Some stuff :-)

[quite_grey]

Just a few comments on the book. I tried not to get into anything I've seen over and over elsewhere. :)

Comments

[anonymous]

what is canon? I see it all over the place connected to HP, but I don't get it.

[wickedschmuck]

Check here. This provides the best definition of canon as it applies to fiction.

[psychick]

"Canon" means anything that comes directly from source material. (As opposed to "fanon" which refers to trends in fan-art and -fiction.)

For example, many fans believed that Harry and Ginny would make a good couple, but untill it happened in Rowling's book, it wasn't canon. It's like saying one thing is real and another is imaginary.

[psychick]

I agree that it seemed totally anticlimactic that Snape-as-DADA-man wasn't touched on AT ALL! It's one of my biggest beefs with the book. :-(

[quite_grey]

She could have done so much with that. :(

[first_lobster]

I agree that it would have been interesting to read what his classes would be like- but this book kind of stripped down things that weren't necessary...

In all though- I could have done with less Slughorn (was that his name?) and seen a little of Snapes DADA classes.

[quite_grey]

In all though- I could have done with less Slughorn (was that his name?) and seen a little of Snapes DADA classes.

Exactly. New characters are great, but there should be balance with the old, especially Snape. Although maybe we didn't get to see too much of Snape this year to help keep us from guessing the identity of the HBP, or to make Snape killing Dumbledore more shocking.

[quite_grey]

Hmm, good point; I didn't think of it that way. It is still possible, but I get the feeling that Harry is going to take a brief sojourn at Godric's Hollow and then go after Voldemort's horcruxes, rather than enroll in Auror school (or whatever it is you have to do to become an auror :-)).

[lifesux23]

I like you analysis, but there are a few things I would like to point out. Firstly, if Voldemort actually intended Harry's dead body to be one of the Horcrux, then it wouldn't make sense, cos when Harry's body is cremated, or whatever they do to dead wizards' bodies, the Horcrux might in essence, be gone. So I don't think Voldemort wanted to do that. Harry the Auror might not make it, not because Harry didn't obtain enough NEWTs, but simply because there might not be a need to have Aurors anymore. The main reason there are Aurors are to protect the innocent from the Death Eaters. When Harry manages to kill Voldemort, there would be no need for them anymore. And even if the are gonna have Aurors just in case, I think Harry would be invited to be an honourary Auror or something, just for ridding the world of the greatest Dark Lord in centuries.

[psychick]

I don't think the end of Voldemort will mean the end of all evil, so they will still need Aurors. Aurors hunt dark wizards, and the Death Eaters aren't the only dark wizards out there.

[quite_grey]

I thought that, too, but I couldn't remember and was not in the mood to go tearing through the books to find out. Although I suppose I could have googled it...but I'm lazy tonight anyway :)

[quite_grey]

You make good points. :)

Voldemort could have taken Harry's body, put some sort of preservative spell on it, and hid it somewhere. I don't think it's a very good idea, but we know his ideas aren't always good. :)

I think the reason that Harry was planning on becoming an Auror was so he would be prepared to go after Voldemort, so if he's leaving Hogwarts to go after the Horcruxes and then Voldemort (which is what I think), then he won't need to become an Auror. All that is just opinion, though.

[coconutsoup92]

I also thought at the end of book 6 that there wasn't as much detail AT ALL about their actual classes and work. I didn't really like it as much because it just focused on the juicy stuff. There should be sometime in there where we can just relax and read about classes, no?

[first_lobster]

I think maybe she was trying to shift our focus from the classes because there's a chance that Harry won't be at Hogwarts next year. Also, I think this book had a general feel of darkness- they're at war- though there was some happiness and frivolity, Harry DID just see his godfather die and this isn't just "Maybe Voldemort is trying to get the stone" or "How did Harry's name get in the Triwizard Cup?" Harry (and the readers) have the burden of knowing that Voldemort is going to do anything in his power to kill Harry.
In other words- she set us up in the first 5 books with descriptions of classes and the world that Harry's in so that in the last two, we can use our...what is that thing...imaginations.... :)

[quite_grey]

That's what I was expecting, too, but it seems the days of classwork or school matters in general taking a place of any importance are over. I mean, Hermione is willing to go follow Harry rather than study for her NEWTS?? The war has really begun.