Booking Through Thursday – Just Wild About Harry

  1. Okay, love him or loathe him, you’d have to live under a rock not to know that J.K. Rowling’s final Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out on Saturday… Are you going to read it?
  2. If so, right away? Or just, you know, eventually, when you get around to it? Are you attending any of the midnight parties?
  3. If you’re not going to read it, why not?
  4. And, for the record… what do you think? Will Harry survive the series? What are you most looking forward to? – BTT

Yes, I am going to read it. I’m buying it at 9AM the morning of and getting offline as soon as the book is released midnight GMT. I do not want to spoiled for this.

I’ve been around for the last three release days, and I have never gone for a midnight release. I just go in the mornings. Living in a city with a big book chain store sort of guarantees the books. I considered preordering it because it was actually cheaper that way, but I’ll just go with my regular old way since I’m going to be busy that evening so I can’t be bothered to wait for the postman.

Oh goodness, I have a whole list of things I can not think of. I was actually going to do this for a separate post, but I may s well do so here.


Now, I’m going to show my age here, but I’ve spent about eight years with Harry and his friends now. When I read Book Three, I was thirteen.

There is a lot resentment about these books I think from the literary crowd. The hype makes anything difficult to take sometime. The series has disappointed fans even at times. I remember when HBP came out, the fandom was pretty crazy about the shipping and JKR’s choices in writing teenage romance. Maybe it’s my faith in authors, and the fact that the series hasn’t finished. Maybe the seventh book will suck, but it’s been a long ride of mine with these books. I have changed a lot in the time I’ve read them. I really hope the ending satisfies me, and I can still read some decent fanfiction as a result of it.

I was sort of afraid about it for awhile, but I just want the series to end now. I’ve enjoyed my time with the books. I have never had to read books the day they are published so I can avoid the spoilers that will occur on the internet. I’m more afraid of spoilers than anything; in general, I’m against them because it’s been too long waiting for this series.

Here are my thoughts for Book 7. Not predictions per se, my thoughts so far of what might happen.

If Harry dies, I’m going to be gutted. To have spent eight years with this protagonist, watching him at his worse, he deserves life and hope after all of this. I remain the natural optimist in this. For me, it completes an arc in the series and Harry will be able to do things his parents or Sirius (or even Dumbledore) didn’t get to do.

I think Snape is not evil. I don’t think he’s necessarily good, but I don’t think he’s a complete coward. It’s too black and white for him to be evil. It’s a bit cheap even. He’s not a nice person at all, and he’s got issues, but I think there’s more than meets the eye when he murdered Dumbledore. Snape has a high dying quotient though.

I think Draco will have a good chance of living if Snape dies. His death quotient is not as high as Snape’s. He’ll play some important role in the end.

I suspect there definitely something going on with Petunia Dursley, a la the letters. We will find out more about her, and hopefully more about Lily as a result.

Peter Pettigrew will repay his life debt to Harry Potter. He may even die as a result of it, minimally he’ll betray Voldemort.

Moreover, I’m hoping we’ll find out more about what really happened that night at Godric’s Hollow. Who was there and who wasn’t, and the following missing hours before Harry arrived in No. 4 Prive Drive.

I hope Neville, Luna and Ginny play a part in th end because that was the best part of OotP.

Death Count: another professor? Hopefully not McGonagall. Kingsley or one of the Weasleys. Actually, as much as I love the Weasleys, I am sure at least one or two of them will die. I think they all have a good chance of dieing. I rather think Bill will live based on his wedding and his already permanent scar from this war as a result of Book 6.

So many things I could think of happening, but this could go on forever.

There is one thing I am sure of Book 7: it won’t answer all the questions. I use to be active in the Harry Potter fandom. I even use to beta and write fanfiction many years ago. I still read it sometimes. One thing fandom has left me is the endless nitpicking, meticulous wonderings and endless speculation. I hope Book 7 will answer the majority of my questions, but it’s not even a big enough book for that.

On a lighter note, I’m looking forward to Bill and Fleur’s wedding. That sounds fun because we haven’t seen enough wizarding celebrations.

These books may not be literary masterpieces, but they are fun and have been a good part of my life for years. That’s all I can ask for from books sometimes.

6 thoughts on “Booking Through Thursday – Just Wild About Harry

  • Nymeth

    I completely agree with your last paragraph. There are other books out there I can turn to if I want to read something “deeper”, but these books do what they are meant to do perfectly. I wish the people who are resentful and snobbish about them understood that.

    I also agree with you that it would be a little cheap if Snape turned out to be simply evil. I will be very disappointed in Rowling if that happens.

    And I so hope you’re right about Harry.

    Reply
  • Literary Feline

    What a wonderful post! Very insightful. I think the hype has indeed turned up noses. I admit that I was put off at first but when I finally gave Harry Potter a chance, I never looked back again. As you said, the books are not great literature, but they are fun and entertaining. I have enjoyed my time spent with Harry and friends.

    I think you made a good point about Snape. I’ve always believed he was on the “right” side, but your comment about him not being “necessarily good” hit the nail right on the head. He definitely has a dark side–as do most of us–his just is a bit darker.

    I am still not sure if I will be rushing out to get the book at the midnight release. I did preorder the book. Regardless, I doubt I’d be able to stay up all night reading it like some people I know are planning to do. Saturday morning would probably work out just fine for me. A lot less people to elbow. 🙂

    Reply
  • Chris

    I don’t have a problem with Harry. I’m just not into him, although now I wish I was lol! Anyway, I just nominated you for the Rockin’ Girl Blogger Award.

    Reply
  • Athena (Post author)

    Chris, I didn’t mean cool people like you that have problems with Harry. I mean those lovely critics who accuse of us of being disenfranchised can be supercilious about him. Thanks for the nomination!

    Reply

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