Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[pegkerr]

It seems inadequate to sum up by saying "I liked it." I think this is a book that I need to allow time to grow on me, as was the case for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I need to reread it, but it's now in the hands of others in the family, so I'll have to wait.

We did figure out an awful lot ahead of time, didn't we? Yes, Harry's scar was the 7th horcrux. Yes, Snape loved Lily. Yes, stoppered death, sorta almost. (But not enough that Snape wasn't guilty of murder. And yes Snape's bitterness: so we want to prevent Malfoy's soul from being ripped, but what about my soul?). I really like regan_v's essay Justice for Severus Snape and urge you to read it. I agree with her: Snape got an extraordinarily raw deal in this book--over the course of an entire lifetime, actually. He didn't die doing something noble--he died because Voldemort entirely misread the situation and killed him off for something that wasn't even true. Edited to add: You know, upon reading maeglinyedi's analysis here, I take it back. Snape's death laid the groundwork for Voldemort's defeat. A sacrifice that made a difference in the end.

I just wish that he could have known it.

I suspect that Rowling really really REALLY hated the real-life teacher that Snape was based upon.

I think the part of the book that broke my heart the absolute most was Snape telling Harry, "Look at me" as he lay dying, so that Lily's eyes would be the very last thing that he would see.



I would just like to say that Severus Snape is one of the greatest characters created by any author, for all time. He's a man who will live for the ages. Rowling has created a man who was incredibly brave and true, without being the least bit nice. Heroic in the face of unspeakable bleakness. Bitingly funny and commanding, tragic, and heart-breakingly human. Brava, J.K. Rowling.

I realized that I forgot to include in my predictions in book 7 one thing: that there would be some kind of breach between members of the trio. I didn't put it in my predictions, but I did expect it. We'd seen it before, to some extent, in Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire, but I thought that there would be a bigger breach, looking like a final one, for awhile, but it would be overcome by the ending of the book. It made sense that as the stakes got higher, the difficulties to overcome would seem larger, and since the relationship of the Trio has been a bedrock of Harry's support, threatening it seemed necessary.

I LOVED it that when Ron came back, Hermione doesn't fall into his arms (as he obviously halfway expects). No, she tries to beat him up. That was both hilarious and felt very in-character.

I like that Ron really came into his own in this book, even coming up with a genuinely smart idea of how to get rid of the horcruxes (going into the Chamber of Secrets to get the other basilisk fang).

I wish that we could have had more Harry/Ginny development. Yeah, Harry kept himself away from her to protect her, but still. Maybe it's because the relationship within the Trio is so well-developed that the lack of Harry/Ginny interaction makes the relationship seem so less in comparison. But props to Ginny for joining in the resistence at Hogwarts. It's clear that she wasn't just sitting around waiting to be rescued, but she was out there taking risks, too. Wish we could have seen more of it directly.

I don't have much interest in Draco as a character. (Sorry, all you H/D lovers out there). It did seem, however, that she didn't quite know what to do with him in this book. Draco couldn't quite bring himself to make a choice at the top of the tower in the previous book. Instead, he lets events get away from him, and now he is painfully aware that he has gotten in over his head (a realization that Lucius and Narcissa seem to have come to as well in this book). All three of them don't quite throw their lot in anywhere in Deathly Hallows, although Narcissa does protect Harry at a critical point at the end. But for the most part, they're just trying to get through the events of the book keeping their skins intact.

Which, I guess, when I stop to think about it, probably is pretty much in-character. Malfoys are out for themselves.

I didn't stop to wonder whose was the doe Patronus (it was 4:00 a.m., and I was just reading for speed). But if I'd stopped to think about it, I think I would have guessed "Snape's."

I cried at Dobby's death, Snape's death and when Harry entered the woods and met the ghosts of his parents and the Marauders.

Part of achieving adulthood is seeing that the heroes of our childhood have feet of clay. And so I liked what she did with Lupin and Dumbledore. Well. . . not liked it, exactly. But understood why it was crucial to the story and the right thing to do. I remember that she said in an interview once that Remus' great weakness was that he wants so much to be liked that he will go along with things. So it does makes sense that he would have agreed to marry Tonks, despite his inner doubts. I'm glad that Harry yelled at him, and I'm glad that he straightened himself out. Not glad that he and Tonks died. *sob* Who the heck raised Teddy? His grandmother, I guess? Wish she could have made that clear. That makes him sort of a doppelganger for both Harry and Neville, then.

