Ah, my heart.
Don't worry, Cora wasn't neglected while I powered through this book in a day and a half. Brandon was home, and thanks to a great napping schedule and starting to go to bed earlier (almost a decent baby time!!!), I have had time to myself and to hang out with Brandon.
So, this book is really dense. There is a LOT that happens in it, along with a lot of sadness. Harry just can't catch a break, everyone close to him seems to die. There was a rumor that Ron was supposed to die, which fortunately J.K. Rowling didn't go through with if that was her original intention. However, she did kill off Fred which was terrible. And why Lupin?! Ugh. He was such a good guy, despite his weakness in this book.
But I digress. The thing that was so interesting reading it this time around was seeing just how simple Harry's saving grace is. It was love. That's it. His mom loved him enough to sacrifice herself for him, and that is what protected him against the most evil wizard in the world.
When you read that Harry is supposed to die and that Dumbledore basically raised him "like a lamb to the slaughter", as Snape said, you think Dumbledore's a big jerk. He was such a kind mentor, and he knew all along that Harry had to die? But, as you read further (after Harry does die and is in limbo talking to Dumbledore), you find out that Dumbledore had a feeling that even when Harry died he would be able to come back. Since Harry gave himself up to be killed, and wasn't hunted down or killed in a battle like what could have happened, he in turn gave that gift to everyone who he was sacrificing himself for. After he died, his friends couldn't be hurt. (Hint: He's not actually dead.)
That last scene in the book is much more amazing than in the movie. I remember thinking it was anticlimactic the first time that I saw it, but I couldn't remember why.
The other thing that gets me, is how Snape seems so awful through the last 2 books. You always kind of hate him, but I had forgotten just how MUCH I hated him. But then you get the memories from him before he dies, and you see that while he never particularly cared for Harry, he did everything he could to save him in order to help keep Lily's son alive. He loved Lily for his whole life.
It's such a great series. It was a huge part of my childhood, reading those books. I want to wait a few years to read them again, so it can be like it's brand new again like it was this time.
My big question is, what happened to Harry's grandparents?? You find out in this book that the Potters were only 21 when they died (way to represent on young parents though, Rowling!). So their parents were late 40's, early 50's. And yet there is no mention of a death. From the beginning it says that the Durleys were Harry's only relatives. So where did they go??
My other big question is why were the Horcruxes all in Britain? I mean, it isn't THAT big of a country. Was Voldemort that arrogant that he believed he could hide them in plain sight and people wouldn't be able to outsmart him? If Voldemort had spread them throughout the world, then they may not have been able to defeat him.
My other big question is why were the Horcruxes all in Britain? I mean, it isn't THAT big of a country. Was Voldemort that arrogant that he believed he could hide them in plain sight and people wouldn't be able to outsmart him? If Voldemort had spread them throughout the world, then they may not have been able to defeat him.
The end. I love this series so much. The movies don't do it justice.
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