23 July 2007 @ 11:52 am
POTTERDAMMERUNG, PART TWO: SPOILERS  
SO.

I finished the book yesterday evening, after forcing myself very hard to sit through classes and labs on Saturday and Sunday and not just run out going SORRY, GOTTA GO FINISH THIS CHAPTER, BACK LATER. And, like half of my flist, it's time for my thoughts!

But first, here's how the midnight party went! :D


I headed over to the ranch in the afternoon, where a massive party was held before we even left to go pick up our copies. There were potion-mixing games, cream soda butterbeer, tons of snacks, watching the Prisoner of Azkaban DVD, playing Quidditch on the Gamecube, and costumes aplenty. Also, I got a birthday cake and some presents, squee! :D I got a titanium spork from [livejournal.com profile] ghettopeach (PERFECT FOR PENIS HYDRAS), and an adorable card and a My Little Pony from [livejournal.com profile] hystericblue42. XD I've never had a MLP before, and I have a sudden desire to mod it! Anyone have any good ideas what character I should make my pony into? It's a pegasus pony, so it's got wings, too.
Aaalso, [livejournal.com profile] xanmuse bought me my copy of Deathly Hallows! :D Thank yooooou, Alix! ♥

Around 9:00 we headed over to B&N to get copies! Naturally, it was super-crowded, but at least we found a place to park. The crowd we were with was actually quite good-natured: everyone was just there and excited to be getting the book at last! As I had no costume, I didn't participate in the costume contest (though I heard [livejournal.com profile] estelofimladris's Sirius got third place). I did, however, do some sketching while waiting in line:

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

Sirius is confused at the weird-ass Death Eater mask, Luna is excited, and Slughorn is enjoying some carmelized pineapple. XD Also, [livejournal.com profile] caedhe requested Nagini attacking Wormtail, and then started on Buckbeak because Buckbeak is awesome.

My little bro also joined us for awhile, and when around drawing Dark Marks on himself and any friends who requested it. XD [livejournal.com profile] xanmuse and I were in the will-call line since we hadn't preordered, until [livejournal.com profile] caedhe informed us that Ralph's was selling a special limited number of copies for 30% off. So someone zipped over there and got us all copies, before even some of the preordered dudes did! XD SWANKYTASTIC. But it was still fun having the experience of going and waiting in line for the book's release!



I seem to be in the minority, I don't know. But personally, I thought this book was my absolute favorite. I am STILL PISSED that JKR killed off certain characters stop taking pages from Joss Whedon's book, dammit! But I love lots of action, I'm a huge sucker for happy endings, and I think the best stories out there are the ones that take everything from the main character and then reward them for it at the end. And this book did all of that. I was screaming and laughing and crying and fist-pumping all the way; the story just hit the ground running and didn't stop. Therefore, MUCH LOVE.
And because that's about as coherent as I'll probably get at the moment, thoughts in no particular order:

