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Hermione explains it to Harry and Ron on page 103 of Deathly Hallows. So, I think you're probably right in thinking that Harry was trying to get Voldemort to feel the remorse painful enough to result in Voldemort's destruction. Good catch!Originally Posted by CCL;2488949;
Does anyone else absolutely love Hermione's little beaded purse? Cripes, I thought I could cram alot into a purse!
Teddy being an orphan works for me because it shows the way Harry would have grown up surrounded by friends of his parents and their kids instead of being hidden by unwilling, abusive family if V. hadn't been around.
Just finished the book last night... I read it more slowly than I would have liked, but I just did not want to reach the end! Anyway, after having just read through all the comments about the epilogue, I have to agree that it was not quite "right" for the ending of this magnificent series. I needed more - more info on what happened right after and how people coped. It was just not enough, though I was glad to see Harry/Ginny and Ron/Hermoine together.
Agree that one of the best lines was Mrs. Weasley's cry at Bellatrix. In my opinion, that makes up for not allowing Neville to do the honors himself. His part with the snake was wonderful, but far too short. Of course, that entire part of the book seemed rushed and too short for me. The death of Dobby made me cry, but what really did me in was when Ron pulled off his socks and shoes and put them on Dobby. It was just so heartbreaking. I am okay with the deaths of Lupin and Tonks, but I hated that Fred had to be one of the losses. I'd rather have lost Percy if we had to lose a Weasley. And Snape's redemption was probably one of the better twists to the plot for me. I'd said all along that I actually liked that character, defending him right up until Dumbledore's death in book six. And I was pleased at how that part was revealed to not only Harry, but to us, the reader. It puts such a different twist on the Dumbledore death scene...
All in all, I'd say I'm satisfied with the last book. It really couldn't have ended much better, other than the epilogue! I read all seven of the books back to back (timed to coordinate with seven's release) and I have to admit that this "children's series" is probably one of my all-time favorite reads.
The book was completely and utterly brilliant.
I think we should be glad she did an epilogue at all, as I had expected it to end shortly after Riddle's death. I still don't get Rose and Hugo's names. I think it is a stretch to use the name Hugo for Krum.
It was brilliant for Harry to figure out that Riddle's curse would bounce back at him if he used the expelliarmus to get the elder wand back to its rightful owner, himself. Harry never killed anyone, yet was the hero who did in the bad guy. I am not sure that has ever been done before.
Also, I went back and read multiple parts from multiple books, as it was all tied together fantastically. It was plain that Riddle's use of Harry's blood would play a part at the end, but until the King's Cross scene I had no idea how that would work. When Dumbledore explains to Snape that Harry's scar contains a piece of Riddle's soul, Snape jumps to the conclusion that both must die, but Dumbledore neither confirmed or denied it but talked around it. I think he understood that before death that Harry had to accept that he would be sacrificing himself, and could never understand until after the sacrifice that it would not be. That is why Dumbledore only showed a flash of victory to Harry when he told him about the use of his blood.
In that way, Harry did the exact same thing that his parents did. We never previously knew that his parents never even raised a wand to Riddle.
I loved so much of the scenes with Molly killing Beatrix (6 boys before having the daughter and having the brilliant daughter threatened) and who was fighting who was interesting. I loved how the elves and centaurs joined in. Harry playing dead and his use of the cloak was brilliant. The uniqueness of the cloak made it more understandable throughout the books that Harry's presence was unknown. Most never knew such a thing existed or expected Harry to have it.
Harry's relationship with the wise third brother made so much sense. And, Riddle was related to the second brother choosing a dark art such as a resurrection stone. Which means a distant relationship between the two of them. Harry abandoning the Hallows to have a normal life was quite amazing, considering he had possession of all three easily within his reach.
The humanizing weakness of Dumbledore made perfect sense. James and Snape were both humanized and it was believable that they hated each other since one was the adored child and the other was not, whilst both love Lily Evans. That Lily was Snape's best friend for years made great sense, and made Snape's unrequited love understandable and more real.
Hermione was, of course, utterly brilliant. She, of course, would have found a wonderful career with motherhood. Harry could not have done it without Hermione's immeasurable skills. Ron, Neville, Luna, Ginny, Cho and numerous others showed great bravery.
