redfiona99 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
redfiona99) wrote2007-07-30 04:59 pm
redfiona99) wrote2007-07-30 04:59 pm
Entry tags:
Now I'm writing about the boy who people keep writing about
Here be warnings: There will be spoilers, not only for the entire Potter series, but also for a Dance to the Music of Time, and there'll be references to Brideshead Revisted, and a good chance of me going off on tangents.
1 - Harry to win and survive. Because I like successful endings when they're up again evil forces that seek to rule the world.
Well I got that. In an entirely different way than expected, because she fulfilled her thing about although we are shaped by the people round us and our ancestors we are our own people bit very well. Because Harry and Snape and Harry and Voldemort and Harry and Dumbledore are all so similar and so different. It's totally one of the literary themes I'm interested in (see also 'I am Isildur's heir' 'but you are not Isildur', 'Luke I am your father' and countless others).
I also liked that the world did go on, it didn't just stop, and however many problems there are with the epilogue, like argh! too many names all at once, and Draco calling his son Scorpius, which freaks the Farscape fan in me out, it's life continues, because that's what it does.
2 - Ickle Ronnikins to survive. Sorry, he's my favourite. I'd like for Gred and Forge to get out alive too. But I doubt it, sheer force of numbers suggest that a Weasley is doomed. Wah!
Well I get that. And character development and Ickle Ronnikins being both very human and very heroic. Not that Hermionie wasn't too, and fantastically organised and clever about it, what with oblivating her parents and everything.
I was so worried after the episode with George's ear, and I just thought that that meant that the Twinses were safe. And then came the damn thing with Fred, large as life, getting killed. I was so shocked I flipped the page back to double check that I'd read it right.
Damn.
I love that Percy did come back to the fold, off his own bat not because someone talked him into it. He's a Weasley through and through. And that he admitted he'd been an idiot. (Hugs Percy).
I feel I may have cheered when the old Gryffindor Quidditch team appeared. And the teacher's fight back, particularly McGonagall and Trelawney.
3 - Snape to get some sort of resolution. I mean, he's the one I expect to be dead meat (along with Pettigrew), but I want him to have been good because otherwise Dumbledore was wrong, and I don't want that.
I may be the only one who liked Snape's death scene. He's not the kind of character that a big, noble heroic death would suit. And he gets vindicated, which makes me happy.
Pettigrew's death was fantastically interesting and grotesque. That Harry tries to save him is also a wonderful touch, because at some point Harry's grown-up into a civilised person, who tries to rescue people even if they aren't particularly nice.
Dumbledore's goodness or otherwise is interesting, because who hasn't had teenage friends that are not of the right sort (see also Snape), and I can't help but imagine Dumbledore and Grindelwald as Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte from Brideshead Revisited and, in between being almost as bizarre as Scorpius Malfoy, its kind of disturbing to imagine Grindelwald as Sebastian.
And are we sure that Dumbledore was a Gryffindor because that plan was Ravenclaw in its logic, Slytherin in its execution and Hufflepuff in its sacrifice of something for the greater good. It's a genius plan though.
Much like Harry and McGonagall using Unforgivables, its a case of whatever wins the day. It's not a fight for the moral high-ground, it's a fight for survival.
4 - Hagrid to survive. Sorry, I like him. I like him a lot. I was so very worried in the opening scene, what with Hedwig dying and her and Hagrid being Harry's intro to the wizarding world. And every single battle, chase and intersect with the rest of the wizarding world had me worried for him. Especially since he was running 'Support Potter' parties.
I mean, what's not to love about someone who knows how dangerous Azkaban is and still does that.
I also really loved the idea of Lee Jordan running Radio Freedom, and that they did mention the Goblins and Muggles that died too.
Aren't the Goblins interesting though. A totally separate view of the world with their own rules. I'm amazed that there wasn't pay back for breaking the oath.
And the house-elves. Kreacher still loving Master Regulus and obeying him, despite what it cost him. And Dobby. Wah! I do not want Dobby dead. And then they fight.
5 - Bellatrix back to be severely blasted by Neville. That didn't happen, although I'll take Mrs. Weasley kick butt as a suitable replacement.
5 b - Neville to survive. He's adorable. Not only adorable, but competant and flip and ever so slightly cool, with a squishy Neville core. And a kick-ass Grandma. I love the idea of Neville as the resistance leader and the room of requirement once again coming to the kids aid. That room serves only one Master and that's the pupils of the school.
6 - Tonks to survive. On the principle that I'd prefer Lupin to get something happy/good/nice for once.
While the deaths that really hurt me were Dobby, Fred and Colin Creevy (I have no idea why, other than he was a total innocent and Oliver Wood carrying him without help because he's so light and it's the Peter Templer effect all over again - Peter Templer is a character in 'A Dance to the Music of Time' and while, of the two that died during the war bits, I prefered Stringham, for some unknown reason I woke up in the middle of the night crying over Peter Templer), Tonks was the only one I thought was over-kill. Most of the others serve some purpose:
Hedwig - this time its personal
Mad Eye Moody - And the Death Eaters aren't playing (plus otherwise Potter would have been a lot safer in DH)
Various people that Voldemort kills - He's evil. Really.
Ted Tonks and the other Goblin - No one's safe
Pettigrew - What goes around etc
Dobby - Really, no one's safe, and also the writer wants Harry to have to come to a decision.
Fred - Did I mention that no one was safe, plus it had to be someone we liked to start off the big end fight deaths. (Damn you Rowling)
Snape - really has to die for the plot and for character reasons.
Colin - Life is cruel and mean and takes no account of size and innocence.
Lupin - Out with the old guard, an end to old emnities that can't take place unless his generation are wiped out.
I can cope with those. What purpose does killing off Tonks serve?
