***SPOILER ALERT*** What is your favorite part of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows?

[atinsley]

Wow, where to start. The book was great, so many good parts,

The exchange between Molly and Bellatrix at the final battle. Never thought I would hear those words coming from Molly's mouth.

Getting to see the other side of Dumbledore and also finally understanding Snape. I had my suspicions that he was good, but this solidified it.

Dobby showing up to help Harry and his friends

Neville stepping up and becoming the heroic wizard

There were some parts that really surprised me as well, like Harry finally using an unforgivable curse and Narcissa lying to the Dark Lord about Harry being dead.

One of the main things that I appreciated about the story was that Harry didn't defeat Voldemort because he was this great and powerful wizard, he defeated him because he truly understood sacrifice and was willing to give up his life for his friends (the same thing his mother did for him.)

It was sad to see Mad Eye, Fred, Lupin and Tonks die but I do applaud JK for not making it like a lot of other books out there where the good guy always wins and only the bad guy dies.

 

[exile]

Wow, where to start. The book was great, so many good parts,

The exchange between Molly and Bellatrix at the final battle. Never thought I would hear those words coming from Molly's mouth.

Getting to see the other side of Dumbledore and also finally understanding Snape. I had my suspicions that he was good, but this solidified it.

Dobby showing up to help Harry and his friends

Neville stepping up and becoming the heroic wizard

There were some parts that really surprised me as well, like Harry finally using an unforgivable curse and Narcissa lying to the Dark Lord about Harry being dead.

One of the main things that I appreciated about the story was that Harry didn't defeat Voldemort because he was this great and powerful wizard, he defeated him because he truly understood sacrifice and was willing to give up his life for his friends (the same thing his mother did for him.)

It was sad to see Mad Eye, Fred, Lupin and Tonks die but I do applaud JK for not making it like a lot of other books out there where the good guy always wins and only the bad guy dies.

Great post, A. Every one of those points is a bullseye in my book (well, JKR's book, but... :wink1 and your observations about sacrifice and heroism and defiance of standard epic conventions all ring 100% true...

 

[Lisa]

Wow, where to start. The book was great, so many good parts,

The exchange between Molly and Bellatrix at the final battle. Never thought I would hear those words coming from Molly's mouth.

Getting to see the other side of Dumbledore and also finally understanding Snape. I had my suspicions that he was good, but this solidified it.

Dobby showing up to help Harry and his friends

Neville stepping up and becoming the heroic wizard

There were some parts that really surprised me as well, like Harry finally using an unforgivable curse and Narcissa lying to the Dark Lord about Harry being dead.

One of the main things that I appreciated about the story was that Harry didn't defeat Voldemort because he was this great and powerful wizard, he defeated him because he truly understood sacrifice and was willing to give up his life for his friends (the same thing his mother did for him.)

It was sad to see Mad Eye, Fred, Lupin and Tonks die but I do applaud JK for not making it like a lot of other books out there where the good guy always wins and only the bad guy dies.

I am not at home and can't check this right now but when did Harry use an unforgivable curse? I can't seem to remember?

I was a bit confused in the end with how the Elder wand became Draco's and not Snape's (Snape killed Dumbledore after all) but then I remembered that Draco was the one that actually defeated Dumbledore (took his wand from him) and it all made sense then.

Favorite part for my teenage daughter was the exchange between Harry, Ron and Hermione when Ron and Hermione finally kissed and Harry stated "Hey, there is a war going on here!" My daughter laughed and laughed...

My favorite part was when Neville beheaded Nagini. I actually shouted YES!" outloud.

 

[MA-Caver]

Favorite part for my teenage daughter was the exchange between Harry, Ron and Hermione when Ron and Hermione finally kissed and Harry stated "Hey, there is a war going on here!" My daughter laughed and laughed...

In reading the entire series I kinda sorta had a feeling about Ron (Won-Won) and Hermione getting together in the end. The interplay between the two was very subtle and done well in the movies too, Kudos to the actors for pulling subtlety off nicely. You can just see it.
Was very glad to read about their life together in the epilogue.

 

[atinsley]

Lisa - Harry used one in the Raveclaw common room. He used the Cruciatus curse on Amycus Carrow after he spit on Professor McGonagall. He also used the Imperius Curse on Travers and Bogrod, when Ron, Hermione and himself broke into Gringotts

 

[Bob Hubbard]

Harry's used CC at least twice, bk5 and bk7.

 

[atinsley]

Harry's used CC at least twice, bk5 and bk7.

I just remembered that he used in against Bellatrix in book 5, but it failed because he didn't "mean" it.

 

[CoryKS]

Oh my god, they killed Dobby! You bastards!

Favorite part was the part where Harry learns the truth about Snape. She did a great job of keeping his loyalties unclear until the end.

I had a few complaints, though...

I didn't care for Mrs. Weasley calling Bellatrix a *****. It was jarringly out of character, and sounded like one of those trite lines they put in action movies near the end (see: Aliens) to make the audience cheer. It made me think she was writing it for the movie.

