Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows - WITH SPOILERS

[question fear]

If I wasn't so lazy I would create a username on Macrumors called voldemort and start posting in this thread. But instead I just told you what I could have done to be more interesting.

Also, I totally want a spin-off series with Prof McGonagall, Mrs Weasely, and Neville's grandmother as "Harry's Angels". How kickass would they be?

 

[ToddW]

Damn, just finished it and loved it fitting in to the series see my spoilers in invisible text below:

Spoilers:
At the end of the last book I realized that Harry was the 7th Horcrux. After learing what the hallows were I kind of figured how it would end. This really didn't stop me from reading the book whenever I could find time. Loved the wizard war and how everyone stood up, especially Neville. I really like the epilogue and the whole nineteen years later how they ended at the train station.
/Spoilers

One of the best series of books I have ever read. Thanks for giving me something to read that I could fully submurse myself into that had nothing to do with engineering or math. Made me feel like a kid again. Way to go J.K.!

 

[OutThere]

Nah. It's all wrapped up nicely here. You don't want her to close the door, understandable, but this is it, sportfans. Game over.
Meh... name your loose end you wish she'd tied up. I think she tied up mostly everything. The only things still "open" are only open due to the nature of storytelling in general. By simply providing a descriptive world, some people will be more attracted to the filler material or "extra" bits than others. The world is so rich, I bet people could tell stories "inside" that world forever. For instance, I'd personally love to write a few short stories about all the hidden secrets in the Room of Requirement. I guess that's what fan fiction is for, though.

Considering Rowling dodged the FINAL BODY COUNT at the end of the book, I'm sure many fans are wondering what the final fate of many secondary characters were. But, Rowling has an appreciation for what bits are ultimately irrelevant (read her website for things/subplots she's totally cut out over the years). Fans could easily imagine "epilogues" for every single character in the story, like some crazy college comedy flick. Me, I think there's a limit to indulging the full depths of fan curiosity.

~ CB

I'm just resting on the fact that JKR said that she'd 'never say never' to more books. I think that once she has had some time to explore her abilities in different ways, I wouldn't be surprised to see a bit of a real epilogue. I mean, where do all of the characters really end up?

HPH was sufficiently vague in that regard to render it not-unreasonable to expect more to come.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2007/07/09/nosplit/nfpotter109.xml

 

[EricNau]

Just finished. Loved the book. But...

What was the baby in the "heaven" scene all about?

 

[AlBDamned]

Dumbledore has a go in Book 6 at guessing why Nagini was a Horcrux. His theory (and therefore Rowling's presumably) was that Voldemort saved Horcrux making for significant deaths and would have used Harry's death to make his final one. With the curse backfiring, he was left with only 5 Horcruxes (and Harry inadvertently). Dumbledore suggests that the final Horcrux wasn't made until the Goblet of Fire when Voldemort uses Nagini to kill the Muggle caretaker who is investigating the light in the supposedly deserted Riddle home.

True. I'd completely forgotten about that bit. Been a while since I read 6. Meant to do it before this one came out.

There was an article on the BBC website on Friday explaining that very thing - no spoilers aside from speculation since it was pre-publication.

That would have been good to see. i wonder if it's anywhere online?

 

[®îçhå®?]

What was the baby in the "heaven" scene all about?

I was thinking that it was the part of Voldermort's sould that got destroyed when he killed Harry sending both of them into that place

 

[kretzy]

I was thinking that it was the part of Voldermort's sould that got destroyed when he killed Harry sending both of them into that place

That was one of the few confusing bits, but after I'd thought about it a little that was the conclusion I drew as well.

 

[Queso]

A bit gory, but pretty much in line with what I was expecting except for one thing

I'd worked out that Harry was a horcrux, and expected he and Voldie to kill each other in a final duel, which would finish off Voldie. However, in my version Hermione brought Harry back from the dead with CPR, plain old Muggle "magic" which proves stronger than anything the Wizards have.

 

[Cleverboy]

Just finished. Loved the book. But...
What was the baby in the "heaven" scene all about?

