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lindalupos) wrote2017-04-15 06:27 pm
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone review/recap
I planned it out and apparently if I read one book every two weeks I should finish the series by July 21, the ten year aniversary of the release of TDH. I'm also planning to read the mini-books (Fantastic Beasts, Quidditch, and Beedle the Bard) but I'm skipping The Cursed Child as once was way more than enough for THAT one.
I actually started the reread two weeks ago, beginning - of course - with Philosopher's Stone. I was surprised with how much nostalgia I felt, how much I still recognised and how much I had forgotten - athough most of it quickly came back to me in an "oh right! sort of way. Now, 17 years after I first read it (oh God), I could look at it with a bit more distance. It's not a perfect book by any means, but I really enjoyed how brilliant of a children's book it is, in the vein of Roald Dahl. The characters are simple but not dumb, it's a perfect world for kids who want to be heroes, and it never talks down to the reader. Jo also has a brilliant way with words with a delightful British sense of humor.
So yeah, I really enjoyed reading it again.
During my reading, I kept a notebook nearby to jot down my thoughts as I was reading it. I kind of wish I'd done this during my first reading of the book, way back when, as I barely remember how I took it. What I mostly remember is scoffing at the 'kids book' at first (my younger brother actually first got into HP as his teacher was reading it to his class at school; HP was also the first book he really got into, to the point where we took it on holiday and we actually skipped a day of activities so my brother could stay home and read!). But my interested was piqued anyway. I think I rushed through this in a couple of days, finishing it with the second book next to me so I continue straight away. Jo had sunk her claws in me. :p
Anyway, I typed up my notes this time around! It's a bit long and quite rambly, but nevertheles fun to read. Here they are, my genuine reactions to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
.Harry Potter and the Philosophers/Sorcerers Stone
First impression of the book: it’s almost bizarrely kiddie. There are kids’ reviews on the dust cover and the cover illustration is… interesting.
I bought this book when there were only four books available! So during the 3 Year Summer. It does have the WB copyright so it was sometime between 2001 and 2003. The first print was in 1997 – the book is 20 years old?! Holy shit.
Alright, here goes, project nostalgia!
--
1. The Boy Who Lived.
One of the more famous opening lines in English literature. It’s so familiar that it’s like sinking into a warm bath! (And I HAVE read this book in a warm bath, actually, back when my parents still had a bath… and I still lived with them… 16 years ago…)
I forgot Vernon was the director of Grunnings drilling factory. But wait, wouldn’t he be about 23-25 years old? That’s awfully young.
Petunia didn’t see Lily for several years – since Lily graduated Hogwarts? What is the timeline here?
Vernon grumbles at young people while he is probably not yet 30. :p
How are people so SURE Voldemort is gone? How can they tell?
Vernon is being rather clever here actually, trying to remember Harry’s name and not upsetting Petunia.
Who broke Dumbledore’s nose twice, actually? Was it Grindlewald? Was it McGonagall when he was being particularly annoying one day? Speaking of, McGonagall is awesome here (she is awesome everywhere and always, really).
This whole bit just reminds me of the missing 24 hours – where was Harry during that time? He was an infant, who took care of him? I don’t see Hagrid changing diapers, and surely it doesn’t take THAT long to flydrive from Godric’s Hollow to Little Whinging.
“Use his proper name” so not Tom Riddle? :p Actually why doesn’t Dumbledore use that name? He’s just about the only one who still knows it.
Poor McGonagall, James and Lily were her students too. L
HOW DO PEOPLE KNOW ALL THIS STUFF? HOW FAST DOES GOSSIP TRAVEL IN THE WIZARDING WORLD, WHAT THE HELL. Also, again, what is the timeline here. I thought J&L died in the evening which would make for just about 24 hours. If they died early in the morning it would make for slightly over 12 hours, which would make more sense. Hagrid got to GH while Sirius was still there but before the MoM got there? How did Hagrid know to get there? How did Sirius? How quickly did Sirius go after Peter? Who gave Dumbledore the authority to have Harry taken away (wait I know the answer to that – Dumbledore gave Dumbledore the authority).
“We can only guess, we might never know”. Indeed. Also, McGonagall points out that every child in the world will know Harry’s name, which is just about true. :p
WTF at Sirius’s huge motorbike by the way. If Hagrid fits on it, how stupidly huge is it and how on earth does Sirius fit on it? Also WHAT HAPPENED IN THOSE 24 HOURS.