I wish that Harry had cast the Avada Kadavra to kill Voldemort. Expelliarmus?! Homeboy kills your parents, your friends, you... and the worst you can think to do is frickin' disarm him? Huh-uh.

I wish the "where are they now?" segment had given info about more characters. Like, how are George and the joke shop doing without Fred? It was good to see that Draco could muster at least a minimum of courtesy, and 'Albus Severus' was a nice touch.

 

[atinsley]

I wish that Harry had cast the Avada Kadavra to kill Voldemort. Expelliarmus?! Homeboy kills your parents, your friends, you... and the worst you can think to do is frickin' disarm him? Huh-uh.

Cory, I was thinking the same thing. Voldemort has tried and tried and tried to kill you, he killed your folks, your friends, everyone, trying to get to you and you disarm him? I mean WTF?!?

But then I started to think about it, I don't believe that it would have been believable to have Harry cast that curse, as it would have been totally out of character for the type of person that Harry was. It also, in my belief, played into the whole you can defeat someone without killing them.

 

[exile]

Cory, I was thinking the same thing. Voldemort has tried and tried and tried to kill you, he killed your folks, your friends, everyone, trying to get to you and you disarm him? I mean WTF?!?

But then I started to think about it, I don't believe that it would have been believable to have Harry cast that curse, as it would have been totally out of character for the type of person that Harry was. It also, in my belief, played into the whole you can defeat someone without killing them.

Cory, while I agree with AT about Harry's character, I think there's something else involved here in his choice of response to Voldemort. Remember his first duel with Voldemort, in Goblet of Fire when V. pulls the same killing curse on him—and doesn't Harry use Expelliarumus to counter it? And it succeeded in blocking the curse that we've been told repeatedly cannot be countered. The point is, Harry has an existence proof that that spell can block Aveda Kadavra, at least when it's him and Voldemort going head to head. And isn't it mentioned somewhere that Expelliarmus has become something of Harry's signature counterspell? So in using it against V., Harry is relying on a proven counter. He knows Voldemort's wand is now inferior to his own, by choice, so to speak, because he is, as he's demonstrated to Voldemort and explained to him explicitly, the master of the wand Voldemort is using. So he has even more reason to believe that his Expelliarumus will trump Voldemort's Aveda Kadavra than he did in the graveyard battle in G of F, where the two wands were equal. On the whole, given the track record involved, I think he was pretty cagey about the whole thing!

 

[arnisador]

I didn't care for Mrs. Weasley calling Bellatrix a *****. It was jarringly out of character, and sounded like one of those trite lines they put in action movies near the end (see: Aliens) to make the audience cheer. It made me think she was writing it for the movie.

I wish that Harry had cast the Avada Kadavra to kill Voldemort. Expelliarmus?! Homeboy kills your parents, your friends, you... and the worst you can think to do is frickin' disarm him? Huh-uh.

I wish the "where are they now?" segment had given info about more characters. Like, how are George and the joke shop doing without Fred? It was good to see that Draco could muster at least a minimum of courtesy, and 'Albus Severus' was a nice touch.

I agree with you all down the line. The Weasley-Lestrange fight at the end did seem like itw as written with the movie in mind.

I also thought that Harry took the pacifism thing too far (though exile makes a good point).

 

[exile]

And speaking of `Albus Severus', I'm wondering if anyone else has speculated along the following lines...

Harry seems to be someone who must do the right thing, admit and repair any oversights or injuries due to his misjudgments (and the whole series is loaded with them). Probably his biggest misjudgment—hardly his fault, though, since it was absolutely crucial to Dumbledore and Snape's plan that everyone be deceived—was his assessment of Snape. Clearly, in the aftermath, he felt strongly enough about this to go out of his way to acknowledge Snape's bravery (lying through his teeth to Voldemort on a virtually daily basis????) and role in protecting him to give his son Snape's own first name as a middle name. I imagine him brooding on the degree to which he got Snape all wrong, even innocently, and wanting to make peace with Snape, even though that seems impossible, given the latter's murder by Voldemort. But he could still do it...

...after all, Snape was a Hogwarts headmaster. His portrait, which he occupies in a kind of demi-living state, hangs in the headmaster's office, along with that of Phineas Nigellus and Dumbledore himself, with whom Harry carries on a lively conversation in the very last scene of the main text, right? I'd like to think that somewhere along the line sometime later, Harry approached Snape's portrait in the same way, thanked Snape for—as his last living act—allowing Harry to gather and review his memories, and that subsequently, either on that occasion or later depending, he told Snape that he had named his son after him. My view of Harry is that he'd be someone who would feel compelled to do something like that. Has anyone else wondered about that point?

 

[arnisador]

(Seen on NC.)

Finished ‘Potter’? Rowling tells what happens next
Exclusive: Author gives details on events after the book’s final epilogue

As for his occupation, Harry, along with Ron, is working at the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. After all these years, Harry is now the department head.

Much more detail there too.

 

[MA-Caver]

(Seen on NC.)

Finished ‘Potter’? Rowling tells what happens next
Exclusive: Author gives details on events after the book’s final epilogue



Much more detail there too.

Awesome... thanks Arnie... that helps.