Dumbledore. Another one with feet of clay. It's a good explanation for why Dumbledore has never sought power at the Ministry of Magic. Um . . . I don't know how I feel about this. And yes, it leads to another scene where Dumbledore Explains It All to You and I was sorta hoping that she would find another way to do this, being that he's dead and all.

Potterwatch was a tip of the hat to PotterCast. You think?

Neville, Neville, Neville! So much Neville love. So proud of you, you big woobie. I take great proprietary pride in Neville drawing the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat and whipping Voldemort's butt by killing Nagini. I know that people expected him to off Bellatrix, but I think it is better, and deliciously ironic that he, of all people, would avenge Snape. Besides, it gave Mrs. Weasley the chance to whip some butt of her own.

I was bothered more than in previous works in the series by recognizing similarities to other fantasy books, and even fanfiction. Yes, Ron getting strained and nasty from carrying the Horcrux was an awful lot like carrying the Ring. (And really, why did they have to carry it around their necks? Why not just shove it into a pillowcase or something?) The whole business reminded me much of Harry and Draco's flight across England, sleeping in a magical tent and writing in the Tom Riddle diary horcrux, and Draco lets the horcrux take him over in psychic_serpent's Harry Potter and the Time of Good Intentions. Yes, Harry going into the wood to lay his life down was like Aslan's sacrifice in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Yes, Snape/Lily love was like any number of fanfics (like psychic_serpent's The Lost Generation. Ah, well. Yes, I wasn't particularly impressed with and I did want more than I got in the epilogue.

So that's preliminary reactions. I liked it, mostly sorta. Not as much fun as previous books, (hard to be fun, with that death count) but it seemed necessary for what had to happen. I wasn't necessarily looking for fun as much in this book anyway, but necessary closure, and this book did much to deliver on that. Parts seemed clumsier than I would have liked (i.e., chat with Dumbledore as expository device, the epilogue). Parts were brilliant and broke my heart (e.g., Snape's death). I think it will grow on me.

I am sure that the moviemakers may have blanched while reading it. It looks like it it will be a very high budget movie. But one which will probably be a summer blockbuster hit.

Links to reactions at daily_snitch here. Also see hallows_reviews, hp_essays and discuss_book7.

Comments

[cheshyre]

I am sure that the moviemakers may have blanched while reading it.

On the other hand, I did have a greater sense she was writing certain elements (such as the polyjuice potters) with more of a filmic sense.

And I was quite amused by this comment in icarusancalion's post-reading entry:

Snape still has the best line of the entire series, to Dumbledore after being asked to kill him, the ultra-dry, "Would you like me to kill you now, or would you like a moment to compose your epitaph?" No doubt Alan Rickman is practicing that line in the mirror as we speak.

BTW, now that you *have* read the book, don't forget to turn off the who-can-comment limiter. I've run into that obstacle while trying to respond to a few other reviews...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

I have already done so. Thanks!

[mangosorbet007.livejournal.com]

Oh, he doesn't need to practice it. He's Alan Rickman. ;->

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Ha. True.

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

That was my favorite line too. SNAPE FTW.

[naomikritzer]

No doubt Alan Rickman is practicing that line in the mirror as we speak.

No kidding. It's a truly fabulous line and I was dead certain that Rowling was picturing Rickman saying it when she wrote it.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Which is an interesting point...how much did the books change once Rowling started thinking about the movies?

B

Snape

[hazelchaz]

I have heard that once JKR saw Rickman as Snape, she started writing Snape's lines thinking of Rickman.

[morganmalfoy.livejournal.com]

I really hope that Snape gets a bigger role in movies 6 and 7 in light of all this, and I really, really hope that scene makes it.

[awallens.livejournal.com]

Oh I just realized when reading this why Snape told Harry to look at him... The eyes. *weeps*

[cheshyre]

I hadn't gotten that either -- I was thinking some last attempt at Legilmency, pushing his thoughts towards Harry.
[I'm trying to defer the reread until the UK edition arrives in the post.]

[awallens.livejournal.com]

I thought the memories too but they got the memories before the part where Snape tells him to look at him. That's just sad and beautiful, but mostly heart-breakingly sad.