- Dudley actually showing his appreciation for Harry was a great little moment, and while it doesn't make up for the horrible things the Dursleys did to Harry, it provided a great bit of closure, at least for the younger generation.
- HEDWIIIIIG. :((( Geebus, they really weren't beating around the bush when they launched into a battle sequence BY BLOODY CHAPTER THREE. Nevertheless, it was aaaawesome to imagine I wanna storyboard it now. And then Mad-Eye! He never was that big of a character with me (I guess I didn't really "get" him, or he didn't stand out to me?) but how fast they started killing off characters made me go WTFFFF.
- Kreacher gets character development, yaay! That was such a great message about reaching out to the nasty and unloved; I'm glad it was put in there.
- Kingsley Shacklebolt's patronus is a lynx, yay. ♥
- I'm not sure how I felt about the tarnishing-Dumbledore's-image thing. I thought it was great that he got a lot of character development beyond The Hero's Wise Old Mentor, and I figured his past actions would eventually be absolved, but it annoyed me that Rita Skeeter didn't get what was coming to her!
- On the other hand, Umbridge did get what was coming, and that made me cheer. UMBRIDGE = MCCARTHY ALL ALONG. Her using Mad-Eye's eye like that was UUUGHASLDKJKAKLS.
- Speaking of, I thought the whole ministry infiltration thing was beyond awesome, and I'm so afraid they'll cut it out of the movie. I feel bad for the scriptwriters for this; it's going to be a NIGHTMARE. A little confused because I thought Polyjuice Potion didn't last that long, but maybe stronger doses last longer? Whatever; Chris Carter had bigger plotholes than that.
- The long stretch of time with them on the run and apparating from place to place gave this great, raw feeling to the story where you really feel the characters are moving into full-fledged adulthood: it's just them, having to fend for themselves, with little to no help, and you really feel it.
- I kinda got whiplash at all the parts where Harry was suddenly all I AM IN VOLDEMORT'S BRAIN NOW WUH OH scenes, but I guess it was necessary to actually show what Voldemort was doing, considering the whole book is from Harry's POV.
- Nagini just sliterhing out of Balfinda's skin was 100% horror movie moment NOT OKAY. I totally didn't see it coming, and was all WAIT WHAT AAAAAGH IT'S A SNAAAAKE
- Ron destroying the locket horcrux after saving Harry's ass? Terrific scene. LOL, Voldemort ships Harmony.
- Am I the only one who was a little surprised that Hermione seemed to be doing so well after being tortured by Bellatrix?! I SO FELT FOR RON IN THAT SCENE.
- DOBBY. ;______;
- Something about the multiplying, burning treasure in the Lestrange's vault was really original and freaky all at once. Something about Harry using some of the unforgivable curses right there on the spot also threw me for a HUGE loop. That whole dragon scene was kickass, though.
- I kept picturing Doc Brown when reading about Xenophilius Lovegood.
- Battle of Hogwarts = FRECKING AMAZING CLIMAX. There were explosions and big shiny lights and people fleeing in terror and awesomeness all around and EVERYTHING. I love just everyone showing up and being all HELLS YEAH IT'S TIME TO KICK ASS.
- Crabbe = stupidity kills.
- FRED. OH GOD, WHY FRED. I was so terrified that JKR would kill off one of the twins but not the other, but then I convinced myself she wouldn't, and then SHE DID ANYWAY WHYYYYYYY THE TWINS *sobs*
- ALSO, REMUS AND TONKS DID NOT DESERVE THAT. We didn't even see how it happened, it was just OH BTW THEY'RE DEAD TOO. Which I guess really drives home the whole point of war; that sometimes you don't even know it's happened, you just suddenly hear "by the way some of your friends are dead, sorry!" which helped drive home the whole point of the climax.
- I was expecting Snape's death to be a whole lot more...important and dramatic? I mean, I knew the dude was going to kick it, but the way it happened just SUCKED hardcore for him. Man, I can't wait to see how the Snapefen react. Although it did really drive home the point that Voldemort really has no love for anything or anyone but his own goals; even his most "loyal" lieutenants are completely disposable. Chilling!
- I just really liked Lily coming to Petunia's defense in the flashbacks. And maaaan, it sucks to be Snape even more! I can't help but wonder if he had come out a completely different person if he'd been sorted into, say, Ravenclaw.
- The whole sequence with Harry accepting his own death and then walking into it was ABSOLUTELY HEARTBREAKING. Just when he summons all the ghosts of his family and friends and asks if it will hurt and OH GOD *WEEEEEEEP* Also, HARRY IS JESUS. For serious, there were so many religious allegories in that entire sequence that I will smack the next Evangelist that goes off on how HP promotes Satanism with a copy of the Book of Matthew. Because HAVING TWO SCRIPTURE QUOTES USED AS KEY PLOT POINTS IN THE BOOK DEFINITELY PROMOTES SATAN, YUP. 8Db
- Wow, now fans won't have to go see Equus to see Harry nekkid!
- There was a lot of exposition in the King's Cross Is Limbo scene, but really, it was needed, for both the characters and the audience. Dumbledore weeping like that was very poignant.
- DON'T CRY, HAGRID, IT'LL BE OKAY.
- HELLS YES to the last battle scene! Kreacher running out with an army of house elves to stab everyone in the knees pwned everything.
- "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" <---- BEST LINE IN THE BOOK. I've always liked Molly, but now she gets about +9999 Cool Points for taking down Bellatrix. BADASS.
- I know people say Voldemort's death was anticlimatic, but really, what more could you expect? For him to catch on fire and explode while jumping off Niagra Falls wearing nothing but a thong? Considering the whole point of this story was about offing the different pieces of Voldemort's soul, I'd say his "death" was pretty much the entire damn book. And I loved the whole bit with Harry trying to get him to feel remorse, because he knows Voldy's gonna end up a creepy flayed child-thing under a table in Heaven!Starbucks. SUCKS TO BE VOLDY.
- THE EPILOGUE: Haha, my ships won. ♥ And Sirius, Remus and Tonks are TOTALLY having a threesome orgy in Heaven!Starbucks after giving Voldy-baby a good kick. Seriously, I thought the epilogue was sweet. Cheesy, sure, but it's a children's book. God forbid we get a AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER ending in those! Heck, 's the same reason I loved the KH2 ending: take everything from the main character, then reward them. Harry finally got the family he's always wanted and needed!
- Why's everyone freaking out about "Albus Severus Potter"? It's not like this entire series wasn't CHOCK FULL of weird-ass names. Scorpius, however, made me raise an eyebrow or two.


The non-TL;DR version:
A+, WOULD READ AGAIN.

