Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Jul. 31st, 2017 05:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lindaluposDeathly Hallows! The most anticipated book in.... ever, probably, haha. Both anticipated and dreaded because it was the last one. I vividly remember everybody keeping eagle eyes on Jo's site, especially after the Pillars of Storgé hoax (in hindsight I can't believe we believed that). And then the real title came out! And... there was a collective huh? Actually, I mostly remember this day because it was the day my cousin came out of the closet to me, resulting in me being on MSN (ahh, memories) talking to her in one chat window and screaming about HP in another! What makes it almost hilarious is that that same cousin was also caught up in the release date of HP, which was announced when I was visiting her for her birthday! She's not even an fan and yet she is tied to some of my memories from TDH. :p
I had of course all kinds of expectations beforehand - mostly related to that bloody werewolf of course. Interestingly, I was apparently off-base on a LOT of them - but then again I had no idea what the heck Horcruxes were (turns out that nobody did) which made it hard to guess. Plus nobody could have foreseen the camping, lol. Funnily enough I HAD had a dream that Remus died - except Tonks lived! Well, one of of two ain't bad...
Amping up the anticipation was my visit to my friend Amy that summer! Still a shame we didn't get to read it together; on the other hand it was a lot of fun seeing the anticipation all over NYC bookstores. 2007 was also the year I finished my Bachelor thesis, which is of course now also tied to TDH in my memory.
I got TDH during a midnight release, the first (and only) of an English Harry Potter book! I was dressed up like Luna, haha. There were a handful of people, all Potterheads of course (probably helped that I lived in a city with a large student population back then), and I seem to recall there being a photographer of a newspaper. We (I was with two friends) headed home after duelling with some other Potter People. I... don't recall whether I started it immediately. At any rate, I certainly did the next day, back at my parents', sitting in the same chair I read HBP in. I literally only stopped to have dinner - my parents knew better than to interrupt me. :p I didn't finish until after midnight, after everybody had already gone to bed, which was a good thing because I... did not take the ending well. At all. In hindsight it's almost shocking how hard I cried at That One Death (OK Two), but on the other hand, I also had a LOT of emotions tied up in it. Add the anticipation and adrenaline over reading The Final Book, and yeah.... Sob City. After finishing the book (kind of rushing through the last few chapters because I was so upset that I just didn't care anymore, lol) I went online at like 3AM to scream at/with Amy. :p
And yet I still rated it my second-favourite HP book only a week later! ;)
The midnight release for the Dutch edition was even better: the local bookstore had rented the oldest church in the city and decorated it to look like the Great Hall, including a Hogwarts Staff with Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall etc. There was a candy 'dinner', and before we'd tuck in we all sang Double Trouble from the PoA soundtrack. I was with the same two friends as for the English edition, and I had made a Hogwarts uniform for each of us (Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Gryffindor). We spend the evening talking about HP, duelling, holding a staring contest with Snape, and I had a long conversation with Dumbledore about what I wanted to do once I graduated Hogwarts Shortly before midnight, we went in a sort of procession to the bookstore, which was opened at the stroke of midnight. After I got the book, I encountered Dumbledore again, and I offered my condolences that he was not in the book. :p
It was basically the BEST way to celebrate the end of the series. <3
Anyway, TDH is the one I read the least amounts of time - only once all the way through, then a few times The Good Bits (Such As They Are) but The Death loomed over it too much for me to really enjoy it. It's just not a fun book if you're a Remus fan, which I was (*audience laughs* ok am). I was unable to look at it in a reasonably distant/detached way, which cemented it in my mind as The Boring Camping One Where Half The Cast Dies, Ugh. So this is the one I remembered least of, which made it a really interesting one to reread - it was almost like getting a new Harry Potter book! Although it also made the last few chapters an emotional rollercoaster because I kept thinking "is this the last Remus scene? Is this it? Is it? Haha. But because I knew how it was going to end and because I was less emotionally invested in the outcome, I could also read it with a little more detachment, a little more relaxed. Which is how I realised that, wait a minute, all the camping really wasn't all *that* bad! Similarly to how I came to realise that Harry isn't really as SHOUTY in OotP as everybody claimed he was, this reread made me see that TDH wasn't really as bad as fandom claimed afterwards - or as my werewolf fangirl heart 'remembered'.
Which is not to say that the book doesn't have flaws. The pacing is a little wonky here and there (though not as bad as in OotP) but the plot needs work. The problem mainly is, I think, that the series is Harry-focused, but by this time we're working with a huge cast of characers who are often more interesting than Harry is. This is THE book where deviating from the strict third-person limited would REALLY have helped a lot. Specifically, of course, the student revolt at Hogwarts would have been great to see. I think if only Jo had shifted the focus from Harry- to Hogwarts-centered it would have made a large difference. Most people read these books for the magical world anyway, not for Harry. :p
I also felt like the Horcruxes were interesting concepts but they were added too late. In the final book, we should be wrapping up the main plot, not adding sideplots that threaten to take over the main story (and in the end actually help the hero defeat the Big Bad - deus ex machina much). The camping isn't all that bad, but having it bogged down with 'I have no idea what we're doing or where we're going, but hey what about these mythical objects though, let's go look for them!' makes it be.... annoying. No wonder Ron left! ... which is another thing, Ron leaves for 50 PAGES out of a 600ish page book. That's 8% of the book. It's too much. Worse, he's actually gone at a pretty essential scene, when Harry and Hermione visit Godric's Hollow and Harry's parents' grave and house. It doesn't sit right with me that the Trio wasn't complete during that emotionally important moment.
On the other hand, the Trio plotting to infiltrate the Ministry was great, Harry's sacrifice was great and hit just the right notes, and I still cried a bit at certain scenes, so overall I'd say I really liked it. :) The series definitely stands the test of time, I think, and I have no doubt that I'll reread it again - probably several times!
This recap is HUMONGOUS because the book is so long and I had so much to say! Sorry!
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
13/7/17. Feeling slightly anxious to start it… it’s the last one. I wonder if I’m going to cry.
Book is the same size as HBP (almost exactly – I placed them next to each other to measure!). Deathly Hallows sigil on the spine. Full moon on the back (that freaked me out so much the first time around, I was worried for Remus, haha). NO hint of plot, just that the OotP is going to take Harry away. Prongs Patronus inside the dust cover, Nagini in a ball/orb in the back.
© 2007 Bloomsbury, TM Warner Brothers. Ugh the book stinks, why and how?! There are some citations noted, huh?
Dedication split seven ways. “And you, if you have stuck with Harry until the very end.” Sob.
Ohh those quotes. Pretty deep stuff, all about death.
OK here we go.
1 – The Dark Lord Ascending
Heh library quote. (A few years ago, I had a job with a company that was housed in the same building as the local library. The library had opening sentences of books painted on the wall for decoration, and one of them was the opening sentence of TDH! Which I recognised immediately despite it being in Dutch and several years after the book had come out because.... I'm a dork.)
Hi Snape hi.
Of course the Malfoys keep white peacocks…
God my book smells like sour milk or something. Disgusting. Also the spine is barely cracked.
Hi Voldemort. Hate what you’ve done with the place. Snape sits at his right hand of course.
Yay for Occlumency (Snape basically winning a staring contest with Voldemort)
Pius Thicknesse is imperio’d. (Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement)
“That Potter lives is due more to my errors than his triumphs.” He’s not wrong.
… who was the prisoner again? Ollivander? (yes)
“Your wand, Lucius. I require your wand.”
Ugh Bellatrix. “Mere words could not demonstrate her longing for closeness.” (Double ugh when you consider The Cursed Child, which I prefer not to.)
Oh shit, I forgot about the wedding felicitations from Voldemort. “She has just married the werewolf, Remus Lupin.” How does he even KNOW? Does he read the wedding advertisements in the Daily Prophet when he’s bored? Also all the DEs laugh at it.
“This brat has nothing to do with us, nor any beast she marries.” Wasn’t Greyback a Malfoy family friend?
“What say you, Draco? Will you babysit the cubs?” God, I forgot it went on like this! At least the Malfoys are not really amused?
“Many of our oldest family trees become a little diseased over time. You must prune yours, must you not, to keep it healthy? Cut away those parts that threaten the health of the rest.” Actually, this bit makes it especially frustrating that they cut Teddy out of The Cursed Child. Not that I particularly wanted him associated with... whatever was going on in it, but he is Harry's Godson, the result of a werewolf/pureblood marriage, as much related to the Black family as Scorpius Malfoy, and literally the same age as Delphi, who is the daughter of Bellatrix. She should HATE him. He is everything her parents stood against. He should have been one of her first targets. He deserved to at least have been MENTIONED.
Oh well.
Kind of wondering what Snape is thinking right now. He’s probably bored. “Who even cares about this. God, even Death Eater meetings talk about the bloody Marauders.”
Charity Burbage, the Muggle studies teacher. :(
“The dwindling of the pureblood is, says professor Burbage, a most desirable circumstance... She would have us all mate with Muggles… or, no doubt, werewolves.” Oi. I suddenly have a lot more sympathy for Remus already.
“Dinner, Nagini.” Well at least he AKd Charity first…
2 – In Memoriam. ?