[mareklamo.livejournal.com]

Yah, I didn't get that line either. Nice to know what it meant!

[thomasyan.livejournal.com]

Hm. That was not my interpretation of that line, which was that Snape was asking Harry to look at his memories and see him for who he really was.

Lily's eyes might make more sense though.

[only-sound.livejournal.com]

Good synopsis and analysis, although in my heart of hearts I just can't appreciate the hand she dealt Remus throughout the book. Just saying though, I don't think that Harry's death and return are so much like Aslan as like Jesus, which takes us to Joseph Cambell's Hero with a Thousand faces and the hero archetype and all of those things you probably know way better than me being the brilliant English major you are. =)

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

Broadliny in agreement, although I have to say I think it was the best of the seven, and just as much fun, if not more so, since it wasn't tied into that September through Christmas through to the summer hols school year paradigm, which was getting kind of old, imo.

Potterwatch, I feel, more likely an allusion to any number of British TV shows, including Crimewatch - in which they reconstruct murders and have appeals - and Springwatch, which is mostly people phoning in sightings of baby ducks and cherry blossoms, etc.

[titanic-days.livejournal.com]

Broadliny? Broadly. Hmm. Daft a'peth.

[bekkio.livejournal.com]

I don't have much interest in Draco as a character.

I think Draco had much potential after his actions in HBP, despite being so shallow throughout the previous books, but JKR dropped the ball on him in DH. Understandable, since he's not the center of the storyline, but still, it would have been fun to see more of him.

[gwyneira.livejournal.com]

I think the part of the book that broke my heart the absolute most was Snape telling Harry, "Look at me" as he lay dying, so that Lily's eyes would be the very last thing that he would see.

Oh, I hadn't thought about that. That's even more heart-breaking than it already was.

[tamaranth.livejournal.com]

also hadn't spotted the 'eyes' thing, but it makes perfect sense.

The bit that made me tearful out of all proportion was Hermione charming her parents so that they got new names, moved to Australia and didn't know they had a daughter. That's one of the bravest moments in the book.

Though I did punch the air when she called Ron an arse.

Would have liked a bit more background in the Epilogue. So how does Harry make a living? (Not that he'd need to, with his inheritances.) Is he the new Gideon Lockhart?

And I'm wondering if Narcissa's maternal instinct overpowering her loyalty to Voldemort is a deliberate echo of Lily's maternal love. In which case it could have been made more of. But there's so much else one could say that about.

[morganmalfoy.livejournal.com]

When Hermione said she charmed her parents into forgetting her to save their lives...that was definitely my first tear up of the book, because it just shows how much she is putting into the fight. She could've gone with them, and yet she throws her lot irrevocably with harry.

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

Why not just shove it into a pillowcase or something?

Or, you know, the IMPENETRABLE MAGIC HANDBAGS they had with them!

[naomikritzer]

Yeah, seriously. (And when Hermione whipped it out, I said, "ooooh, about time someone in this world invented the Bag of Holding.")

[tizianaj.livejournal.com]

I have to admit that I didn't pick up on the whole "look at me" thing when I first read it (as an excuse, I had been reading for 6 hours straight at this point, with very little sleep). I just assumed at the time that Snape wanted Harry to know the truth, and needed him to look him in the eye for occumancy purposes - but I like your theory better.

I thought it was a very nice touch that Harry and Ginny's son was named Albus Severus, and that Harry admits that Snape was the bravest man he ever met.

I was rather shocked when Hedwig and Moody were killed, and I cried and cried when Dobby died, and again after the Battle of Hogwarts when Harry was looking at all the bodies of the people he knew.

One of my favourite parts was when Pansy Parkinson screamed for somebody to grab Harry so that they could save themselves, and all of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws drew their wands and placed themselves between the Slytherins and Harry. At last everyone at Hogwarts overcame their suspicion, scorn (especially in GOF) and doubts about Harry and were prepared to defend him to the death if need be.

The scene where Neville got the sword was brilliant - absolute proof at last that Neville belonged in Gryffindor, as Scimgeour said "the sword may present itself to any worthy Gryffindor," and obviously he was very worthy.

And considering world politics at the moment, I wholeheartedly agreed with Dumbledore when he said ". . .perhaps those who are best suited to pwer are those who never sought it. Those who . . . have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well."