“He will have that scar forever.” Yup.
“I’d best get this bike away” says Hagrid. Not BACK to Sirius?
“I shall see you soon” – Order or Hogwarts business? Or both?
Poor baby Harry must be so confused. L Fell asleep with his mum and dad, woke up to a shrieking aunt and a bullying cousin.
2. The Vanishing Glass.
‘Harry didn’t look it but he was very fast.’ No wonder he became a Seeker then.
Dudley gets a videorecorder. Ahh, 1997.
Poor Mrs Figg.
And how can people hate a kid THIS much? This is Dickensian. Geez. The snake is the least thing they deserve.
3. The Letters From No One.
Harry is so snarky! I love it.
This is all so British – the schools with their uniforms and everything.
Where are Lily’s parents? Why is there NO money at all for Harry’s schooling? Why is no one looking out for him?
OPEN THE LETTER.
My mental images right now are 50/50 movie images and my own imagination. But I don’t see Daniel Radcliffe jumping up and down on a table, thank God.
Vernon is worse anti-magic than Petunia? Why? What happened in the intervening years?
Milkman! Marmelade on newspapers! This is all so cinematic. The little hut on the island and everything.
4. The Keeper of the Keys.
Second thing Hagrid says to Harry: you look like your dad but with your mom’s eyes. YES WE KNOW.
Why don’t they KNOW Harry doesn’t know? COMMUNICATE, PEOPLE.
“Ye’re a wizard, Harry.” I’m hearing it like in the movie. “I’m a wot?”
The letter is slightly different than in the movie. Wonder whether the movie version is the American version of it.
“How could a car crash kill James and Lily?” Well um I reckon wizards aren’t entirely made of rubber.
How do people know Voldemort’s name if you can’t say it? I mean, sure, the adults know it from before the curse, but the kids? How does Ron know, for example?
Voldemort started 20 years ago, around the time the Marauders started Hogwarts. The Bones and the Prewetts are name-dropped before we find out who they are.
“What happened to You Know Who?” Well, he got inside you – literally.
Jo is already dropping some seeds for Chamber of Secrets – why was Hagrid expelled? Hmmm.
5. Diagon Alley.
Gringotts is the safest place in the world except for Hogwarts! BRB TDH.
Dumbledore can trust Hagrid – and knows Hagrid doesn’t ask questions… Dumbledore did Hagrid a huge favor and knows Hagrid is not the type to consider it repaid any time soon. Much like Remus, really, because of their lower social position they are more loyal than they perhaps should be. And yes I’m hugely cynical when it comes to Dumbledore.
Students needs robes and a hat – does anyone ever wear the hat? (Answer: yes, shouldn’t base this too much on the movies.)
LOL at the books and the author names. Very clever. Adalbert Waffling waffles on about magical theory, Emeric SWITCH writes about transfiguration (switching forms), Phyllida Spore writes about fungi, of course the potions book is by a guy named Arsenius, etcetera.
Quirrel does shake hands here! (This comes back later – again, don’t base everything on the movie.)
I love the stalagmite bit, that’s cute.
Draco! Being nice – ish. “Imagine being in Hufflepuff!” Poor puffs! Even Hagrid calls them ‘duffers’! They are NOT.
Hagrid says “what’s up”, which sounds weird.
The curse book is by a professor VINDICTUS, which is awesome.
They sell unicorn horns?? Do they grow back?? They’re 21 galleons a piece which sounds not-that-expensive.
Toads are not oldfashioned, Hagrid. L
Interesting that Hagrid bought Hedwig, considering TDH where it seemed Hagrid died but it was actually Hedwig who died. (And Mad-Eye, boo.)
Lily bought her FIRST wand at Olivanders? Did she get more than one? Why?
A wand is 7 galleons, so 3 wands gets you one unicorn horn.
I’m hearing the movie dialogue again. John Hurt was so great here.
6. The Journey From Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.
Where did Harry get his trunk anyway? I doubt the Dursleys bought him one.
Movie dialogue again with the Weasleys. “Honestly, you call yourself our mother?”
Percy the Prefect. Heh.
HOW. DO. THEY. KNOW. SO. MUCH. ABOUT. THAT. HALLOWEEN.