Yay Harry, and lol he’s cut himself and is thinking that knowing wizard first aid might be a good idea. I’ve been saying that for at least 4 books!
Emptying his trunk for the first time in six years. Nostalgia time! Potter Stinks badges! A Sneakoscope! The fake locket! The two-way mirror! Daily Prophets!
Hey Charity Burbage resigned? That’s fishy.
“Albus Dumbledore Remembered” by Elphias Dodge. “Our mutual attraction.” Ahem.
Whoa Dumbledore’s dad was in Azkaban? Ouch. For an attack on 3 Muggles.
Dumbledore was basically boy Hermione. Aberforth was three years younger and not as bookish. “Being continually outshone was an occupational hazard of being his friend and cannot have been any more pleasurable as a brother.” I’m sure Ron agrees.
Kendra Dumbledore still sounds weird. She died was Albus was 18(ish), preventing him from going on a grand tour. Ariana died when he was 19.
WHAT ARE THE TWELVE USES OF DRAGONBLOOD?!
“No wizarding duel rivalled that between Dumbledore and Grindelwald in 1945.” Recast Depp.
“Albus Dumbledore was never proud or vain.” Hahahaha.
Harry kicks himself for not asking more personal details of Dumbledore. You were a teen, c’mon.
“DUMBLEDORE – THE TRUTH AT LAST?” A 900 page book, wtf. Also Dumbledore died in June.
“He dabbled in the Dark Arts himself in his youth!” Eh, seems all the best wizards do.
Aberforth was convicted 15 years ago, so like a year after Voldemort 'died'. I'm sure Albus enjoyed that riiiight after coming out of the mess that was the wizarding war. “A fondness for fiddling about with goats.”
An entire chapter for the “Potter-Dumbledore relationship.” Unhealthy, even sinister. Dumbledore “took an unnatural interest in Potter.” How much fun did Jo have with that wording.
SHOUTY HARRY.
Blue eyes in the mirror!
3 – The Dursleys Departing
Bye Dursleys and Dudleys dumb-bells that confused me so much the first time around because my English vocabulary had not yet expanded to gym equipment.
Kingsley on the news! Actually that will be interesting once Kingsley becomes Minister for Magic, because he’ll have known the PM already.
Harry to Hedwig: “we’re leaving soon, really soon. And then you’ll be able to fly again.” Sob.
Deadalus and Hestia pick up the Dursleys. Deadalus is cute. ^^
Awkward goodbye to the Dursleys. Dudley is momentarily confused. “I don’t think you’re a waste of space.” <3
“The hopes of the wizarding world rest upon your shoulders.”
“Oh, right, thanks.”
Bye Dursleys.
4 – The Seven Potters. :D ~Order return~
“It gave him an odd, empty feeling to remember those times; it was like remembering a younger brother he’d lost.” Kind of like rereading a series you love after ten years?
Harry smacks his head on the ceiling of the cupboard under the stairs and uses some of Vernon’s “choicest swearwords.”
Order Order Order. On Thestrals! Tonks is pinkhaired, Lupin even greyer and more lined. He must look like a walnut by now.
Ew why is Dung here.
“You got married?” Harry yelped. How does Voldemort know but you don’t?
“Sorry you couldn’t be there, Harry, it was very quiet.” Could at least have send a card. I’m beginning to think Remus doesn’t know how mail works. (The whole interaction is cute though, so different from “lol cubs” conversation in chapter 1).
“You Know Who doesn’t know we’re moving you tonight.” :( “You’ll be going to Tonks’s parents.” :D
“Even You-Know-Who can’t split himself into seven.” Ahem.
“Wow – we’re identical!” Seven Potters yay.
Sirius’s bike!
“Harry saw Ron throw a guilty, furtive look at Lupin before placing his hands on either sides of [Tonks’s] waist.” Bet Hermione didn’t have that problem with Kingsley.
Bye Privet Drive.
Hi Death Eaters.
HEDWIG. D: Damn that was abrupt.
Not VERY smart to send Harry with the largest target who can’t even do proper magic (Hagrid).
Ouch Harry lost a tooth.
Dundundun Voldemort…
Splash into a pond, next to Hagrid’s body.
5 – Fallen Warrior. Which does not refer to Hagrid, lol. I was so upset the first time around - I had said beforehand that I wouldn't mind if Hagrid died, but I didn't actually mean Jo should go ahead and kill him!
Yay Ted and Andromeda. Bet Ted knows first aid because of Tonks’s clumsiness.
(What’s an aspidistra? Oh it’s a plant.)
Interesting that Andromeda calls her Nymphadora and Ted calls her Dora (and his wife Dromeda). Bet she came up with that name, it fits in with the unwieldy names used in her family.
Bye the Tonkses. That was quick. (So weird to see Andromeda referred to as Mrs Tonks – I’m so used to see it used as a first name.)
Nooo George. :c
… Remus is the only one to actually check if it’s a real Harry. The rest all accept he is. That could have gone REALLY wrong (and is a nice bit of characterization – next to Moody, Remus is the most experienced fighter here. Which is also depressing.)
Polyjuice works on humans only. How about werewolves?
Lupin blames Harry for using Expelliarmus. He’s not entirely wrong. “The time for Disarming is past.”
“There was a scuffling from outside. Lupin dived for the back door.” Aw. My mental images are glorious. Alas, it’s only Hermione and Kingsley.
I love how Kingsley is basically Remus’s new comrade in arms /Sirius replacement/equal now. “The last words Albus Dumbledore spoke to the pair of us?”
“Harry is the best hope we have. Trust him.”
“Harry behaved a little too kindly to Stan Shunpike.”
Oops, Snape was the one to curse George’s ear off. “Sectumsempra was always a specialty of his.” Hang on, everybody knows about that spell now?
“I wish I could say I paid him back in kind.” Geez Remus. (Also ironic considering we find out near the end that Snape actually saved both their lives.)
“I’m holey. Holey, Fred, geddit?”
“Pathetic! With the whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go with HOLEY?”
Horrible waiting for the rest to return. No wonder Lupin’s face is “set and white; he seemed unable to speak.” Can’t even imagine what went through his head – he must have done this so many times before.
“So what kept you? What happened?”
“Bellatrix. She wants me quite as much as she wants Harry, Remus, she tried very hard to kill me. I just wish I’d got her, I owe Bellatrix.” At least they injured Rudolphus. Also this makes sense considering the first chapter.
“A muscle was jumping in Lupin’s jaw. He nodded, but seemed unable to say anything else.” Poor guy.
“Mad-Eye’s dead.” :( (I love how everyone reports that Voldemort can fly now.)
I hope Dung died. Asshole.
“Of course you couldn’t have done anything.” Remus Lupin in a nutshell.
Poor Tonks, she lost her mentor too.
Oh, Harry with Hagrid was the point, as Voldemort would expect him to be with an Auror. Hmm makes sense I GUESS…
Harry: “No, I trust all of you.”
Lupin was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Harry; it was almost close to pitying.
“You think I’m a fool?” demanded Harry.
“No, I think you are like James, who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends.” That… doesn’t sound like a compliment.
Bill and Remus off to retrieve Mad-Eye. :( (Fleur and Tonks simultaneously: “where are you going?” Hey at least take Tonks, she’s an Auror!)
Harry is once again in self-sacrificing, self-pitying mode. Too bad Remus left already, they could have had a whine-off.
Hm, Harry’s wand acted on its own?
“But Dumbledore, like Mad-Eye, like Sirius, like his parents, like his poor owl, all were gone, where Harry could never talk to them again.” Eh, give it a few months.
Ah, Ollivander WAS the prisoner.
6 – The Ghoul in Pyjamas
“Ron and Hermione seem to think that the three of you are dropping out of Hogwarts.”
“Oh, well, yeah, we are.” Lol, Molly is Not Amused.
The Order has about 20 members now and they’re all secret keepers about 12 Grimmauld Place.
Mad-Eye’s body couldn’t be recovered. L
Ah, Charity Burbage’s resignation was Fake News.
“Why in the name of Merlin’s saggy left – “ Lol Ron. (So there ARE wizard swearwords!)
Whoa Ron is actually comforting Hermione – and not half bad at it, too.
“I forgot we’ll be hunting down Voldemort in a mobile library.” And she’s taking Hogwarts: A History because she won’t feel right without it.
Aw Hermione’s parents. :(
Pretty ingenious idea with the ghoul.
I love all the nods to the previous books with Hermione’s book supply. Both Lockhart’s and Umbridge’s books are mentioned (and discarded, lol).
Accio Horcrux books! So simple. And she is so defensive and apologetic about stealing them, lol.
How to destroy a Horcrux, with a basilisk fang? “Oh, well, lucky we have such a large supply of basilisk fangs, then. I was wondering what we were going to do with them.” Lol Ron.
Hermione infodump.
Fleur’s parents are very… French. And Arthur doesn’t know how to behave around Mrs Delaceur, haha.
7 – The Will of Albus Dumbledore
Gregorovitch! “He had a vague idea he had heard the name before, but he could not think where.” Goblet of Fire. LOL Ron, no it’s not Gregorovitch the record holder for most Quaffle drops in a season.
Yay Harry is 17! Accio Glasses doesn’t really work yet though – ouch.
“Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches.” Oh geez. “It’s not all about wand-work either.”