Chapter 35.It wasn't "heaven", it was in Harry's unconscious mind, and meant to be left ambiguous. Harry wondered where it was, and Dumbledore said that he was going to ask that same question. Where does the human mind go when it is unconscious? Is it a nexus to the afterlife? It's been said that the afterlife can communicate best with the living when the person they wish to speak to is asleep/unconscious/near-death. Was Harry really talking to Dumbledore, or was this "Dumbledore" simply confirming things Harry already knew? At one point, Harry says "Explain." to which Dumbledore replies, "You already know." This repeats itself more than once during the conversation (check the amount of times Dumbledore tells Harry that Harry already "knows" the answers he is giving him). While it would seem to have been Dumbledore, it was more than likely Harry himself.

The figure in the corner was either one of two things. Voldemort himself, unconscious and wretched. Not a "part" of his soul, but all that is left of him after splitting his soul so many times. It is his "true" form. Or... the part of his soul that had been grafted to Harry all this time, wounded and dying after being struck by Voldemort's curse. My thought, it is the first and not the latter.

Here's something for kicks, so early "spoilers".
http://www.zendurl.com/h/hallows/

Most of the chapter summaries are true (however, all the chapter titles are accurate), however many have descrepancies or wild inaccuracies as well. Kind of funny.

~ CB

 

[Stampyhead]

Here's something interesting that I realized but wasn't really pointed out in the story:
Besides being connected by magic, it seems that Harry and Voldemort were actually blood relations. Voldemort's grandfather had the horcrux ring, the resurrection stone, because he was a descendant of the Peverell family, the brothers from the Hallows story. At the end of the book, Harry finds out that he has the invisibility cloak because he, too, is a descendent of the Peverell family. Am I understanding/remembering this correctly (I'm at work right now and don't have the book with me so I'm hoping I remembered my facts properly). If this is so I wonder why she didn't have it play into the story at all.

 

[Cleverboy]

I just figured out a huge thing about the book. While going over it again, I discovered why Snape's mind could NEVER be read by Voldemort. I'd always wondered... why doesn't Snape get caught in a lie (if in fact he is lying)? Especially in the first chapter, Voldemort looks directly AT Snape, and Snape looks directly at Voldemort... and lies to him. The answer caught me in how Harry was finally able to block Voldemort every time he felt remorse or love most strongly. Meanwhile, when Dumbledore had Snape teach Harry, and during their session Harry caught that image of James making fun of him, and Lilly being insulted... Snape was enraged, but it was exactly those memories that helped him fortify his defenses against being penetrated by Voldemort. Snape was just incapable of sharing that one aspect of his own ability with Harry, which turns out to be ironic.Good one Rowling. Very clever web of imagination you have there.

~ CB

 

[Daveman Deluxe]

Overall, I preferred Half Blood Prince, though Deathly Hallows comes in a close second. DH had that section in the middle where nothing happened for a good hundred and fifty pages, but that's not my main complaint.

I didn't like that there was so little dénouement at the end. I always liked the last thirty or so pages of the previous six books, where the gang got to relax and spend time together after finals were completed. I wish that there had been more of that at the end of this book. I liked the epilogue; it was good to at least know where everybody wound up in the end. But I would have liked to see some of those things happen, too. I would have enjoyed reading the scene where Harry & Ginny get back together, and where we find out who the new headmaster is, and what Harry and Draco Malfoy had to say to one another when they next met. I didn't feel that I needed to have EVERYTHING spelled out for me; it simply would have been nice to be able to read about the next couple of weeks after Voldemort fell. This was the thing that I missed most from the previous six.

Overall, though, a fitting end to a delightful story. I won't be giving J.K. Rowling any awards for great literature, but the story itself is far better than her words alone made it.

 

[Cleverboy]

I would have enjoyed reading the scene where Harry & Ginny get back together, and where we find out who the new headmaster is, and what Harry and Draco Malfoy had to say to one another when they next met. I didn't feel that I needed to have EVERYTHING spelled out for me; it simply would have been nice to be able to read about the next couple of weeks after Voldemort fell. This was the thing that I missed most from the previous six.

