Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- J.K. Rowling

We went out to dinner in Portland Friday night, during Mugglefest.  I, of course, was wearing my Trust Snape t-shirt.  Not one, but two little girls -- separately -- called me a traitor! 

It ruled.

Obviously, I'm not going to really get into it here -- I'll save it for the comments, that way people'll have to click through.  I don't want to post anything spoileriffic here.

So.  That said, I had to force myself through the first three hundred pages, but after that I couldn't stop.

More in the spoiler-filled comments.

Comments

[Brian F.]

You had to force yourself through the first 300 pages? Are you saying you thought they were boring? And, if so, did we read the same first 300 pages?

[Sara]

At my local Borders, almost everyone was wearing "Snape Betrays" stickers. My boyfriend and I just kept laughing at them behind their backs.

[Sylvia]

Snape! I harboured a massive crush on him in the first books, and when I was reading it I was crying so much. Ah, trust Snape indeed.
...I have post-Potter syndrome. I feel drained.

[Leila]

See? See, all you Snape detractors? I TOLD YOU SO. Nyah nyah. I was totally wrong about the HOW of his death, though. I admit that. Man, that Voldemort. What a bastard.

Favorite, favorite moments: Bellatrix's death at the hands of Molly Weasley. Potterwatch. Also, of course, Neville The Snake-Slaying Hero. I've always said he had it in him. I wish we're heard more about his school year.

I was surprised when I cried for Dobby. And that Fred's death didn't hit me harder -- but I think I'd prepared myself for that.

I felt a bit ripped off that Harry didn't die, honestly. The reasoning behind it all just felt like a real stretch. It wasn't that I WANTED him to die, just that it seemed like too much of a stretch.

The nod between Harry and Draco in the epilogue was nice.

I LOVE SNAPE.

[Leila]

Brian, yeah. It just didn't capture me. Moments did -- the Godric's Hollow sequence, anything in Malfoy Manor... but it wasn't until the Patronus doe scene that I really got into it.

[Leila]

Also, can I just say it's such a relief that you guys have read it, too? No one else at the library has finished it yet.

[Kate]

Oh man, I was *in* it from Chapter 2 onwards... I think one reason I never got annoyed w/, say, OotP's long detail-filled stretches (or the first third of this book, w/ the wedding and so forth), is that the things I loved most about the books were the little glimpses into the Wizarding world, how it works, daily life things... I loved stuff like Hermione's bottomless Mary Poppins bag, etc. I also felt like Rowling's always-fun dialog truly came to life in this book. The ids felt REALLY real, and so....17. There were so many points when I snorted out loud ("Overkill, mate," etc.), and it was just fun to read.

[Kate]

(kids, not ids. sigh.)

[Leila]

I loved it when Ron and Hermione start kissing, and Harry tries and tries to get their attention until he finally resorts to yelling "OI!" at them.

I think the infighting towards the beginning of the quest got to me. But, you know, I also think that all of the pre-publicity got to me, too -- it might have taken 300 pages for my irritation with it to really wear off.

[jessmonster]

I felt like the infighting quest moments were supposed to be irritating - you know, make you feel for them. But that didn't stop it from being a bit of a drag.

I was relieved that Snape didn't die in the act of saving Harry - that would've been too much. I'm thinking we need some sort of Snape Memorial T-Shirt, a companion to "Trust Snape."

[heather-lee]

Now I wish I'd just gone ahead and ordered a Trust Snape shirt but I can never seem to trust my instincts solidly on these things. I found it a page-turner from the escape from Privet Drive, but I am ridiculously susceptible to every trick, joke, and gush of sentimentality in these books.

I cried a lot about Dobby, and was totally breaking down in the last battle. Somehow, Kreacher also really got me to sob with his fanatical loyalty finally channeled in a useful direction. The Molly-Bellatrix fight was great too!

I am not so sure how I felt about the epilogue. I mean, it sort of felt like she'd thought about how she wanted things to end up for certain characters, but had just left others out totally. Like Luna. Maybe I just wanted to know what happened to Luna.

[Shrieky]

I said Snape loved Lily! None of my chums believed me, they thought I was delusional, they laughed. But now? HA! The only deaths I cried for on the spot were Dobby, Fred and Snape. Fred and Dobby the most because I expected Snape to die. Also I was really glad that both Lupin and Tonks died, I wouldn't be able to stand it if one died and the other lived. Now I can't really bring myself to read anything else, none of the aforementioned chums have finished except one who thinks that the book was like a movie (but since she's taken that stand for years I think I'll just ignore her) so I don't have anyone to talk to. Then again talking to the chums about books generally leaves me wondering where they keep their brains so...

[Leila]

The escape was good -- maybe it was just all of the time in the tent that got to me -- and like Jess said, that was probably deliberate. It felt too claustrophobic to NOT be deliberate.

I wanted to know what happened to Umbridge. Whatever it was, I hope it hurt.

I shrieked when Kreacher came barreling out with the House Elves. It was AWESOME.

[Lady S]

I don't even know where to start. I loved everything except the epilogue. I would have liked more details in that part.