Man, Molly gave HARRY her brother’s watch?
Birthday gift from Ginny… rudely interrupted by Ron.
Yay birthday party.
“Although Lupin smiled as he shook Harry’s hand, Harry thought he looked rather unhappy. It was all very odd; Tonks, beside him, looked simply radiant.” And here we go.
Heh Norberta. And Arthur’s Patronus is a weasel of course.
Bye Lupins? I forgot what this was all about.
Hi Scrimgeour. (Man, I am actually a little taken aback the Lupins left so quickly.)
Whoo Dumbledore goodies (he died “over a month ago”). Ron gets a Deluminator, Hermione a book (of course), Harry a snitch.
Do they have specific new snitches for every match? Or did Dumbledore keep this aside because of how Harry caught it? “Snitches have flesh memory.” Ew. I hope there’s a way to re-enchant the snitch, or there must be THOUSANDS at Hogwarts alone! (Although it would explain why Krum kept the snitch after the Quidditch World Cup; on the other hand, that was a special occasion of course.)
“The sword of Godric Gryffindor is an important historical artefact, and as such, belongs – “ 
(Are there wizard museums?)
Bye Scrimgeour.
Of course Ron remembers how Harry caught the snitch and Hermione doesn’t.
I open at the close…
The Tales of Beedle the Bard. “The circumstance of Ron having read a book that Hermione had not was unprecedented.” See, Ron IS useful.
Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump.
Cinderella. “What is that, an illness?”
“A brutal triple murder by the bridegroom’s mother might put a bit of a damper on the wedding.” Kinda.
8 – The wedding. Lunaaaaa.
Harry is “cousin Barny”.
“When I get married, I won’t be bothering with any of this nonsense,” says Fred. Ouch.
Hey the Lupins are back. “Sorry about last night. The Ministry’s being very anti-werewolf at the moment and we thought our presence might not do you any favours.” Bet nobody at work knows she’s married either (if she even goes to work).
“It’s fine, I understand,” said Harry, more to Lupin than to Tonks. Lupin gave him a swift smile but as they turned away, Harry saw Lupin’s face fall again into lines of misery.’ Geez.
And then Hagrid broke some chairs.
Xenophilius! Yay! And Luna recognizes Harry by his expression, lol. I love both of them – gnome bites give special powers and you should wear sun colors to weddings for luck.
Ew auntie Muriel. And hey Krum. Aw that Fleur invited him (I bet she would have invited Cedric, too – sob).
Weddings are actually kind of boring.
Krum does NOT like the Deathly Hallows sign – it’s Grindelwalds! (Oops and I’m wearing it right now.)
Gregorovitch! “I had not realized I ever discussed my vand vith fans.”
Hey Elphias. I forgot you were in the Order. And of course Muriel is a Rita Skeeter fan.
“You there! Give me your chair, I’m a hundred and seven!” If I EVER become 107…
Conflicting Dumbledore stories. Ariana was a squib and Kendra a harridan? And the Dumbledore brothers fought at the funeral – that’s how Albus ended up with a broken nose.
Bathilda Bagshot was there too. Oooh and they all lived at Godric’s Hollow!
“The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming.” Well. Shit.
9 – A Place to Hide
Everybody GTFO. (Remus is probably thinking “wtf I can’t even go to a wedding now?!”) Oops DE’s are here.
Tottenham Court Road, London.
I want Hermione’s bag.
Ew, men wolf-whistling Hermione.
“I took out all my building society savings before I came to the Burrow.” ? Ah, I googled this, and apparently a 'building society' kind of works like a bank. Very British thing though.
DE’s in the café! Ew Dolohov, kill him. The big blond one is Therfinn Rowle.
How did the DE’s find them? Hermione mentioned Voldemort ONCE, which was enough.
Yay 12 Grimmauld Place. “The only thing that was out of place was the troll’s leg umbrella stand, which was lying on its side as if Tonks had knocked it over again.” Oi.
Scar visions. Draco is forced to Crucio Rowle.
10 – Kreacher’s Tale
Aw, Hermione and Ron sleeping with their hands stretched out to one another.
“Why hadn’t Dumbledore told him? Why hadn’t he explained? Had Dumbledore actually cared about Harry at all? Or had Harry been nothing more than a tool to be polished and honed, but not trusted, never confided in?” Ouch.
Sirius’s room still has his teenage décor. Arrested development much? Muggle girls (from the 70s, lol). Aw, the Marauders. Sirius “carelessly handsome”. Lupin “an air of delighted surprise at finding himself liked and included.”
Aw Lily’s letter! They had a cat and Petunia send them a horrible vase for Christmas. And Bathilda dropped in regularly. Interesting that James chafed under house arrest too – Dumbledore had his invisibility cloak. Also she called Wormtail “Wormy” – that’s WORSE.
Oh wow, there’s something poetic about Sirius buying Harry his first broomstick AND the Firebolt.
Yeah, why DID Dumbledore borrow the cloak…
Oh gosh, photo of baby Harry.
“Do not enter without the express permission of Regulus Arcturus Black.” Of course his bedroom is slightly smaller than Sirius’s. And he was a Voldemort fan – emphasis on WAS. Also he was a Seeker on the Slytherin Quidditch team.
Hermione remembers the locket from OotP!
Hey Kreacher.
Dung stole the locket. Ugh. Can he just die already.
Poor Kreacher, used by Voldemort. :( But Voldemort once again underestimated someone, in this case House Elves and their magic.
Poor, brave Regulus, became an Inferi.
‘I’ve said all along that wizards would pay for how they treated House-Elves. Well, Voldemort did… and so did Sirius.” Ouch, Hermione.
Dumbledore: “I do not think Sirius ever saw Kreacher as a being with feelings as acute as a human’s.” I didn't even remember him saying this in OotP despite having read that scene only like a month ago, but I just looked it up, and yup. Huh.
Heh, Kreacher has a meltdown when Harry gives him the fake Horcrux. Nice gesture though.
11 – The Bribe. ??
DE’s outside the house.
Oh shit Lupin is here. Nooo it’s this chapter. “It was not I who killed you, Albus.” What is WITH wizards and “it is/was I” statements??
“Hold your fire, it’s me, Remus!” First name basis now, huh?
“I am Remus John Lupin, werewolf, sometimes known as Moony [to who, now, though…], one of the creators of the Marauder’s Map, married to Nymphadora, usually known as Tonks, and I taught you how to produce a Patronus, Harry, which takes the form of a stag.” Also about to become a dad and freaking out about that.
“Speaking as your ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, I quite agree you had to check. Ron, Hermione, you shouldn’t be so quick to lower your defenses.” He’s right, but does he have to be so patronizing about it?
“He looked exhausted but pleased to see them.” That’s the first time in this book. Or honestly since OotP.
“How did [the Death Eaters] find you so quickly?” You’ve done this before man, keep up.
Ministry of Magic = Death Eaters = Ministry of Magic now. :( And Scrimgeour was tortured to give up Harry’s whereabouts, but he never did. Good. Also ugh the Tonkses were Crucio’d. L And the Daily Prophet claims Harry killed Dumbledore, that’s rich.
Remus is being surprisingly levelheaded here, basically back to his PoA self. Probably pushed all his emotions away and is running on adrenaline? Or he is so freaked out that he came out at the other side and is now calm again. For as long as it lasts anyway.
Pius Thickness is now Minister for Magic.
Muggleborns supposedly stole magic from “true” wizards. There’s a Muggleborn Registration Office. Hogwarts attendance is compulsory now, it never was before – that explains the Gaunts.
“I’ll understand if you can’t confirm this, Harry, but the Order is under the impression that Dumbledore left you a mission.” Here we go. (Also he has thick but greying hair. Gosh I had no idea he was going gray, that never came up before.)
Nope, can’t tell you, says Harry.
Remus: “I could come with you to provide protection.” He just said no!
Hermione: “but what about Tonks?”
“What about her?” Well uhh… you only married her like a month ago? Technically you’re still in the honeymoon phase? “Tonks will be perfectly safe. She’ll be at her parents’ house.” SHE IS AN AUROR. She wouldn’t have to be kept safe, she’d be keeping her parents safe if anything!
“Remus, is everything all right… you know… between you and – “
“Everything is fine, thank you.” 
Or rather: 
“There was another pause, an awkward and embarrassed one, and then Lupin said, with an air of forcing himself to say something unpleasant: “Tonks is going to have a baby.”
“Oh how wonderful!” “Excellent!” “Congratulations!” I think he was rather expecting condolences.
“Lupin gave an artificial smile that was more like a grimace, then said: “so… you do you accept my offer? Will three become one? I cannot believe that Dumbledore would have disapproved, he appointed me your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher after all.” Not sure that’s how that works. Also he’s trying to rebuild the Marauders.
“I’m sure James would have wanted be to stick with you,” said with a finality bordering on indifference. Does Tonks even KNOW he’s here?
“I’m pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren’t sticking with your own kid, actually.”
And then Lupin gets… sorta angry? “You don’t understand. I – I made a grave mistake in marrying Tonks. I did it against my better judgement and I have regretted it very much ever since.” I’m making dinosaur noises now. DID SHE IMPERIO YOU? NO, I DIDN'T THINK SO. He'd better have cried all through the wedding night over his ~huge mistake, the hypocrite. Ugh.