Poor Ginny, all alone with her mum and dad… and Luna next door.
Of course Ron is less than enthused about a giant tarantula. :p Poor Ron overall, although it is good character establishing.
PETER. YOU DIRTY RAT. LITERALLY.
You’d think the Weasley parents would at least buy every kid their own WAND… instead of a new owl and robes for Percy. Doesn’t Charlie need his own wand?? Why does Ron need EVERYTHING second-hand, can’t he have anything of himself?
Ugh, stupid trolley witch, ruined by The Cursed Child.
Chocolate frogs! I’m missing the PC game now, collecting the cards was fun.
This is such a full world already (well, for a kids’ book), even including random hobbies. And what ARE the 12 uses of dragon blood anyway?
Poor Neville and his toad.
HERMIONE. Being 100% herself already. Jo is aces at introducing characters.
“Whatever house I’m in, I hope she’s not in it,” says Ron. Just wait a couple of years, kiddo.
Soooo much movie dialogue.
Trevor!
7. The Sorting Hat.
McGonagall! Looking good for 70 years old. (Better than Voldemort, haha.)
Harry hears hundreds of voices – how many students are there again?
House cup – it’s nice being Harry Potter and having Dumbledore on your side.
The ghosts! This is all so MAGICAL (Excuse the pun). And Hermione name-drops Hogwarts: A History for the first time!
I practically know the house rhymes off by heart still…
“A house for people who feel a bit queasy”, I bet there’s a fic for that.
The twins catcall Lavender Brown?! Just wait a few years, boys.
Neville is a Gryffindor indeed!
Again movie dialogue here with the Sorting Hat.
“Not Slytherin? It’s all there in your head.” Indeed.
Blaise Zabini! The male version. :p (Or did he turn out to be female after all? I forgot.)
Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Yep, he’s a bit mad.
Do kids really eat THAT much meat?
Neeeeeeeeeeeearly Headless? Hermione stole Seamus’s line!
Slytherin won the house cup 6 years in a row. So Bill or Charlie didn’t win it either. (Neither did Tonks.)
Hi Bloody Baron. See you in TDH.
Poor Neville being Muggletested. L … although, ugh, with his history I can see why they’d want him to be magic. Can magic be ‘shocked’ out of you if your parents have been tortured to insanity?
SNAPE. HI. SNAPE.
And Harry’s scar twitches. Brilliant misdirection here. Harry sees Snape, his scar twitches, ergo it’s caused by Snape!
Would Voldemort be able to notice or see Harry through the turban? Does he get sort of a spidey senses tingle if one of his Horcruxes is nearby?
The Forest is forbidden – except for punishment of first-years. WTF Dumbledore.
School song! The teachers hate it! Maybe that’s why they never sing it again. Also Jo is so good at rhyming.
Peeves made a rude sound like air being let out of a balloon – I only just now got this. Geez.
Peeves won’t even listen to Prefects! Poor Percy!
Scabbers is chewing Ron’s sheets. Geez Peter! Get some manners.
Harry has a strange dream… I’m sure this will not be relevant later on.
8. The Potions Master.
SNAPE CHAPTER. SNAPE CHAPTER. SNAPE CHAPTER.
Harry’s already famous huh. That must be so weird and annoying when you’re eleven.
“Doors that weren’t doors but solid walls just pretending”. I love Jo’s descriptions of things.
Hee, excited Flitwick toppling off his books.
Who the hell put Slytherins and Gryffindors in one class under Snape anyway? That’s just asking for trouble. Is Dumbledore making the class schedules or what?
Snape HATES an eleven-year old. Very mature. Guy is, what, 32, 33 here? (Oh God Snape is younger than I am.)
Movie dialogue! RIP Alan Rickman. L
“He spoken in barely more than a whisper.” He is so BITTER – bunch of dunderheads. Does he do this speech every year?
“Why aren’t you ALLLLLL copying this DOOOWWWWWNNN???”
He genuinely seems to like Malfoy, huh. (Well. As genuine as Snape ever gets.)
Poor Neville. L
Hagrid knoooooooooooooooooows about Snilly. (Wait. Is that the ship name?)
So many mysteries to end a chapter! Talk about a cliffhanger.
9. The Midnight Duel. Because it makes sense that 11 year old kids have duels at midnight.
107 into a 225 page book and we’re finally getting into trouble. But first – flying!