AND NOW...I look forward to seeing which wanks will be the greatest and most WTF-inducing. They've already started, but I imagine that, like with HBP, there will be a bit of time before some truly LOLworthy stuff surfaces. F_W and the Cornfield need to organize their links already. HARMONIANS, NEVER STOP BEING BATSHIT. ♥♥

Now, I am going to go try and focus on the MOUNDS OF SCHOOLWORK I have coming, and likely fail miserably. :Db

Drawing: Yes, I can almost guarantee there will be fanart for this in the future.

Writing: Probably not fanfic, though. It's harder for me to write for something than draw for it.
 
 
Current Mood: giddy
Current Music: .hack//SIGN - Sit Beside Me
 
 
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[identity profile] odd-on-purpose.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2007 09:31 pm (UTC)
I'm so glad I'm not the only person who enjoyed the epilogue! Everyone seems all cranky about it and I was all "Awww, Albus Severus!" Pile on the cheese, I say! I waited a decade for my happy ending and I would have been disappointed with just the ending of the previous chapter.
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[identity profile] fenm.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2007 10:26 pm (UTC)
Aw, fuck it.. I can't get the reply to go right... So I;m just gonna do a little bit of it:

- I was expecting Snape's death to be a whole lot more...important and dramatic? I mean, I knew the dude was going to kick it,

Yeah, I've thought for a long tine that Snape wouldn't make it out alive. And I was right. [sigh] Why was this one of the things I had to be right about?! [shakes fist]

but the way it happened just SUCKED hardcore for him. Man, I can't wait to see how the Snapefen react.

As a Snape fan let me say: I'm actually ok with it. Besides, it's what happens afterwards that I care about; about what Snape gives Harry (both physically and metaphorically) before he dies.

- I just really liked Lily coming to Petunia's defense in the flashbacks. And maaaan, it sucks to be Snape even more!

Yeah, ouch.
I'd like to address a few of Snape's memories...
-I actually liked that Snape and Lily seemed to be friends. When I realized Jo WAS going for the "Snape loved Lily" angle, it kinda bugged me (can we say "cliche"?), but... I dunno, they WAY she did it made me ok with it. It was... kinda sweet. And it says a lot about Snape that, even after marrying another man, he still wanted to protect her. He was not so bitter about her choice as to completely write her off and be glad about her dying.
-The scene with Snape producing the doe Patronus made me gasp out loud, as I realized that it was HIM who had led Harry to the sword.
-The scene with him crying over the picture and the letter, and taking the page with her signature... Damn, dude.
-"Do you want me to [kill you] now, or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?" Ah, Snape, you sarcastic son of a bitch... ^_^

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[identity profile] lynxgriffin.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2007 10:49 pm (UTC)
Oh yes, I was expecting JKR to redeem Snape in some way like that, and I'm glad it happened. Snape's love for Lily seemed a little on the creepy side at times, but just the fact that he absolutely went out of his way to protect her son (whom he definitely had no love for) because he knows she would've wanted it does show a very important side to him, and I wish that Voldemort could've known about that...that it wasn't Voldy that Snape was so loyal to, but Lily.

And Snape's sarcasm wins. XD
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[identity profile] fenm.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2007 11:01 pm (UTC)
Oh yes, I was expecting JKR to redeem Snape in some way like that, and I'm glad it happened.

Yeah, I've always thought Snape would end up being a good guy. There was too much character development for it to be wasted on, "Nope, he's just evil". Plus some of the sympathetic stuff in Book 5.

Snape's love for Lily seemed a little on the creepy side at times,

Yeah, a bit. But that's Snape for ya. ^_^

but just the fact that he absolutely went out of his way to protect her son (whom he definitely had no love for) because he knows she would've wanted it does show a very important side to him,

Indeed. His love for her was clearly very deep and during. It was REAL LOVE, not just lust or possessiveness. He, like Harry, had the one quality Voldy would never understand.

and I wish that Voldemort could've known about that...that it wasn't Voldy that Snape was so loyal to, but Lily.

Harry did tell him, during the film duel.

