I skipped until I found Snape.

I did that, but with Ron. After a chapter of him being gone, I couldn't bear it any more and had to check and see when he showed up again. I flipped forward a few chapters, saw the words "Ron said..." and was content that he returned, so I went back to where I was and happily continued reading.

I never wavered in my belief that Snape was Dumbledore's man, so I'm good with how it ended, though I had the same, "Wait, that's it???" when he died... until the silvery stuff.

I've never really had a horse in any of the ship races, so how it ended was fine by me. No, wait - that's not true. I did always figure Hermione and Ron would end up together, and that seemed right. Harry and Ginny never grabbed me, but I didn't really have any particular designs for who he should have ended up with. That is, I would have been fine without the epilogue, and I'd have wished them all the best for the future. Having said that, the epilogue didn't bug.

I absolutely felt like there was this whole other, and at times, surely more interesting, story going on with the rest of the characters, but I get why we weren't privy to it. Leaves her lots of room to play in the world again if she wants, though. Which is to say, yeah, some of the tent camping bits dragged for me, too, but that's just a minor thing.

Overall, really enjoyed it. Dobby's death was very sad, and I got totally verklempt when they appeared in the Requirement Room at the end and all those kids were there, and then more and more started showing up from Dumbledore's Army, and then, just... everyone. ::dabs at eyes::

For a bit, I really thought she was going to off Harry, and I was all, "Bold move, lady... you got some kahones on you," but then I was all, "Phew!" I mean, can you imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth? Yikes. Then again, she could, like, buy an island, build a castle with a badass moat and laugh at the crazy fen from behind her fortified walls, so...

***

I have such a bad memory of the specific details of the book, that I'm only vaguely aware when things change, even dramatically, from book to movie. I loved Luna so much in the movie, that I'm happy with whatever they did there. I did wonder about how the Requirement Room was discovered - I couldn't remember from the book, though I didn't think it was quite like the movie.

Finally finished!

Dumbledore, you utter and complete asshead.

Poor Snape -- all that time as an undercover good guy, and he dies unredeemed at the hand of Voldemort's pet snake???

Albus Severus is a horrible name to give a child, emotional resonance be damned. And why does Harry get to name all the kids? Where's little Fred Potter?

I cried, predictably, at all of the parent/child stuff. And at Harry being so brave at the end.

James Fred? James Sirius Fred?

Maybe it's Rose Fred.

Or maybe Bill, Charlie and George all have a kid named Fred so they didn't feel inclined to follow.

Oh, and I meant to say that I figure George settled down, got married, they had kids, and his first was named Fred - all before the younger set had kids. I mean, it was his twin bro and all, so I'm good with that.

I think in their grief, Angelina and George found solace in each other and eventually got married and had a boy named Fred.

I could also be reading too much fic.

Where's little Fred Potter?

That's what i want to know.

Oh, and I meant to say that I figure George settled down, got married, they had kids, and his first was named Fred - all before the younger set had kids.

That was my wank too.

Albus Severus is a horrible name to give a child, emotional resonance be damned.

Scorpius Malfoy, on the other hand, is....

no, it's just lame, too. I keep picturing Draco in Farscape!Scorpy's cooling suit.

If the story is a mythical tale - like HP or LOTR I don't have a problem with them being told differently. I think, for example, voldmont appearing on the train platform made it clear that Harry was being haunted by Voldmont. And it allowed the dreams to remain ambiguous and dream like. The reason that I can except this is because I was a huge fairytale/tall tall/folk tale reader( esp from ages 8 -12) - where I kept coming across stories I knew from before - but told differently. If the essence is the same - I can embrace it.

I keep picturing Draco in Farscape!Scorpy's cooling suit.

Bwah ha ha!

I sort of hated the epilogue, and sort of liked it at the same time. I KNOW I would have wanted it, just like that, were I the age group of the kids.

Did we find out what happened to Luna, though?