This thread is a focused discussion group. Please see the first post below for the current topic and upcoming book discussions. While natter will inevitably happen, we encourage you to treat this like a virtual book club and try to keep your posts in that spirit.
By consensus, this thread is reopened specifically to discuss Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It will be closed again once that discussion has run its course.
***SPOILER ALERT***
- **Spoilers for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows lie here. Read at your own risk***
I actually went back and re-read all the books but Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. I didn't finish Order of the Phoenix until HBP had been out a few days, and while I was reading it I realized I'd forgotten most of Goblet of Fire, so before I reread that, I reread PoA. The re-reading really enhanced and unmuddled a lot of OotP, which was still very fresh in mind, and I fairly raced through HBP.
I do still feel that OotP was terribly muddly, though, unecessarily so. I know there was a lot of ground to cover, but I don't think it was as linear as it could have been. It was like following a rat through a maze at times. I'm not sure a re-reading would actually be all that beneficial, either. Even if I was so inclined.
Aimee, why do you want it to end that way? I've heard a couple of people say that and I am interested in what is satisfying about that ending?
SNAPE KILLED DUMBLEDORE!!!
Sorry, I've been wanting to shout it for days and can't cause I'll spoil my peeps. I definitely think it was planned between S and D. Poor Snape. Poor Dumbledore. Poor Harry.
I am fairly certain that Snape is going deep undercover. I can also see Snape's influence could be used to carefully fan the spark of decency in young Malfoy.
Is Dumbledore really truly dead? hmmm. We shall see. I like that Harry is planning to not finish school, although I doubt that plan will come to pass.
I really want the veil thing at the Department of Mysteries to make a reappearance. It seemed too important to have just been a way of disposing a character for HSQ purposes.
I think Dumbie is truly dead but will probably still make appearances in the next book. I don't really want Malfoy redeemed. I enjoy hating him. I like McGonnagal (sp?) becoming headmistress. Cool.
I'm on the "Dumbledore was begging Snape to follow through on the promise he made" bandwagon re: the killing. Either Dumbledore was afraid of the death that was waiting for him (lingering, painful, losing his mind most likely) or he was afraid they'd just capture him. Draco probably headed up those stairs thinking, "Finally, a chance to get my own back," then he was staring down his wand at a real person who he'd known for years. 16 (are they 16? 17?) is a little young for most people to have developed the ability to slaughter people you know.
How do the headmaster portraits work? Will Dumbledore be available for consultation now that his portrait is on the wall in the headmaster/mistress office? Or do you have to be a ghost to animate it?
If Draco isn't redeemed a little, he stays a cardboard villain. Rowling's better at characterization than that.
I'm guessing that Dumbledore will be available for consultation via his portrait.
