Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [amazon]
Author: J.K. Rowling
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books; 1st edition (July 21, 2007)
Pages: 784
Book Number: 31
What’s this 52 Books in 52 Weeks thing about?
[Obviously, this being the last book, if you've not read it, you'll want to steer clear of this entry, because there will be a lot of spoilers in it. You've been warned!]
Well, it’s over. Last night at around 2AM, after having read around 550 pages throughout the day, I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
The ending – with the return of Harry, with the final truths about Snape and Dumbledore revealed – simply blew me away. I mentioned before that I’d accidentally ran across a spoiler about Harry dying in book 7; luckily, however, I had no idea that Harry came back. When I discovered the spoiler, I just assumed that in a climactic final battle, he and Voldemort killed each other, and that would be that. Clearly (if you’ve read the book), my assumptions were quite wrong. I noted, however, that my supposition that Harry himself was a Horcrux turned out to be correct. 
That Snape ended up truly being a “good guy” pleased me, because I had felt quite betrayed by him ever since he’d killed Dumbledore. Up until the revelations from Snape’s memory, I really was at a bit of a loss as to who was helping Harry out, particularly in the instance of the Gryffindor sword and the doe Patronus. Throughout the series, there were a few mysteries which I was able to guess at successfully, figuring it out before the explanation came along; the deal with Snape was certainly not one of them. Rowling covered her tracks amazingly well by having Dumbledore and Snape plan Dumbledore’s death at Snape’s hand. That’s something I never saw coming.
As was brought up in previous posts about the Potter series, as well as in the comments for those posts, Dumbledore did indeed have some things in his closet which he didn’t want known. I was a bit bummed about learning of Dumbledore’s past, perhaps feeling a bit like Harry: the great, wise, kind wizard’s file had been marred. Certainly, he and Harry spoke at the end (in that peculiar ethereal place), and Harry forgave Dumbledore once he understand Dumbledore’s motives and thoughts, but still – that Dumbledore was more than a bit of an ass in his youth was a downer. It did, however, lend more humanity to him – I suppose, looking back at his character in earlier books, he was portrayed as perfect.
In the previous books, I noticed Rowling’s exploration of the concept of “Mudblood”, those who were Muggle born and had no “pure wizard blood” in them. When I saw this in the earlier books, it reminded me of the Nazi persecution of Jews. This analogy can really be seen in Deathly Hallows, after Voldemort has basically taken over the Ministry of Magic. The “Muggle-Born Registration Commission” sounds eerily similar to some of the race-related offices that existed within the Nazi state. When groups of Snatchers started “rounding up” Muggle-born wizards, it just gave me the creeps. This sentence in particularly leapt out at me:
“Not a bad little haul for one night,” Greyback was saying, as a pair of hobnailed boots marched close by Harry and they heard more crashes from inside the tent.
Hmm – hobnailed jackboots, worn by the Wehrmacht, anyone?
I may be breaking from what the masses wanted to see, but I really wanted to see Harry and Hermione get together. Nothing against Ron, of course – I liked him tons – but I just felt Hermione and Harry would make a better couple. Then again, I suppose Rowling couldn’t simply “swap” – Ron marrying his own sister? Probably wouldn’t have gone over real well with the public.
I have only one negative feeling about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and that is that I’m now done with the series. I have nothing more to look forward to other than the slow release of all of the movies. I could turn to fan fiction, I guess, but I’ve never cared much for any fan fiction, regardless of what it’s based on, so that’s unlikely to happen.
Oh well. It’s been one hell of a ride, and I’m very, very happy that I got over my book elitism and read the first one. It’s been a lot of fun.
See you around, Harry and Co.
Comments 9
You’ve finished! Great!
Just on thing abou Harry and Ginny, that I just realised yesterday litening to the audio book of the half-blood prince: In the very first potions lesson with Slughorn there ist a love potion in the room which smells different to everyone. Harry notices a flowery smell, something that reminds him of the Burrow, but he can’t clearly remember why. Later that day while dinner he smells these flowers again and then Ginny appears behind him. What a hint! I never even noticed that, but know I think it made clear that he really loves her – not just a simple crush or something like this. So: No chance for Hermione.
Posted 06 Oct 2007 at 5:05 pm ¶Quite a ride isn’t it.
I too miss Harry and his pals *sniff*. Its a great series. I agree with you about Rowling covering her tracks. She managed quite well to contain the knowledge of the Dumbledore/Snape plan.
Great great books.
Did you get any more on the arch? Do you know what it is? Because I don’t know if I read imprecisely but I still don’t know what its for and I can’t remember coming across any references to it in the 7th book.
Posted 06 Oct 2007 at 6:03 pm ¶Zeitlos: I didn’t catch that at all about the smell of flowers and Ginny.
Tom: Yeah, it was quite a ride. And no, I didn’t get anymore about the arch. Unless I missed it, I didn’t see anything at all about it in book 7.
