And another thing...

[penfold_x]

This book was dark. I knew it had to be (particularly since I was convinced since day one that Dumbledore would die, most probably in this book), but I was still somewhat surprised. Yet, it had to be that way: the children reading the paper every morning to see if a friend or family had died, the death of other minor characters, the fear, the siding of the giants and the werewolves with Voldemort. Until now, Voldemort hasn't been very effective. We know, intellectually, that he terrorized wizarding Britian in the 70s, but that's not the same as reading that Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance are dead, that Parvati and Padma were withdrawn from school, that Bill is horribly mauled. JKR did a very good job of bringing that sense of fear and gloom to the book. We need to feel that Voldemort is really evil in order to fully appriciate Harry's eventual triumph.

But, yes, it was dark. Reading the scene where Dumbledore and Harry cross the lake in the cave, I pictured how this would eventually be filmed. It's going to be a very scary movie; perhaps even R rated.

Comments

[penfold-x.livejournal.com]

You don't think she'd kill him off after all this, do you?

There's a really interesting theory making the rounds that one of the horcruxes is actually inside Harry, created when Voldemort meant to make Harry's death the basis of the seventh horcrux. In that case, Harry might have to die, in blaze of sacreficial glory.

But I think it very unlikely that she would kill Harry off permanently, as that would be a little too depressing for a Western book.

Were you surprised about Snape?

Somewhat. When I first saw the HBP textbook, I thought it must be Snape's (because of the potions notes), but then thought the idea too ridiculous. I was surprised by elements of Snape's background, and that Snape was the person who turned over the prophecy to Voldemort (I thought he change of heart would have been earlier). I also didn't expect, before picking up the book, that Dumbledore would die at his hand, though as soon as I finished Chapter 2, I had a very bad feeling about that.

[easter.livejournal.com]

It occured to me that a hoarcrux might be inside Harry, too. I hope not, though. I'd be really depressed if he kicked the can after all of this!