I, of course, could go on. Really a fantastic end to a wonderful series.
Finally! I finished the book and have caught up on the discussion here. The one thing that still puzzles me is the crying child and what/who it represents.
The best twist for me was the revelation of Snape's loyalty to Dumbledore. It left me feeling compassionate towards him that he'd devoted himself to protecting Harry.
I'm probably the only one but I didn't like Molly's "bitch" outburst. To me, it was out of character for her. Maybe that was the point.
I didn't mind that the epilogue didn't share too much. As others have said, it leaves the door open for a future series. However, I did expect Ron's son to be named Fred.
I think that flayed child represented the ripped destroyed innocence of Voldemort or anyone's soul. It was what had been in Harry and it was innocent as in a child (the soul) but the ripping apart by killing mutilitated it and wounded it beyond repair. It was there showing Harry what had been and what was actually dying in him.
The Kings cross is great to me to as a journey starting point to either death or back to life.
I personally hope there is some "twin magic" that makes Fred a ghost only as long as George is alive so that they are not separated by death. Sort of born together and die finaly together.
I think they would have found it extremely funny to be running the joke shop with Fred as a ghost.
I wasn't disappointed in the book but I wasn't satisfied!
I want answers to
What is the veil
Who did magic later in life as said by JK Rowling in an interview
What was Harry, Hermione, and Ron's jobs
What were Harry's parents jobs
What does an unspeakable do?
Who is head master?
How come Hermione could do the memory charm on her parents but wasn't sure she could on the death eaters?
How could snape be talking to Dumbledore in office at hogwarts when Harry was still at the Dursleys? The ministry hadn't fell yet and he wasn't head master yet. Wouldn't they have been looking out for Snape? You can't apparate into Hogwarts.
Where do Ginny and Harry live?
Why Hedwig! Dang it!
Lots of questions I hope she answers
I just finished the book, which was made difficult by the fact I did not want the book to end. A lot of moments brought tears to my eyes (Hedwig's death, Fred's death, Snape's silver doe and many others) but the scene where I openly weeped was Dobby's death. All of it, he asking Harry if they had come to the right place with his dying breath, Harry digging his grave, Ron putting his socks on him, Luna's words, I just couldn't help it. Snape's death was also sad, but I had been expecting it more. He was that type of tragic, misunderstood figure. Like many, I also felt the ending was far too abrupt. What happened with Luna for example? She and Neville had become so important, that I would have appreciated more on them.
Anyway, I'll go back and read the thread and see if I can participate in the discussion.
I wondered about Harry's "death" too. In my humble opinion Harry did really die (in order to fulfill the prophecy and destroy the horcrux in him, he had to die) for a few moments but death couldn't hold on to him because by obtaining the 3 Deathly Hallows, he became the "master of death." Although he drops the resurrection stone, I think, before he allows Voldemort to "kill" him. Would that still even make him the possessor of the Deathly Hallows?Overall, I think JK did a great job of leaving just enough mysteries to keep us talking about this book for a long time. I also wonder, as many of you mention, why she states in DH that the invisibility cloak is "impenetrable" but has Mad-Eye see through it in GOF and Malfoy curse Harry when he's wearing it in HBP. I guess I'll have to go back and re-read the books to see if there is something about the cloak I missed. I'm sure as thorough as JK is (and with all of her editors probably looking for incontinuity issues) that seemingly inconsistency about the cloak must be explained in some way. Any ideas anyone?
I thought that he didn't see them but could feel their effects (the cold and the despair)?
I wonder what Harry's parents did for a living as well (asked by Bandy). If I recall correctly, the dates on their gravestone indicated they died aged around 21, which is quite young (younger than I thought they were). So it's not like they worked a long time to amass the amount of money that Harry had in his Gringotts vault. Perhaps Harry's grandparents (James' parents) had money and that was what was in the vault. Lily and James could have been living off that, I guess.
As for the Headmaster question (also asked by Bandy), McGonagall was the deputy Headmaster and took over the position when Dumbledore died. Snape usurped her place when the Death Eaters took over Hogwarts. I would think that McGonagall was re-installed to her rightful position as Headmaster after the battle had finished. I don't know if she would still be living 19 years later, however (ie at the time of the epilogue).
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