I liked it. Not as much as Half-Blood Prince, but still it was well put together, it made sense, I like the wand lore and the shades of grey (Mr. Lovegood, Dumbledore, the Malofys).
1 - Harry to win and survive. Because I like successful endings when they're up again evil forces that seek to rule the world.
Well I got that. In an entirely different way than expected, because she fulfilled her thing about although we are shaped by the people round us and our ancestors we are our own people bit very well. Because Harry and Snape and Harry and Voldemort and Harry and Dumbledore are all so similar and so different. It's totally one of the literary themes I'm interested in (see also 'I am Isildur's heir' 'but you are not Isildur', 'Luke I am your father' and countless others).
I also liked that the world did go on, it didn't just stop, and however many problems there are with the epilogue, like argh! too many names all at once, and Draco calling his son Scorpius, which freaks the Farscape fan in me out, it's life continues, because that's what it does.
2 - Ickle Ronnikins to survive. Sorry, he's my favourite. I'd like for Gred and Forge to get out alive too. But I doubt it, sheer force of numbers suggest that a Weasley is doomed. Wah!
Well I get that. And character development and Ickle Ronnikins being both very human and very heroic. Not that Hermionie wasn't too, and fantastically organised and clever about it, what with oblivating her parents and everything.
I was so worried after the episode with George's ear, and I just thought that that meant that the Twinses were safe. And then came the damn thing with Fred, large as life, getting killed. I was so shocked I flipped the page back to double check that I'd read it right.
Damn.
I love that Percy did come back to the fold, off his own bat not because someone talked him into it. He's a Weasley through and through. And that he admitted he'd been an idiot. (Hugs Percy).
I feel I may have cheered when the old Gryffindor Quidditch team appeared. And the teacher's fight back, particularly McGonagall and Trelawney.
3 - Snape to get some sort of resolution. I mean, he's the one I expect to be dead meat (along with Pettigrew), but I want him to have been good because otherwise Dumbledore was wrong, and I don't want that.
I may be the only one who liked Snape's death scene. He's not the kind of character that a big, noble heroic death would suit. And he gets vindicated, which makes me happy.
Pettigrew's death was fantastically interesting and grotesque. That Harry tries to save him is also a wonderful touch, because at some point Harry's grown-up into a civilised person, who tries to rescue people even if they aren't particularly nice.
Dumbledore's goodness or otherwise is interesting, because who hasn't had teenage friends that are not of the right sort (see also Snape), and I can't help but imagine Dumbledore and Grindelwald as Charles Ryder and Sebastian Flyte from Brideshead Revisited and, in between being almost as bizarre as Scorpius Malfoy, its kind of disturbing to imagine Grindelwald as Sebastian.
And are we sure that Dumbledore was a Gryffindor because that plan was Ravenclaw in its logic, Slytherin in its execution and Hufflepuff in its sacrifice of something for the greater good. It's a genius plan though.
Much like Harry and McGonagall using Unforgivables, its a case of whatever wins the day. It's not a fight for the moral high-ground, it's a fight for survival.
4 - Hagrid to survive. Sorry, I like him. I like him a lot. I was so very worried in the opening scene, what with Hedwig dying and her and Hagrid being Harry's intro to the wizarding world. And every single battle, chase and intersect with the rest of the wizarding world had me worried for him. Especially since he was running 'Support Potter' parties.
I mean, what's not to love about someone who knows how dangerous Azkaban is and still does that.
I also really loved the idea of Lee Jordan running Radio Freedom, and that they did mention the Goblins and Muggles that died too.
Aren't the Goblins interesting though. A totally separate view of the world with their own rules. I'm amazed that there wasn't pay back for breaking the oath.
And the house-elves. Kreacher still loving Master Regulus and obeying him, despite what it cost him. And Dobby. Wah! I do not want Dobby dead. And then they fight.
5 - Bellatrix back to be severely blasted by Neville. That didn't happen, although I'll take Mrs. Weasley kick butt as a suitable replacement.
5 b - Neville to survive. He's adorable. Not only adorable, but competant and flip and ever so slightly cool, with a squishy Neville core. And a kick-ass Grandma. I love the idea of Neville as the resistance leader and the room of requirement once again coming to the kids aid. That room serves only one Master and that's the pupils of the school.
6 - Tonks to survive. On the principle that I'd prefer Lupin to get something happy/good/nice for once.
While the deaths that really hurt me were Dobby, Fred and Colin Creevy (I have no idea why, other than he was a total innocent and Oliver Wood carrying him without help because he's so light and it's the Peter Templer effect all over again - Peter Templer is a character in 'A Dance to the Music of Time' and while, of the two that died during the war bits, I prefered Stringham, for some unknown reason I woke up in the middle of the night crying over Peter Templer), Tonks was the only one I thought was over-kill. Most of the others serve some purpose:
Hedwig - this time its personal
Mad Eye Moody - And the Death Eaters aren't playing (plus otherwise Potter would have been a lot safer in DH)
Various people that Voldemort kills - He's evil. Really.
Ted Tonks and the other Goblin - No one's safe
Pettigrew - What goes around etc
Dobby - Really, no one's safe, and also the writer wants Harry to have to come to a decision.
Fred - Did I mention that no one was safe, plus it had to be someone we liked to start off the big end fight deaths. (Damn you Rowling)
Snape - really has to die for the plot and for character reasons.
Colin - Life is cruel and mean and takes no account of size and innocence.
Lupin - Out with the old guard, an end to old emnities that can't take place unless his generation are wiped out.
I can cope with those. What purpose does killing off Tonks serve?
I liked it. Not as much as Half-Blood Prince, but still it was well put together, it made sense, I like the wand lore and the shades of grey (Mr. Lovegood, Dumbledore, the Malofys).