I need to read it again - more slowly.

[naomikritzer]

I loved Neville's part of the climax -- I loved that he'd taken over leadership of the DA, that he'd endured all sorts of trauma to stay at Hogwarts and be ready, that his grandmother shows up just before the last battle to join in, and most of all, that he pulled the Sword of Gryffindor out of the hat and slew Nagini.

But I did wonder how the goblins were going to take the sword's disappearance.

[dichroic.livejournal.com]

One of my favourite parts was when Pansy Parkinson screamed for somebody to grab Harry so that they could save themselves, and all of the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws drew their wands and placed themselves between the Slytherins and Harry. At last everyone at Hogwarts overcame their suspicion, scorn (especially in GOF) and doubts about Harry and were prepared to defend him to the death if need be

I gasped out loud at that point. Unfortunately, I was out in public atthe time, sitting in a restaurant waiting for my take-out food to be ready ... :-)

[naomikritzer]

I think my favorite moment in the book was when Molly Weasley took out Bellatrix.

Does anyone know who Rose and Hugo Weasley were named after, if anyone?

[morganmalfoy.livejournal.com]

Peg, great review, and I have to say that while I couldn't keep up with the psychic serpant series, I noticed a bunch of similarities in book six to it, and I have to say it was uncanny.

I thought this book actually had some very funny moments, especially give the overall tone of the book. I love your thoughts on Snape, who I have argued for all over the place and then while reading had more than one moment of doubt over.

I agree about his heroic nature, and when I sit and think that from the beginning of this book he was helping organize Harry's protection while infiltrating the order and pretending to have a secret source for Voldemort and worrying over whether or not Harry would REALLY be able to defeat Voldemort....I mean, how much can one man deal with?

I will also say that I ended this book feeling he was less good than I had wanted, because it does show more of his character. I will end by including a conversation between me and a friend:

Martin: Right, and Dumbledore's temptation also seems to be the source of his closeness to Snape. Because of how his sister died, he understands Snape better than anyone. Conversely, Snape's past greed for power allows him to understand that manipulative side of Dumbledore (that snark about fattening him up for the slaughter was excellent, and apt).

On the other hand, I still don't think that Snape is good. Sure, he was acting on D's orders. But there's no warmth there (even in his "love" for Lily)...

Me:I have an icon I use on my blog that says "innocent" for snape, and I was thinking today that really, in no way is Snape innocent. He definitely did and continued to do a number of really, really horrible things, and his courage in the face of extreme danger doesn't change his being a jerk, doesn't change that he was a bastard at EVERY opportunity to Sirius and Remus, etc. So perhaps Snape being GOOD is a stretch. I think that is a good point about Dumbledore and Snape understanding each other rather well really, Snape being one of the few people who knew how cold and calculating Albus could really be, and chose to be, and Albus being the only person who knew Snape had ever loved anyone.

Also, I think book six set up how magic created conflict in Snape's family, which is strongly echoed in Lily's life and in Dumbledore's. That theme, of how dealing with a strange power that you have and others don't, the being an anomaly for whatever reason, and how that affects people was huge. Remus even reflects that with his fear for his child.

Snape is even more poignant than that...

[bohemianspirit.livejournal.com]

But not enough that Snape wasn't guilty of murder.

I do not hold Snape guilty of "murder" in Dumbledore's death. "Strategic euthanasia of a terminally ill man" is closer to the mark -- and when it came to the deed, Snape, as we recall, clearly hesitated, and it was Dumbledore who insisted he carry through with it. It was all planned as part of the ultimate war against Voldemort -- and if you call Snape's action murder, then every act of killing in that war, by every side, was murder.

I think the part of the book that broke my heart the absolute most was Snape telling Harry, "Look at me" as he lay dying, so that Lily's eyes would be the very last thing that he would see.

I think the impulse behind Snape's last words is even deeper and more heart-rending: While I find it very likely that there was a strong element of "I want to see Lily's eyes one more time," above all else, what Snape was saying was just what he said: LOOK AT ME.

Look at me. See me. Truly see me.

It is a cry of the heart from one who spent almost all of his adult life in isolation, in hiding, in presenting a persona to the world that masked anything that would risk the mission to defeat Voldemort. It is the final cry of a profoundly lonely soul for human connection, at the last.