Remembralls are a bit useless, aren’t they.
So about 20 Slytherin and Gryffindor students, with the Huffs and Claws about 40 total, let’s say about 280 in the entire school. Allowing for a birth dip because of Voldemort (… that sounded weird), let’s say 250. The “hundreds of voices” is justified!
Poor Neville. L (AGAIN) Why can’t Hooch mend bones? Would have been very useful and I doubt Neville is the first one to fall off his broom and break something.
I’m seeing the silly movie effects in my head.
Harry comes across like being a natural at horseback riding.
“Could I borrow Wood for a moment?”
James was a Quidditch player – was he a Chaser or a Seeker? :p (Referencing the movie/book debate.)
Gryffindor has never won the Quidditch Cup since Charlie left – so that’s two years ago? How old is Charlie again, and was he the eldest or Bill? I forget. Oh Google says Bill is the eldest.
Wizard duel – Draco, you little idiot. Ron wants to be able to do the Curse of the Bogies – wait for your sister.
“Oh move OVER. Alohomora!” Hi Emma Watson.
FLUFFY.
“Now, IF you don’t mind” I’M going to bed before you find another change to get us KILLED, or WORSE: EXPELLED.
10. Hallowe’en. Page 121, about 100 left to go.
Of course Harry and Ron LIKED Fluffy cause they’re eleven years old.
McGonagall, if you didn’t want anyone to notice the broom, MAYBE don’t send it to the table at breakfast?!
WTF is this sport with bludgers – broken jaws?!
Hey, Harry is wearing his hat at the Wingardium Leviosa class! (He puts out Seamus’s fire with it.)
Ron feels bad about talking smack about Hermione – not so much an emotional teaspoon now.
TROOOOOOLL. IN THE DUNGEON!! Thought you ought to know. This is so weirdly less dramatic than in the film. It’s so anticlimactic here!
Harry and his saving people thing. Kid, you’re eleven. Stay put.
Oooh Snape sneaking around, nice red herring.
The boys are such Gryffindors, geez. (Now I’m wondering how the other houses would have reacted. Probably not run into a bathroom with a troll.)
Quirrel is scared – is it pretend or not? Isn’t he supposedly good with trolls? Also Snape is acting suspicious (of course).
“It was as if Snape had started handing out sweets”!
Aww, friends. J
11. Ew, Quidditch.
Yech playing outside in November in SCOTLAND. Poor kids. (Can you tell I don’t much like sports or the cold?)
There’s really not much plot in this book when you think about it, mostly a lot of worldbuilding and setup for later.
Hermione is 12 and still the team mom, checking their homework.
“A horrible scene met his eyes. Snape and Filch were inside, alone.” Hello gutterminded Slytherin.
Hermione is right about Snape, but she’s been set up as the nag so we don’t believe her.
Feminist speech by Wood. And the twins joined the team at 12, damn.
Oh right, the broomstick ‘malfunction’ during Quidditch.
Again, nice Snape misdirection – “Snape held eyecontact the whole time and he wasn’t blinking!”
Nicholas Flamel!
12. The Mirror of Erised.
Page 143 out of 223 and we’re only just now at Christmas. Such a difference from later books. :p I mean, sure, it would also take 143 pages to get to Christmas, but then there would FOLLOW 223 pages!
Enchanted snowballs bouncing off of Voldie.
I would totally freeze at Hogwarts, geez. Unless they offer, like, magically heated robes.
“Fighting is against Hogwarts rules”, oh how Snape would have loved to do this 20 years ago.
I love how the narrator – obviously – reinforces what Harry thinks, nicely misdirecting you from Quirrel. OF COURSE Snape is evil.
Invisibility Cloak! That makes one Horcrux and one Hallow (and a Horcrux wearing a Hallow!).
Greg and Forge, heh. Also heh, McGonagall is a little drunk at the Christmas party, aw.
The Cloak awakens the Marauder spirit in Harry. So much like James right now.
I’m wondering – would Petunia show up in the mirror? She IS family, much as Harry doesn’t like her.
This is such a poignant, heartbreaking moment, especially when you consider Jo wrote it after her mum died.
The first one-on-one scene with Dumbledore! This must be odd for Dumbledore though, “so this is the kid that ‘killed’ Voldemort and who I’m basically grooming for when he comes back”.
