likely the only reason he wanted in was to get objects to make Horcruxes, not to retrieve already-created ones. Still... I want to go back to Hogwarts at least one more time :-)
9- I want Ron & Hermione to finally get together, damnit.
10- I want to see Lupin do something extremely nice and/or extremely noble. I'd prefer he not die, obviously, but if he does, I want the last Marauder to go down fighting or with good reason
11- I want that line Luna says to Harry in the 5th movie (you know, THAT line) to be an omen of something for the 7th book, either relating to Dumbledore (portrait?) or Sirius (preferably).
12- I want those damn mirrors from book 5 to come into play somehow cuz otherwise the irony for irony's sake is painful and even more heartbreaking... but considering that wasn't in the movie, I'm not getting my hopes up
Oh, and I don't want to be spoiled :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-07-20 04:39 am (UTC)In regards to your list:
2. If they don't combine houses and species, the Wizarding world is going to lose, plain and simple. Bring on the multicultural cooperation!
3. I keep changing my mind on Snape, but in my heart, I think he's good too. I'll be very sad if he isn't.
9. If we have to have romance, then yes, Ron and Hermione would be my pick. I'm hoping that this book is lighter on the romance than the last one though. The idea of Remus/Tonks in particular squicks me.
11. No, I don't know. But now I want to. What line?
12. Refresh me on the mirrors please. I don't recall any mirrors and now I'm all worried I missed something important. Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-20 05:26 am (UTC)I highly recommend it. It's just packed with details and exposition. And my ex-boyfriend told me he read an article with JKR who considers books 6 & 7 to really be one continuous book split into 2 parts.
2. If they don't combine houses and species, the Wizarding world is going to lose, plain and simple. Bring on the multicultural cooperation!
Exactly. There are sooooooooo many references to it throughout the series. Heck, even the sorting hat's been telling them that for years!
3. I keep changing my mind on Snape, but in my heart, I think he's good too. I'll be very sad if he isn't.
Exactly. I went back and forth changing my mind a while. But after getting through the whole series all at once, I'm landing squarely in the good category. But I guess we'll see :-)
I'm concerned about my WIPs, too. Depending on fates of characters, I'll be finding it difficult to write/continue specific stories.
9. If we have to have romance, then yes, Ron and Hermione would be my pick. I'm hoping that this book is lighter on the romance than the last one though. The idea of Remus/Tonks in particular squicks me.
Yeah. I just want R/H in order to get it over with. All the hinting/teasing gets old after 7 books. Remus/Tonks squicks me... unless I picture her metamorphing into Sirius for him in bed. heehee
11. No, I don't know. But now I want to. What line?
In the movie, Luna's line is something like 'Things turn up, even if they don't turn up in the way you'd expected'. She says this right after a line about Sirius' death. Which IMMEDIATELY made me think it was one of those hints about the future... maybe somehow Sirius will come back! But I'm thinking it could also significantly refer to death in general. But the line sits so heavily in the script that I find it difficult to believe it wasn't hinting towards something. Maybe we finally figure out what the heck happened when Sirius fell through the veil? Maybe Dumbledore's portrait speaks advice? Maybe Harry gets to see his family & godfather again because he dies? Could be anything, but the point is, I'd LIKE it to be something :-)
12. Refresh me on the mirrors please. I don't recall any mirrors and now I'm all worried I missed something important. Thanks!
Sure. In OotP, right before Harry gets on the Knight bus to return to Hogwarts at the end of Christmas holiday, Sirius gives him a little package and says to open it at school and use it if Harry needs him. Even though twice Harry really needs him, the kid forgets about the package completely. At the end of the year, he's in angry!Harry mode, throwing things around and finds the package. He opens it to find a little mirror. It's like a magical video phone- a 2-way mirror. Sirius has the other and they can communicate. Sirius & James used to use them to talk when they were stuck doing separate detentions. Harry tries communicating with Sirius, but Sirius either doesn't have the mirror on him, or it doesn't work. I think Harry breaks the mirror at this point, because obviously, if he'd just opened it and used it, he wouldn't have had to break into Umbridge's office to use the fire and he would have been able to talk to Sirius and find out Voldy hadn't kidnapped him. i.e. if he'd just opened the gift and found the mirror, Sirius wouldn't have died. Which is an evil ironic kick in the you-know-whats. That's probably all it will ever amount to, but I'm still holding out hope. And in fanfic, a little bit of hope is all you need, right?
