Deathly Hallows

[ella_menno]

I've never had a hangover from a book before. I stayed up all night - started reading as soon as I got home, finished about 5:30 this morning - so I'm not going to be anything near coherent, here.

But wow, do I have to get some of what I'm feeling out.

It's over. It's over. The Potterverse is officially a closed canon now; it's a very, very strange feeling. The loose ends are tied up, (or as tied up as they're going to get), and it's over. No more wondering, no more speculating.

This isn't in any particular order, it's just the way it's popping into my brain.

1. OMG, Hedwig. Hedwig died. I've read/heard so many fen say "I can handle just about anything, but Hedwig has to be okay!" Um. Not so much. And it was so *sad*, and so *pointless* - but I suppose that's always been part of the point. War is cruel, and people we love get taken from us at any time, with no reason.

2. Honestly, I surprised myself with this: the death I cried over most was Fred's. Because George got injured so early on, I assumed that he and Fred had *had* their brush with death, that they'd be okay. I just - I thought it was impossible that the two of them would be separated. They've always been The Twins; it's just not right. (Though this could lead to some interesting meta about the Harry-Voldemort link, and twinning, and separating things which should never be taken apart, and someone with a functioning brain is going to have to run with that.)

3. OMG, Dobby. DOBBY. Remember when Harry told him "never try to save my life again"? We're so glad the little guy didn't listen. That whole part was great - the house-elf as hero, mourned and honored.

4. And speaking of house elves; HOW MUCH do I love it that when Hermione FINALLY planted one on Ron, it was because he was showing concern for the Hogwarts elves? *squees* After all that buildup, it was the perfect payoff to seeing those two finally lock lips. Hee!

5. Kreacher! Not such a bad guy after all! No wonder he was bugf**k crazy; as DD said, that cave potion was no health drink. I love how he cleaned himself up and started making GP a place where Harry felt home.

6. Peter. Not at all what I expected would happen to him; like a couple of other things, it almost felt anti-climactic. I thought his 'life debt' would be a bigger deal. It does seem appropriate and logical to me that the hand VM gave him would be the instrument of his demise, though. I mean, it never really was *Peter's* hand, was it?

7. Snape. Another plot thread that kind of felt anticlimactic to me. I thought he and Harry would TALK, at least - though in a way, I suppose it's oddly fitting that they'd 'connect' through the Penseive. I don't suppose they'd ever have been able to sit down and have a proper conversation, really.

8. Snape/Lily. I've never been totally sold on the whole "snape loved lily" thing when it was theorized, but I do like how JKR brought it off. It wasn't a teenage crush; they were *best friends* for years. That gave the love a depth I was afraid might be missing. He didn't just love her because she was pretty and popular, I"m saying.

9. Petunia. So her big secret was that she WANTED to be a witch, eh? Okay. I'll buy that. No wonder she was so spiteful towards Lily; jealousy can be pretty powerful, after all.

10. Mad-Eye. *raises glass* Constant vigilance, mate.

11. Ron. I love, love, love that DD's gift to him was a way to 'always get back.' I want to think on that and write about it some more, once I'm functionally awake.

12. Bellatrix. To be honest, I'd really, really hoped that Neville would get her - but Molly putting the magical smackdown on her? Totally worked for me. If Mama's not happy, ain't no DE bitch making it out alive. Woo!

13. Neville. MY LOVE FOR NEVILLE CANNOT BE TEXTUALLY RENDERED. Gawd. When they all thought Harry was dead, and Neville was all, "WHATEVER! I will never kneel before Zod Voldemort!" - I had to go into my bathroom, close the door, and do a wiggly dance of awesome. RAWK. Not to mention that HE PULLED THE SWORD OF GRYFFINDOR OUT THE HAT. Man. Love me some Neville.

14. Baby!Lupin. This is edging on a place that is too hurty for me to think about yet. But the idea of a chubby little guy with turquoise hair? *luffs*

15. The Tonks family. Ted calls his daughter "Dora"! Andromeda looks just like Bellatrix! Everything to do with the Tonks/Lupin thing was especially hard to cope with, because I am so enamored of fernwithy's take on them - I hated it when Ted died, because I knew if Fern incorporated it, it would hurt ten times more. As for the other deaths...no. Can't go there yet. Sorry.

16. Gran Longbottom. I only hope I'm that cool of an old lady someday.

17. Horcrux!Harry. Oh, come on; did that surprise anyone? OF COURSE part of VM's soul was in him all the time. PLEASE. That being said, it was still awesome. Loved the whole Limbo-as-King's-Cross talk with Dumbledore. I need to re-read that.

18. Harry didn't kill Voldemort; the AK backfired, causing Voldemort to inadvertently kill himself. So simple, so obvious, and so unguessable. (To me, at least.) A fitting end.

19. All the 'let's register the Muggleborns and subjugate them' was perfectly creepy. Definitely see the Hitler/WWII parallel ever so clearly.

20. This is the last one for now. I'm so tired. I can't say, as yet, how I feel about the book. I love it and I don't; as usual for JKR, there was so much I never, ever would have guessed. But most of all, I can't believe it's over.

And now, I need a nap.

Comments

[sarahsaur81.livejournal.com]

HA! I knew you'd read all night long. :D

I'll call you later, after you've had some sleepy time.