my thoughts/theory Part II
Anyway let's continue where I left off...
So, to recap: I believe Dumbledore was asking Snape to protect Draco, knowing full well that the only plausible step to be taken was for Snape to end his life. He was willing to make the sacrifice because he knows he's helped Harry as much as he could; there was no saving Harry from venturing forth on his own. Second, his powers had weakened considerably, and in the big picture, the loss of his life would only be one life, whereas, were Snape to turn on the other Death Eaters, likely they'd all might've gotten killed, or at least, Snape, Draco, Narcissa, and Lucius' life would be in grave danger. That's 4 lives to one. Snape would surely be a goner, for if he saved Dumbledore, he would've broken his Vow and thus would've died. There was no way Dumbledore would allow this, as it would place both Draco and Narcissa on the path towards execution at the hands of Voldie. Granted, Narcissa, Draco, and Lucius had chosen to follow Voldemort, but as we saw Dumbledore trying to steer Draco towards the path of the Light, we can infer that he has hope the Malfoys might turn against their former Master.
This would explain why Snape killed Dumbledore with a look of rage and revulsion. Why wouldn't he? Dumbledore saved him, trusted him when no one would, gave him a chance when others chose to scorn him. Also, I recall in one of the earlier books, Snape had defended Dumbledore. I believe the reason Snape has the look of revulsion was because he was repulsed at what circumstances were forcing him to do - he knew he had to kill the one man he respected, he knew this would sever his ties with the Order, he knew he would be forever tainted with guilt. He was angry, perhaps at Dumbledore, for making him do this, and angry at mostly himself for having to do it.
My proof for this is when Harry catches up with him and calls him a coward. Remember how angry Sev was when Harry accused him of this? My rationalization is that it was very, very, VERY difficult for Snape to have done what he did, turning his wand on the one person he respected, and he had to summon up all the gumption he had to pull it off. Definitely NOT the act of a coward - it pained him, hurt him deeply to have to end Dumbledore's life, but he had no choice.
And Dumbledore knew this. After all, we're talking about the omniscient defeater of Grendelwald, the most powerful wizard of current times, the one wizard Voldemort ever feared. He may be a trusting old man who prefers to see the best in people, but one thing's for sure - he's NO fool. He's clever and he's powerful. If Snape was truly up to no good, I am not convinced that Dumbledore would be so blind in his faith for Severus as to not realize this.
They must've conversed about the possibility of this outcome before; they must've discussed what actions to take if Draco were to be found in the position to harm Dumbledore. They must've decided that this must be the only course to take - if Draco were pressured to kill the Headmaster, he'd be forever doomed to the Dark side, yet if he failed to do so then he and his family would be murdered. In Dumbledore's eyes, Draco is still a boy and his student - despite Draco's misguided alliances, I think Dumbledore will still find it his duty to protect any student of Hogwarts with his life. Perhaps if the other Death Eaters had not rushed in, Dumbledore may have had the time to persuade Draco to trust him and swap sides, in which case both of their lives would've been spared.
But as it was, they were deadlocked. And perhaps the old Headmaster saw in Draco the chance for hope, so he believed his death would not be in vain.
And perhaps he is right - on both Snape and Draco. After all, it was obvious that Draco could not kill Dumbledore, even though he openly despised the old man. Perhaps it is cowardice, perhaps it is nerves, but Draco definitely did not have the killer's gumption to end another's life, though before this he thought he had. Even under pressure, he could not utter the Killing Curse. And what, really, would Draco have to fear? By killing Dumbledore, he would save his own life and the lives of his parents. He would be honored, rewarded. And he would get his revenge. It was all he ever dreamed for. Yet, in light of all of this, he still *couldn't* do it. I think a true coward would not have hesitated to end Dumbledore's life for his own personal gain. Obviously, there is more to Draco. There's got to be. And because of this, Dumbledore saw something worth saving. Hope is always worth saving.
Now we come to Snape. Snape, who found himself in the position to fulfill the Vow and protect Draco. If he didn't kill Dumbledore, he would die because he broke the Vow. In consequence, one of the other Death Eaters would've killed Dumbledore instead and Draco would be doomed. Three lives would've been lost instead of one. And I think Dumbledore is the sort of person who would prefer to have his life ended by someone he cared about and trusted, than an unworthy enemy. So sacrificing his own life for the greater good would actually make him die in peace.
And being the omniscient wizard that he is, I think Dumbledore might've forsaw such an end for himself. Not in full certainty, of course, but why else did he make Snape the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when he *knew* the position was cursed, and had prevented Snape from taking it year after year? I think he felt Snape would have to leave him soon, for one reason or another.
