SPOILERS - thoughts, questions after a first read

Jul 16, 2005 17:26


OMG what a ride.

I was so torn while reading the book - so horrified at how things were surely going to turn out that I could barely keep reading - at one point I wanted to put it down and stop so I could keep my “good” Snape as long as possible. When we got to that crucial moment I was all in denial - I believed what Harry believed, I just didn’t believe I could go on. Oh, I have always said that there is only one real part of a HEA I care about - oh, just one character I want to live - I didn’t even make be redeemed part of my mental bargaining with the Universe because I was so sure that oh of course he would be but oh oh oh--

Snape: even if he is completely evil, a mirror image of Voldemort with no complexity whatsoever - JK Rowling is still a genius for writing this Snape. I NEVER thought I would be able to live with it but if I have to - I will believe it and even (taken alone and not as part of an overall pattern) admire it. But I don’t think he is, I could list a million reasons from this book alone (ok, perhaps six or seven). I think, if Voldemort was bad from day one, and Harry is unique in his ability to love (loved that “Big deal!”) Snape must be a more complex in-between, however it turns out.

Snape’s Vow: Did he REALLY know what he was swearing himself to when he took that Unbreakable Vow** or is half his desperation to know Draco’s plan his trying to figure out what it is? If he didn’t know, when did he find out? It didn’t occur to me reading the book (reading that second chapter, I fell for Evil!Snape hook line and sinker because I am a total pessimist) but reading Maeglinyedi’s thoughts on Dumbledore’s pleading now I wonder if maybe Snape took that oath expecting to die rather than kill Dumbledore?

The Horcruxes and R.A.B: Well, I was totally, totally wrong on all my predictions for HBP, so much so that if I were not a total lurker I would have to leave the fandom before McTabby’s predictions page is unveiled next year. But I REALLY am sure this time that RAB must be Regulus Black - why the reminder of him, again, first of all but secondly: Who cares that Mundungus is stealing old things from Grimmauld Place? Unless….

Horcruxes: Not so keen on the collect-all-seven idea when I read it, but there are some great ideas already just in spoilerly thoughts about the ramifications and I am growing to embrace it the more it sinks in. What I can’t believe is that this quest means Harry will not be at Hogwarts next year!!!!!! CANNOT BELIEVE IT. SO unexpected, this (after the horror of the previous pages) filled me ONCE AGAIN with the sheer certainty that JK is brilliant - you could have knocked me over with a feather - so wrong, so unexpected, so right. What in the world will happen? Unlike at the end of OOtP, I am excited to think about the answers.

More general thoughts:
The Vanishing Cabinet - made that bit of OOTP make sense - Montague did not suffer for NO reason, I felt better about that (which really, given the use it went to, I probably shouldn’t.)

The Slug Club - the whole idea of teacher’s favorites, etc. - better minds then mine will no doubt write an essay on why this made them so uncomfortable, how wrong, etc. In advance, ITA. But why, oh why no mention of whether Snape was is it (w/Lily OMG! Stands aside as rush of fangirls dashes off to fanfic) or of their relationship at all?

Dislike growing impression that you turn out evil if your Mom was ugly. Silver lining: Narcissa pretty! (I didn’t care overmuch about Draco until this book - well, I cared, but not about whether or not he would up on the Dark Lord’s side. Now I want him to be OK.)

Why give Ron and Harry this, well, chummy fellow-feeling for the Half-Blood Prince if he is truly all bad? Oops, that was about Snape again.

Totally fell for the idea that Tonks & Remus were both mourning Sirius but believed this would bring them together later on. So half right. (Also, slash-friendly.) TOTALLY believed Snape was a little angry-jealous when he poked at Tonk’s patronus, which I thought was Padfoot. Now I don’t know what to think. I love that though!

Anyway, I went to sleep this morning not sure how I felt about the book but I woke up loving it and I can’t wait to read it again. I’ve loved everyone else’s spoilery thoughts, so these were some of mine.



* Forget this particular instance - ok, don’t - but even on its own, how many fanfics will the very concept spawn? How many hits will you get if you search the pit of voles for “Unbreakable” in summaries in (checks watch) four weeks? The mind boggles. No, the mind recoils.

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