My Bit of Earth

It's Been Magical, Hasn't It?

I apologize for my absence these past few days, but we've been busy rewatching Harry this week in order to get ready for our date with Deathly Hallows, Part 2 tomorrow evening.   

I always thought this day would be a little sad for me.  Along with about half the population of the planet, I'm a huge Harry Potter fan.  When the last book came out, I could say, "At least there are still movies to look forward to...."  And, while I think Jo Rowling (we're on a first name basis, see) still has some fun little bits in store (e.g. Pottermore), basically, this is it.

For the most part, my entire amorphous twenties can be dated in Harry Potter....

Devouring Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire in one sleepless twenty-four hour stretch at Sweet Husband's scary first apartment....walking to class on the most delicious, cloudy Halloween as I listened to Hedwig's Theme for the first time on my Discman (ack! so old!)....taking a very young Sweet Sister to a past-her-bedtime midnight showing of Chamber of Secrets....

Hunting down copies of Order of the Phoenix at midnight with a friend, who was later a bridesmaid in our wedding....being just a little disappointed that I wouldn't be able to see the Prisoner of Azkaban movie the day it came out because we were on our honeymoon in Mexico....trying so hard to keep my poker face with Sweet Husband's family (also all big fans) when we unexpectedly ended up together for his grandfather's funeral the weekend after Half-Blood Prince came out and I had finished the book and no one else had....

Waiting and speculating about things like "Who is R.A.B?" and "Is Snape good or bad?" before Deathly Hallows....the pure joy at finally having the book in my hands and getting to dive in and find out....watching the characters and effects transformed into movies that were visually incredible....watching the actors that played the main characters grow up into really nice human beings....just barely sneaking into the theme park in Orlando before the grand opening, with the Kiddo (at a just-barely-even-there five weeks) stowing away in my belly like a tiny, magical secret....

So yes, maybe this should be a bit of a sad day....but actually, all I can feel is incredibly grateful and lucky.

I think it's a safe bet that the Harry Potter books will stand the test of time to become classics.  The Kiddo will read them, his kids will read them....and that by itself is something special.  I love to think of my great-grandkids under the covers, wide-eyed, reading about Voldemort's return in the graveyard of Goblet of Fire.  Or having dreams about playing Quidditch.  Or giggling at my favorite lines ("Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret....")  Or falling in love with Dobby and Hagrid and Lupin and Dumbledore.  

But I have one-up on my decendants, because I got to be here for the books' creation--the suspense, the speculation, the waiting two years for one glorious night of reading, the countdown to the release of each movie.  

And, as will happen for the last time this weekend, the fun of getting together every so often--whether for movie or book--with a few hundred people who are just as excited about it all as I am.  The universalness of knowing that, give-or-take a few hours for time zones, millions of fans are sitting down, sharing it all right along with me.

It really has been a magical time.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

(Interrupting my normal blogging activities for a moment to talk about one of my other passions--Harry Potter.  The sixth movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, was released at midnight last night, so for all you other Potter fans that are readers, let's discuss!)

So much for people losing interest after the last book--apparently Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince made 22.2 million dollars last night!  I was there, of course.  Not much beats going to a Potter movie on opening night in my book.  It's like watching a movie with a hundred of your best friends--lots of cheering and clapping and laughing....and usually some crying too!  

And as for the movie itself....(leave now if you don't want to know)....I was left at the end trying to decide whether it was well-done or not.  

There were changes from the book--perhaps the most changes in any of the movies so far.  I know they have to cut stuff, but this was more like outright substitution than cutting for length--it just didn't make any sense to me at all.  

For example, instead of the "The Other Minister" chapter or the scene at the Dursley's (perhaps some of the funniest in the books), Dumbledore finds Harry flirting with a waitress at a restaurant in the subway because Harry now rides trains for fun?  Then there was this whole weird bit about how Lily Potter gave Slughorn a pet fish?  It was very "WTF?"

The added "attack on the Burrow" scene was scary, but I'm not sure if it was necessary.  The stated reason for adding it was to show how dangerous the wizarding world was becoming, but I think it really would have just been better to do it as Rowling did in the books--with a mention here and there of someone dying or disappearing from Hermione reading her Daily Prophet.

And then Harry and Dumbledore get back to the Astronomy tower after the bit in the cave.  I knew that the battle scene had been left out, and I think that by itself would have been OK, but they also left out many of the lines that are what made that part of the book so poignant.  I so missed Dumbledore's "I'm not worried Harry, I'm with you."  And when Harry gives chase to Snape and calls him a coward, I almost wanted to shout back the, "Don't call me a coward" line instead of whatever drivel Alan Rickman said in its place.

Then Harry goes back to find all the students starting at Dumbledore's fallen body--geez, you don't think maybe someone would have thought to pick him up or straighten him out or something?  I kind of understand why they left out the funeral--most of the interesting parts of that happen in Harry's head, after all--but the funky wand-lighting thing and later awkward conversation between Harry and McGonagall had to take up almost as much time.  Then later, Harry, Ron, and Hermione discuss not coming back to school (again, minus the "We've had time to turn back" bit).  The movie could have ended with Hermione's line that "of course they weren't going to let Harry go hunt horcruxes alone", but instead they start waxing about how beautiful Hogwarts is.  It was just...flat.

But other than the strange changes, the movie was actually really well done.  Slughorn was perfect!  And Tom Felton, whom I've been annoyed with in the past, also did an excellent job of showing Draco's inner torment.  The scene with Katie Bell and the necklace was incredibly spooky.  And the scenes with Ron playing quidditch and the bits showing the teenage romance were just hilarious.  Even Michael Gambon has improved.  Although it only took him four movies to do so, I can't find fault with his Dumbledore at all in this one.

It's kind of frustrating actually, because when the writers and directors work with Rowling's original material--and let the actors work with Rowling's material--they make great movies.  It's like I just want to write a note to (screenwriter) Steve Kloves, 

"Dear Steve, 

J.K. Rowling? Better writer than you!  So use her stuff instead of making up your own, K?  Thanks!"  

Do you think that would be helpful?  :)

Overall, I'm too much of a fan not to like just about any Potter movie that gets made, but I certainly don't think this one was "the best Potter yet" as the critics are saying.  I definitely like Goblet and Phoenix better...and maybe even the first three, although this one was certainly funnier....

Anyone else seen it yet?  Thoughts?

Finite

When I started this blog, my goal was to blog "Harry's last year".  Well, the last year is over, and--sad as I am to end it--so must be this blog. 

I hope those of you who have read along (Hi Stacy!  Hi Pam!) have had as much fun as I have.  And in the words of my favorite character, flaws and all, remember, "Of course it [happened] inside your head . . . but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

Goodbye Harry . . . .

Cold Turkey

People have asked me over the past few months if I'm still as obsessed with Dear Harry as I was pre-Deathly Hallows.  To be completely honest, I have to say no.

It's weird, I read the book twice the weekend it came out, had about a week of, "This sucks, it's over," and then I was just done.  I haven't picked up one of the books or watched a movie since.

I still love the story--and it's not that I didn't like the ending.  I'll still go see the rest of the movies the night they come out, buy the DVD's, and keep hunting for those last bits of Potter paraphernalia that I just can't live without.  But it's not quite the same.  I think the suspense was a big part of the fun for me, and now that I know....eh, I know.

However, for those of you still in the throes of obsession--or just looking for something fun--two articles: 

First, what I think may be the last column by Lady Lupin, my favorite editorialist over at Mugglenet, wherein she discusses...oh, too many things to summarize.  It's thoughtful, it's nostalgic, it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. 

Second, courtesy of WikiHow, "How to Get over a Harry Potter obsession"--if you can't quit cold turkey, that is. 

Tidbits

A few nice bits from here and there....

First a review of Deathly Hallows (kinda-sorta) by Stephen King.  I like reading what he has to say about J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter books.  As a super-famous author himself, he has a unique perspective, plus sometimes he says things I've thought myself.  For example:

"And so now the hurly-burly's done, the battle's lost and won — the Battle of Hogwarts, that is — and all the secrets are out of the Sorting Hat. Those who bet Harry Potter would die lost their money; the boy who lived turned out to be exactly that. And if you think that's a spoiler at this late date, you were never much of a Potter fan to begin with."

