The Author – Bart Busschots
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Jul
22
The Deathly Hallows – Initial Thoughts
Filed Under 42 (Life the Universe & Everything) on July 22, 2007 at 3:03 pm
Well, it’s over. The Seventh Book is out and I’ve finished reading it. This post contains my initial reactions and a rundown of how many of my predictions from almost two years ago came to pass. To protect people who haven’t read the book yet from spoilers I won’t be putting anything else here in the preview, you’ll have to read the article itself to see more.
[tags]Harry Potter, Deathly Hallows[/tags]
The Dealthly Hallows
I was so sure I knew what the Deathly Hallows were, but I was wrong. They are not the Horcruxes, they are an entirely new plot arc, although we have seen all three Hallows before without realising they were more than they appeared to be. We’ve seen Dumbledore’s wand, we’ve seen Gaunt’s ring and we’ve seen the invisibility cloak countless times, all without ever realising that these three items, should they ever be combined, are immensely special. They are in effect the Holy Grail of the Wizarding world. As ever, a wonderfully misleading title from JKR!
Initial Reaction
I really liked the book. It was appropriately dark, and yet, it was still as good an ending as we could have hopped for. Unfortunately Molly Weasly did loose a son, she had known it was almost impossible that she wouldn’t. It was also very sad to see another orphan come into the world with the death of Remus & Toncs. We don’t learn who brought up the child but I guess he, like Neville, was probably brought up by his Grand Mother. However, like Sirius, it seems he always found a welcome in the Potter household. Speaking of Neville, it was great to see him get a mention in the epilogue, I was really happy to see Professor Longbottom teaching Herbology.
Something this book is profoundly rich in is character development. We finally get to understand Dumbledore and Snape, we get to see a non-two-dimensional Ron, and we get to see Neville develop into a leader. In particular Dumbledore’s character is interesting, who could possibly have predicted that the dead guy would be so central to the last book! It was great to see Snape develop into the anti-hero of the piece. By the end of it even Harry truely respects the man he so despised. None of this was a shock to me though. It’s pretty much exactly as I had predicted. Mind you, I did think Snape had given Dumbledore a higher proof of his loyalty than simply his profession of his love for Lilly. However, unlike some in the fan-dom, I never thought Snape had been forced onto the good side by something as crude as an unbreakable vow. Overall I’m happy that I had the measure of Snape by the end of the sixth book.
The Many Things Left Unanswered
In many ways the prologue is perfect. The whole series was about the importance of love in our lives, so, naturally the truly important thing to find out about is how the main characters get on emotionally. We learn that the trio and Ginny are happily married, have kids and most importantly, that “all is well”. What we don’t learn are the practicalities of their lives or the post-Voldemort wizarding world. We don’t learn who is headmaster of Hogwards. McGonagall survives the final battle, does she get the job at last? Who becomes Minister of Magic, does Kingsly get to keep the job, how well does he do? Do we finally have a worthy minister for magic? What becomes of Dumbledore in the popular mind? Does the truth about him and Snape come out, is it believed, are both honoured as heroes or will Snape for ever go down in history as a traitor? We also don’t find out what anyone but Neville does for a living. Does Harry become an auror? Does he opt for a quiet life living on his parent’s gold? Does he become a world-renowned seaker? What about Hermione, ron & Ginny, what do they chose to do with their lives? What are their great achievements?
More surprising perhaps is that some of the big unanswered questions before the last book are still unanswered. We never do find out what happened during ‘the missing day’ between Harry’s death and Harry’s arrival at the Dursleys. The fact that we know no more about the missing day is the most surprising thing about the whole book to me. Most of the fan-dom, myself included, though that this would be the key to the whole thing. It wasn’t, it’s quite irrelevant. It seems to me the only reason it took a day for Harry to arrive at the Dursleys was so that JKR could set the scene for poor Vernon before the boy’s arrival. It made for a nice opening chapter to the series, but it had no more relevance than that.