Let's also not forget the Flight of the Prince. He prevented the other Death Eaters from killing Harry - of course, he said Potter was reserved for Voldemort, a very sound excuse indeed - and prevented Harry from committing Unforgivables. Of course, he taunted Harry about it, but I think that's just his only way - he would be unmasking himself as a traitor if he reacted otherwise.
All in all, I think Bellatrix was onto something when she blatantly refused to trust Snape, in spite of all his reasoning for his past behaviors. His explanations were flawless, I admit, and perhaps he is a good enough Legilimens to fool Voldemort, but I honestly think it takes a lot more to fool someone like Dumbledore. Snape, after all, spends much more of his time with Dumby than Voldie - how could he have put up such a believable facade for so long? He must've slipped at one time or another - and I refuse to believe Dumbledore too blind in his faith to have missed it.
So, in summary of my rather lengthy, incoherent, and rather segmented theory, I firmly believe that Snape was not acting out of evil, but out of Dumbledore's own orders. I believe he is using the guise of being a double-agent in order to explain his reasons for being amongst Dumbledore and the Order, but really, his loyalties lie with Dumbledore. I believe he genuinely cares about Narcissa and Draco, otherwise he would not have put his own life and the life of his mentor at such a risk (he *was* reluctant to do so at first), but of course it could also be argued that he feared Narcissa would go off and do something utterly stupid, jeoparding both her life and Draco's, if he didn't (which actually proves my point). I believe he was truly very sorry to have to murder Dumbledore and will forever despise himself because of it. I believe eventually he will be able to worm his way back into Voldemort's good graces, despite disobeying the Dark Lord's orders to let Draco do the killing, and will have everyone fooled that he is a Baddie until the last crucial moment, when he will once and for all reveal his true nature and loyalties and betray Voldemort. Perhaps, to atone for his guilt and the crime he never wanted to commit, he will sacrifice his life to save Harry's.
As for Draco, I believe Voldemort had no intention of the boy succeeding. I think Narcissa was perfectly correct in assuming the Draco was a pawn in Voldemort's scheme to punish Lucius. I mean, Voldemort himself fears Dumbledore and knows how powerful he is; why, even *he* can't defeat Dumbledore, yet he expects a hot-headed teenaged BOY to do the deed? Not bloody likely. Draco had always been set up to fail. Of course, if he miraculously succeeded, so much the better. And perhaps Voldemort was clever and sneaky enough to count on Narcissa to persuade Snape to aid the boy. Either way, I doubt he expected Draco to succeed - he is not so foolish as that. Draco, however, was the fool. He'd been tempted by the prospect of avenging his father, eliminating a man he despised, spiting his foe Potter in the face, and obtaining glory and power in the process. Blinded by his own ambition, fueled by his hot-headedness, fury, and temporary smugness and pride, he failed to realize the errors in his thinking as a result of his unexperienced youth. He overestimated his own conscience and his own abilities. I think JKR actually reveals more of Draco's inner side than in any other book; for once, he gets closer to becoming 3-D. Now, I'm not saying Draco is GOOD - no, Draco is a great many things, including petty, mean, spiteful, hateful, prejudiced, selfish, proud, insecure, cowardly, - the list goes on - but what he certainly isn't is pure evil. Draco is not a murderer - he could not kill a man in cold blood. Harm, perhaps, but not kill. And he's got other sides to his personality - Moaning Myrtle has revealed that he is lonely, troubled, and sensitive. I mean, come on, did any of us really expect the Smug Snarky Slytherin to actually CONFIDE in a female ghost, of all entities? That certainly took *me* by surprise! Plus, it seemed as though he wasn't rude and awful to Myrtle, otherwise she would've been offended by him, and he told her when he would visit her again - now that's gotta be something, considering Myrtle is a girl of a ghost and was a Mudblood to boot (but I doubt Draco is aware of that). And Draco, succumbing to tears! What a weakness we saw! He obviously wasn't too embarrassed about showing his weak side to Myrtle! He really is a troubled youth, misguided, confused, and motivated by all the wrong reasons. That doesn't make him evil, though. Another point in his favor was that he clearly displeased by the appearance of Greyback. I don't think he meant to do wreak so much havoc. He surely has a lot of growing up and learning to do, and it looks like he'll have to do it the hard way, sadly. His fate remains to be seen and I fear JKR might do him injustice by either condemning him to die or return to the Dark Side in his confusion. I think he has more potential to be saved, now more than ever.