Also, a lovely interview with Evanna Lynch.  Can't you just see her before all the Harry-madness?  I imagine a creative, but kind of odd girl--not unlike Luna herself.  And then she becomes a world-famous actress, not for being someone else, but really just for being herself.  Can't you just see all the "mean girls" at her high school squirming now?

Lastly, a pre-Deathly Hallows interview with Daniel Radcliffe, which would be pretty unremarkable (that is to say, just like all the other interviews with Daniel) if not for a teensy bit at the end where he says, "Alan is the only one who seems to know what’s going to happen...."  Assuming he means "Alan" Rickman, I have to say I TOLD YOU SO!

A little late perhaps....

....but still well worth sharing.

Don't Send Your Owl

If you're in the mood to do all the work of having to print off the form...and fill it out...and find a stamp...and an envelope...and address the envelope...and find a mailbox to put it all in....then you should know that the entry form for the drawing for tickets to see JKR in New York is now available. 

But, just think, even if you win--which would be against ALL odds--you would have to travel all the way to New York in the middle of October, of all months!  It'll be cold and windy I bet, and the crowds will be horrible.  So you probably don't really want to enter after all....

The Final Founder

And here we have the final founder and August Wizard of the Month on JKR.com--Rowena Ravenclaw.  You'll notice the nice, shiny horcrux-to-be on her head.

The Floodgates Open

I was kind of one of those people who thought JKR would continue to be a little secretive, even after Deathly Hallows.  I don't know why--maybe out of habit, or desire to have us fill in the gaps ourselves, or just whatever.  Boy was I wrong!

Here's yet another snippet from her, this one clearing up some of the plot ambiguities in DH (such as Neville pulling the sword out of the hat, and that whole Elder Wand business).  After years of veiled hints and winks, this new Jo is going to take some getting used to.

The Answers Lie Within

Here are the last of the answers we'll get from Jo, for awhile at least, via the Bloomsbury live chat that was held this morning.  Overall, the series of post-DH interviews has filled in the gaps quite nicely for me.  I consider myself a fairly big fan--although certainly not as big as some--and I think the interviews have answered all of my questions except for one.  (And it's fairly small in the grand scheme of things--I just want to know where the names "Rose" and "Hugo" came from...and maybe a little bit more about the ultimate fate of the Dursleys.)

At any rate, the transcript of the chat in it's entirety is below; it's all so good I couldn't bear to just excerpt bits....[Some commentary from me will appear later, in brackets just like these.]

J.K. Rowling: I'm here and I can't wait! Bring on the questions!

Leaky Cauldron: What, if anything, did the wizarding world learn, and how did society change, as a direct result of the war with voldemort? (i.E., not as a result of harry, ron and hermione's future careers.)
J.K. Rowling: The Ministry of Magic was de-corrupted, and with Kingsley at the helm the discrimination that was always latent there was eradicated. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny et al would of course play a significant part in the re-building of wizarding society through their future careers.

Ryan Love: From your fans at thesnitch.Co.Uk. Weren't we supposed to see ginny display powerful magical abilities in "deathly hallows" and find out why it's significant that she's the seventh child? Was her main role in the books only to be harry's love interest?
J.K. Rowling: Hi Ryan! Well, I think Ginny demonstrated powerful magic in the final battle, and that for a sixteen year old witch she acquitted herself pretty well. I don't remember ever saying that her 'seventh child' status would prove particularly important in the last book, though - are you sure I said that?!

Georgina: Did lucius malfoy, and all the other escaped death eaters, go back to azkaban
J.K. Rowling: No, the Malfoys weaseled their way out of trouble (again) due to the fact that they colluded (albeit out of self-interest) with Harry at the end of the battle.

Elisabeth: In the chapter of kings cross, are they behind the veil or in some world between the real world and the veil?
J.K. Rowling: You can make up your own mind on this, but I think that Harry entered a kind of limbo between life and death.

Renee: From reading about the original owners of the deathly hallows, the peverell brothers, i'm wondering if harry and voldermort are distantly related voldermorts grandfather ended up with the resurrection stone ring?
J.K. Rowling: Yes, Harry and Voldemort are distantly related through the Peverells. Of course, nearly all wizarding families are related if you trace them back through the centuries. As was made clear in 'Deathly hallows', Peverell blood would run through many wizarding families.

Fomy: What did you feel when you finally wrote the kiss, awaited so much by the fans, of ron and Hermione
J.K. Rowling: I loved writing it, and I loved the fact that Hermione took the initiative! Ron had finally got SPEW and earned himself a snog!

Angela Morrissey: Why is it that albus dumbledore can see harry under his invisibility cloak at certain moments? (during the series is the cloak only infallible to those who do not own a deathly hallow).
J.K. Rowling: Dumbledore, who could perform magic without needing to say the incantation aloud, was using 'homenum revelio' - the human-presence-revealing spell Hermione makes use of in Deathly Hallows.

Jamie Lewis: What ever happened to winky
J.K. Rowling: She's still at Hogwarts, and she was one of the oncoming house-elves who attacked the Death Eaters in the final battle.

Katieleigh: Does hermione still continue to do work with spew and is life any better for house elves!
J.K. Rowling: Hermione began her post-Hogwarts career at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves and their ilk. She then moved (despite her jibe to Scrimgeour) to the Dept. of Magical Law Enforcement, where she was a progressive voice who ensured the eradication of oppressive, pro-pureblood laws.

Tineke: Did teddy grow up living with his grandmother?
J.K. Rowling: Yes, Teddy was raised by Andromeda. However, unlike Neville, who was also raised by his grandmother, Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father's friends in the Order, to visit and stay with.

Blodeuwedd: Hi jk, first of all thank you for all the books I have enjoyed each and every one of them could you tell us what professions harry, hermione, ron, ginny and luna go on to have did the trio do their final year at school and take their newts who became hea
J.K. Rowling: Thank you! I've already answered about Hermione. Kingsley became permanent Minister for Magic, and naturally he wanted Harry to head up his new Auror department. Harry did so (just because Voldemort was gone, it didn't mean that there would not be other Dark witches and wizards in the coming years). Ron joined George at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes, which became an enormous money-spinner. After a few years as a celebrated player for the Holyhead Harpies, Ginny retired to have her family and to become the Senior Quidditch correspondent at the Daily Prophet!

Camille: What or who is peeves exactly, is he linked with the blood barons story?
J.K. Rowling: No, Peeves is not linked to the bloody Baron's story. He is a spirit of chaos that entered the building long ago and has proved impossible to eradicate!

Jessie: Were the deathly hallows based on any realworld myth or faerie tale
J.K. Rowling: Perhaps 'the Pardoner's Tale', by Chaucer.

Alicepie: What happend to luna, did she get married who to?
J.K. Rowling: Luna became a very famous wizarding naturalist who discovered and classified many new species of animals (though, alas, she never did find a Crumple-Horned Snorkack and had, finally, to accept that her father might have made that one up). She ended up marrying (rather later than Harry & co) a fellow naturalist and grandson of the great Newt Scamander (Rolf)!

Rosi: What does in essence divided mean?
J.K. Rowling: Dumbledore suspected that the snake's essence was divided - that it contained part of Voldemort's soul, and that was why it was so very adept at doing his bidding. This also explained why Harry, the last and unintended Horcrux, could see so clearly through the snake's eyes, just as he regularly sees through Voldemort's. Dumbledore is thinking aloud here, edging towards the truth with the help of the Pensieve.

Superhans: What was duldeys worst memory?
J.K. Rowling: I think that when Dudley was attacked by the Dementors he saw himself, for the first time, as he really was. This was an extremely painful, but ultimately salutory lesson, and began the transformation in him.

Casey Kunze: Who killed remus and tonks I think if I knew this, I would get some closure over the very sad, but understandable, death of two of my favorite characters
J.K. Rowling: I'm so sorry! I met a couple on launch night who had come dressed as Lupin and Tonks, and I felt dreadfully guilty as I signed their books! Remus was killed by Dolohov and Tonks by Bellatrix.

Laura Trego: Was the absence of snapes portrait in the headmasters office in the last scene innocent or deliberate
J.K. Rowling: It was deliberate. Snape had effectively abandoned his post before dying, so he had not merited inclusion in these august circles. However, I like to think that Harry would be instrumental in ensuring that Snape's portrait would appear there in due course.

