The Deathly Hallows (Mark Spoilers!)

[CloudDragon]

Also, (SPOILER)I enjoyed the chapter "King's Cross" with Harry and Dumbledore and the whimpering flayed-skinned child representing Voldemort's soul that was destroyed by Voldemort himself. I think JKR made it a bit too confusing on why Harry was able to come back. In fact, it seems she gave him more than one reason in being able to return. Not only was Harry's blood in Voldy being able to bring him back, but also wouldn't the fact that Voldy was using the wand Harry was the master of also a reason it couldn't kill him? And I'm really interested as to what happened when Voldemort (probably) went unconscious. Did he experienced a similar dream-like state.

(SPOILER)I also want to know what happened to Voldy at that time, but as far as I could tell, Harry didn't die because of a deus ex machina; i.e. "uncharted areas of magic" which basically means Rowling can do whatever the heck she wants for the sake of where she wants the story to go. That said, I wasn't too bothered by this particular deus ex machina.

I also forgot to mention (SPOILER)that apparently Rowling gave Harry 3 possible ways out of death. The two I mentioned earlier, and the fact that he was the owner of all three Hallows (which we didn't know at the time of course with the wand). Dumbledore did make a reference telling Harry the he was the true uniter of the Hallows. I also don't particularly see it as a deus ex machina because she has explanations that do fit accurately. We just aren't sure which one actually did it.

[Jessweeee♪]

Oh, my gosh, I just finished this book and it was the greatest piece of literature I have read in my life...I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see Hogwarts the same way we did in the previous books, but as I read, I found it was better that way n.n

Besides, how the heck would she have pulled that off?

(SPOILER)And as for Snape and Lily's patronus, I think someone confirmed Lily's was a doe in the book...I don't remember :P

[AOp]

One thing that's bugging me is (SPOILER)Snape's patronus. I'm assuming that Lily's patronus was a doe, which is why Snape's was (going on the fact that Tonk's patronus became a wolf (presumably, was that ever explicitly stated?)), and how Dumbledore knew he was still in love with Lily, right? It's just that I don't think we ever knew Lily's patronus WAS a doe; were we supposed to know that's what Lily's was due to the fact that James' was a stag? Eurgh, I don't get it. Have I missed something here, or am I just being retarded?

I think that you were just sort of supposed to tie it together on your own.

[Hazzard]

A lot of things were left self-explained.

[Renmiri]

i thought the epilog was ok! it could have been more informative but thats what you get with a happy ending!

I agree. There could've been more about the aftermath but I felt it was a rather touching and pretty good way to end it.

Ditto but I wanted 200 more pages of it

[Hazzard]

I'm looking forward to the encyclopedia of it all.

[Nominus Experse]

Appendices and the like are always interesting with fantasy and science fiction. I say this because we - the reader - are then given a raw look at all that the author envisioned. In essence, we are made capable of truly seeing the scope and value that the author found in their own personal world.

It's like being able to climb into the painting of an artist, and seeing the number of complexities in the work in a more penetrating way.

[scrumpleberry]

Yes, the encyclopedia would be great. I'd love for her to do one.

[Spawn of Sephiroth]

I agree with you about the present... I didn't read any more into it. I'm shocked to hear that anyone did. If that had been the case... I think more precaution may have been made... locking the door and such.

I also think Lupin was hilarious every time he showed up somewhere with that whole spiel of his.

As to the character in question, I just don't really see why he's more significant than any other. Yeah it sucks that he's a (SPOILER)twin, but it equally sucks that (SPOILER)Remus and Tonks have a new child that will never meet them. In the end, it is all subjective so I suppose it doesn't matter. I guess I just see it differently. But that's the glory of book and sharing opinions they evoke in us.

Even though it sucks that (SPOILER)Lupin and Tonks died after having a baby I found it kind of fitting that they (SPOILER)made Harry its Godfather So Rowling did good with that part I think because now the child has Harry as family but can also have him to relate to because of the similar situations. The more I think about it, and as much as I hated the epilogue, I am glad she did it how she did because it will always leave us guessing, until she spilled everything on the Today show interview and an interview in USA TODAY newspaper, but the best part of any book is the suspense of what will happen, but I honestly now have a greater appreciation for her for how she ended it all, even though at first I didn't.