What's more, it is clear that Draco isn't so selfish as to care for only his own hide - he also wanted to save his family, which ended up being one of his later main motivations for going through with his mission. I think he truly loves his parents, and it was also clear that Narcissa loves her son and husband dearly. That's gotta count for something as well.
Snape, on the other hand, will have to face many demons, both in the physical world and in the depths of his troubled mind and soul. Now, I may be a Draco lover, so I'm inclined to believe the best of the prat, but what I'm definitely NOT is a Snape lover. I never particularly liked Snape. I found him odious and at best, I was indifferent to him. But in spite of all that, I don't believe he is evil. I may be wrong, he may truly be the worst of the sort, but I highly doubt that. I think he will atone for his sins in the next book, and likely with his life. I don't think he ever wanted to kill Dumbledore but not doing so would've been disastrous, for not only himself, but for the boy who has potential to find redemption somewhere down the line. And Dumbledore, too weak to defend himself, would've been dead anyway, a lost cause.
Right, so that *finally* concludes my longwinded theory. I hope I haven't left anything out. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this all day and night and I'm certain I probably left out some subtle hints or clues to Snape's true motivation that JKR presented in the book, but for now, I think I've said enough.
Now, for other aspects of the book I'd like to comment on.
Ships:
Overall, I was rather satisfied with the ship developments in HBP. I long ago figured Harry would end up with Ginny - as she bears such a resemblance to Lily Evans Potter - and I rather find the ship endearing. I'm glad JKR gave Harry/Cho a shot though, and Ron/Lavender, well, we saw *that* enough in fandom! I wasn't too surprised. R/Hr, while I accept it in Hogwarts canon, I still cannot root for them. I wish I could, but I can't. D/Hr is still going strong for me, no amount of R/Hr-ness can dissuade me from that. As for the other ships, I always found Bill/Fleur rather cute and I'm really glad she managed to win Mrs. Weasley's heart in the end. Remus/Tonks was another ship that I felt was blossoming since OotP and really liked it, so I was tremendously happy to see it made canon at last!
For the non-canon ships, I felt a slight undercurrent of Cissy/Snape but a much stronger one of Bellatrix/Snape. It must be the love/hate dynamic at play again. H/D undertones were also tremendously abound that at many points in the story I thought H/D slashers must be having a field day. I mean, Harry Potter explicitly obsessed with Draco Malfoy? All their spying and confrontations? The new feeling of pity Harry starts to feel for Draco? Definitely a premise for the ship. Much more so than my OTP of D/Hr, I'm sad to say.
But I'm not worried, because I know what to expect. JKR shot down Dramione in that dratted interview last year so I've gotten loads of time to get used to D/Hr never being in canon. But that doesn't mean the dynamic isn't still *there* and it doesn't mean that it's eternally impossible. I always figured it was going to happen post-Hogwarts anyway (given she doesn't kill Draco off in Book 7). We still see Draco being deliberately hateful to Hermione...yet, what does he do but steal her nifty ideas? He doesn't know it yet, but he truly appreciates her wit and creativity. I still maintain that she'll be his ultimate salvation. One day.
Long live D/Hr! (Now if only Ron/Luna will happen soon...)
Characters:
Narcissa - behaved exactly as I expected and her motivations had been around fandom for ages. Protecting her one and only son? Sound familiar, ppl?
Harry - liked him loaaaads better here than in OotP, where I thought he was far too angsty for his own good. I'm glad he's growing up.
Ginny - I like her.
Hermione - I found her tedious when she kept on reprimanding Harry for using illicit spells for personal gain when she did the EXACT same thing to help Ron win. Rather hypocritical of her, and I felt it was most unlike Hermione to brush off Harry's suspicious notions on Malfoy so carelessly.
Ron - Did anyone notice what I believe to be JK's tribute to Rupert Grint, when she had Slughorn mistakenly refer to Ron as 'Rupert'? Lol.
Neville and Luna - TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED in their VERY background role. After giving them such significant parts in OotP, I found it rather bad form of JKR to reduce their roles so drastically. I wish they would've had a bigger part and I hope JKR will do them better justice in the final book.
Draco - I was totally amazed at the major role he played in the plot of HBP. After making him rather significant in the previous book, I thought he was just going to fall into the background, appearing here and there to annoy Harry and complicate his world. I had NO idea JKR had *this* in store for Draco. I only hope she does him justice in the finale as well.
And that's all I will say for now. Bed time. Tell me what you think.