Stephanie: If the wand chooses the wizard, then why do wands work when passed down from father to son eg neville had his fathers wand
J.K. Rowling: As established by Ollivander, a wizard can use almost any wand, it is simply that a wand that chooses him/her will work best. Where there is a family connection, a wand will work a little better than a wand chosen at random, I think.

James Farrell: How did umbridge manage to conjure a patronus while wearing the locket when harry wasnt able to
J.K. Rowling: Because she is a very nasty piece of work. She has an affinity for this horrible object, which would help rather than hinder her.

Tineke: What happened to percy did he return to his job at the ministry
J.K. Rowling: Yes, the new improved Percy ended up as a high-ranking official under Kingsley.

Su: How did neville get the gryfindor sword, is there a link to the hat
J.K. Rowling: Yes, there is very definitely a link to the hat! Neville, most worthy Gryffindor, asked for help just as Harry did in the Chamber of secrets, and Gryffindor's sword was transported into Gryffindor's old hat - the Sorting Hat was Gryffindor's initially, as you know. Griphook was wrong - Gryffindor did not 'steal' the sword, not unless you are a goblin fanatic and believe that all goblin-made objects really belong to the maker.

Steph: Will azkaban still use dementors?
J.K. Rowling: No, definitely not. Kingsley would see to that. The use of Dementors was always a mark of the underlying corruption of the Ministry, as Dumbledore constantly maintained.

Smallbutpowerful: On behalf of all harry potter fans who consider themselves to be hufflepuffs could you please describe the hufflepuff common room as it is the only common room harry hasn't visited
J.K. Rowling: The Hufflepuff common room is accessed through a portrait near the kitchens, as I am sure you have deduced. Sorry - I should say 'painting' rather than portrait, because it is a still-life. It is a very cosy and welcoming place, as dissimilar as possible from Snape's dungeon. Lots of yellow hangings, and fat armchairs, and little underground tunnels leading to the dormitories, all of which have perfectly round doors, like barrel tops.

Camille: How is george getting along without his twin
J.K. Rowling: Well, I don't think that George would ever get over losing Fred, which makes me feel so sad. However, he names his first child and son Fred, and he goes on to have a very successful career, helped by good old Ron.

Jessica Lynn: Did hagrid have to be able to see thestrals in order to train them if so, whose death did hagrid witness
J.K. Rowling: Hagrid has seen many deaths in quite a long life, so yes, he can see Thestrals.

Allie: What did dumbledore truly see in the mirror of erased
J.K. Rowling: He saw his family alive, whole and happy - Ariana, Percival and Kendra all returned to him, and Aberforth reconciled to him.

Snapedinhalf: You promised that someone will do magic late in life in book 7. I've now read it three times but cant work out who it might have been! Please help!!
J.K. Rowling: I'm sorry about this, but I changed my mind! My very earliest plan for the story involved somebody managing to get to Hogwarts when they had never done magic before, but I had changed my mind by the time I'd written the third book.

Christiana: How did voldemort get his wand back after he was in was exile
J.K. Rowling: Wormtail, desperate to curry favour, salvaged it from the place it had fallen and carried it to him. I admit that would have been a bit of a feat for a rat, but they are highly intelligent creatures!

Amanda: Hiya, ive grown up with harry and the gang, did any of the characters change in any unexpected ways as they grew up
J.K. Rowling: They all became pretty much what I expected/planned them to become. Of course they changed as I wrote, but nobody surprised me very much!

Ravleen: How much does the fact that voldemort was conceived under a love potion have to do with his nonability to understand love is it more symbolic
J.K. Rowling: It was a symbolic way of showing that he came from a loveless union - but of course, everything would have changed if Merope had survived and raised him herself and loved him. The enchantment under which Tom Riddle fathered Voldemort is important because it shows coercion, and there can't be many more prejudicial ways to enter the world than as the result of such a union.

Lechicaneuronline: Do you think snape is a hero
J.K. Rowling: Yes, I do; though a very flawed hero. An anti-hero, perhaps. He is not a particularly likeable man in many ways. He remains rather cruel, a bully, riddled with bitterness and insecurity - and yet he loved, and showed loyalty to that love, and, ultimately, laid down his life because of it. That's pretty heroic!

James Farrell: Voldemort never told anyone about his horcruxes, so how on earth did regulus black discover his secret
J.K. Rowling: Horcrux magic was not Voldemort's own invention; as is established in the story, other wizards had done it, though never gone as far as to make six. Voldemort dropped oblique hints; in his arrogance, he did not believe anybody would be clever enough to understand them. (He does so in the graveyard of Little Hangleton, in front of Harry). He did this before Regulus and Regulus guessed, correctly, what it was that made Voldemort so convinced he could not die.

Jaclyn: Did lily ever have feelings back for snape
J.K. Rowling: Yes. She might even have grown to love him romantically (she certainly loved him as a friend) if he had not loved Dark Magic so much, and been drawn to such loathesome people and acts.

Boggo: Would you choose the hallow that is the cloak, like youre supposed to, and would you be tempted to use the others
J.K. Rowling: My temptation would be Harry's, ie, the Stone. But I believe, as does Harry ultimately, that the greatest wisdom is in accepting that we must all die, and moving on.

Cornersoul: So what happens to all the dementors where will they go will they be destroyed if so, how
J.K. Rowling: You cannot destroy Dementors, though you can limit their numbers if you eradicate the conditions in which they multiply, ie, despair and degradation. As I've already said, though, the Ministry no longer used them to torment its opponents.

Michael: Why didnt fawkes come back to help harry I would have thought that since harry was so loyal to dumbledore, fawkes would have been harrys new pet
J.K. Rowling: Something had to leave the school for good when Dumbledore died, and I decided that would be Fawkes. Dumbledore was a very great and irreplacable man, and the loss of Fawkes (and the fact that he was 'non-transferable'!) expresses this symbolically.

Roseweasley: Why was colin creavey still a student at hogwarts when he was muggleborn surely he would have been locked up and interogated, not allowed back to school therefore, he shouldnt have died
J.K. Rowling: Colin wasn't a student. He sneaked back with the rest of the DA, along with Fred, George and the rest. He ought not to have stayed behind when McGonagall told him to leave, but alas - he did.

Delailah: How does dumbledore understand parseltongue?
J.K. Rowling: Dumbledore understood Mermish, Gobbledegook and Parseltongue. The man was brilliant.

Jessie: Will lockhart ever recover?
J.K. Rowling: No. Nor would I want him to. He's happy where he is, and I'm happier without him!

Annie: Does the wizarding world now know that snape was dumbledores man, or do they still think he did a bunk
J.K. Rowling: Harry would ensure that Snape's heroism was known. Of course, that would not stop Rita Skeeter writing 'Snape: Scoundrel or Saint?'

Vio91: Is teddy lupin a werewolf
J.K. Rowling: No, he's a Metamorphmagus like his mother.

Nippy23: We see socks a lot throughout the series, such as dobby's love for them and dumbledore's claim to see them in the mirror of erised, what's the reason behind all the socks
J.K. Rowling: Nothing deep and significant, I'm afraid. They're just a comedy item.

Lady Bella: Whose murders did voldemor use to create each of the horcruxes
J.K. Rowling: The diary - Moaning Myrtle. The cup - Hepzibah Smith, the previous owner. The locket - a Muggle tramp. Nagini - Bertha Jorkins (Voldemort could use a wand once he regained a rudimentary body, as long as the victim was subdued). The diadem - an Albanian peasant. The ring - Tom Riddle snr.

Sampotterish: Why did dumbledore want ron to keep his deluminator
J.K. Rowling: Because he knew that Ron might need a little more guidance than the other two. Dumbledore understood Ron's importance in the trio. He wasn't the most skilled, or the most intelligent, but he held them together; his humour and his good heart were essential.

Carol: Do dementors have souls
J.K. Rowling: No, that's what makes them frightening!

Jess Mac: What was the third smell that hermione smelt in the amortentia potion in hbp (ie the particular essence of ron)
J.K. Rowling: I think it was his hair. Every individual has very distinctive-smelling hair, don't you find?

Natalie: Are house divisions as prevalaent in harry's children's hogwarts as in the previous generations
J.K. Rowling: Slytherin has become diluted. It is no longer the pureblood bastion it once was. Nevertheless, its dark reputation lingers, hence Albus Potter's fears.