 

[MA-Caver]

...after all, Snape was a Hogwarts headmaster. His portrait, which he occupies in a kind of demi-living state, hangs in the headmaster's office, along with that of Phineas Nigellus and Dumbledore himself, with whom Harry carries on a lively conversation in the very last scene of the main text, right? I'd like to think that somewhere along the line sometime later, Harry approached Snape's portrait in the same way, thanked Snape for—as his last living act—allowing Harry to gather and review his memories, and that subsequently, either on that occasion or later depending, he told Snape that he had named his son after him. My view of Harry is that he'd be someone who would feel compelled to do something like that. Has anyone else wondered about that point?

Consider that for seven years Harry usually thought the worst of Snape, from the first year on in the main dining hall (from book 1 -- which I'm re-reading now) Harry and Snapes just look at each other from their seats and Harry could feel the "dislike" immediately, then after his first Potions class the feeling became mutual. More so then when Snape seemed to be picking on him and humiliating him in front of his rivals (Malfoy and his cronies)and newfound friends.
Later books Snape seems to show a bit of that double agent as he stands up for Harry (book 2 -- Chamber of Secrets) and on other occasions throughout the series, but again he's mean and spiteful. For another good reason; James, Harry's father who was basically the school-yard bully to Snape at Hogwarts.
In book 6 Harry, inspite of Dumbledore's reassurrances sees the man kill his beloved mentor. The hatered is hardened even further.
Now at the end of it all Harry realizes just how wrong he has been. Realizes the extreme danger to his own life Snape put himself under and realizes that it was for because the love of his Mother Lily.
Guilt can drive a person to such extremes... meaning Snape. Snape assisted Voldemort in finding James and Lily Potter but probably hoped that Lily would be spared and give him a chance to have her love for himself. But of course Voldemort kills them both and hence Snape turns double agent and promises to help destroy the wizard that destroyed his love. Yet in the end he dies defending Harry because of his love for Lily.
Harry now a father and a with a loving wife... surely has learned through them (wife and kids) the high price everyone has paid to get to where things are now. He probably realizes the highest price was paid by both Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snapes and that the price they paid was for him; Harry Potter so that he (in accordance to the prophecy) could vanquish/destroy Voldemort for good.
How else would Harry honor those whom he is deeply indebted to?

 

[Kacey]

Given the new information - especially the back story - provided in Deathly Hallows, I am now rereading the entire set... and I must say, that puts a whole new light on quite a few things.

 

[Carol]

I loved this book. It made me sad but I loved it anyway.

Tonks and Lupin united....only to die together. Snape's undying love for Lily, and Harry.

There were a few other things I picked up on...one is, in the end, the only material "thing" Harry wanted was his wand. The loss of his beloved (and expensive) broomstick didn't appear to register with him.

 

[exile]

I loved this book. It made me sad but I loved it anyway.

Tonks and Lupin united....only to die together. Snape's undying love for Lily, and Harry.

There were a few other things I picked up on...one is, in the end, the only material "thing" Harry wanted was his wand. The loss of his beloved (and expensive) broomstick didn't appear to register with him.

The thing that really struck me, and stayed with me (and made me wonder about whether Harry might really have tried to make his peace with Snape-as-portrait) was where Harry, reviewing the memories that Snape has left him, hears the conversation about him between Snape and Dumbledore where the latter reveals that Harry must die in order to destroy the piece of Voldemort's soul that he has unknowingly embodied since his parents' death—and Snape asks, incredulously and indignantly,

You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?... Everyting was suppose to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter—

True, Snape protests that it's not Harry himself on whose behalf he is `horrified' (as JKR puts it) but rather Lily's. But the force of that exclamation clearly shows that he finds this use of Harry, whom he's professed to despise, absolutely despicable. We know now that Dumbledore had thought past that point, long before, realizing how Lily's blood in Harry, and therefore in Voldemort, would keep Harry alive even after he had `died' in the destruction of the part of Voldemort's soul living in him. The sheer intensity of that outburst seems to me however to reflect the pool of decency and humanity that has been lying at the very base of Snape's personality, which we've never been allowed to see before... In a way, it's really one of the most affecting moments in the whole book.

 

[MA-Caver]

There were a few other things I picked up on...one is, in the end, the only material "thing" Harry wanted was his wand. The loss of his beloved (and expensive) broomstick didn't appear to register with him.

Well considering the loads of cash in his family's vault... he probably could afford a fleet of Firebolts (or whatever it was).
I mean go figure, if Sirus who was on the run from the (law) could afford to send Harry one... then they can't be THAT expensive.
They were only "expensive" to the Weasleys.

 

[ChingChuan]

Still, that Firebolt was so expensive that Harry told himself not to buy one... It struck me, too, that Harry didn't really notice the fact that he lost his broom. He got the thing from Sirius after all, so even if he wouldn't miss playing Qudiditch (they didn't do that at all! I mean, come on, even though they went after the Horcruxes, they didn't have a single 'relax moment'...) I think he'd have missed it because of the emotional value. When he lost his Nimbus TwoThousand in PoA, he was really upset because of it... And this broom, which even saved him from a dragon, is just forgotten...