Anywho... honestly, I think there's a clear reason why Rowling couldn't have shown more. It's enough for me to know that Neville is a professor of Herbology. If Rowling went into much detail about what happened immediately following the climax, she would have immediately gone into the BODY COUNT, and traumatized more readers by revealing that the dead eventually included: Professor Mcgonigal, Professor Flitwick, Percy Weasly, Lee Jordan, Shamus, Angelina Johnson, Lavender Brown and Narcissa Malfoy. We'd also find out that Hermione's parents were not dead, but never quite the same, and felt forever alienated from their daughter despite her best of intentions. So sad, who wants to know that? I might have missed something, but I don't think they said what Harry, Ron, Ginny, or Hermione do for a living afterwards either. I really didn't mind though. Each fact suggests more that could be said. Any good story doesn't sit neatly in the box in the end.

~ CB

 

[MalcolmJID]

One of the coolest things I found was how Harry finished Voldemort with the "Expelliarmus" curse. After it being mocked in The Order of The Phoenix (DA), I thought it was a cool end.

 

[iBEGtodream]

The Ending Sucked

Over the course of the 6 books it's always been about evil, it's always been scarry, with stuff you didn't expect to happen, happening. Six books filled with drama and evil, the seventh WAS A LET DOWN.

TRUE - the journey to the end was amazing, even when they were wandering around in the middle of nowhere was interesting, I enjoyed almost every single page EXCEPT the ending. The ending sucked,

as much as I love Harry, I didn't expect him to survive. or Ron or Hermione. I don't understand. It's the perfect, cookie-cutter ending. A book with a plot like the harry potter series needs a horrific ending. I mean.. one of the three should have died or Voldy should have lived. The ending was too perfect, too 'happily ever after'. The book was amazing but the ending was a MAJOR let down to a terrific series.

 

[Cleverboy]

as much as I love Harry, I didn't expect him to survive. or Ron or Hermione. I don't understand. It's the perfect, cookie-cutter ending. A book with a plot like the harry potter series needs a horrific ending.

So, what you're saying is that Rowling didn't slaughter enough main characters for you... nice. With the amount of deaths that occured during the series, for you to be "dissappointed" that more people didn't die is a little disturbing to me. While I agree that Harry COULD have died, it didn't make sense, as other Potter "experts" have noted... he's "The Boy Who Lived", and while the theme of the book is "self-sacrifice", where magic is concerned, I agree with Rowling's decision that that would be all there is to such a thing. I knew Dumbledore would die one book before it occurred, but that was because it made sense. By book 6, everyone knew Harry was a Horcrux, if for no other reason than nothing of Griffindore had been possessed (although this didn't end up being an intentional or even conscious fact for Voldemort). I think the ending was believable, as much as the series has been in any case.

From the buzz on the news tonight, it sounds like Rowling is planning an Encyclopedia for the world, that promises new details about the characters. I think that's awesome. For the most part, I imagine that this is what most people would have wanted anyway. No use trying to shoe-horn "extra" information into an actual narrative. This would really make the most sense.

~ CB

 

[psycoswimmer]

as much as I love Harry, I didn't expect him to survive. or Ron or Hermione. I don't understand. It's the perfect, cookie-cutter ending. A book with a plot like the harry potter series needs a horrific ending. I mean.. one of the three should have died or Voldy should have lived. The ending was too perfect, too 'happily ever after'. The book was amazing but the ending was a MAJOR let down to a terrific series.

Rowling said that she could never reveal the specifics of her religion because they would just plainly give the ending of the series away. She is Christian, and apparently believes that Christ died, resurrected, and eventually opened the gates of heaven. It's a close parallel to the ending of the series.

Anyway, I'm confused about Rowling's wording at the near-end of the book. She says something like "Harry then put up more Shield Charms. Hannah Abott and Seamus Finnigan, Voldemort's would be victims, passed by." Does this insinuate that Harry saved them with his charm or they actually died?