[Disco Potato]

Finished Deathly Hallows this morning...just some thoughts about it:

For the most part, I adored this book . None of the others in the series - or any other book I've read, I think, have made me gasp or laugh like this one did. It's not exactly high literature, but it was still extremely touching in places ((SPOILER)Dobby's death and burial, Harry's death march in the forest and the talk with Dumbledore, etc.), and I definitely prefer it over most of the god-awfully boring and pretentious classic literature I've had to read

I actually liked (SPOILER) the epilogue...I liked that JKR didn't take the easy way out and just rattle off a list of things the characters did after defeating Voldemort. I kind of choked up a little when I realized Harry and Ginny had ended up together after all . It was nice that, even though they received so little attention, the children had pretty fleshed-out personalities. And the final sentence, "All was well," gave some nice, peaceful closure to the series.

I also really enjoyed (SPOILER) the chapter on Snape. His relationship with Lily and his devotion to her helped a lot in making them seem "realer" and more nuanced, and it was just really interesting to read more about some of the adult characters as they were growing up and seeing different events from Snape's perspective.

And I thought this line was hysterical

(SPOILER)"Wands are only as powerful as the wizards who use them. Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people's." Obviously, I have a dirty mind.

[Hambone]

Snape's a butthole.

But that's no spoiler.

[Disco Potato]

Snape's a butthole.

But that's no spoiler.

(SPOILER)Did you read this book?

[Firo Volondé]

I just finished it tonight. I thought it was OK, nothing too mind-blowing, but then again, I hadn't been hanging out for this book, so it was good enough for me.

(SPOILER)I liked how each of the Horcruxes was destroyed by a different person.
Diary - Harry
Ring - Dumbledore
Locket - Ron
Cup - Hermione
Diadem - Crabbe
Harry - Voldemort
Nagini - Neville

I always thought the sword would pop up again, and I'd hoped that either Ron or Neville would use it.

The whole "come back to life" thing was a bit too similar to Jesus and The Matrix, I think that if Harry was going to die, he should have stayed dead, and somebody like Neville, Snape or even Malfoy (any one of them) finish Voldemort off.

After I read Lupin and Tonks dying suddenly in quick sucession I was a bit annoyed. I liked both of them and I think Tonks definitely should not have died. Aberforth was a much better candidate for the role of sacrificial lamb. And as for Hagrid, that oaf should've died TWICE, but was kept alive just so he could get a mention in the sunshine-lollipops-and-rainbows ending. Apart from the last two lines, I thought that epilogue was a huge disappointment. Hell, I would've been happier if it had ended before the epilogue, despite the fact it would then lack closure.

I still have a few questions, though.

(SPOILER)Why did Dumbledore give Hermione the book in his will? The other items' importance was clear (The Deluminator helped Ron find Harry and Hermione again, the snitch had the Resurrection Stone in it, the sword ended up destroying three Horcruxes), but the book had no discernible purpose, other than to make Harry go within an inch of screwing up the mission entirely (he almost talked to Ollivander first at Shell Cottage)

How could Dumbledore have defeated Grindelwald? The Elder Wand would mean Grindelwald could never lose a duel, and the book clearly states, several times, Dumbledore duelled him and won, then took his wand. I doubt Grindelwald would have chosen to use a different wand, or gone easy on his former friend.

Why did Dobby have to die??

One more thing. Has anybody counted how many time the word 'beam' and variations was used?

[Hazzard]

@Firo

Dumbledore gave Hermoine the fairy tale book, because it was clearly the fact that he was aware that Hermione is alert, bright and can decipher things more easily than other wizards/witches. The book led to the discovery of the Deathly Hallows in a roundabout way because of the emblem on the first page, and the tale of the three brothers and Death.

The Elder Wand doesn't technically make the user all mighty and powerful, because how would the predecessors of the wand be killed or beaten in a dual? By winning in all sorts of fashions, and Dumbledore and many others stated that Albus was always one notch better than Grindelwald.

Sad that Dobby died.

J.K loves to use that word, and has a repetitive flow of using words again and again. I noticed it far too often.

[Araciel]

Snape's a butthole.

But that's no spoiler.

(SPOILER)Did you read this book?

yea snape is the best, always was, always will be!