Nithya: Lily detested mulciber,averyif snape really loved her,why didnt he sacrifice their company for her sake
J.K. Rowling: Well, that is Snape's tragedy. Given his time over again he would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people (like Wormtail) he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive. He wanted Lily and he wanted Mulciber too. He never really understood Lily's aversion; he was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought she would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater.

Alborz: What does it mean to be the master of death
J.K. Rowling: As Dumbledore explains, the real master of Death accepts that he must die, and that there are much worse things in the world of the living. It is not about striving for immortality, but about accepting mortality.

Barbara: I was very disappointed to see harry use crucio and seem to enjoy it his failure to perform that kind of curse in the past has been a credit to his character why the change, and did harry later regret having enjoyed deliberately causing pain
J.K. Rowling: Harry is not, and never has been, a saint. Like Snape, he is flawed and mortal. Harry's faults are primarily anger and occasional arrogance. On this occasion, he is very angry and acts accordingly. He is also in an extreme situation, and attempting to defend somebody very good against a violent and murderous opponent.

Nicole: What do you think is the funniest moment you have written in the series
J.K. Rowling: It sounds very vain to answer this! My favourite in this book is probably that line of Ron's 'really captures the scope and tragedy of the thing, doesn't it?'

Courtney: What child did harry give the marauders map to if any
J.K. Rowling: I've got a feeling he didn't give it to any of them, but that James sneaked it out of his father's desk one day.

Karin: What did petunia wanted to say to hary at the end of the dursleys departing
J.K. Rowling: I think that for one moment she trembled on the verge of wishing Harry luck; that she almost acknowledged that her loathing of his world, and of him, was born out of jealousy. But she couldn't do it; years of pretending that 'normal' was best had hardened her too much.

Leaky Cauldron: Please pose and answer the question you'd most like to address about the series! (a ha, turned it back on you.)
J.K. Rowling: Oooo, you're tough. I must admit, I always wondered why nobody ever asked me what Dumbledore's wand was made of! And I couldn't say that, even when asked 'what do you wish you'd been asked...' because it would have sign-posted just how significant that wand would become!

Nora: Is auntie muriels tiara important
J.K. Rowling: No, sorry... except to illustrate what an old bat she is.

Nigel: Can harry speak parseltongue when he is no longer a horcrux?
J.K. Rowling: No, he loses the ability, and is very glad to do so.

Nikki: How did sirius twoway mirror end up with aberforth or is it another twoway mirror
J.K. Rowling: You see Aberforth meeting Mundungus in Hogsmeade. That was the occasion on which Dung, who had taken Sirius's mirror from Grimmauld Place, sold it to Aberforth.

Tierney Roth: If moody got a magic eye, and wormtail got a magic hand, couldnt there be some way to form a magical ear, if only to cover up the hole and make george look more symmetrical
J.K. Rowling: Yes, he could wear a false ear (I'm starting to giggle at the thought. Perhaps he's better off with the hole!)

Lucy: What is dumbledores boggart?
J.K. Rowling: The corpse of his sister.

Pablo: What is toadface umbridge doing now
J.K. Rowling: Glad to see you like her as much as I do! She was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned for crimes against Muggleborns.

Tina: Do the muggles notice that there arent any weird things going on now that voldemorts gone
J.K. Rowling: Yes, the world seems a much sunnier place (literally - with the Dementors gone the weather gets better!) We are having a heavily Dementor-influenced summer here in the UK.

Katie Mosher: How exactly do muggleborns receive magical ability
J.K. Rowling: Muggle-borns will have a witch or wizard somewhere on their family tree, in some cases many, many generations back. The gene re-surfaces in some unexpected places.

Maggie: Is rita skeeter still reporting
J.K. Rowling: Naturally, what could stop Rita? I imagine she immediately dashed off a biography of Harry after he defeated Voldemort. One quarter truth to three quarters rubbish.

Maggie Keir: Was hermione able to find her parents and undo the memory damage
J.K. Rowling: Yes, she brought them home straight away.

Lola Victorpujebet: Was minerva in love with albus
J.K. Rowling: No! Not everybody falls in love with everybody else...

Rachel Nell: Jkr, thank you for such amazing books! I would like to know how come noone seemed to know that lily and snape were friends in school they were obviously meeting for chats, etc didnt james know their past
J.K. Rowling: Thank you for your thank you! Yes, it was known that they were friendly and then stopped being friends. Nothing more than that would be widely known. James always suspected Snape harboured deeper feelings for Lily, which was a factor in James' behaviour to Snape.

Abbey: Will the chuddley cannons ever win the quidditch world cup
J.K. Rowling: Bless them, perhaps. But they'd need to replace the entire team and down several cauldrons of Felix Felicitas.

Hayleyhaha: Why did regulus have a change of heart
J.K. Rowling: He was not prepared for the reality of life as a Death Eater. It was Voldemort's attempted murder of Kreacher that really turned him.

J.K. Rowling: Scorpius has a lot going against him, not least that name. However, I think Scorpius would be an improvement on his father, whom misfortune has sobered!
Stephval: Is scorpius as misguided as his father, or has draco improved and taught his child(ren) better
J.K. Rowling: Sorry, technical hitch - just answered a question before seeing it!
J.K. Rowling: I am clearly getting better at Legilimency.

Lona: Did draco and harry lose their animosity towards eachother when voldemort died
J.K. Rowling: Not really. There would be a kind of rapprochement, in that Harry knows Draco hated being a Death Eater, and would not have killed Dumbledore; similarly, Draco would feel a grudging gratitude towards Harry for saving his life. Real friendship would be out of the question, though. Too much had happened prior to the final battle.

Hannah: Why was snape so badly groomed
J.K. Rowling: Hmm. Good question. Poor eyesight? Did he look in the mirror and believe he was gorgeous as he was? I think it more likely that he valued other qualities in himself!

Ea: Will the stone ever be found, since it was left just sitting on the forest floor
J.K. Rowling: I think not. I imagine that it was squashed into the ground by a centaur's hoof as the centaurs dashed to the aid of the Hogwarts fighters, and thereafter became buried.

Adwait313: Has the jinx on the dada teaching post at hogwarts been lifted
J.K. Rowling: Yes, at last! Incidentally, I know some have asked about Quirrell with regard to this question. He was teaching at Hogwarts for more than a year, but NOT in the post of D.A.D.A. teacher. He was previously Muggle Studies professor.

Emily: What ever happened to Aberforth
J.K. Rowling: He is still there, at the Hog's Head, playing with his goats.

Lee: I recently purchsed nimbus twothousand it has a terrible knack of veering left is their anything I can do (wihout the use of a wand it was broken by a hippogriff) to repair it back to it original straight flying state
J.K. Rowling: Hm. I would advise a trip to Arkie Alderton's Kwik-Repair Shop. Never attempt to mend a broom at home, the consequences can be disastrous.

Abjoppotter: Is narcissa malfoy really a death eater
J.K. Rowling: No, she never had the Dark Mark and was never a fully paid-up member. However, her views were identical to those of her husband until Voldemort planned the death of her son.

Emzzy: Did mr weasley ever get around to fixing sirius motorbike
J.K. Rowling: Of course, and it ended up in Harry's possession.

Lulu: Do you think dumbledore was a little more fond of ron than either ron or harry believed
J.K. Rowling: Yes, I do. Through Harry's account of Ron, and from reports of the professors who taught Ron, Dumbledore understood Ron better than Ron ever knew, and liked him, too.

Chelatina: Was firenze ever welcomed back into the herd
J.K. Rowling: Yes, the rest of the herd was forced to acknowledge that Firenze's pro-human leanings were not shameful, but honourable.

Kristy: What was your favorite scene to write in deathly hallows?
J.K. Rowling: Chapter 34: The Forest Again.

Chely: James patronus is a stag and lilys a doe is that a coincidence?
J.K. Rowling: No, the Patronus often mutates to take the image of the love of one's life (because they so often become the 'happy thought' that generates a Patronus).

Jon: Since voldemort was afraid of death, did he choose to be a ghost if so where does he haunt or is this not possible due to his horcruxes
J.K. Rowling: No, he is not a ghost. He is forced to exist in the stunted form we witnessed in King's Cross.