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” Famous words. Dumbledore wants thick woolen socks! Suuuuure. Poor Arianna.
13. Nicholas Flamel.
Heh, Hermione is disappointed of the lack of information-finding. That’s not how she would have acted!
Why isn’t Harry checking the chocolate frogs anyway? Famous witches and wizards? Although I guess Nicholas Flamel doesn’t have one of his own (else Ron would probably have remembered the name) and I guess Harry doesn’t obsessively reread all the cards or anything.
Losing chess is good for Hermione! Nice that the boys are teaching her as much as she is them.
Aww Neville. You ARE brave enough for Gryffindor! Just wait four books, you’re gonna kick as much ass as Harry.
“Hermione hadn’t looked so excited since they’d got back their marks for their very first piece of homework.” Heh.
Hermione the drama queen. “Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher’s Stone!” she whispered dramatically.
Defence Against the Dark Arts covers ways to treat werewolf bites. That must’ve been interesting for young Remus.
“Harry sometimes had the terrible feeling Snape could read minds.” All I’m saying is, just wait a couple of years…
Why is Malfoy sitting with the Gryffindors? Are the stands mixed? Have the movies been lying to me? On the other hand, of course inter-house friendships aren’t discouraged so why wouldn’t the stands be mixed I guess.
Snape is intimidating Quirrel while Voldemort can hear him. Interesting.
14. Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback.
Norberta. Heh.
“But we’re not 600 years old,” Ron reminded Hermione. Like she needs reminding they’re about 500 years younger than that.
WHAT ARE THE TWELVE USES OF DRAGONBLOOD GDI.
Also WTF are stoat sandwiches and can I never have one cause they sound gross.
Ugh, Hagrid, idiot.
“I wonder what it’s like to have a peaceful life,” says Ron, already jaded. You’re in for a rough six years, buddy.
Hagrid. Ugh. (Yeah I don’t like Hagrid very much.)
Can’t Harry just Wingardium Leviosa the crate? Oh well.
15. The Forbidden Forest.
Finally.
See, Neville is already being Gryffindor-ish! Even though his timing was completely lousy, haha.
“Four students out of bed in one night! I never heard such a thing!” says McGonagall who clearly forgot all about the Marauders and the Weasleys.
RON is suggesting finding a book to get past Fluffy! See, he and Hermione ARE made for each other!
WTF they are eleven and they have detention at eleven o’clock at night?? What insane school is this. Also they’re letting eleven-year olds patrol the forest in search of some creepy monster eating unicorns?? WTF Dumbledore.
Can it even be a werewolf? Is the moon full? Is Hagrid TRYING to get the kids eaten?!
What if Voldemort had joined Horcruxes right here? That would have saved us six books. How does the rejoining work anyway? Also is Quirrel technically a Horcrux since he carries Voldemort around?
Huh, I forgot Firenze was younger and a palomino horse. No wonder the girls liked him, he’s basically a Barbie horse (Ken horse?).
‘“Stop saying the name!” said Ron’ as if he thought Voldemort could hear him.
Of course Hermione is skeptical of fortune telling!
16. Through the Trapdoor
“In years to come Harry didn’t quite remember how he got through exams.” I’d be like ‘ahh, simpler times’, honestly.
Horcrux Harry is triggered, his scar hurts and he has nightmares.
1637 Werewolf Code of Conduct gets mentioned.
Hagrid is SO DUMB, for real. Gah.
“People might think you’re ……………………………………………………………………………… up to something.”
Harry suggests Voldemort will flatten Hogwarts or turn it into a school for the Dark Arts. He’s not wrong.
Neville! Being brave and Gryffindorish! Except again at the wrong time. Poor Neville.
Use Lumos to light your way through the trapdoor, you idiots. Also how do you NOT notice a giant plant constricting you?!
“But there’s no wood!”
“HAVE YOU GONE MAD? ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?!” Classic. And yay Ron being useful!
How close are they to the Chamber of Secrets anyway? Imagine the basilisk suddenly showing up, haha.
Convenient that there were 3 broomsticks in the key-room (only one in the movie I think).
Whoo Ron the strategist!
“Don’t be offended” but you two kind of suck at chess, compared to Ron. Polite that he puts it like that though. Also he’s the first Weasley to sacrifice himself for the greater good!