 

[mariahlullaby]

I was thinking that it was the part of Voldermort's sould that got destroyed when

Also, Harry makes a reference to Voldemort when he says that he has seen what will happen to him if he doesn't show remorse. I think he is referring to the dead part of his soul as the baby? The whole bit confused me

 

[scem0]

I was a bit disappointed with the book. It was good - 8/10 - and totally worth the read. However, it was soooo sicky sweet and soooo predictable, if you ask me. Especially the epilogue.

The 6th book was much better, IMO. When Dumbledore died in the 6th book, I cried for an hour and a half. I barely cried this book at all. I shed the most tears over Dobby, which I thought was the most tragic of the deaths in this books.

And the fruition of 7 books of flirting between Ron and Hermione came out in a kiss that gets probably 3 paragraphs? Same goes for Ginny and Harry. I thought those storylines could have had a little more time spent on them.

All in all, it's a good book, and a decent end to the series. It was impossible not to get high expectations though, and my expectations were let down in many ways. I just didn't consider the ending a 'surprise ending' in the least bit. In fact, I'd say the whole dying and coming back to life thing, was more than just predictable, but even cliche. But the book was still good.

e

 

[echeck]

I have to admit, the first four books had me absolutely glued to them, but after Sirius died in book five, and then Dumbledore died in Book Six, I really lost a lot of the excitement for the books because they were my favorite characters.

I didn't even realize it was the release date for Book Seven until my wife reminded me last Friday. So we get the book from Amazon, and I pick it up. It grabbed me so hard that I read it in two sittings, which is very abnormal for me! I loved it! I loved how we were finally getting answers to the many clues we had throughout the series.

My favorite parts of the book:

-Dudley's reaction to Harry leaving
-How it got straight to some action, although poor Mad-Eye
-Harry stealing Mad-Eye's eye and stunning Umbridge whilst helping those poor people escape the Ministry
-Harry visiting his parents' grave and seeing his house
-Dobby's rescue, and then his death
-Voldemort's realization about the Horcruxes
-Confirming the Hog's Head bartender was indeed Aberforth
-Dumbledore's Army going strong at Hogwarts. Go Neville!
-Harry's appearance in front of McGonagall (and her subsequent reaction) and using the Cruciatus curse against Amycus Carrow
-The Battle of Hogwarts.
-Percy's reaction to Fred's death. That was worse than anyone else in my opinion, because he was filled with so much happiness and joy.
-Snape's vindication!
-The Weasley's reaction to Fred's death. So full of emotion
-Mrs. Weasley, enough said
-Final duel

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones that came to mind.

The story ended way too soon for my liking. I would have liked a post-battle wrap-up. A few chapters on who was still with us and who gave their lives protecting Hogwarts and the Wizarding community. Harry's reunion with the Weasley's, and especially Ginny. Every other book ended with them getting back on the train and heading home, and I would have liked to have the equivalent here. I would have also liked to see Snape memorialized as a hero, and get some reaction from other people. Although the bit in the epilogue was excellent.

All in all, it was a great book and a great end to a great series.

From the buzz on the news tonight, it sounds like Rowling is planning an Encyclopedia for the world, that promises new details about the characters.

That's wonderful news. A bit like some of the appendices in "The Return of the King", giving a quick little summary of their lives after the Ring was destroyed.

 

[scem0]

Over the course of the 6 books it's always been about evil, it's always been scarry, with stuff you didn't expect to happen, happening. Six books filled with drama and evil, the seventh WAS A LET DOWN.

TRUE - the journey to the end was amazing, even when they were wandering around in the middle of nowhere was interesting, I enjoyed almost every single page EXCEPT the ending. The ending sucked,

as much as I love Harry, I didn't expect him to survive. or Ron or Hermione. I don't understand. It's the perfect, cookie-cutter ending. A book with a plot like the harry potter series needs a horrific ending. I mean.. one of the three should have died or Voldy should have lived. The ending was too perfect, too 'happily ever after'. The book was amazing but the ending was a MAJOR let down to a terrific series.