We also never find out who decided to sacrifice Emaline Vance, a member of the Order of the Phoenix, ‘for the greater good’. However, perhaps that doesn’t actually matter because we now know that both Snape and Dumbledore have made similar hard decisions before. I had thought that betrayal would shed light on Snape’s true allegiance or on Dumbledore’s character. Perhaps it did give a hint of Dumbledore and Snape’s ability to sacrifice people for the greater good, but that really seems to be all there was to that betrayal.
My Predictions Analysed
So, finally I just want to have a look at how I did almost two years ago when I’d just finished the sixth book:
Firstly, DUMBLEDORE IS DEAD! I actually think I should dedicate an entire ‘rant’ post to this fact because those silly people who insist on deluding themselves that he is still alive annoy me immensely!
I’m so glad I was right about this. I think I’d have thrown away the book in disgust had JKR brought him, or indeed Sirius, back to life.
Secondly, Dumbledore had a ‘big plan’ and Snape killing Dumbledore was a part of that plan.
Two out of two … I wonder can I keep this up 🙂
Thirdly, Snape still has a big part to play in this story and he will be instrumental in the final victory of good over evil.
I think it’s fair to say that’s true. Snape’s dying act of giving Harry those memories which explained everything was crucial. It’s because of these memories that Harry survived and Voldemort didn’t. It was the culmination of Dombledore’s grand plan. I’m giving myself three out of three so far.
Fourthly, Draco Malfoy still has a part to play in the story and he will also help good triumph over evil.
At a push I could give myself this one because Narcissa’s love for Draco enables her to lie about Harry’s death to Voldemort and because Draco’s wand is so important. But I’m not going to claim this one. Draco never has the courage to really join the bad side. He hated having to do evil things and being a tool of Voldemort’s. However, he never developed the courage to do the right thing. He is shown to be a coward. He never lives up to the promise I saw in him when he couldn’t kill Dumbledore. We know he gets married and has at least one kid but we don’t know to who or what happens to him. Does he have to pay penance for not fighting on the good side or does he get off simply for not choosing to fight for the bad side? I’m putting this prediction down as being wrong, so three out of four so far.
Fifthly, Harry will defeat Voldemort and he will live to tell the tale. JK Rowling is not Shakespeare!
And finally, Hermione and Ron will stay together and Harry will get back together with Ginny.
I’m so glad I was right about these last two.
I’m actually very happy with my predictions, I think it’s fair to say that five out of six ain’t half bad 🙂
Conclusions
I really enjoyed this book. It was going to make or break the series and I really think it made it. The Voldemort saga is over. It has ended, there are no loose ends left to tie up. However, Harry’s world is left surprisingly open. There is no real closure on the world or even the main characters. We know that 19 years later ‘all is well’ but we don’t know much more than that. The series comes to an end with a fresh batch of kids boarding the Hogwarts express setting out on their own adventure.
I too would like find out what happen to other characters, such as Luna as she was and important part of the DA, as it seem to me that she may have end up with Neville, or may Dean Thomas.
Overall I thought it was an excellent book. Like you, before reading it I was sure Snape was a on the side of good, but by half way through the book – I think it was when he gets made headmaster, I couldn’t see how that was going to happen and figured I was mistaken. Glad to see I wasn’t 🙂
I also hoped the missing day would be explained, and was holding out that we would maybe return to look at the veil that Sirius fell through in OoTP.
All the major issues from the series that I can think of were resolved, but there are a few tiny things that did not get another look, despite what I had wanted. I was hoping maybe for information about what Lupin did between leaving Hogwarts as a student and his return as a teacher, since when he is first introduced, he already has a briefcase with the battered lettering “Professor R. J. Lupin” on it, suggesting he was already a teacher before moving to Hogwarts. That doesn’t really matter though – it was just something I picked up on that turned out to be irrelevant.