Snape’s riddle is quite ingenious really. A logic puzzle. I bet you can reverse-engineer the sequence of the potion bottles but I can’t be bothered right now. :p
Intriguing thought if it HAD been Snape trying to steal the Stone: would he have fought Harry? And would Harry have been able to beat him? I have far more confidence in Snape’s fighting skills than in Quirrels. :p
“Books! And cleverness!” says Hermione.
17. The Man with Two Faces. Interestingly, that could also apply to Snape.
QUIRREL. WORST TWIST EVER. Haha I was so surprised by this twist back when I first read this.
How long has Quirrel been working at Hogwarts anyway? He’s on a first-name basis with Snape? How old is he supposed to be – Snape has been teaching for slightly less than ten years I think so if Quirrel is young enough he could even have been taught by Snape (since the wizarding world seems to have little to no secondary education – after Hogwarts that’s about it except for on-the-job training). It should be only since September given the DADA Teacher Curse Voldemort put on the job, but at The Leaky Cauldron Hagrid clearly suggests he has been teaching for some time now – he mentions the way Quirrel interacts with the students. Unless the curse only counts for consecutive years? So you can teach one year, take a year off, etc? Once again I’m thinking way more about this than Jo probably ever did.
Snape was “swooping around like an overgrown bat”. No lie detected. “He DID make himself unpopular” – gosh only just then?! Snape is never going to win any popularity contest.
“I have a special gift with trolls,” claims Quirrel. Sure.
Huh, I forgot that this is where Harry learns Snape went to Hogwarts with James.
“There is no good and evil, only power and those too weak to seek it.” Now I’m wondering which house Quirrel was in.
So Voldemort didn’t become Facedemort until after Gringotts? What shape was he in before? And it would explain why Quirrel was able to shake hands with Harry before.
I’m hearing the movie dialogue in my head again.
The first thing Facedemort does is monologuing. Ugh. Such a classic villain thing to do.
“Your mother needn’t have died.” Thanks to Snape.
Annd Quirrel is dead. Ten pages to go to the end.
Dumbledore wrap-up! And I would hope he felt sorry, the arse.
“To the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure.” “Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.” “The truth, a great and terrible thing.” I forgot how many well-known quotes are in the very first book of the series.
TELL HIM, YOU ARSE. “HEY HARRY I’M GROOMING YOU TO SACRIFICE YOURSELF FOR THE GREATER GOOD, HOPE YOU DON’T MIND.”
Quirrel shared his SOUL with Voldemort? Huh.
“Your father *and his friends* used the Cloak.” Yup.
Snape hates James because James saved Snape’s life – nice seed-planting for Prisoner of Azkaban. (Plus I bet Snape wasn’t too thrilled James married Lily, but I guess Dumbledore can’t exactly go around and tell Harry that.)
“It was one of my more brilliant ideas.” Not that he has an ego or anything.
“Alas! Earwax!” I hate that bit in the movie where he just keeps chewing. Gross.
Harry recaps to Hermione and Ron. Of course they don’t understand not minding that you’re going to die – they’re 12 years old.
“Do you think Dumbledore meant you to do it?” YES.
It’s quite unfair that they let Gryffindor play the last Quidditch match without a Seeker. But then again, when has Quidditch or Hogwarts ever been fair?
How can a feast be more dangerous than unlimited sweet boxes? Honestly, Madam Pince. :p
The photo album! I bet Snape didn’t send any pictures. (But Remus did.) Although I guess Hagrid would know better than to ask him, haha.”No Hagrid, those are for my private shrine – uh I mean go away.”
“Ron looked like a radish with bad sunburn.” Did I mention I love Jo’s descriptions?
Yay Neville getting ten points! This entire points thing is so unfair of Dumbledore though. And gosh I’m such a Hufflepuff, getting worked up over this! Haha.
“Life would be back to normal next year.” Uhh. Sure.
This is such a quick wrap-up, really. Reminds me of my D&D sessions where we’d spend ages to the location of the quest, then the trip home takes like five minutes.
“You must come and stay with us,” says Ron. OK, sure, done. But Ron has to come and pick him up.
“Busy year?” asks Mrs Weasley, who apparently has no idea HER KID ALMOST DIED. Wtf.
Aaand we end with a classic wink to the camera as the soundtrack sets in a jaunty tune and the credits start to role. Interestingly not a real sequel hook, this one is truly stand-alone.