Angela Morrissey: Were there seven horcruxes not six as dumbledore intimated to harry if so, does this mean that voldemort had an 8 part soul not a 7
J.K. Rowling: Yes, Voldemort accidentally broke his soul into eight parts, not seven.

Laura Trego: Did hermione really put a memory charm on her parents she says she did but then about 50 pages later tells ron shes never done a memory charm
J.K. Rowling: They are two different charms. She has not wiped her parents' memories (as she later does to Dolohov and Rowle); she has bewitched them to make them believe that they are different people.

Maura: How come voldemort was no longer employing occlumency against harry, as he was in the 6th book
J.K. Rowling: He is losing control, and unable to prevent Harry seeing into his mind. The connection between them is never fully understood by Voldemort, who does not know that Harry is a Horcrux.

Gandalfxj9: Did krum ever find love
J.K. Rowling: Of course, though he had to go back to his native Bulgaria to do so.

Twinkletoes: Why did you feel that hedwigs death was necessary
J.K. Rowling: The loss of Hedwig represented a loss of innocence and security. She has been almost like a cuddly toy to Harry at times. Voldemort killing her marked the end of childhood. I'm sorry... I know that death upset a LOT of people!

Lecanard: Will we see harry and his friends having their own history on chocolate frogs cards
J.K. Rowling: Definitely, and Ron will describe this as his finest hour.

Mike: What is the incantation for creating a Horcrux
J.K. Rowling: I cannot possibly tell you. Some things are better left unsaid.

Samantha: Was snape the only death eater who could produce a full patronus
J.K. Rowling: Yes, because a Patronus is used against things that the Death Eaters generally generate, or fight alongside. They would not need Patronuses.

Jess: How did nagini could see harry and hermione if they were under the invisibility cloak
J.K. Rowling: Snakes' sense are very different from human ones. They can detect heat and movement in a way that we can't.

Chucky: Have you had another alternatives as book title apart from deathly hallows
J.K. Rowling: The two other possibilities were 'the Elder Wand' (used instead as a chapter title) and 'the Peverell Quest', which I decided against quite quickly. I think the word 'Quest' is a bit corny!

Iglooanne: What would your patronus be
J.K. Rowling: I'd like an otter, like Hermione, but I've got a feeling it might be a large dog.

The Stoic Cycle: Why is it that voldemort is unaware that the gaunt ring is a hallow, when he has worn it (such as in the memory the diary shows harry in book 2)
J.K. Rowling: Wearing the ring would not make the stone work. The stone existed outside the ring originally, and to use it you had to turn it three times in your hand.

Finchburg: Does the dark mark remain on those that voldemort has branded after his death or does the tattoo dissapear now he is gone thanks for considering my question!
J.K. Rowling: My pleasure, Finchburg! The Dark Mark would fade to a scar, not dissimilar to the lightning scar on Harry's forehead. Like Harry's, these scars would no longer burn or hurt.

Katie Mosher: How is the quibbler doing these days
J.K. Rowling: Pretty well, actually. It has returned to its usual condition of advanced lunacy, and is appreciated for its unintentional humour.

Camille: Dear mrs rowling, while im here I want to thank you for making me laugh, cry (a lot! Most of all for sirius!) since im 11 quite a long time for me as im 20 harrys magic and yours will be with me forever! Thanks!
J.K. Rowling: Thank you very much, Camille, and I'm sorry about Sirius. That man's got a lot of fans. Mostly female, I might add.

Nicofr: Does winky still drink a lot of butterbear
J.K. Rowling: She's dried out a bit now.

Isabel: Did bellatrix ever love her husband, or did she have love only for Voldemort
J.K. Rowling: She took a pureblood husband, because that was what was expected of her, but her true love was always Voldemort.

jenny: How did snape keep his patronus secret from the rest of the order?
J.K. Rowling: He was careful not to use the talking Patronus means of communication with them. This was not difficult, as his particular job within the Order, ie, as spy, meant that sending a Patronus to any of them might have given away his true allegiance.

Darchey: Did voldemort ever love a girl
J.K. Rowling: No, he loved only power, and himself. He valued people whom he could use to advance his own objectives.

Leo: What would your wand be made of
J.K. Rowling: I'd like Harry's wand - holly and phoenix feather.

Brian: Did the da keep the coins?
J.K. Rowling: Naturally. They would be like badges or medals of honour - proof that the owner had been at the heart of the fight against Voldemort from the start! I like to imagine Neville showing his to his admiring pupils.

Tracie: How relieved are you that you can finally talk about the series no more secretkeeping!
J.K. Rowling: I'm elated! It is great to be able to do this at last, I've looked forward to it for so long!

Lou: How did snape get into grimmauld place to get the second half of the letter, if there were protection spells on the house stopping snape getting in
J.K. Rowling: Snape entered the house immediately after Dumbledore's death, before Moody put up the spells against him.

Koen Van Der Voort: Why is the scar on harrys forehead lightning shaped
J.K. Rowling: To be honest, because it's a cool shape. I couldn't have my hero sport a doughnut-shaped scar.

Louie: Did mariettas pimply formation ever fade
J.K. Rowling: Eventually, but it left a few scars. I loathe a traitor!

Katie B: Why was kings cross the place harry went to when he died

J.K. Rowling: For many reasons. The name works rather well, and it has been established in the books as the gateway between two worlds, and Harry would associate it with moving on between two worlds (don't forget that it is Harry's image we see, not necessarily what is really there.

J.K. Rowling: We seem to have over-run. We've had over 120,000 questions, I've been told!
J.K. Rowling: What can I say? Thank you so much for sticking with me, and with Harry, for so long. You have made this an incredible journey for Harry's author.
J.K. Rowling: I like this question, so I'll take it for my last.

Tess: What muggle song do you imagine would be played at dumbledores funeral
J.K. Rowling: Surely 'I did it my way' by Frank Sinatra.

J.K. Rowling: I'm very aware I haven't answered everything... keep an eye on my website, and I'll try and answer some more questions in due course!
J.K. Rowling: Thanks very much everybody, I've had a great time, and I hope I've covered some of the outstanding questions (I hear a distant roar of 'YOU DIDN'T GET TO MINE!')
J.K. Rowling: That's it... I'm Disapparating. Bye!

EventManager: Thank you for participating and for all of your great questions. A full transcript will be available on www.bloomsbury.com/harrypotter tomorrow.

Tell Us More! Tell Us More!

Poor Jo Rowling!  I mean, sure, she seems happy, fulfilled--and then there's the fact that she's a gazillionaire--but I after reading every tidbit from her interview on the Today show website I almost feel sorry for her.  For the rest of her life, everywhere she goes there are going to be people asking her questions like, "What career did Albus Severus Potter choose when he grew up?"  and "What is Hermione's granddaughter's middle name?".

But, although the interview wasn't that detailed, it did fill in some of the gaps left in the epilogue.  Most notably she says Harry and Ron are both aurors and Hermione is "high up" in the department of magical law enforcement.  She also discusses how the last bit of the book changed from "scar" to "All was well."  You can watch the first part of the interview here and the second here--the today show website also has a few extra clips.

Very nice to have some closure, but there are those of us (me) who will always be ready for more.  Lucky for us, more of the interview will be on Dateline tomorrow night (7/6C), and JKR is hosting a web chat (at www.bloomsbury.com) Monday morning.

Oh, and here's an article from USA Today (with audio clips) too!

What I Got Right...and Wrong

I've made various predictions over the past year--both on this site and others--so, in no particular order here's what I got right....

The trio survived.  Ginny survived. Ginny and Harry got together, Ron and Hermione got together.  SNAPE WAS GOOD!  Harry survived and Voldy died.  One of the Weasley twins died.  R.A.B. was Regulus Black.  Voldemort did kidnap Olivander to find out about the Priori Incantatem effect, and Olivander was one of the good guys.  Snape cared for Lily.  Draco ended up redeeming himself...sort of.  In the end, everyone made a stand which enabled Harry to finally beat Voldemort.

And here's what I got wrong....

Harry did not return to school at Hogwarts.  Hagrid did not die (thankyouthankyouthankyou!).  R.A.B. was not Sirius's great uncle of the same name.  The Hallows were not the Horcruxes.  Peter's life debt did not play an enormously significant role in defeating Voldy (although it did help).  Dumbledore did not have James' invisibility cloak because someone else in the Order needed to use it.  Neville didn't kill Bellatrix (but I'm so not sorry I was wrong about that one).  Harry indeed was a horcrux--my hang up was, I didn't see how he could be a horcux and still live, but it seems we got around that problem.