Posted 06 Oct 2007 at 6:49 pm ¶I actually haven’t been able to open an other book after finishing HP, I just wanted to back to book 1 and read all over again. I said to my husband that this will probably be one of those series we have both in English and Norwegian..
Oh, I felt so bad for Snape when reading his memory.. Loving Harry’s mother all his life.
But it was one of the ways Rowling showed that Love was the greatest force/ magic. The one thing Voldemort didn’t understand and cared about.
Posted 07 Oct 2007 at 1:52 am ¶You read my mind! I thought Snape was freakin’ evil until the whole “Snape’s Worst Memories” when we saw he loved Lily. In fact, if Snape hadn’t been a Death Eater, both in life and at Hogwarts (while he was a student) Snape probably would be Harry’s father. I completely agree Hermione and Harry should have gotten together, as I never particularly felt any love for Ginny, I don’t know why. I understand why Snape had to kill Dumbledore, it was part of the Unforgivable Vow Narcissa made Snape perform on Draco’s safety, but if Snape was loyal he would have died at the hand of the magical vow and the Death Eaters than betray Dumbledore. After all, Dumbledore trusted him beyond everyone else, though his reasons were never explained. It seems that Dumbledore had other reasons than Snape’s doe Patronus, as it seems he was taken by suprise when the Patronus was shown in “Snape’s Worst Memories”. As for the veil, or the arch, MuggleCast (and me) confirmed there was no more information leaked on the veil, which was a disappointment to me, because I wanted to see what Sirius had gone through, or at least found out EXACTLY what it was. Anyway, those are my thoughts. Too much of my thoughts, I would say.
Posted 07 Oct 2007 at 12:08 pm ¶I really don’t think Harry and Hermione would make such a great couple. They are both too strongheaded and stubborn, and I really think they would only end up hurting each other really bad if they were more than friends.
Posted 08 Oct 2007 at 9:06 am ¶Regarding Dumbledore, I wasn’t as concerned about his past as I was his betrayal of Harry. Throughout the books, I thought Dumbledore was Harry’s advocate. He wasn’t. If he had been, Harry’s welfare would have come first. He was an advocate for the greater good. I thought it gave the character of Dumbledore depth, and it made Harry even more alone. Which brings me to Harry and Hermione. She is the one person he can count on, a fact that strikes me even more so having learned that Harry could not count on Dumbledore. Harry and Hermione’s relationship is the most dynamic; it’s where all the energy is. I never felt any energy between Hermione and Ron or between Harry and Ginny. But apparently many others do. Having said that, the very fact that I’m writing this (I almost never leave comments.) shows what an impact these characters have made on me. The books were brilliant, and I’ve enjoyed every moment I’ve spent with them.
Posted 11 Oct 2007 at 2:58 pm ¶I thought the ending was perfect, including the love matches. Harry and Hermione make fantastic friends, but it has been clear throughout the series (from Ginny’s first crush that rendered her mute in his presence) that Harry & Ginny were going to end up together. Additionally, Ron and Hermione are just too funny together.
The end of the book — about the last 100 pages — had me quite literally blubbering my head off. I’m surprised the book made it through the several re-reads un-scathed and relatively dry. And, though I’m also sad that it ended, as I said, I think it was the perfect conclusion and I don’t even feel sad that there won’t be another. I’m just that satisfied.
Posted 12 Oct 2007 at 4:21 pm ¶zhayena: I haven’t had any great urge to go back and reread them. Not yet, anyway. Whether the urge creeps up on me later, like it did with Lord of the Rings, we shall see.
soren: Hooray, someone who agrees with me about Harry and Hermione. Certainly, I have nothing AGAINST Ron – I liked him as a character – but I just don’t see the chemistry between him and Hermione. Maybe zhayena’s right, though – they both were pretty stubborn…
Two Steps: Yeah, that Dumbledore wasn’t the wonderful Harry-protector that I initially thought he was was a bit of a bummer. I really loved his character early on, and to have it tainted, if you will, by the truths revealed in Deathly Hallows.. well, it sucked, really. Agreed, also, on Harry and Hermione. Ginny was okay, but honestly, I didn’t think she had enough action in the books to be considered for hooking up with Harry. Maybe I didn’t really take in her bits in the book because I wasn’t crazy about her. And yes, I also loved the books (obviously).
Erin: We shall have to peacefully disagree on the love arrangements.
I figured Ginny and Harry would end up together, due to how Ginny acted around him, but that doesn’t mean I like the arrangement.
I didn’t cry, but I came close a few times. I think I did cry when Dumbledore died in Half-Blood Prince, though.
I’m glad it ended when it did; I think it’s clear that Rowling stuck to her original plot, rather than extending it repeatedly to milk the cow. Harry Potter could have turned into another Wheel of Time fiasco.
Posted 12 Oct 2007 at 5:21 pm ¶Post a Comment