And Snape's sarcasm wins. XD

I have a shirt: "Sarcasm is the body's natural defense against stupid". I think Snape would appreciate it ^_^
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[identity profile] fenm.livejournal.com on July 23rd, 2007 11:09 pm (UTC)
I'm putting this in another post, cuz I want to keep the Snape stuff in its own thread...
What do you make of the Malfoys at the end? I was actually touched that, even with Voldy still alive, in the middle of the battle, they were looking for their son. And at the end, after V is deader than disco, the three of them are "huddled together" in the Great Hall. They seem a little nervous (former DE's surrounded by the people who just beat the DE's...) but they are together, a small, but intact family.
I just thought it was an interesting detail. and I wondered if Jo was trying to make a point.
Oh, and let's not forget that Cissy outright lying to V in the Forest, in favor of her son's safety. Once again, a mother's love saved Harry.
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[identity profile] lynxgriffin.livejournal.com on July 24th, 2007 06:30 am (UTC)
Oh yeah, I totally didn't see it coming that all of the Malfoys would survive! But at the same time, it did make sense to me: the most important thing to the Malfoys is their family and how special it is. If anyone threatens that, whether it be this perceived "mudblood infestation" or Voldemort himself, they're not going to take any crap for it. Especially since they set up Narcissa as asking for the Unbreakable Vow to protect Draco in the sixth book, I was able to buy her betraying Voldy at the end of this one. Also, the fact that Draco seemed unwilling to identify Harry, Hermione and Ron in the Malfoy Manor seemed pretty telling.
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[identity profile] whatisnode.livejournal.com on July 26th, 2007 01:14 am (UTC)
The epilogue was gay, no really- it was quite campy. BTW, Scorpius- Farscape, anyone? ^^

Oh and am I just crazy, or was Ginny TOTALLY gonna sleep with Harry before they were interrupted? COME ON. I think you know it.
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[identity profile] lynxgriffin.livejournal.com on July 26th, 2007 05:54 am (UTC)
Everyone keeps going off on how campy the epilogue was, but it didn't really bother me...I guess because everything they did seemed in-character. Aside from Scorpius being a little wonky, I can totally see Harry naming his kids after everyone he knew. Name combinations of previous generations seem to be really big with wizarding families, anyway.

Even if she could, when would she have found the time? XD Considering it's the Weasley household and the whole place was getting ready for that wedding, I doubt they could've gotten it on without someone interrupting them! (And I'd hope Ginny'd figure that! :O)
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[identity profile] whatisnode.livejournal.com on July 26th, 2007 01:15 am (UTC)
Oh yeah, Dobby.

TT^TT
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[identity profile] aunt-zelda.livejournal.com on July 31st, 2007 03:35 am (UTC)
Most of all of that is so true!
Albus Severus is so gonna be the name of one of my kids ... if I end up having a kid ...
Dobby, Fred, REMUS, and Tonks did not deserve those deaths. They didn't DO anything but traumatize eight-year olds (and me)! Plus, someone who kills a werewolf goes down points in my books. WEREWOLVES NEED HUGS (I made a t-shirt with that on it and wore it to the book party.)
Severus dying WAS SO HORRIBLE. I so didn't see that coming! After creating such a complex, wonderful character, JKR KILLED HIM WITH A HORCRUX SNAKE! But the chapter about his memories was my favorite bit in the entire book. Well, I loved the epilouge too ... but Draco and his UNNAMED WIFE (who IS IT? I want to know!) kinda set up their son to be an villain, or at least an anti-hero.
P.S.
I tried and tired a few weeks ago, but I could not express how ANGRY AND UPSET I AM about the closing of jerryandthefrogproductions.com! WHY?! Is is somehow possible for you to put the shows here?! Or maybe get an add if the site was too expensive?! I loved that site! There's a person over at my lj who shares my outrage and sadness. We were looking forward to PotC3 and OotP!
WHY?!
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[identity profile] lynxgriffin.livejournal.com on July 31st, 2007 04:48 pm (UTC)
Heehee, I want a "Werewolves Need Hugs" shirt. XD; And about Draco's wife...I'm kinda glad they made her unknown, because the first conclusion you'd jump to would probably be Pansy, and it would be nice for at least one of the kids to not get married to the people they liked in school, even if it was Draco. :P

I am sorry about the JTFP shows going down, and maybe sometime when I remember to do so and/or have the time and motivation, I'll do text-only versions of them. :P It is more than just a lack of money, though...it's a (severe) lack of time and particularly motivation; I feel like I've exhausted the ideas I have in that area, and I don't really want to work hard on puppet shows when I don't enjoy doing them, because then they won't be as funny anymore.
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[identity profile] aunt-zelda.livejournal.com on July 31st, 2007 05:02 pm (UTC)
Heehee, I want a "Werewolves Need Hugs" shirt.
I made mine. ______ made one last night. I'm a trendsetter!
I like to entertain the idea that Draco ended up with Luna. Then again, Luna should be with either Ron or Harry - she practically worshiped Ron in the books, but she has such a connection with Harry ... I hope she ended up with someone nice.

Two words: Grrrr, Arrgghhh! (Joss Whedon is so good to quote.) Posting text-versions would be LOVELY. Especially since I copied/pasted most of the movies into word documents before they were purged. That was the scariest afternoon of my life!
*grumbles to self*
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[identity profile] aunt-zelda.livejournal.com on July 31st, 2007 05:04 pm (UTC)
Ooops, forgot to add the name: lovemyfaceoff made one last night. She even posted a picture!
http://aunt-zelda.livejournal.com/11631.html#cutid1
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