One thing that surprised/disappointed me in the book though, was that at the Battle of Hogwarts, not a single Slytherin remained behind after the evacuation. I know they are supposed to be cunning and self-serving, but Harry was almost put in there, so I reckon there must be at least a handful of Slytherins who like him were borderline, and would have stood beside their schoolmates at the end.
“We never do find out what happened during ‘the missing day’ between Harry’s death and Harry’s arrival at the Dursleys.”
What is this ‘missing day’?
Is that the day between Harry’s parents getting killed and him being left at the Dursley’s?
Yeah the missing day is the time between James and Lily’s death, and Harry’s arrival at Privet Drive.
Ah that wasn’t missing to me.
It was evening time when Voldemort killed his parents, and morning when Hagrid left him on the doorstep.
It takes a long time to cross several counties on a bewitched motorbike, I would assume!
Perhaps, but it actually is over 24 hours. Harry was killed in the evening when kids were out trick-or-treating, the next Morning the rumours have reached the wizarding world and they’re out celebrating and then at almost midnight that day Harry finally arrives with Hagrid. So, the obvious questions to ask are:
1) How could it have taken Hagrid that long?
2) Why didn’t Dubmledore just apparate up there and grab the kid?
3) Where was Dumbledore all day?
When Voldemort attacked, it took James and Lily by surprise, and we aren’t told of anybody else being present in the house. So perhaps the missing day can be explained by X hours travel time for Hagrid, but also Y hours of Harry lying on his own in the house, because nobody realised that there had been an attack.
That gives us a bit more time but not a lot. We know that Dumbledore knew before Vernon went to work because he had told Hagrid who’d told McGonagle who’d had time to get to privit drive to be seen by Vernon on his way to work reading the map. It also gets us no closer to why Dumblefore didn’t just apparate over to pick Harry up or explain what he was up to all day.
Perhaps it took time for Dumbledore to find Harry. In the interest of security, James and Lily might not have let Dumbledore in on the secret, so he took that long to break through the charm.
I can’t find it written anywhere that Dumbledore was inside the protection of the charm, just that he offered to be the secret keeper and they declined.
Remember, no-one knew what happened to Voldemort after he killed Harry’s parents.
People would have been wondering where he was at all day. And he might have been over at Neville Longbottoms, the other potential target.
Wow.I believe that you have done a very fantastic job of reviewing the last book. It still pains me that there would be no more after this, because the thrill of waiting for the next book has been a part of many lives, including mine. With every book that comes, many questions about the previous books are answered, but even more are created as well. This book is no different, even though it is the last in the series. Like you, I also would like more details on what has been going on in the Wizarding World “nineteen years later.” And even more, was Harry able to finish his studies? Did he have to repeat his final year? What happened to the Dementors? Did they go bact to Azkaban, like when Voldemort was first believed dead? What about the Death Eaters who remained alive? Was Neville the only DA member who eventually became a professor? And if, in Harry’s seventh year, Teddy Lupin was already born, wouldn’t that make him 19 years old, nineteen years later? If so, shouldn’t he be out of Hogwarts already? Despite these questions, I still have to say that Ms. Rowling ended the series the best way she could have.
Was it just me, or was the quality of writing in the epilogue less than that throughout the rest of the book? I had read that she wrote an epilogue years ago to give herself something to aim towards, but I wonder how much of it survived into the final draft.
I don’t think it was just you. I think she didn’t re-write enough of it. Also, as has been pointed out by JoJo, she added in an inconsistency right at the end. It really wasn’t polished at all.
I nearly sure that it doesn’t mention Teddy getting on the Hogwats express just on seeing off
Victoire Weasley,
You’re Right Mach. I just re-read the chapter and he has indeed just come to see Victoire off. I’m glad that wasn’t a nasty plot-hole!
Yup. I have also reread the Chapter and it seems that I was just too excited. But I also agree with Dave B. I think that the epilogue was not up to the standards of the rest of the book.