“I see. So you’re just going to dump her and the kid and run off with us?” Basically?
And now he gets really angry. “The shadow of the wolf upon his human face.” “I should never have married her. I made her an outcast – you don’t know how much of the wizarding world sees creatures like me! When they know of my affliction, they can barely talk to me… Even her own family is disgusted by our marriage.” “My kind don’t usually breed! It will be like me, I am convinced of it – how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it will be better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!” OK are you done now?
“Oh I don’t know, Hermione, I’d be pretty ashamed of him.” Yay Harry. “Lupin looked as though Harry had kicked him.” Well you deserved it.
“I think you’re feeling a bit of a daredevil. You fancy stepping into Sirius’s shoes – I’d never had believed this of the man who taught me to fight Dementors – a coward.” Ouch.
And he’s off, after cursing Harry. Bye. See you in April. Sigh.
“People shouldn’t leave their kids unless – unless they’ve got to.”
Well, at least Harry feels sorry now.
(How much longer is this chapter? I feel drained, this was only ten pages, only two actually on the confrontation.)
Yeah, let’s read the Daily Prophet, that’ll… not cheer you up.
Dumbledore family pic! Percival was good-looking with twinkling eyes. “The baby, Ariana, was little longer than a loaf of bread and no more distinctive-looking.” Lol.
Kendra looks vaguely Native American. Interesting. They lived in Mold-on-the-Wold. Yeah, I’d move too.
Ariana was kept a secret…
Oh ugh, here is Mundungus. Great chapter this is. “We already knew you were an unreliable bit of scum.” Putting it mildly.
Umbridge got the locket. Great
12 – Magic is Might
I am kind of relieved that this time around I know not to expect any more drama (well, werewolf drama) until April. Means I can focus on other stuff, like the Ministry of Magic and… camping.
Man, page 184 and it’s only August.
The Death Eaters are the worst at blending in with Muggles. Although I guess why would they, they think they're better anyway.
September 1 passes. Hogwarts is open again.
Aw, Kreacher is happy. And 12 Grimmauld Place is once again a Headquarters, this time the Trio’s.
Snape is headmaster. How he must hate it. Spending time in that office with that portrait.
“And what in the name of Merlin’s most baggy Y-fronts.” What?
Ministry stake-out.
“Unless [Umbridge] found a way to open [the Locket] and she’s now possessed.”
“Wouldn’t make any difference to her, she was so evil in the first place.” Point.
You get in using coins or tokens. Eh, or just follow someone like at my job (we're currently running a campaign that people should keep an eye out for random people following them inside as it was so easy for just everybody to get in as people would obigingly hold doors open and stuff).
Ten thousand galleon price on Harry’s head.
Another Voldievision, looking for Gregorovitch.
Heh, Hermione nearly forgot part of the plan. Luckily Ron remembered. (Consistent with their characterization in the first book – Hermione can’t really keep her head when she’s nervous.)
Mafalda Hopkirk! Another nod to a previous book. Reg Cattermole and some six-feet tall bearded guy (Albert Runcorn).
Flushing yourself into the Ministry of Magic.
Ugh, the Magic is Might state. Very Third Reich. “Wizards in their rightful place.” Ew.
Oh man, Cattermole’s wife is a Mudblood. :(
Umbridge. D:
13 – The Muggle-born Registration Commission
Umbridge taking Hermione along. The party is split. Don’t do that!
Ew, the propaganda factory.
Mad-Eye’s eye!
Files on loads of wizards. Harry is Undesirable Number One.
Of course Umbridge has a copy of The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore in her office.
Mr Weasley! Bit bizarre, this. Oh and Percy. Awkward.
Back near the Department of Mysteries. This really is the greatest hits.
Ugh, Dementors.
Umbridge making up some story of being related to the Selwyns, hence the S on the locket. Ew. “Indeed, there are few Pureblood families to whom I am not related.” Suuuure.
Harry’s Saving People Thing kicks in again. Jailbreak! “If they emerged into the Atrium with a silver stag, an otter soaring alongside it, and twenty or so people, half of them accused Muggleborns, he could not help feeling that they would attract unwanted attention.” Ya think?
+20 on Intimidate.
OH shit and then the real Reg shows up.
Huh, they can all do Side-along Apparition too?
Aaaand 12 Grimmauld Place is no longer safe.
14 – The Thief
Forest!
Ron got splinched. :(
Aw, 12GP is their home, and Harry feels bad for Kreacher waiting with their dinner.
Oh, they’re in the Quidditch World Cup forest. Another revisited location.
“Repello Muggletum” is an actual spell?
Tent inside the bag. Of course. Perkins’ tent, another callback. Also I still want that tent.
Ron figured out the name jinx!
“Hermione was watching Ron fret over the fate of the Cattermoles, and there was such tenderness in her expression that Harry felt almost as if he had surprised her in the act of kissing him.” How was R/Hr a surprise.
Yay they got the Horcrux. It sounds gaudy, and it has some weird… heartbeat. Ew.
Camping!
Harry is worrying. “Why hadn’t Dumbledore explained more?”
Voldievision! He found Gregorovitch. Oh and hey Grindelwald, a “handsome blond man”.
RIP Gregorovitch.
Shut up about Occlumency, Hermione, that ship has sailed.
“Why did the young thief look familiar?” Because you saw him not twelve hours ago, in the book.
“With Gregorovitch dead, it was the merry-faced thief who was in danger now.” Lol.
15 – The Goblin’s Revenge
Burial of Mad-Eye’s eye.
Great, the fighting already started. Harry can’t cast a Patronus and Ron is hungry. The Horcrux is influencing Harry and Ron doesn’t do well on lack of food… Add a Horcrux, and yeah.
Conversations going in circles. Fun.
The orphanage was torn down of course, ages ago.
Fighting over food. Lovely.
Goblins! And Ted! And Dean Thomas!
“Didn’t you hear about that, Ted? About the kids who tried to steal Gryffindor’s sword out of Snape’s office at Hogwarts?” :D
The sword is a fake!
“You want the facts, try The Quibbler.” Yay. Teen Vogue of the wizarding world. ... which is NOT a sentence I thought I'd type, ten years ago.
Phineas! Huh, you can blindfold a portrait? Hee, “you are ruining a great work of art!”
Heh aw, Snape’s punishment was to… send Neville, Luna and Ginny into the Forest with Hagrid.
“I believe the last time I saw the sword of Gryffindor leave its case was when professor Dumbledore used it to break open a ring.” Dundundunnn.
“Professor Snape has more important things on his mind than the many eccentricities of Albus Dumbledore.” Does he now.
The sword can destroy Horcruxes! Yay.
… sulky Ron. Great. “We thought we knew what you were doing!”
“The sword of Gryffindor was hidden they knew not where, and they were three teenagers in a tent whose only achievement was not, yet, to be dead.”
“Harry felt a corrosive hatred towards Ron: something had broken between them.”
Ron. :(
16 – Godric’s Hollow
The Trio is a Duo. :( And they can’t deal with it.
Like Ron would really go back to Hogwarts, come on now.
Heh Phineas is a Snape fan. Of course he would be.
Skipping Halloween again and nearing Christmas, page 258.
They’re having spaghetti Bolognese, nom.
Grndelwald’s mark is in Beedle the Bard!
“Really? Gryffindor came from Godric’s Hollow?”
“Harry, did you ever open A History of Magic?” Does she even need to ask?
“Hermione sounded much more like her old self than she had done of late; Harry half expected her to announce that she was off to the library.”
Whoo they have a plan! Off to Godric’s Hollow!
Aw, Harry reflecting on the life he might have had. :(
Harry wondering whether he’ll recognize the house. Wasn’t Sirius supposed to have exploded it? Or just Peter/the 13 Muggles?
It’s Christmas eve, aw.
The Potter memorial. :( I’m actually a little upset Ron’s not here to see it with them. (And a good thing they didn’t bring Remus as he’d probably cry all over the statue or be all Britishly heroically stoic about it or whatever.)
Kendra and Ariana! “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Bible verse)
Dumbledore ought to have told Harry of the connection. “They could have visited the place together” Errr no.
Oooh Peverell grave with the DH mark.
“James Potter, born 27 march 1960, died 31 October 1981.
Lily Potter, born 30 Januari 1960, died 31 October 1981.
The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”
(Another bible verse) Who picked out those words? (And does it matter?)
“Empty words could not disguise the fact that his parents’ mouldering remains lay beneath snow and stone, indifferent, unknowing.” “Bones now, surely, or dust.” Ew. Why. (Also Spotify is playing the Resurrection Stone theme.)
Sob.
17 – Bathilda’s Secret
Mysterious invisible watcher. Who?
Oh no, the house. :( And there’s a sign with graffiti! And Hermione is indignant that people wrote on it, lol.
Hi Bathilda. She stinks and is ancient. She stinks of rotten meat and can’t do magic, and doesn’t talk. Hmmm…
The Horcrux is triggered, as well it might – there are three of them here.
Oh, she CAN speak.
SNAKE.
Wow this scene is well written and extremely exciting.
Halloween flashback! “Nice costume, mister,” says some kid to the most evil wizard of the age.