I made some more predictions as part of the Leaky Cauldron quiz--you can read my answers here and judge for yourself.  I think I was generally right in the main, but I missed some of the little stuff of course.

The Body Count

She promised us deaths, did she not?  It's bad, I had to find a list to make sure I was remembering them all.

First, the big ones....

Funnily enough, I think the death that bothered me most--at least until Dobby died--was Hedwig.  It served so many purposes, of course.  Losing the Firebolt and Hedwig--two such important parts of his childhood and his time at Hogwarts--so early really showed that Harry was going to a different place in this book.  It also showed that JKR wasn't pulling any punches.  Lastly--and I feel horribly cynical saying this--it was necessary for the plot.  With the trio off camping and apparating and making narrow escapes, it would have been terribly cumbersome to have to deal with owls and cages--especially considering that it's already been shown that owl post can't be used in times of trouble.

Next was Mad-Eye.  As I said in the live blog, his death wasn't really all that horrible to me.  He was the kind of character you always knew would die in battle, and he wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  The part that icked me out was the idea of the Death Eaters finding his body and taking his eye.  If they stuck that in Umbridge's door, I hate to think what they did with the rest of him.  But Harry burying the eye under the most gnarled, old tree in the forest--that got my tears going.  So completely fitting.

And then, Dobby.  Dobby.  He was just so beaten down (by the Malfoys) for so long, but he was so brave and independent and steadfast--yet totally innocent at the same time.  And like Mad-Eye, you can't think of another way Dobby would have rather died than saving Harry, not to mention fighting against the Malfoys, but still....it was heartbreaking.  As Luna said,

"It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave.  I'll always remember what you did for us.  I hope you're happy now."

After that, people started dropping off fast and furious--which kind of made it easier.

Tonks and Lupin I think were meant to echo a few things.  First, there's another little boy without a Mom and Dad, like Harry.  Second, another little boy being raised by his Grandmother (Neville).  Third, another godson with a slightly reckless godfather (Harry and Teddy).  Then, you have to remember that Lupin is the last Marauder to die--which kind of makes you think of the other three.  And the way they died....the last you see of them Lupin's charging into the battle and Tonks is going after him.  On a lot of the message boards people are sort of imagining that they died together or protecting each other, which I think is nice.  I really liked Lupin's statement when he comes back after his death to walk Harry into the forest--when Harry says he's sorry Lupin died, Lupin says his death will make a better world for his son--you've got to think he's hoping for a world where being a werewolf, or a werewolf's child--won't be held against him in the way it was held against Lupin. 

And as for Tonks--the main reason her death bothered me was because I felt like she never really got a chance to become a developed character first.  She was fun and clumsy in OOP, and mopey in HBP, and I think she really could have been great.  I read a piece of fan fiction the other day that really explored how hard it would have been for her--Bellatrix's niece, Sirius's cousin--to come out of the shadow of her family.  I really would have liked to see more of that, but there just wasn't time.  Although I see why she had to die--all the points I made about Teddy above wouldn't have worked if he still had a mom.

The other victim of the battle, of course, was Fred Weasley.  I've said for quite awhile that one of the twins was going to die--even setting the "U-NO-POO!" aside, remember, they threw snowballs at the back of Quirrell-Mort's head!  One of the Weasley's had to go, and while I was secretly hoping it would be Charlie, the very reason I hoped it would be him is the reason it couldn't be him--we just didn't care about him enough.  It really had to be one of the younger four, and since Ron and Ginny had to live to make fat babies with Hermione and Harry (respectively)....But again, the way he died was so perfect; just after Percy came back, with the smile from his last joke still on his face.  That's one thing that was done so, so well in this book.  You got the idea that if the characters themselves knew they had to die, and could only pick the way they would go, they would have gone out just the way it was written.  It made it easier, for me at least, and really helped emphasize one of the major themes of the book--that dying for something you believe in or to protect those you love is infinitely better than living forever dishonorably.

And then there was the big one--well, with the exception of the even bigger one--Snape.  This one really surprised me, I have to admit.  Don't get me wrong--I knew Snape was good and I knew he would die--but I was really imagining something a little more flashy.  I once posited:

Wouldn't it be a very interesting commentary on bravery if we (the readers) found out that Snape was good, but Harry never does?  Leaving us to contrast Snape's silent bravery with Harry's more conventional "charge in and shoot 'em up" brand of courage.

And although that isn't exactly what happened, in a way it kind of is.  Snape died just the way he lived--a silent hero.  I kind of want to talk about Snape by himself later, so that's all I'm saying for now, that his death fit his life so well.

Last, but not least (of the big deaths anyway)--Harry.  I know, I know, he didn't really die--but then again, he kind of did.  And he died well.

Then there were the less important characters that died....

Charity Burbage, whose death was probably the scariest thing to date for me in the entire series of books, including the graveyard scene in GOF which held the honor before this book.  Something about her just hanging there pleading.  And then later when you find out that Snape was really good, but there was nothing he could do to save her, that just makes it all even more sick.  And then--uck!--"Nagini, dinner."

Rufus Scrimgeour who, even though he didn't approve of what Harry was doing, in the end came around and protected him before he died.  I've always really liked his character.  Yes, he was an ass, but you kind of always got the idea that he was trying in the best way he knew how.

And sweet little Colin Creevy, who was "small in death".  Some people have wondered how in the heck he even got there--because as a muggle-born he certainly wouldn't have been at Hogwarts with the Carrows--but can't you just see him, getting the message on his DA coin and rushing to help his hero, Harry.

Ted Tonks--even though you don't know a ton about him, I've always thought he must be a kind of persevering kind of guy.  He would have had to have been to marry Andromeda despite her crazy family.  But then we also know that he's "a right old slob".  Again, I think it was necessary for him to die to leave Teddy Lupin more with only his Gran (just like Neville), but, like "Dora" Tonks, I would have liked to have learned more about him.

Then there were the baddies that got offed....

I have to start with the one that was the absolute best--Bellatrix.  If you didn't stand up and cheer when Molly said, "YOU BITCH" I don't know where you've been for the last 6 books.  She was just so annoyingly loyal to Voldey, and so stereotypical-bad-girl-psychopath.  For her to be killed by her absolute opposite--earth-mommy Molly Weasley, who it turned out had wicked wand skills above and beyond knitting sweaters--perfect!

Then there was Peter.  He got what was coming to him--strangled by his own hand.  As I've always hated his character, I was pretty glad to see him go.  Although he didn't quite play as big of role as I expected him to (a la Gollum in Lord of the Rings), Dumbledore was right, it was good that Harry didn't let Sirius and Lupin kill him.

Grindelwald's death proves why it's never good to be the baddest bad guy--someone else will always come along better, and when you're dealing with people with no morals....

And Nagini.  It was so beautiful that Neville did it.  I read something somewhere comparing the trio + Neville, to the Marauders with Pettigrew being Neville.  The author pointed out that the difference was that a) Neville was a better person to begin with and b) the trio was better to him than James, Sirius, and Lupin where to Pettigrew.  And--although this is obvious, as is a lot of my gushing here--after all his initial lack of confidence, in the end "only a true Gryffindor" could have pulled that sword out of the hat.

Then there was the big one, which was appropriate in that it wasn't very big.  Killed by his own curse, his body "hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken."  Ordinary, ordinary, ordinary--his greatest fear.  And Peeves' victory song--"And Voldy's gone moldy"--my favorite Peeves song so far!

So It's the End, But Not the End...And Who Got the Reprieve

In an excerpt from her Today show interview (to be aired Thursday and Friday this week) JKR said she is intending to write that tell-all encyclopedia--yeah!!!  She emphasized that it won't be right away, but hey, I'll take what I can get.

She also gave away which character got the reprieve.  I was right about half of it--I thought Hagrid got the reprieve and Tonks and Lupin died in his stead, turns out Mr. Weasley was scheduled to be offed in Book 5 (not Hagrid) but Tonks and Lupin were the ones to take his place.  I knew one of the Weasley's had to die, but I'm really glad it wasn't Arthur--what would we have done without his jokes about plugs and finding out how airplanes stay up?