[…] The Deathly Hallows – Initial Thoughts […]
I thought the series ended very nicely. I haven’t read such an ending since Watership Down.
Sure there are unanswered questions, but that’s life. Deal with it.
who was the screaming baby wen harry was talking to dumbledore?was it the part of voldemort in harry that voldemort had killed?
Hi Julie, that entire scene is very much open to interpretation. JKR is dealing with the spiritual there and being far from precise. My interpretation is that the baby was Voldemort’s soul, or the little that was left of it after 7 parts were destroyed. There is support for that in the book because in the last battle with Voldemort Harry shouts something to the effect that he’s seen Voldemort’s soul and that it’s a wreck. However, like I say that whole chapter is very much open to interpretation.
Bart.
but d seven parts hadnt been destroyed wen d screaming baby cames into it!!d seven parts onli became destroyed afta neville killed nagini d snake!so i dunno d endings a bit confusin she cud of explained it better lol
Hey I think someone asked about Luna and who she married, well JK Rowling has answered some questions and said she marries Newt Scammander’s gandson, but never actually finds the Crumpled Horned Snorkack and realizes it wasnt real,but does prove the existence of other animals.
The questions I have left though are…
1.)Who becomes Headmaster/Headmistress?
2.)Do they find Mad Eye Moody’s body?
3.)What happens to the Dursley’s? Do they die, because I thought they were staying with Dedalus Diggle adventually, and his was set on fire and burnt down.
4.)What are Harry,Hermione,& Ron’s jobs?
5.)What is that whole “missing day” thing about?
6.)Does Minerva McGonagall’s animagus being a cat importany,or does she just like cats?(I thought something important like that would happen with her)
7.) For some people their patronus is what it is for a reason, but for like Hermione’s being an otter and Luna’s being a rabbit and Cho’s being a swan, why is it those animals?
8.)Do Hagrid and Madime Maxime bget married?
9.)What was the experiment Luna’s mom was doing that killed her?
10.)Why does Hermione say she is Penelope Clearwater when the catchers come, Penelope Clearwater is a muggle-born too.
11.)Who were the other 50 characters who died,Harry had to know at least some of them.
12.)Who does Neville marry?
13.) Did Dumbledore ever marry?(I think I might have missed this somewhere probably in an earlier book, I read those books when I was younger so I didnt quite understand them and grasp everything completely, I should read those again)
14.)Does that dragon ever return to Gringott’s?
15.)What happens to the Death Eaters,where do they go now, I hope not Azkaban because they have escpaed plenty of times beforehand to do so again.
16.)What were the full time affects of Bill’s werewolf bite, Lavendar Brown is bitten also so she probably has the same side affects as Bill but I thought there might be more to his whole werewolf story.
I know they are a lot of pointless questions but since I have finished the book those questions have come up in my mind
why is it hallows not horcruxes?
as in thats wat dumbledore and harry both said at the end of the book
Hi Alexa, I may be wrong but doesn’t Harry choose Horcruxes over Hallows? He chooses not to unite the three Hallows and instead destroy all the Horcurxes, including himself. He chooses self sacrifice over power and that’s the key to his victory.
i loved the book…. but was rather disapointed with it in general….. it could have been better it semmed a little rushed to me,,,
although some parts of it were incredible…
hopefully jk will get bored and decide to fill in the missing gaps by writing another book *fingers crossed*
did dumbledore know that harry wasnt going to die even though in the memory he said he wud die!!nd wen harry used the resurection stone nd he saw his father nd mother nd sirius nd lupin did they know he wasnt goin to die?
i loved harry potter and the deathly hollows i knew ron and hermonie would get together since their 3rd year i was so happy and how rons so protective over her its so cute but the book wasnt all about romance it was about the war and the people who died for harry i was upset who jk rowling decided to kill but i geuss it was prodicted some of harrys friends were gonna die in the end just not the ones i was expecting!!but its also sad for the harry potter series to be over:( but it had to end some day and just the way i wanted it to 😀