Oh shit James did not even have a wand at the end. :( ugh and innocent baby Harry, merely amused and interested, ugh.
Great scene though.
Oooh Bathildasnake spoke Parseltongue of course.
Noes, Harry’s wand. :(
18 – The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore.
Losing a wand feels worse than losing a limb. I can’t entirely blame Harry for being upset.
Yeah let’s get angry with Dumbledore, that’s helpful. “There was no map, no plan.” Dumbledore can’t fix everything!
Hermione stole a book. D:
The thief was Grindelwald! Dundundunnn (recast Depp).
Dumbledore was overloaded with accolades at Hogwarts, of course. British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot. I thought the Wizengamot was exclusively British already?
Elphias ‘Dogbreath’ Doge. Charmning. Dimwitted but devoted sidekick.
Oh hey, Grindelwald is Bathilda’s great nephew. Got kicked out of Durmstrang at sixteen for being TOO evil. “The boys took to each other at once.”
White man’s burden – wizard man’s burden. FOR THE GREATER GOOD.
“If you had not been expelled, we would never have met.” Guess it’s true there’s always a silver lining…
I… actually don’t think it was THAT damning? He doesn’t plead for genodice…. Although slippery slope, I know.
Aw, they broke up after only two months.
Nurmengard = Grindelwald’s prison. Subtle name.
“Harry, I’m sorry, but I think the real reason you’re so angry is that Dumbledore never told you any of this himself.” Bingo.
“I don’t know who he loved, Hermione, but it was never me.” :(
19 – The Silver Doe. Whoo Ron.
Forest of Dean. And hi Snape’s Patronus.
The sword in the… pond.
Yech, diving in a frozen pond. This is why Gryffindor sucks.
Oops, the Horcrux acts out.
“Are – you – mental?” RON. :D “Why the HELL didn’t you take that thing off before you dived?” It’s Harry, c’mon, when has he ever thought ahead.
“I’ve come back. If, you know, you still want me.” Aw.
Ugh, evil Horcrux. “Least loved, always, by a mother who craved a daughter.” “What have you ever done, compared with the Chosen One? What are you compared to the Boy Who Lived?”
Heh H/Hr kiss.
Yay one Horcrux down.
“I’m sorry I left, I know I was a – a – “
“You sort of made up for it tonight. Getting the sword. Finishing off the Horcrux. Saving my life.”
“That makes me sound a lot cooler than I was.”
“Stuff like that always sounds cooler than it really was. I’ve been trying to tell you that for years.”
Hee Hermione punching Ron. “You – complete – ARSE – Ronald – Weasley!”
“Harry’s all over the Prophet, all over the radio!”
“Hermione threw herself down into a chair with her arms and legs crossed so tightly it seemed unlikely that she would unravel them for several years.”
Yay complete Trio again. They’ve been apart for 50 pages.
20 – Xenophilius Lovegood
“Harry felt like the only non-mourner at a poorly attended funeral.”
“Someone helped us. Someone send that doe. Someone’s on our side.” And you wouldn’t BELIEVE who.
Ah, the Taboo on Voldemort’s name.
Eek, Kingsley was nearly killed, he’s on the run now too.
“If Dumbledore was alive, why wouldn’t he show himself?” Much like Harry thought his dad was still alive in PoA, except this time he's a little bit more sensible about it.
Uhhh HERMIONE wants to talk to Luna’s dad? Oh, about the Deathly Hallows sign. Dumbledore signed his letters with it as the capital A. Poser.
Hee Ron is on Hermione’s side. “All’s fair in love and war, and this is a bit of both.”
Aw, Ron basically hid at Shell Cottage and Bill was not impressed with him.
“I’ve got a feeling you’d be able to tell who lived there if you looked through the Lovegood’s window.”
“It looks like a giant rook.”
“It’s nothing like a bird.” Think CHESS, Hermione (and nice callback to Ron’s chess talent).
Xenophilius is less than enthused to see them…
Crumple-Horned Snorkack or Erumpent horn? Who… cares. If it’s an Erumpent horn it’ll explode at the slightest touch. I’m sure that will never come up again.
Hey a bust of Rowena Ravenclaw. “Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure.”
“Are you referring to the sign of the Deathly Hallows?” It’s page 328 and we FINALLY get an explanation of the title.
21 – The Tale of the Three Brothers. Sadly not animated.
“There is nothing Dark about the Hallows – at least, not in the crude sense. One simply uses the symbol to reveal oneself to other believers, in the hope that they might help one with the Quest.”
Twilight, midnight, who cares when it happened…
Wand, Stone, Cloak. United, they will make you master of death…
Actually, here. Best scene of the movies
(Wow Emma, learn to put some emotion in your reading.)
“But then… do you mean… that you believe these objects – these Hallows – actually exist?” There are 2 in the room with you right now.
“How can [the Stone] be real?”
“Prove that it is not.” … point.
The Peverells! Antioch, Cadmus, Ignotus.
Oooh wizard superstitions. Interesting.
So typical who wants which Hallow! Ron = Wand. Hermione = Cloak. Harry = the Stone
~the Death Stick~ The ~Wand of Destiny~ Really now.
“Some wizards just like to boast that theirs are bigger and better than other people’s.”
Luna’s bedroom. <3 But where is she…
Poor Xenophilius. :( “They took my Luna.”
Boom, Erumpent Horn explosion.
Aaaand Disapparate away.
22 – The Deathly Hallows
“She’s tough, Luna, much tougher than you’d think.” :(
Hermione naturally doesn’t believe in the Deathly Hallows. “The Deathly Hallows CAN’T exist, Ron!” MAGIC. HELLO.
Peverell -> Gaunt, hence the ring. And the Potters are descended from them as well. Plus Harry gets delusions of grandeur, master of death, etc.
“Dumbledore usually let me find out stuff for myself. He let me try my strength, take risks. This feels like the kind of thing he’d do.” A while you go you hated him for not telling you stuff!
Hermione: “Forget the Deathly Hallows, we can’t get sidetracked.”
Full-on Hallow obsession, sigh.
Yay Ron is taking charge.
Potterwatch! And oh God it’s March already?
Lee! Kingsley! REMUS!
Ted’s dead :( At least Dean and Griphook escaped.
“It was the first time [Harry] had felt fully connected to the outside world for a long time.” Only took you eight months.
Yay Kingsley. “I’d say that it’s one short step from ‘wizard first’ to ‘pureblood first’ and then ‘Death Eater’s.”
“And now, over to Romulus for our popular feature: Pals with Potter.” Orrrrr Potter Puppet Pals?
“WE KNOW IT’S LUPIN.” Mostly because of his incredibly subtle nickname.
“I’d tell him to follow his instincts, which are good and nearly always right.” Heh. Love the "almost".
“Had Lupin forgiven him?” Of course. It’s Lupin. Also he’s back with Tonks, who’s getting pretty big. Well yeah, she’s 8 months pregnant.
Hagrid was nearly arrested after supposedly having a Support Harry Potter party. Oh Hagrid…
Romulus: “Eh, yeah, don’t… don’t do that.”
Oooh Snape watch! Oh no, Voldemort watch. The Chief Death Eater. “He can move faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo.”
Yay everybody’s happy after hearing familiar voices. Aaaand then Harry says Voldemort. DUMBASS.
23 – Malfoy Manor
Quick thinking of Hermione’s.
Yech, Greyback.
“What’s your blood status?” A+?
Hey Dean.
They borrowed the sword of Gryffindor to cut firewood? Uhm.
Voldievision of some foreign fortress.
Oops, they recognized Harry.
Narcissa doesn’t recognize Greyback? I thought he was a family friend…
Draco’s home for the Easter holidays. And he’s reluctant to identify the Trio.
Ew Bellatrix. Not pregnant I see.
Snape send the sword to her vault Plus there’s some problem with it…
Send them to the cellar – except the Mudblood. Shit. Greyback wants a bite or two once Bellatrix is finished. Kids read this book?
LUNA! And Ollivander.
Yay the two-way mirror with Aberforth.
DOBBY. “Harry Potter, Dobby has come to rescue you.”
Oh man, Wormtail. I’d forgotten he exists. For like two more minutes anyway. Only one Marauder left (for the next month and a half anyway…).
Bye Grindelwald.
“I am sure the Dark Lord will not begrudge you the girl, Greyback, after what you have done tonight.” Ew.
Dobby. :D Quick, leave! “You must not hurt Harry Potter!” “Dobby has no master, Dobby is a free elf!”
“A blur of flying silver as Bellatrix’s knife flew across the room at the place where he was vanishing…”
“And then with a great shudder the elf became quite still, and his eyes were nothing more than great, glassy orbs sparkled with light from the stars they could not see.” :(
24 – The Wandmaker
“Grieve, it seemed, drove Voldemort out… though Dumbledore, of course, would have said that it was love.”
Aw man, they’re giving him clothes. :( Harry’s jacket, Ron’s shoes and socks.
… aw shit, I’m crying. Luna’s graveside speech did it.
“Here lies Dobby, a Free Elf.”
All the Weasleys are underground now.
Shell Cottage sounds awesome.
Well that was a less than helpful conversation with Griphook. “I shall think of it.”
Aw poor Ollivander. Tortured and emaciated.