no subject
Date: 2007-07-20 08:17 am (UTC)I didn't read all the books at once, so I never picked that out when they mentioned it until I re-read the 5th book and saw it did I go "AH!! KEEP THAT PEOPLE!" LOL!
The #3, I agree with you. There was a HUGE rundown of all that happened and when you think about it, Dumbledore was surrounded by Death Eaters and he was all cool and calm by WHY would beg Snape like that? He wasn't afriad of death. (I didn't connect that either, but I did wonder why he got like that.) I think Snape is good, but I personally don't think he'll have a happy ending which makes me sad and scared. :[
JK said the mirrors will be coming back in the 7th book, though. Then this whole debate on if Sirius is dead or not is kinda weird so I didn't follow that at all. XD
So, not spoilers, just food for thought I think. It was a pretty good "what if" book that showed a lot of what I missed spacing out books years at a time.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-20 01:27 pm (UTC)Not crazy at all! *bounces in chair* He was the first I thought of as well!!! Especially because of the locket in book 5 which I've always thought was there because RAB was Regulus. But also because a house elf would obey his master no matter what and it takes that kind of obedience to get through that task. *beams with pride to have actually figured that out on my own* I haven't read any theories or the Q&A on JKR's site because I didn't want to know anything about the upcoming book. So thanks for telling me that's a common theory floating around.
The #3, I agree with you....
Right. It just doesn't make sense unless Snape is good. And it's very in character for Dumbledore to know what was going on and ask Snape to protect Draco by killing him instead (that fight Hagrid overheard). I've always read that "please" as a "plaese kill me". Of course, he could have been following Dumbledore's orders by killing and still be a double agent. I guess we'll see.
JK said the mirrors will be coming back in the 7th book, though.
Really? Eep! Awesome!! *bounces in place again*
Then this whole debate on if Sirius is dead or not is kinda weird so I didn't follow that at all. XD
Well, back when book5 came out, she said definitively that he's dead. That doesn't mean they won't be able to communicate with him, though or that he won't come back. *G*
It was a pretty good "what if" book that showed a lot of what I missed spacing out books years at a time.
Yeah. I considered reading those books- one of the writers of the Mugglenet books came to my area to talk a month ago but I didn't go. I wanted to form my own opinions and theories :-) But I'm glad to know I thought of several of the same things as the masters, heehee. Thanks :-)
Not long now before we find out!
no subject
Date: 2007-07-20 02:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-20 04:24 pm (UTC)I haven't read any theories or the Q&A on JKR's site because I didn't want to know anything about the upcoming book.
Ahhh! I feel bad now for leaking some of them out. n_n; The thoeries they had were excellent and for people (like me) who miss things in the books that JK uses for "hinting" at future situations. She's really good like that.
That doesn't mean they won't be able to communicate with him, though or that he won't come back. *G*
OHHHHH! You see THAT makes sense! I kind of hope not, because I know I'll cry like baby if that happens. LOL! (Just like I did the first time Harry tried to get them to work.) I didn't think about Luna's line from the movie, though, but that is totally hinting as well.
I wanted to form my own opinions and theories :-) But I'm glad to know I thought of several of the same things as the masters, heehee.
Awww, I still feel bad about throwing some of them out. :( I hope it didn't really do much damage. *wg* I concluded they are horribly wrong and flung my book angrilly when I first got it because they said Draco's furute looks ...dead. XD I can't have that and got mad at it and didn't read it for almost a year until the date came closer and closer.
Not long now before we find out!
Not even 24 hours! My book is sitting in a warehouse in Virginia Beach and I'm crawling out of my skin for tomorrow!! :D Happy reading, sweetie! ♥