And, I think, despite his sardonic words to Dumbledore -- how many tender hearts are covered by sardonic words?! -- Snape did bear some measure of, well, I don't know if "affection" is the right word, exactly, but yes, in spite of himself he had come to appreciate and care for Harry as the closest thing he would ever have had to a son. Of course he would say it was only because of Lily -- but there were hints in past books that suggested genuine concern for Harry's welfare, for his own sake.

Snape was someone who was capable of feeling deeply but damned lousy at expressing that side of himself -- even when he wanted to, which often he didn't, and more often he couldn't.

Ack. My heart wrenched for the man. He did the best he could, and was a better man than he appeared.

Re: Snape is even more poignant than that...

[amandageist.livejournal.com]

Absolute agreement, and your words got to me almost as much as the book itself. Thank you.

~Amanda

Re: Snape is even more poignant than that...

[bohemianspirit.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ;-) You made my day.

(Which won't stop me from mourning the death of Snape, of course.)

Re: Snape is even more poignant than that...

[zhasper.livejournal.com]

"Strategic euthanasia of a terminally ill man" is closer to the mark

Agreed.

and if you call Snape's action murder, then every act of killing in that war, by every side, was murder

Well... I think that a lot of those acts of killing were murder.

Some, particularly by the 'good' side, could be justified as being self defense.

In my view, the thing that makes Snape's killing of Dumbledore not-murder is that it was done with Dumbledore's consent - even Dumbledore's insistence; the fact that it was minimising the suffering in a certain death counts for something too. Even if you accept that this particular instance was not murder, I don't think those criteria apply to (m)any other killings.

Two cases in particular: Voldemort's killings of Snape and Cedric Diggory. Both were un(der)armed and un(der)protected, neither were ill, neither were consenting. Yes, there were acts of war, but I don't see how you could argue that they weren't murder also.

[lilisonna.livejournal.com]

I cried at one and only one point in the books: "Albus Serverus..." just made me weep.

[joakleaf.livejournal.com]

Who the heck raised Teddy?

I didn't see a suggested answer put forth for this question. I think Harry (and later Ginny) raised Teddy Lupin. In the Epilogue, one of Harry's children says "Teddy? OUR Teddy?" which suggests to me that Harry and his family were very close.

Harry was, after all the kid's Godfather. I understand that's what Godparents do.

[sarekofvulcan.livejournal.com]

My vote on "who raised Teddy" was Tonks' parents -- that seems the best reason for introducing them in this book.

(And I loved her slipping Victoire in and leaving it to us to figure out who she was, through process of elimination. :-) )

Victoire

[hazelchaz]

I read the book too fast -- tell me, please, what I missed.

Re: Victoire

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Remus and Tonks had a son, Teddy, who of course they left behind when they died. Harry is his godfather. In the epilogue, Harry was talking to his kids and mentions that they "have Teddy over four times a week for dinner" which implies that he isn't living with them. So who is raising Teddy?

Tonks' father is killed during the war. Nothing is ever said about Remus' parents still being alive. Teddy could be raised by Tonks' mother or by Remus' parents.

Re: Victoire

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh: and it's reported that Teddy is seen kissing Victoire. The French name would seem to indicate that Victoire is Fred and Fleur's daughter.

Re: Victoire

[sarekofvulcan.livejournal.com]

Bill and Fleur, certainly? Unless you picked up on subtext I missed. :-)

Re: Victoire

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, of course, Bill and Fleur.

Forgive me; I hadn't yet had my morning coffee.

Re: Victoire

[hazelchaz]

Ah! Okay, thanks.

Re: Victoire

[joakleaf.livejournal.com]

Missed the "Four Times a week" Thing. My Bad.

Weren't Remus's parents mentioned in an earlier book as having disowned him once the Lycanthropy took effect?

If so, (and I can't remember which book that nugget may have been in), then the most logical choice for the person to raise Teddy is Andromeda Tonks.

Help me...

[ceelee.livejournal.com]

I can't figure out how Neville got the sword. Wasn't it lost when the trio broke into Gringotts?

Re: Help me...

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

He got it out of the Sorting Hat the same way that Harry did in Chamber of Secrets. A true Gryffindor can draw it out of the Sorting Hat when in great need.