“Where a wand has been won its allegiance will change.”
“He saw, for mere seconds, a vision of the main street of Hogsmeade, still dark, because it was so much further north.” ? HOW DO SUNRISES WORK.
Gregorovitch had the Elder wand, then Grindelwald, then Dumbledore. And now Voldemort has it, yay.
25 – Shell Cottage. Oh goody.
Ron is still obsessed with the Elder Wand.
Uh I don’t really see that big a problem with giving Griphook that sword? Maybe it’s cause I’m not a Gryffindor… Oh duh, it’s a Horcrux weapon. Well, give it after you’re done then. Which is the plan Harry comes up with. Why did we waste two pages on this?
Let’s plan a heist! As March turns to April…
Ah, Luna was taken off the Hogwarts Express just before Christmas. And aw she’s friends with Ollivander.
“It is I, Remus John Lupin.” Oh stop it, you’re literally the only one still doing that.
“It’s a boy! We’ve named him Ted, after Dora’s father.”
“Wha - ? Tonks – Tonks had the baby?” No Hermione, he’s gushing about a random kid.
“Yes, yes, she had the baby!” shouted Lupin. God, calm down.
“Blimey, a baby.” Ron the speechmaster.
Lupin “seemed dazed by his own happiness.”
Harry the Godfather. “Yes, yes, of course – Dora agrees, no one better.” Did she? I'd go for Kingsley, personally, but I can honestly see her weighing her options between either going for the sensible option (i.e. Kingsley) or giving in to Remus's suggestion so as not to scare him off again. Anyway maybe they had Kingsley as a back-up anyway in case Harry died.
Lupin “beaming around at them all, he looked years younger than Harry had ever seen him.”
Teddy Remus Lupin. Also he’s a Metamorphmagus. How do metamorphmagus genetics work??
Bye Remus, thanks for dropping by for a page and a half. See you in a month.
Some useful notes by Bill on Goblins.
“He seemed set on course to become just as reckless a Godfather to Teddy Lupin as Sirius Black had been to him.” As long as you’re a more alive one, you're good.
26 – Gringotts. Page 419, and the final plot kicks in.
Hermione as Bellatrix. “This is the wand that tortured Neville’s mum and dad and who knows how many other people This is the wand that killed Sirius!”
It’s May now…
Wandless beggars in Diagon Alley.
Probity Probes! Sound fun.
Harry uses an Unforgivable curse (Imperio).
DRAGON. Poor thing. :(
The Cup!
Bye Griphook, bye the sword.
The dragon stretches its wings, “knocking the shrieking goblins aside like skittles”. Taste the rainbow?
Whoo dragon riders.
27 – The Final Hiding Place
It’s kind of amazing to think what still needs to happen in like 24 hours.
It’s nightfall already? They flew for 12+ hours? (They left Shell Cottage at dawn.)
“I don’t know how to break this to you, but I think they MIGHT have noticed we broke into Gringotts.”
Maybe Voldemort won’t know they got a Horcurx? Harry’s scar says no. Also Voldemort murders random DE’s out of anger. That seems less than usefull when you only have about twenty.
Hm, Voldemort doesn’t know about the Ring and the Locket. Ah lol, he’s wondering himself if any other have been destroyed and why he doesn’t know.
Off to Hogwarts.
28 – The Missing Mirror
Whoo Hogsmeade. And oops Death Eaters. Clearly Hogsmeade has some Potter alarm on it.
Accio doesn’t work on the Cloak.
Yay Abertforth! With a goat Patronus! He bought the Two-way Mirror off Dung.
“Brains like that, you could be a Death Eater.” Ouch.
“My brother Albus wanted a lot of things, and people had a habit of getting hurt while he was carrying out his grand plans.” Astute.
“The Order of the Phoenix is finished.”
“Secrets and lies, that’s how we grew up, and Albus was a natural.” Yeah, he’s proved that over and over.
Elphias Doge thought “the sun shone out of my brother’s every orifice.” Uhm.
“Funny thing, how many of the people my brother cared about very much ended up in a worse state than if he’d left them well enough alone.” Aberforth is the president of the Anti-Dumbledore club Sirius and Harry started in OotP.
Aw man, Arianna. :( Poor kid. And Percival attacked the three kids who attacked her!
“When she was quiet, she used to help me feed the goats.” Heh.
This whole thing was just… a tragedy. “Grand plans for the benefit of wizardkind, and if one young girl got neglected, what did that matter, when Albus was working for the greater good?”
Eek, Gellert Crucio’d Aberforth. And then Arianna died. :(
Ah yes, the potion in the cave. “[Dumbledore] was never free.”
NEVILLE. FUCKING. LONGBOTTOM. :D
29 – The Lost Diadem
Neville looks bad. :( “Seamus is worse.”
There are a couple more people coming.
Mutual catching up.
The Carrows make Umbridge look tame. :(
“Dumbledore’s Army. Still recruiting.”
Uggh this all just sounds so cool and we were stuck with camping and bickering.
Heh Gran Longbottom kicked Dawlish’s ass, and she’s finally proud of Neville.
Of course there are no Slytherins in La Resistance…
Hey Lavender’s here too.
Oh for God’s sake Harry, let the others help already. You’re acting like Dumbledore.
Ah yes, Neville alerted Luna and Dean and then the Order. Here are Ginny, Fred, George, Lee Jordan… Cho Chang…
“Why can’t they help?” Thank you Ron.
“Was he turning into Dumbledore, keeping his secrets clutched to his chest? Afraid to trust?”
Ravenclaw’s lost diadem! Which is… lost.
Blah. Cho offers to take Harry to the Ravenclaw Common Room and Ginny gets all pissy and “suggests” Luna take him.
Yay Luna scene though.
Heh, “which comes first, the phoenix or the flame?” Harry is flabbergasted. (The answer is apparently “a circle has no beginning”.)
The Common Room sounds AWESOME.
Ah, Wit Beyond Measure is engraved on Ravenclaw’s circlet.
Oops Death Eaters.
30 – The Sacking of Severus Snape
Heh the Death Eaters are too dumb for riddles.
McGonagall. :D Being called “old besom”.
“Why would Potter try to get inside Ravenclaw Tower? Potter belongs in my house!” Yes he does.
NOBODY SPITS IN MCGONAGALL’S FACE. Stop scaring her though, she has a weak heart.
Harry just cast Crucio, now McGonagall casts Imperio…
“We teachers are rather good at magic, you know. I’m sure we’ll be able to hold him off for a while if we all put our best efforts into it.” <3
McGonagall’s Patronus is three cats or did she just cast three Patronusses at the same time? Oh, she casts three at the same time! I didn’t know you could do that. Awesome. Also her Patronus is HERSELF. (Or is your Patronus always the same as your Animagus form? Does that mean Rita's Patronus is a beetle? And Tonks would be a werewolf Animagus? :p Also can Animagus forms change just like Patronusses? I demand answers, Jo Rowling.)
Snape. Wow, this is his first app- lol no he was literally in the first paragraph of the book. Never mind. :p
“It is I.” STOP THAT.
Aw McGonagall hates Snape. He tries to Legilimens her.
SNAPE VS MCGONAGALL DUEL. HERE FOR IT. (RIP Alan Rickman. Whoa shit Snape looks BAD.) And then Flitwick joins in! And then Snape runs with McGonagall calling him a coward. :(
… Snape can fly now? Transform into a bat? What? This was so random.
“Our headmaster is taking a short break,” said Professor McGonagall, pointing at the Snape-shaped hole in the window.” How long did Jo want to use ‘Snape-shaped’?
Whoo Hogwarts defenses! “Protego Horribilis.”
“The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon it’s loyalties.”
The enchanted suits of armor!
The Order’s here. Shit.
“We send messages to the rest of Dumbledore’s Army. You couldn’t expect everyone to miss the fun, Harry, and the DA let the Order of the Phoenix know, and it all kind of snowballed.”
Ok everyone with a kid younger than six months leave.
Aw, Dean holding out his hand to Luna.
Molly trying to stop Ginny.
PERCY. And Fleur and Lupin’s distraction: Teddypics! “A tiny baby with a tuft of bright turquoise hair, waving fat fists at the camera.” (Meanwhile Lily’s Theme on Spotify.)
“I was a fool!” Percy roared, so loudly that Lupin nearly dropped his photograph.’
Aw gosh the Weasleys. :’)
Ginny is supposed to stay in the Room of Requirement. Good luck with that. (Lupin’s idea, at least it’s better than sending her back to Aberforth?)
Ron and Hermione are off to a bathroom.
Oops Voldemort’s at Hogwarts.
32 – The Battle of Hogwarts. :(
Yay Lupin, back with the other teachers. For now.
Voldievoiceover. “I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts.” Lol sure.
No Slytherins stay behind of course.
It’s 23:30. Kingsley takes charge of the defenses.
“Potter, aren’t you supposed to be looking for something?”
“What? Oh, oh yeah.” Derp.
The Grey Lady! “Harry supposed that she was beautiful, with her waist-length hair and floor-length cloak, but she also looked haughty and proud.”
Helena Ravenclaw. Who once stole the diadem… to make herself cleverer. And she got murdered by the Bloody Baron.
… and then Grawp threw Hagrid through a window.
