C&P'd from my Word Document.
Response, after finishing the book, before I'd read anyone else's:
Ok, to start with, the epilogue was gratuitous if you’re over, like, 14. It was all very much as expected, and didn’t give many clues to the actual questions I have/had: Who’s headmaster? What’s Harry doing with himself? Etc etc. Additionally, wouldn’t Teddy have grown up as part of the family? After his own experiences, surely Harry would have wanted to take the boy in. And, well, it read a bit like fairly average fic. I was really close on what the last line of the series would be.
I could bitch for a while, but I did like it, on the whole. Actually, what I think I will do is go back to my list:
- Harry needs to not die. No, really. I've got narrative-theory reasons why.
And Rowling, bless her, nailed it for me. Harry’s walk out of the castle to the forest made me cry. That and the end of 5, with the mirror and the talking to Nick, were the only two bits in the series that really did.
- We need to hear from both Dumbledore and Sirius again, in some form. Because, really, could you get any more half-assed about dying, for either of them? It's a frigging phoenix
nods. Full points. Well, 3/4 points for Sirius, but I’m okay with that.
- Graduation Day. From Buffy.
Oh, HELLS Yeah.
- Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermione, so that they're all family (and Harry finally, really has one). This can just be in the long-term, rather than immediate.
Which was what a lot of what the Epilogue was after, in a hella heavy-handed way
Also, because there’s no real elsewhere to put it, I called that one of the Weasley’s had to die, and it would be prefect, in the tragic way, if it was precisely one of the twins.
- Remus happy. Because one of the Marauders should be
Killing Remus was just unnecessary. Enough with the parallels, let the poor man be happy. And poor Tonks.
- House Elves, Centaurs, and Giants all being important. As do Durmstang and Beauxbatons.
Full points on Elves (although why Kreacher was not summoned at all after the leaving of Grimmauld Place, I do not know). Good grade on Giants. Barely passing on Centaurs. Also Durmstrang. And Beauxbatons, having been represented only by the Fleur clan, gets a D. Not quite a T.
- Neville. I have no further coherent thoughts, but he needs to be important. Key, even.
So very key, with the snake and the sword.
- Graduation Day. Harry should get at least a Hogwarts-equivalency whatever. So he can be an auror, if he so chooses. Because he's not going to die.
This, I missed getting NOTHING about this in the flash forward.
- Ron needs to be awesome, in at least one moment
Hermione got more awesome than Ron, but I think he got his share, especially at the pond.
Loved the Willow/Oz in Graduation Day moment with the snogging.
- Harry needs to save the Dursleys. (preferably, and then be all "whatever" about it)
Dudley’s reaction worked, although I thought he was imperiused, so maybe not quite.
- Snape needs to be not-evil. Harry can't have been right from day 1, and Dumbledore wrong.
Yes, she gets points on this, but loses them on “he was in wuv with Lily”
- Brothers. Albus's and Sirius's.
Ayup.
- Percy. Just, some resolution.
I’ll take it. You know, rather than the epilogue we got, I’d have liked something, maybe a year later, and gotten to see the Weasley’s, in particular. The re-opening of Hogwarts would have been lovely.
- Some final something with the founders. Not sure what. Might have something to do with Graduation Day. Or Godric's Hollow.
Yes! And we were all so very nearly right about Harry being Gryffindor’s descendant. Just, well, we didn’t know about the Hallows brothers.
Also, I’m thrilled as hell that she explained the Bloody Baron. I’d been wondering about him during this re-read.
After reading Daniel Radcliffe’s response off EW:
Dobby’s death was, in some ways, rather like Wash’s, which makes sense, as Hedwig’s was a lot like Book’s; it felt like, with Hedwig, she (continued...)