The Harry Potter Series

[jynni]

Hmmmm - what if Snape and Dumbledore did the polyjuice thingy or switched places? They're probably the only ones good enough at Occulmency or Legimency or whatever to pull it over on Lord Thingy.

That's pretty far-fetched but just throwing it out there...

[susyhomewrecker]

That's really interesting, jynni, but I just can't buy <<Dumbledore using AK on anyone. Anyway, I was rereading the book with my 8 year old sister last night and we got to the part about Dumbledore's favorite jam, which immediately made me think he was already an impostor. I also agree that it would be an Order impostor, but who from the Order was not seen/accounted for?>>

[jynni]

Yeah Dumbledore AK-ing anyone is pretty out there. I'm pretty sure that he's really dead, not gone but definitly dead. DD never seemed to be afraid of death and really seemed to welcome the idea (from stuff he said in previous books). So I'm guessing he had his death all figured out. I imagine his portrait in the Headmaster's office will be important as well as the fact that he's on all the chocolate frog cards. For some reason, that has always struck me as important. Remeber the time when they kicked him off the wigwamp (I think that was it or the Order of Merlin) committe and he said that was fine as long as they didn't take him off the frog cards?

Didn't he have a brother? Aberforth? That could be of importance later.

Whoever it was that pointed out that the kids found an old locket no one could open in 12 Grimwauld Place (OoTP)is onto something. I really do agree that RAB is probably Sirius's brother.

[rorgg]

This isn't spoilery...

yes, Albus Dumbledore has a brother, Aberforth(sp?) who was in the past tried for using "inappropriate charms on a goat." Albus seemed unsure if Aberforth was literate.



It's been strongly implied in the books and on JKR's site that Aberforth is the barman at the Hog's Head.

[Deleted]

One other question (not spoilery): What did you guys think of the opening chapter, The Other Minister? I thought it was entertaining, but I kept waiting for it to link back up to the rest of the book.

Katie Couric interviewed Rowling and Rowling said she had been thinking about that chapter for years. Huh?

[dulcinea]

They do make a point of mentioning Aberforth at DD's funeral. That probably doesn't really mean anything, if anything it would be odd for him to be a no show at his bro's funeral. Was anyone else somewhat disappointed by DD's funeral? It didn't really seem to be a fitting send off for a wizard of DD's stature.

I think DD is really dead. I do wonder why he is so closely tied with phoenixes. I'm sure it is indicative of something, but I have no idea what it could be. Maybe it is because he is very forgiving and able to give people many chances? I would be somewhat disappointed if DD came back to life. I love Dumbledore, but JKR made a point of emphasizing his beliefs on death for a reason. I think it would be somewhat of a cop out.

I wonder why DD didn't make a small minature painting of himself to give to Harry. I could just imagine Harry whipping out his portrait every five minutes to ask him a question. Actually . . . I wonder what was in Dumbledore's will. I'm sure he left Harry something(s) really cool.

ETA: I really loved the first chapter. I thought it was indicative of a lot more muggle/wizard coroboration. I was disappointed when the story didn't really go in that direction.

[Deleted]

Well, finished the book last night and I really liked it, but I have to re-read it. I liked the fact that the kids are kind of <<out-growing Hagrid, because after that awful story in OotP I was hoping for something like that. Though Hagrid crying so much after Dumbledore's death was really sad.

I also didn't mind the heavy shipping. There won't be much time for this sort of stuff in the last book so I thought it was ok.

I know that in my last post I said that I believe Harry'll die in book 7. I changed my mind (duh). But I really fear for Ron and/or Hermione. Can't imagine that there will be a "happy" Happy Ending. He might kill Voldemort but one of the kids will die. Could be Neville. Speaking of Neville: I like him and was disappointed that we got to see so little of him this time. Which makes me think that his time will come in book 7.

>>

[marywebgirl]

I thought for sure that << Snape would be the one to die. Since he hesitated on the last part of the Unbreakable Vow with Draco's mom I thought he knew he was agreeing to sacrifice himself. I do think flamethrower presented a fascinating argument for Snape still being one of the good guys though (defending himself against Harry, not attacking him, etc.).

Regarding the shipping, I thought the Harry/Ginny thing was a little melodramatic, but I do remember being pretty dramatic myself at that age. It was actually Ron and Hermione's game-playing that struck me as unrealistic. Teenagers don't usually pull that kind of nonsense, unless JKR thinks Hermione is cerebral enough to think that way. Now Won-Won and Lavendar--I remember tons of couples just like that in high school.

And count me in as someone else who was struck dumb for about 5 minutes when I got to the s word!

Loved LOVED L O V E D the dig on W in second freaking sentence! Good for JKR!

As far as something that has nothing to do with spoilers, I love Mrs. Weasley. I'd go so far as to say that she's my favorite character, and I feel most protective of her. I think I realized it when I didn't want Bill to die because I didn't want her to have to witness that.

[susyhomewrecker]

<<It was actually Ron and Hermione's game-playing that struck me as unrealistic. Teenagers don't usually pull that kind of nonsense, unless JKR thinks Hermione is cerebral enough to think that way.>>

<<I don't know, I can definitely think of some girls I knew way back when who, at the age of 16/17, pulled stunts like that. Ron hooking up with Lavender was a combination of not wanting to look like his friends and younger sister were more mature than he was, and pure horniness--not game-playing. Hermione snogging McLaggen to get back at Ron was totally something a 17 year old girl would do. I can't remember how many friends I had who would sit around plotting how to make the boys they liked jealous, and assumed those boys would sit around and do the same things. They don't. 16 year old boys are horny and dense. So as far as the Hermione-Ron-Lavender triangle goes, I thought it was very realistic and amusing. Harry and Ginny, not so much--i.e. their first kiss after the Quidditch match >>

[marywebgirl]

You're right SusyHomewrecker, Hermione did do the typical jealous teenage girl stuff when Ron started messing around with Lavendar. I guess I just think it's silly that they've liked each other for several books now, they had a pretty good idea that the feeling was mutual, and neither of them ever did anything about it. As I said, I totally bought the Ron/Lavendar thing--Ron was pissed because Ginny basically called him a eunich, so he started one of those hormonal teenage relationships that the girl takes waaaay more seriously than the guy.