“It was midnight. The battle had begun.”
Yay Harry remembers the dusty tiara from HBP!
About the Room of Requirement: “Here at least was a secret he and Voldemort knew, that Dumbledore had never discovered.” Odd thought. Although Dumbledore DID discover it.
Even Sir Cadogan shows up.
Yay Ron and Hermione – with basilisk fangs! And they destroyed the Cup. That’s three left – diadem, snake, boy.
… oh shit Tonks is in the Room of Requirement. Also Neville’s gran.
“I thought you were supposed to be with Teddy’s at your mother’s?”
“I couldn’t stand not knowing. She’ll look after him… have you seen Remus?” And she’s off. (Man, I have Opinions about this bit of characterisation.)
Meanwhile Ron and Hermione snog over House Elves. “Is this the moment?” Harry asked weakly.
Remus was dueling Dolohov. WAS. GDI.
Back in the Storageroom of Requirement (the Room of Hidden Things).
Why did Crabbe get useful NOW?
Fiendfyre.
Crabbe’s dead, but Draco and Goyle live.
WTF even the Headless Hunt shows up?
The diadem is destroyed too. Snake and boy left.
“You actually ARE joking, Perce – I don’t think I’ve heard you joke since you were – “
“Fred’s eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still on his face.” Sob.
32 – The Elder Wand. Shit.
Percy won’t leave his brother. :( Ron wants to take revenge.
Voldemort is in the Shrieking Shack, with Lucius, and Nagini in a bubble. “Go and fetch Snape.”
Heh, McGonagall and her herd of galloping desks. “CHARGE.”
“Dean had won himself a wand, for he was face to face with Dolohov.” Which means Remus is dead (wait, did Dean take HIS wand?). Parvati puts Dolohov in a body-bind curse.
Greyback nearly eats Lavender, but Trelawney throws a crystal ball on his head. … that happened. (Remus was right to avoid her in PoA. :p)
“Death Eaters and Hogwartians alike.” ? Hogwartians?
Giant fight as Hagrid is nearly eaten by giant spiders.
Ew, Dementors. Thank god for Luna, Ernie and Seamus casting Patronusses.
Back to the Shrieking Shack. They have to crawl through the tunnel now. How on earth did they get unconscious Snape through, four years ago?
The Elder Wand isn’t ~special~ enough to Voldemort.
“While you live, Snape, the Elder Wand cannot be truly mine.”
What a horrible way to go. ... actually I think Snape may genuinely have the worst death in the series. Which is just so typical for him.
“Look… at… me…” :(
“The hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more.”
33 – The Prince’s Tale. Nononononono. Why are Snape-centered chapters always the worst?!
Voldievoiceover again. Give up Harry. “Lord Voldemort is merciful.” Lol.
“The dead lay in a row in the middle of the hall.”
Oh God the Weasleys.
“Remus and Tonks, pale and still and peaceful-looking, apparently asleep beneath the dark, enchanted ceiling.” *grabs a handkerchief *
Up to the Headmaster’s office, where the password is apparently ‘Dumbledore’. “To escape into someone else’s head would be a blessed relief.” And he picks SNAPE’s?
Aw, baby Snape and Lily and Petunia, in Spinner’s End. So he does have a charming northern accent?
Lily can fly! And she calls her sister Tuney.
“[Snape] flapped after the girls, looking ridiculously bat-like, like his older self.” He’s heartbreakingly adorable. Poor kid. “Snape had been planning this moment for a while, and it had all gone wrong.”
And he is so confident, explaining stuff to Lily, KNOWING stuff, being listened to.
“Does it make a difference, being Muggleborn?”
(After a pause) “No. It doesn’t make any difference.”
OK he is already a little stalker.
Crap, baby James, “with that indefinable air of having been well cared for, even loved, that Snape so conspicuously lacked.” Ugh, and he and Sirius immediately start bullying Sev – “Snivellus”.
“There’s something weird about that Lupin, where does he keep going?”
“He’s ill. They say he’s ill.”
“Every month on the full moon?” As clever as Hermione. And oh, this was shortly after The Joke.
Snape turning spy for Dumbledore… “What will you give me in return, Severus?”
“Anything.”
Dumbledore is so COLD after the Potters died. “She and James put their faith in the wrong person. Rather like you, Severus.”
“Promiss never to reveal the best of [Snape]” in exchange for protection of Harry.
Of course they have completely different opinions of Harry. Snape thinks he’s “delighted to find himself famous, mediocre, attention-seeking.” Dumbledore thinks he’s “modest, likeable, reasonably talented.” “Personally, I find him an engaging child.” (And now we’ve had it repeated so often that Harry is a man, it’s weird that he’s suddenly being referred to as a child again.)
“Keep an eye on Quirrel, won’t you?”
“Are you tempted to join [Karkaroff]?”
“No, I am no such coward.”
“No. You are a braver man by far than Igor Karkaroff. You know, I sometimes think we sort too soon…”
How does Dumbledore know Draco has to kill him without Snape telling him? The way they’re talking seems to imply that Snape is hearing this for the first time.
“YOU must kill me.”
“Would you like me to do it now? Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph.”
He’s basically asking for euthanasia. Would that someone had been around to give Snape himself that gift – he just about had the worst death in the series.
Ah, the “take a great deal for granted” convo from HBP.
“Part of Voldemort’s soul lives in Harry.” Horcrux!
This bit is galling. Snape is bitter – “you have used me” – he thought they were keeping Harry safe for Lily’s sake, not for sacrificing him later. And Dumbledore is all “see! You DO care for him!” LISTEN TO THE MAN FOR ONCE INSTEAD OF FILLING IN YOUR OWN STORY.
“After all this time?”
“Always.”
(I kind of hate that these have become the arc words of the series, because they refer to obsessive love, and an obsessive hatred that grew out of that love. Not to mention an adult bullying a child for no good reason.)
Oh, the Seven Potters was Dumbledore’s idea.
Aw, Snape saved Lupin (and inadvertently cut off George’s ear). He also stole the second part of Lily’s letter, the bit containing her signature because he’s still a teen, and the half of the photograph with her on it, for the same reason. Guess he also kicked the troll umbrella stand over.
Phineas: “they are camping in the Forest of Dean! The Mudblood – “
“Don’t use that word!” I bet that word leaves a particularly bad taste in his mouth now.
God, even as a portrait Dumbledore gives orders.
34 – The Forest Again. Oh no.
“Harry understood at last that he wasn’t supposed to survive. His job was to calmly walk into Death’s welcoming arms.” Much like his ancestor, the third Peverell brother.
What a horrible way to go, sacrificing yourself at the age of 17.
“He wondered who would kill [the Snake].” :D
Oh no, Colin Creevey. :(
I like that Harry nearly ran into Neville, the Boy Who Could Have Been.
Oh and then he stops and asks him to kill the snake, lol. Also, he actively makes himself act like Dumbledore.
“He WAS home. Hogwarts was the first and best home he had known. He and Voldemort and Snape, the abandoned boys, had all found home here…”
The snitch! I open at the close. My poor heart. And how evil of Dumbledore, to have calculated in advance that this moment would come. “Here Harry, have a thing that only does something useful when you’re about to die.”
Calling on his parents, Sirius and Remus. “He was not really fetching them; they were fetching him.”
*sniffle*
So everybody basically returned to their ideal selves. Makes sense.
“You’ve been so brave.”
“He thought that he would like to stand and look at her forever, and that would be enough.” He’d never be satisfied…
“Does it hurt?” :(
“Quicker and easier than falling asleep.” Says the one with the easiest death.
Heh Lupin is still in explaining mode.
“I am sorry too. Sorry I will never know [Teddy]… but he will know why I died and hope he will understand. I was trying to make a world in which he could life a happier life.” WELL. I’M SURE HE WILL BE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE RANDOM GUY WHO RELUCTANTLY DONATED HALF HIS GENES AGAINST HIS BETTER KNOWLEDGE BEFORE DYING AND LEAVNG BEHIND A ONE-MONTH OLD why am I crying.
“You’ll stay with me?”
“Until the very end.”
“They acted like Patronusses to him. “Besides him, making barely a sound, walked James, Sirius, Lupin and Lily, and their presence was his courage, and the reason he was able to put one foot in front of the other.”
He already feels more connected to the afterlife than the world of the living.
OH FOR FUCK’S SAKE DOLOHOV IS STILL ALIVE?! WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KILL THIS ASSHOLE. Also ew Greyback. Also hi the Malfoys and boo Bellatrix and Voldemort.
And here is Harry.
“He saw the mouth move and a flash of green light, and everything was gone.”
35 – King’s Cross. Last Dumbledore recap/wrapup.
Naked Harry in an unformed mist. And a piece of Voldemort.
Dumbledore.
“Harry. You wonderful boy. You brave, brave man.” Oh go away.
“Happiness seemed to radiate from Dumbledore like light, like fire; Harry had never seen the man so utterly, so palpably content.” Well, he did just win the biggest chess match of his life.
“Your soul is whole, and completely your own.”
Harry’s blood became Voldemort’s blood in Goblet of Fire, hence the look of triumph.
“That which Voldemort does not value, he takes no trouble to comprehend.” This sounds like…. So many real-life bad guys.