Family: "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"

OK, think I'm recharged and ready to go again....

After rereading DH, I made a list of things I really wanted to discuss.  The very first thing on the list was "family", so here we go.

There are so many bits about family in this book.  From Harry's family (James, Lily, Sirius, and Lupin) returning to walk with him into the forest, to all the back-story about Dumbledore's family, to the Weasleys.... 

And I kind of wonder if a lot of people missed the importance of it.  From what I've read, the part of the book that most people have had problems with is the epilogue--Why doesn't it have more detail?  Why doesn't it tell what their jobs are?  Why doesn't it tell more about the rest of the characters?  But if you think back through the books, those things don't matter, not really.

From the first time he looked into the Mirror of Erised at age 11, all Harry has ever wanted was to have a family and a normal life.  I could go back through and make tallies of how many times he longs for just that--not to be famous or special, but just to be a normal kid.  So, after the end of it all, after all he went through, we learn that he got his deepest hearts desire--a normal life with a huge, sprawling, wonderful, loving family.  And to top it off, that family was comprised of Ron and Hermione and Ginny, the people who had really become his family all along.  That is, I think the best ending we could have gotten, and the only one I really needed.  (Of course, if you're reading this J.K. Rowling I certainly won't say no to that tell-all encyclopedia in a few years!)

That's the big one.  But there are so many other little bits. 

Some of my favorites were the supposed "bad" families. 

The Blacks who were full of pure-blood mania, but still loved each other despite their bigotry.  Poor "brave Regulus" who turned against Voldey when Voldey was so cruel to Kreacher, and then made it seem as if he had died ignominiously--when really he was a hero--in order to protect his family.

The Malfoys.  Yes, they've been a nasty bunch, but in the end--in contrast with Bellatrix who would sacrifice anything and anyone if it helped Voldey--they cared more about each other than having power or getting ahead.  And in the end, that's what kept them all alive rather than being killed with the rest of the Death Eaters.

And while we're talking about getting ahead--Dumbledore's family.  I don't want to go into this too much because "Dumbledore" is one of the next things on my list of things to discuss, but I think it took his sister dying to make him learn how important his family was to him.  I think it's a common mistake we all make--taking the people we love for granted, putting our own individual goals above their happiness--and, as happens in the story we often learn where our "treasure" really is just a shade too late.

But then sometimes, just like Percy Weasley, we aren't too late.  How wonderful was it that he finally made it back, and just in time too.  Just a little later and it would have been too late for him and Fred.

And the rest of those Weasleys!  Ron, who struggled between protecting his family on the one hand and Harry and Hermione (who might as well have been family) on the other.  Molly, kicking ASS when her baby girl was threatened. 

And Lupin--who thought he was leaving his family for their own good--but luckily got some sense knocked into him and got to be a dad for a little bit at least.

What am I forgetting?

Oh year, the greater, whole-Hogwarts family.  The professors, the students, the ghosts, the creatures, the plants--all the parts that Harry loved and was willing to even die for that surrounded him and helped him at the last.  I really almost missed it the first time I read the book--when all the families of all the students come in, led by Charlie Weasley and Slughorn, as reinforcements to come to the defense of Hogwarts and all the people inside.  Wasn't that just a beautiful scene?

Because really discussing "family" is just another way of discussing "love"--and in the end it was the love of all of his friends--his adopted family--that leveled the playing field and enabled Harry to win.

DEATHLY HALLOWS LIVE BLOG

Alright kids, it's almost 1 a.m.  I'm back from my Potter partying, curled up on my couch with my book, and ready to dig in.  Despite having listened to it already (twice) I'm going to start by reading that horrifying first chapter again.  Here we go....

Dedication Page--I was kind of hoping she'd do some sort of dedication to the fans, and look, she did.  And it's in the shape of a lightening bolt too.

Pre-Chapter One--Hmm, two quotes about death...this is something new.  And maybe not a very good sign.

The Dark Lord Ascending--In addition to what I said earlier about this chapter, the Malfoys seem about ready to run.

In Memorium--If it's at all possible I like Dumbledore more after reading about his family.  My very first thought on reading it was "Sister?"  But, now the big mystery is what happened with his sister?  That and the gleaming blue Harry saw in the mirror.  And Dumbledore's father--the Percival Dumbledore was named after presumably--a muggle-hater?  Maybe he understands Harry's troubled childhood better than I've thought.

The Dursley's Departing--Awww, Dudley!  I'm touched--of all of the Dursley's I expected Petunia to break down, but I was wrong.  Also loved the allusion to Hagrid chasing down the Dursley's to give Harry his letter.  And the moment where Vernon and Harry both wondered the same thing--would Harry go rescue the Dursley's if Voldemort got them?

The Seven Potters--Hedwig....Hagrid---I'm only at chapter 5 and I'm already crying....I was almost laughing at the beginning, the 7 Potters, Siruis's motorbike--but looking at the next chapter heading I'm really afraid Hagrid isn't getting back up....but why did Voldey vanish?  And what the heck is Stan Shunpike doing there?  Imperiused I hope.  But I'm glad they know what's his face at the ministry really is bad.  And this flight scene is going to be amazing when they make the movie.

Fallen Warrior--And now I'm almost crying because he's alive, but if Hagrid's still with us...who's the fallen warrior?  And also, Snape's the one who told Voldey Harry was being moved on Saturday--things are not looking good for my "I Trust Severus" t-shirt....And George's ear--you can tell the twins apart now--what a sad, sad joke.  Poor Andromeda Tonks--two screwed up sisters and she looks like the psycho one.

Mad-Eye....fallen warrior is right, can you imagine him dying in any other way than in battle?  And once again Hagrid was trusted with Harry, and Hagrid came through.  I worry that Lupin seems to be getting bitter....but waiting for everyone to arrive safely, oh my goodness!  Well, almost everyone....Please, Jo, you're killing me here--tears are flowing every other page!  But from the looks of the next chapter heading maybe things are about to get a little more cheerful...

The Ghoul In Pajamas--Smart girl that Hermione, summoning the books about horcruxes before leaving Hogwarts.  I cheered when I read that part.  But modifying her parents memories and sending them to Austrailia....I've often wondered about Hermione's parents.  Really, unless you count a few weeks at Christmas when she and Ron were fighting during HBP they haven't seen her for more than just a little bit in years.  Kind of sad for them, and her.  And Ron with spatter-whatever--made me giggle.  If you'll remember he was accused of having that disease by a portrait in St. Mungo's in Book 5.  Molly is starting to bug me--they've got to go woman, let them make good plans first for goodness sake!

The Will of Albus Dumbledore--Charming witches..."it's not all about wandwork"--HA!  I needed that...."I open at the close."  At the close of what Dumbledore?  This chapter reminded me forcefully of the Lord of the Rings where Galadriel gives each  member of the Fellowship a gift that comes in handy later.  The book--entertainting and instructive, the putter-outer--remember me when you use it, the snitch--perserverance....and the sword.  They're going to need that sword. 

And another thing--what's up with Lupin and why can't he be where the minister is....is it possible--there's no way it is, but could he be the one who talked to Snape?  Maybe in exchange for something that would make him stop being a werewolf?  But then Bella's so into killing Tonks?  It can't be Lupin....but someone certainly told Snape the plan....

The Wedding--"Your Holeyness"--the ear jokes should be getting old, but somehow they're not!  Poor Ginny and Harry....and (we knew he had to come in somewhere) Viktor.  This'll make things exciting with Hermione and Ron.  OMG!  OMG!  The funky triangle thing is Grindenvald's sign!!!  And Gregovitch is the other wandmaker!!!  And, and, and (this was several chapters ago, but I have to throw it in)  I was right about Olivander being taken by force...although, I almost wish I wasn't....

OMG!  (Sorry, I'll try and quit all that soon.)  The Dumbledore's lived in Godric's Hollow, DD's sister might have been a squib who was done away with by goodness knows who....and then that last part--"They're coming."  Holy ----! 

OK, you knew something was going to happen at the wedding, there wasn't anyway around it.  Waiters, disguises everyone can see through....But still there's something up with Lupin....

And even though I figured the wedding would get busted up, it kind of bums me out--remembering the end of HBP when Harry just wished for one golden day with Ron and Hermione....