I pretty much agree with this. But I try to put it in perspective of other books, and few books can get me to sit down for 10 hours straight. So while the ending is a bit of a letdown and way too cookie cutter, it's still a good book.

e

 

[iBlue]

You really ought to put things like that invisible, I think...even though the thread title obviously says SPOILER someone will likely complain.

White is good enough that you'd have to strain to see it... and if you did that then you know you're reading a spoiler. No longer the fault of the poster then.
Using colour "eeeeee" in other peoples' quotes might be useful though. I didn't think of it originally.

I agree that the middle was slow. But the ending chapters were exceptional. It's now my favorite of the seven.

.... "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Ah, Mrs. Weasley, I always knew you had it in you.

I thought the middle was slow as well.

Liked that bit too. 3 cheers for Mrs Weasly!

I'm so tempted to read your damn spoilers, but I will resist. I think.

I'm too lazy and hate reading, I'll be waiting a couple of years for the film.

pitiful!

I'm sure your lovely wife will tell you everything...

I've been sworn to silence. I've said little of importance thus far... but I only just finished. (Hey, I was spreading the fun out!)

... However, it was soooo sicky sweet and soooo predictable, if you ask me. Especially the epilogue.
...

And the fruition of 7 books of flirting between Ron and Hermione came out in a kiss that gets probably 3 paragraphs? Same goes for Ginny and Harry. I thought those storylines could have had a little more time spent on them.
...

Definitely agreed. I wanted a hook-up good and proper, if only subtly mentioned

 

[barr08]

I'll admit I loved the book, even though the predictions thread ruined a little bit of it because someone posted a spoiler. Two things I really liked:

Dumbledore had a huge part of the book, even though he was dead. I would argue that, besides Harry, he is deffinitely the main character in this one, specifically since we learn so much about his past and his family. I also get this feeling because the ending is so focused on him, and you barely even see Ron or Hermione.

Second, I knew Neville was going to play an important role. He was, if I remember correctly, the other boy the prophecy could have been referring to. Neville killing the snake was awesome, because it showed A) he was a true Gryffendor (sp?) because he pulled the sword from the hat like Harry did in the chamber of secrets, and B) made him an integral part of killing Voldy, I would argue as important as any of the other central characters (besides Harry). It was also cool that he turned into like the head of the DA, and had such a huge following at school, and was just a glutton for punishment.

Other things I liked:

-Mrs. Weasley's awesome outburst
-McGonnagal and Dudley's reactions to Harry
-Snape/Lily
-Abeforth
-The final scene being at Hogwarts, when there had been no action there prior
One thing I did not like was:

Then epilogue. Lame! I guess it was nice to find out what happened to the four kids, and that Harry named his kids after his parents, Dumbledore and Snape, but it was too neat and clean for my taste. It gets a free pass, though, because it was, after all, a childrens book.

 

[nbs2]

Anyway, I'm confused about Rowling's wording at the near-end of the book. She says something like "Harry then put up more Shield Charms. Hannah Abott and Seamus Finnigan, Voldemort's would be victims, passed by." Does this insinuate that Harry saved them with his charm or they actually died?

He saved them. And I think that the opposite of saved is pretty obivous and didn't need to be white.

 

[devman]

Finished it a few hours ago. I liked it but it's not the best book in the series IMHO.

It started off well, but then there was 150-200 pages that really got tedious. It was padding. Interesting, but padding. (on the run, camping). From there the build-up was good and it read like books 3-6, but not quite as compelling till the last 100-150 pages or so.

I did like how much was explained. I thought the Snape backstory was masterful. I thought the Dumbledore confession at kings cross was soooo out of character and a bit unnecessary.

I didn't like the 19 years after few pages. I found that too cute by half and too contrived. Rowling is a good storyteller and she could have spent a little more time and conveyed more warmth, tenderness, togetherness, harmony, etc. in that section. It deserved a half-chapter at least I thought.

But overall I did enjoy the book.