OK the whole “Harry’s wand took on some of Voldemort’s powers” comes off a little ass-pull-y.
“I think we can agree that you are not dead – though, of course, I do not minimize your sufferings, which I am sure were severe.” How magnanimous.
“Dumbledore was being infuriating.” And then he brings up the Deathly Hallows, heh.
“Can you forgive me?” Well… “I have known, for some time now, that you are the better man.”
“Hallows, not Horcruxes.”
Poor Dumbledore really.
“I resented it, Harry. I was gifted, I was brilliant. I wanted to escape. I wanted to shine. I wanted glory.” Why was he in Gryffindor again?
Of course neither Dumbledore nor Grindelwald were much interested in the Cloak over the Wand or the Stone.
“My rough, unlettered, and infinitely more admirable brother.” Did he have to toss in the unlettered?
“I had learned that I was not to be trusted with power.” “Perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.” Spoken like Marcus Aurelius.
I wonder if the Deathly Hallows are going to pop up in Fantastic Beasts.
“Why did you have to make it so difficult?” asks Harry. Because it’s Dumbledore.
“If you planned your death with Snape, you meant him to end up with the Elder Wand, didn’t you?” Huh, interesting thought. And painful that Voldemort came to that conclusion anyway, which means that Snape is murdered for something he never even got to do. Which is basically the story of his life. Does Jo Rowling hate the guy?
“Tell me one last thing. Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
36 – The Flaw in the Plan
The forest again.
“My lord… my lord…” It was Bellatrix’s voice, and she spoke to Voldemort as if to a lover.’ Ew. Also they do have a month-old daughter now.
Hmmm Voldemort lost consciousness after he killed Harry…
Harry is lucky Voldemort asked Narcissa to check whether he was really dead.
“He’s dead!” Death Eater party!
Poor Hagrid. :(
Voldemort is wearing Nagini over his shoulders. I mean, I AM picturing this now.
Oh no, poor McGonagall. :(
Voldemort is trying to monologue like a true villain, except the good guys keep interrupting him. Heh.
Neville!
“You show spirit, and bravery, and you come of noble stock. You will make a very valuable Death eater. We need your kind, Neville Longbottom.” Ew.
Dumbledore’s Army! Also Centaur army.
“With a single stroke, Neville sliced off the great snake’s head.” Bye Nagini.
And here are Slughorn and Charlie, heading another army. Oh and Kreacher with a house elf army. “Fight the Dark Lord, in the name of brave Regulus!”
Oh thank God, Flitwick finally kills Dolohov. Hagrid takes care of Macnair, fitting. And Ron and Neville bring down Greyback. And the Malfoys are looking for Draco.
(Wait, this all happens in the Great Hall? What happened to the bodies? Are they just running around and/over over them?!)
Voldemort dueling Slughorn, McGonagall and Kingsley! Bellatrix is fighting Luna, Hermione and Ginny.
“NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH.”
“Both women were fighting to kill.” Shit Molly, calm down.
Bye Bellatrix.
Dundundun, Harry’s alive after all. He’s taunting Voldemort, ‘I know something you don’t.’
Voldemort: “Is it love again?” Heh.
“[Dumbledore] knew more than you, knew enough not to do what you’ve done.”
“You mean he was weak!” There is only power, and those too weak to seek it…
“Severus Snape wasn’t yours. Snape was Dumbledore’s.” And yeah let’s tell the entire Great Hall Snape loved your mum. Snape must be so glad to be dead.
“When she had gone, he agreed that there were other women, and of purer blood, worthier of him.” 1) ew, 2) when on earth did they discuss this?! And why? Was Voldemort planning to institute some Death Eater breeding program? Huh, actually that WOULD fit in with Bellatrix being pregnant. Ew, I just justified The Cursed Child.
Snape died three hours ago.
“Think, and try some remorse, Riddle…”
“The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy.” Orrrrrr… Harry is! Master of death!
“Avada Kedavra!”
“Expelliarmus!”
“Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality.”
Group hug!
“Their leader and symbol, their savior and their guide.” Poor kid’s not even 18 yet.
Kingsley is temporary Minister for Magic!
“The bodies of Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey and fifty others who had died fighting Voldemort.” Rub it in.
Aw, all the Houses sitting together. Except Slytherin cause they suck.
Luna. <3 “I’d want some peace and quiet, if it were me.”
“I’d love some.”
“I’ll distract them all.”
Neville has admirers. <3 And the Malfoys are huddled together (and probably the only Slytherins here besides Slughorn).
“We did it, we bashed them, wee Potter’s the one
And Voldy’s gone mouldy, so now let’s have fun!”
“Really gives a feeling for the scope and tragedy of the thing, doesn’t it?” Oh Ron.
“The pain of losing Fred, Lupin and Tonks pierced him like a physical wound every few steps.” You think YOU hurt?
Aw, the headmaster’s office. <3 Headmaster party! Also whoo fixed wand.
“Quite honestly, I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime.”
Nineteen Years Later… Wait a minute, nineteen years after 1998 is… 2017! This year! What?!
Heh, James, Albus and Lily. James is a jerk. Must be the name.
“We wrote to James three times a week last year.”
Percy’s here. And Ron and Hermione of course. Rose! And Hugo, who got cruelly cut from The Cursed Child.
Scorpius! Sweet cinnamon roll, the only good part about TCC.
“Teddy’s back there. Just seen him. And guess what he’s doing? Snogging Victoire! OUR Teddy! Teddy Lupin! Snogging OUR Victoire! OUR cousin!”
He’d come to see her off. “Oh it would be lovely if they got married!” whispered Lily ecstatically. I see you’re related to Molly Weasley. “Teddy would REALLY be part of the family then!” Can you… not?
“He already comes round for dinner about four times a week,” said Harry. “Why don’t we just invite him to live with us and have done with it?” What a great idea. (Do they still live in 12 Grimmauld Place? Cause that would be awesome.)
“Mum! I can’t give a professor LOVE!”
“Albus Severus, you were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.” Now you guess whether it was Albus or Severus.
“Why are they all STARING?”
Ron: “Don’t let it worry you. It’s me. I’m extremely famous.”
“The scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years. All was well.”
FIN. July 21, 2017.
*sob*
no subject
Date: 2017-08-03 04:11 pm (UTC)Yeah, it's not a Remus book. :p PoA still stands alone as the shining example.
I have no idea what's going on with Greyback and the Malfoys (band name!). He doesn't at all seem the type to be acceptable to the Malfoys. Maybe Draco did exaggerate slightly - his family knows and sometimes associates with Greyback, so he made him a 'family friend' to intimidate Mr Burke. Actually that does make the most sense, since he seemed pretty repulsed by Greyback at the end of HBP. Basically he just said it to appear cool, back when he still thought he could totally kill Dumbledore.
Yeah, that Remus/Tonks exchange is pretty nice (... even though it's like the only direct conversation they have in the entire book?). I kind of feel like Sirius's death is a bit ignored, at least the impact it had on everybody but Harry.
Wow, Dumbledore's backstory DOES sound pretty Gothic! Haha, now I'm picturing him wandering the moor, alternately shouting "ARIANNA!" and "GELLART!"
"Parents leaving kids behind when they don't need to" is an excellent beserk button, yeah.
I... really don't want Kendra to be actually Native American because yeah, Jo and her foot-in-mouth syndrome. Plus Dumbledore is basically Merlin, Britisher than the Queen, so him suddenly being half Native is going to be a REALLY hard sell. Especially since he looks like Richard Harris/Michael Gambon/Jude Law.
The camping trip goes in these weird fits and starts! It's not as bad as OotP, where we spend like ten chapters on a week, then rush through a month and a half in a paragraph, but the timeline is... unclear, yeah.
Heh Peter died as he lived: without glory or honor, almost perfunctory.
I love your headcanon of Remus's shifter-ness adding to Teddy's being a metamorphmagus! I'm adopting it, even though it might make no canon sense. :p
Hmm now I'm actually wondering whether Arianna was the first Obscurus Grindelwald encountered and it piqued his interest and lead to his seeking them out and eventually ending up with..... what's his face.... who is apparently going to come back somehow (even though he died or something? God I really need to see that movie again.). We're not done with Obscuri, at any rate.
Edit: CREDENCE. God.
Tonks's whole characterisation has been diminished to "Remus Remus Remus Remus Remus." Which, I mean, I symphatise. :p But she was SO AWESOME to start with! It's such a missed opportunity. Like you said, if she'd at least mentioned she was also an Auror and in the Order... heck, even if she'd said "have you seen the others? Have you seen Remus?" which would at least show her as caring about any other people around.
Well, at least it matches her with Remus, who was also started out awesome and then got... less so. :p
TEDDY IS NINETEEN. It's bizarre! He graduated Hogwarts a year ago! What.
I want Harry to have kept 12GP if only for the fact that he'd be an IDIOT to give up such a prime piece of real estate in the middle of London. Plus I really like the mental image of him and Ginny filling that house with happiness, to banish the bad memories and atmosphere Sirius left behind, and mostly so Kreacher has a bunch of kids again to look after and dote on and whatnot. <3 (And also so Harry can be like "so Teddy, you know this kitchen? This is where your parents met. And probably also snogged. Fun!" Hahahaha.)