A Place To Hide--I've got nothing....wow....for half a breathtaking second I though Mad-Eye was alive again--it's weird that one of the trio said that earlier, and then you heard his voice....what if he's the one betraying the Order?  But then, if that's the case it seems like they wouldn't have wanted to blast him out of the sky--they would've wanted to keep him as a spy.  Hmmm...

Kreacher's Tale--Are we finally going to find out about the locket?  Oh no, Harry, don't go there--don't start doubting Dumbledore--stay loyal to him, remember?  Ahhh!!! R.A.B. is Regulus--the handwriting is the same, the handwriting is the same!

The Bribe--Oh thank goodness!, that's what's up with Lupin--Tonks is pregnant.  I love the idea of the last Maurader going along to protect Harry...but that's not good news for him (Lupin), is it?  And Harry calls him Reamus....  Or maybe he's not going....oh, please don't let them leave angry....

LOL  "Perhaps just one more for luck!"

Magic Is Might--Kreacher the wonderful house elf--I like the change, and I liked the fact that things were kind of quiet, for a chapter at least--it was getting to be stressful.

The Muggle-Born Registration Commission--*Sigh*  I don't think Harry has ever learned to properly control his temper unfortunately.  But I'm glad he let those muggle-borns free--it was reminding me too much of Nazi Germany, someone had to do something.

The Theif--Nasty, I guess I didn't get that right the first time.  Umbridge wasn't using an eye that looked like Moody's eye, she was using Moody's eye.  Say what you like about the rest of the book, but JKR certainly has her evil imagery down--from the floating muggle-studdies professor getting eaten by the snake, to using dead people's body part--yeck!

So now we're onto the blond guy.  It's so weird to not have them in school--I have no concept of what date it is or anything.  I know September 1st has passed, but beyond that it's hard to tell....

The Goblin's Revenge--Oh Ron....I think maybe one of the major themes of this book is that they're all going to have to get over their fatal flaws--Harry's temper, Ron's way of getting childish, Hermione's ....well whatever her fault is.  If only Rufus Scrimgeour had just let Harry have the sword.  And know everyone's on the run, hiding out....  I'm still so bummed that Hedwig's dead.  And yeah to Mr. Lovegood and the Quibbler!

Godric's Hollow--the tombstones have to be clues....and the statute in tribute to Lily and James....and the mark on the stone--c'mon Harry and Hermione, wake up!

Bathilda's Secret--The house, it's just what they needed....or not.  And now Harry's wand is broken--that's not going to work well....and it looks like Voldey's figured out who the theif is too.

The Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore--huh--so now the blondey is Grindenwalde.  After spending the last few chapters angry at Harry and Hermione for mistrusting DD, all of a sudden I'm starting to doubt him myself.  Not really, but....what's up with him and the muggle-haters?

The Silver Doe--This story is getting so weird.  I kind of miss the framework of Hogwarts, although I don't know how the heck they could have plausibly gone back there.  But Dumbledore told Ron to remember him when he used the puter-outer.  There doesn't seem to be an obvious connection there now....And where did the silver doe come from.  I can't remember right off what Ginny's patronus is, but...that doesn't make any sense anyway.  And he came with a wand--how handy!  But they didn't question him to be sure it was really him--although who else would've known to destory a horcrux, I guess.  On the upside--one horcrux down.

Goodness, just looked outside and the sun's starting to come up--it's almost 6 and I'm on page...389?!?  That can't be right--goodness, this is taking awhile.

Xenophilius Lovegood--Um, did everyone just miss that?  He said the ear trump thingy was modeled on the head of Ravenclaw and no one noticed in the slightest.  And, at last, I think we're about to find out about the Deathly Hallows....

The Tale Of The Three Brothers--Hm...OK, the cloak, the wand, the stone--the story is supposed to be instructive.  And poor Mr. Lovegood!  But they still completely missed the Ravenclaw stuff!

The Deathly Hallows--He had to say the name--grrr....But Harry's usually right--and as Lupin said earlier in the book Dumbledore's last words to him were to trust Harry.  And besides the title of the book wouldn't be "Deathly Hallow" if they weren't important.

Malfoy Manor--Dobby....and why can't Voldemort be in the same place as the sword of Gryffindor....but now they have Olivander.  How did Dobby know they were there? 

The Wandmaker--

The FInal Hiding Place--2 down, or at least discovered....

oh ho ho the next one is called the missin mirror--could it be the mirror of erised?

The end--It's 9 in the morning, the sun is up, and I'm done.  The last few chapters are so crazy, I think I'm going to have to re-read a few times to take it all in.  There were so many casulties--it was a blood bath to say the least--I think most people who predicted a death or two are bound to have gotten a few right--but thank goodness Hagrid lived!  I'm so glad I wasn't right about that.  And dear old Severus...I was worried about him for awhile, but he came through in the end.  I'm still not sure about all the Dumbledore stuff, but at this point my eyes are swimming--I've officially been awake for about 26 hours now and sleep is needed.  For now though--to Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived!

Nightmares Anyone?

After listening to the first chapter--via the reading here--everything I've supposed and everyone I've thought was too sacred to kill and therefore safe--POOF!  I challenge anyone who says these are just kids' books to read this first chapter to a 10 year old....and then sit up with them for a week of nightmares of meeting the same fate as poor Charity.  And, of course, she had to make her say those magic words to draw us back to the death in Half-Blood Prince--"Severus, please."  I know Frank Bryce's murder was no fairy tale, but this is sooo much darker than I was expecting straight out of the gate.

And Tonks and Lupin...please not Tonks and Lupin....

Somehow all thoughts of that cat nap I was going to take have flown out the window--I don't think I could sleep if I wanted to.

Ditto and Back At Ya'

A lovely "Acknowledgments" note was posted in the Room of Requirement today on jkrowling.com.  There's no trick to getting in the door this time, just click on the eraser and then the door handle and you're there. 

I particularly enjoyed the comments at the end directed toward her daughter, Jessica.  I've often thought what a weird way that would be to grow up--sharing all the ups and downs, having your friends ask you for secrets or take it out on you when the story doesn't go the way they want it to.  That's a lot to deal with at an age when even kids without famous mothers go through rough spots....

So to Jessica Rowling (for sharing your mum with the whole world) and to everyone else on JKR's list, thanks from me too (a little ole' crazy fan) for helping to bring us all Harry.

And most of all, thanks Jo...for bringing us all together and for a truly wonderful story.

Quick Quotes Quill Friday: On the Eve of Book 7

"Harry--you're a great wizard, you know."
"I'm not as good as you," said Harry, very embarrassed, as she let him go.
"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things--friendship and bravery and--oh Harry--be careful!"

                                            --Philosopher's Stone

"Even Muggles...should be celebrating this happy, happy day!"

So it's here at last--today is the day! 

I think possibly the greatest thing about the Harry Potter books is the way each person who reads them feels like they "belong" to them personally--I feel like no one could love them as much as I do, but I know that millions of other people feel the exact same way.

So, if you're feeling up to some reading--in addition to that you'll be doing later, of course--in celebration of Book 7, here are 7 unique but universal bits that show how Harry has effected all kinds of people, from the author herself to the children the books were originally written for, from dedicated HP webmasters to plain old fan who adore the books....

1. Rowling:  'Harry's story comes to a definite end'; Author describes success of series as "the experience of a lifetime"
2. The Power of Potter Pledge
3. The Potter Generation
4. Couple plans wedding, then Harry Potter
5. Why can't everyone just be as big of a Harry Potter fan as I am?
6. Harry Potter Memories; As the final book is set to arrive, fans remember the day they discovered the magic of Hogwarts
7. Hype, Hope and Harry; A decade later, one fantasy writer remembers the day he discovered the magical world of Hogwarts 

I've actually posted part of that last one before, but I love it so much I decided it's worth repeating.  I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I did. 

Absent something that I can't resist, posting will be light today as I'm going to attempt to catch a few cat naps.  (And speaking of cats--one last, last minute prediction:  Ginny will totally learn to be a cat animagus.)  I'm planning to watch the live webstream (here) of the reading at 6:01 my time--which Bloomsbury promises will be from a place very early in that book that has no major plot spoilers (I read that somewhere, but for the life of me I can't find the link)--and then it's off to the festivities.  Don't forget to come catch the live blog if you're awake; again, it will begin ASAP after midnight.