I sobbed desperately when Ron left. I couldn't even go on. I had to take a break. Then I remembered the UK children's cover and knew he would be back. Pretty much I sobbed through the rest of the book. I am so glad she put in all the laugh lines, I don't know if I would have made it through.

I still couldn't believe Snape was good. It was great to see his memories and realize he knew Lily as a little girl. I think I really moved over to his side when he showed Dumbledore the doe and said "Always."

Now what?

[Sarah]

I sobbed for the entire last third or so. I also kept having to read standing up during the action parts.

A guy I know wrote in his blog about why the book was mediocre, and I only read a sentence or so before stopping, and I feel a little guilty about how little I like him now.

[Lillian]

May I suggest an idea for the "Trust Snape" companion T-shirt? "Love Snape." Maybe with an "Always." on the back. Or is that overkill? ;)

There are so many parts that were wonderful (although I had a bit of trouble getting going at first, too), but I think that I must have teared up every single time that Neville's name appeared on the page. I was full-on bawling when he came through Ariana's portrait to greet the trio. Neville FTW!!!

[Jennie]

Killing Hedwig off so cruelly and quickly early on let me know I'd be crying through the whole book.

I was not prepared to be laughing through my tears so often!

I was happy Percy came back and that his siblings didn't ride him too hard. I whooped for joy when we found out about Neville's Gran.

I, too, want a Snape shirt that says Always on it and wonder what happened to Luna (did she end up with Dean?!) and what did the kids do for a living? (Though I really like the idea of Harry as a stay-at-home Dad.)

[Melissa]

No, you need a Lily's Eyes t-shirt to go with the Snape one. Because that was really the key, wasn't it?

I loved Neville. He rocked. I loved The Silver Doe chapter; so wonderful yet heartbreaking. Breaking into Gringotts was way cool, as was breaking into the Ministry of Magic (oooh, Umbridge was back to being hateful!). I didn't mind the infighting so much... it did sound real.

Alberforth, though, was the real surprise, for me. I loved him. I was intrigued by and satisfied with the whole humanizing of Dumbledore (what next!). Dobby's death made me sad, but I had to completely stop reading for a while after Fred died. I bawled. It was so senseless. I did like the final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort, and I was so glad that Molly came to her kids defense. Bellatrix was a bitch. Indeed.

I didn't mind the whole King's Cross chapter, or that Harry came back (though I thought Harry being a Horcrux was a bit much). I just want to know, if what's his name the goblin took Griffendor's sword, how the hell did Nevill pull it out of the Sorting Hat (though I'm glad he did)?

[Sarah]

Loved it. Except the epilogue - that felt like a cheat. I wanted to see the immediate reconstruction, not the misty future.

Melissa, I think the whole point was that, no matter what goblins or wizards think about ownership, the sword knew that it belonged to Gryffindor House, and when a Gryffindor stood to defend Hogwarts, the sword wasn't about t6o miss out. I mean, if it can appear inside a hat from out of nowhere, does it really make a difference whether it started out in Dumbledore's office or Griphook's hidey-hole?

Me, I just want to see Griphook's face when the sword vanished.

[i hate emo kids]

LOVED Kreacher. Especially the "brandishing knives and cleavers" part.
The Dragon Escape rocked and honestly took me by surprise.
I love that Neville became such a man... and that his Gran ruled. I love the whole "little old lady kickin' ass" thing.
Really like Xeno Lovegood.
Totally agree about the Harry not dying feeling kind of like a stretch... but glad things turned out the way they did.
Voldy's gone moldy. Peeves finally said something that didn't make me want to smack him.
Wish the epilogue had been longer... Any ideas on the names Hugo and Rose? Did I totally miss something with those names? Are they important or just random? I want to know who Draco married. And what happened to Luna?

[Melissa]

Thanks, Sarah. I can understand that. Makes sense.

Maybe Hugo and Rose were Hermione's parents names?

[Leila]

Oh, AND (I can't believe I forgot to mention this) I loved the bit where Professor Trelawney was chucking crystal balls at Death Eaters! I laughed out loud.

[Mike]

"Like Luna. Maybe I just wanted to know what happened to Luna."
Amen!

I honestly think that was what bugged me most about the epilogue, was not knowing what happened to Luna. (though I did like the part about Ron confounding the drivers test administrator, and I absolutely loved Harry's discussion with Albus Severus)

I almost want a shirt that says "I f#$*ing told you to trust Snape!"

As for Professor Trelawney and the crystal balls that was great- even better than Peeves pelting them with plants. (and I loved how much herbology was involved in the defense and how much Neville just absolutely shined)

[Mike]

oh, and I almost forgot. I absolutely LOVED the paintings on Luna's ceiling (most especially how much they touched Harry)

[Jackie]

I think I cried most when Ron came back and then when Neville appeared. Neville so deserved to be surrounded by admirers at the end. That made me so happy. It's funny that the only person's job we know is his.

I'm also curious - I remember JK saying something about giving a character a reprieve. I wonder who that might be. Perhaps Ginny, since she didn't really have much of a role at all, and that saddens me because she was built up as such a great witch, but we never got to see that. Not in this book.

The excerpts and off-stage stuff alone would be so fun to read. I thought Hagrid was going to bite it.