No.7

After a grueling few days of self-restraint and snatches of reading, I finally finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Tuesday night. Yes I bought the book. Caved in because I did not want to face the trauma of finding out what happened from others before I got to read it.

I still marvel at how Rowling crafted this amazing series that appeal to both children and adults alike. As an adult I still am drawn to them, read them over and over again and yet, at the end of this book, the first thought that came to me was, “After all, this is a children’s series.” It does have the feel-good factor at the end, good triumphs over evil that sort of thing. I probably would have preferred a more dark and tragic ending. My ultimate tragic speculation was that Harry lived while others he loved died for him.

My other thoughts:

I was shocked that people were getting killed almost right at the start of the book. I expected deaths but woah the speed of them dropping dead was alarming. Overall, the pace was alright, even though it felt kind of rushed (though wonderfully adrenaline pumping and I got gradually scared as the story went along!) it did span almost a year before the final battle.

This final book revealed all that needed to be revealed and answered a lot of questions. I only wish I had a greater insight into Voldemort; that I had gotten to know more about him. On the other hand, I liked how Dumbeldore’s past was explored and showed that he too, was flawed. That’s the beauty of the books I think, how it talks of real values and issues and about conscious choices being central in one’s life and how you live with them, good or bad.

It was interesting to see how quite a number of the fans’ predictions were accurate. One of which I made was that Snape had been in love with Lily. Severus Snape…his story touched me most of all. I cried when his time came. That point, when he whispered to Harry, to look at him…to see Lily’s eyes. And when Harry declared to Voldemort that Snape,“….loved her (Lily) for nearly all of his life, from the time when they were children.” That was heart-wrenching.

And as most of my friends (who were willing/forced to listen) know, the only thing that I was sore about was the couplings!! Harry should be with Hermione and Ron…well, with someone else. I have nothing against Ron, really. I love his humour and his oblivious nature but as the Riddle-Hermione said, “Who could look at you, who would ever look at you, beside Harry Potter?” I said as much, less cruelly and without meaning to diss Ron. Ginny was never really instrumental in the book. I just cannot see why Harry would go for her even in HBP. Even though I knew how it would end, I am still in denial. My Harry-Hermione fanfiction is still a work in progress, hmmm should I post it here? Let me think about it.

Oh and yes, I could do without the epilogue – Nineteen Years Later thingy. I just felt that it was not necessary.

Sigh…my few cents worth.

Got to get the book back from Amelia so that I can read it again.