So, to recap: I believe Dumbledore was asking Snape to protect Draco, knowing full well that the only plausible step to be taken was for Snape to end his life. He was willing to make the sacrifice because he knows he's helped Harry as much as he could; there was no saving Harry from venturing forth on his own. Second, his powers had weakened considerably, and in the big picture, the loss of his life would only be one life, whereas, were Snape to turn on the other Death Eaters, likely they'd all might've gotten killed, or at least, Snape, Draco, Narcissa, and Lucius' life would be in grave danger. That's 4 lives to one. Snape would surely be a goner, for if he saved Dumbledore, he would've broken his Vow and thus would've died. There was no way Dumbledore would allow this, as it would place both Draco and Narcissa on the path towards execution at the hands of Voldie. Granted, Narcissa, Draco, and Lucius had chosen to follow Voldemort, but as we saw Dumbledore trying to steer Draco towards the path of the Light, we can infer that he has hope the Malfoys might turn against their former Master.
This would explain why Snape killed Dumbledore with a look of rage and revulsion. Why wouldn't he? Dumbledore saved him, trusted him when no one would, gave him a chance when others chose to scorn him. Also, I recall in one of the earlier books, Snape had defended Dumbledore. I believe the reason Snape has the look of revulsion was because he was repulsed at what circumstances were forcing him to do - he knew he had to kill the one man he respected, he knew this would sever his ties with the Order, he knew he would be forever tainted with guilt. He was angry, perhaps at Dumbledore, for making him do this, and angry at mostly himself for having to do it.
My proof for this is when Harry catches up with him and calls him a coward. Remember how angry Sev was when Harry accused him of this? My rationalization is that it was very, very, VERY difficult for Snape to have done what he did, turning his wand on the one person he respected, and he had to summon up all the gumption he had to pull it off. Definitely NOT the act of a coward - it pained him, hurt him deeply to have to end Dumbledore's life, but he had no choice.
And Dumbledore knew this. After all, we're talking about the omniscient defeater of Grendelwald, the most powerful wizard of current times, the one wizard Voldemort ever feared. He may be a trusting old man who prefers to see the best in people, but one thing's for sure - he's NO fool. He's clever and he's powerful. If Snape was truly up to no good, I am not convinced that Dumbledore would be so blind in his faith for Severus as to not realize this.
They must've conversed about the possibility of this outcome before; they must've discussed what actions to take if Draco were to be found in the position to harm Dumbledore. They must've decided that this must be the only course to take - if Draco were pressured to kill the Headmaster, he'd be forever doomed to the Dark side, yet if he failed to do so then he and his family would be murdered. In Dumbledore's eyes, Draco is still a boy and his student - despite Draco's misguided alliances, I think Dumbledore will still find it his duty to protect any student of Hogwarts with his life. Perhaps if the other Death Eaters had not rushed in, Dumbledore may have had the time to persuade Draco to trust him and swap sides, in which case both of their lives would've been spared.
But as it was, they were deadlocked. And perhaps the old Headmaster saw in Draco the chance for hope, so he believed his death would not be in vain.
And perhaps he is right - on both Snape and Draco. After all, it was obvious that Draco could not kill Dumbledore, even though he openly despised the old man. Perhaps it is cowardice, perhaps it is nerves, but Draco definitely did not have the killer's gumption to end another's life, though before this he thought he had. Even under pressure, he could not utter the Killing Curse. And what, really, would Draco have to fear? By killing Dumbledore, he would save his own life and the lives of his parents. He would be honored, rewarded. And he would get his revenge. It was all he ever dreamed for. Yet, in light of all of this, he still *couldn't* do it. I think a true coward would not have hesitated to end Dumbledore's life for his own personal gain. Obviously, there is more to Draco. There's got to be. And because of this, Dumbledore saw something worth saving. Hope is always worth saving.
Now we come to Snape. Snape, who found himself in the position to fulfill the Vow and protect Draco. If he didn't kill Dumbledore, he would die because he broke the Vow. In consequence, one of the other Death Eaters would've killed Dumbledore instead and Draco would be doomed. Three lives would've been lost instead of one. And I think Dumbledore is the sort of person who would prefer to have his life ended by someone he cared about and trusted, than an unworthy enemy. So sacrificing his own life for the greater good would actually make him die in peace.
And being the omniscient wizard that he is, I think Dumbledore might've forsaw such an end for himself. Not in full certainty, of course, but why else did he make Snape the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher when he *knew* the position was cursed, and had prevented Snape from taking it year after year? I think he felt Snape would have to leave him soon, for one reason or another.
Let's also not forget the Flight of the Prince. He prevented the other Death Eaters from killing Harry - of course, he said Potter was reserved for Voldemort, a very sound excuse indeed - and prevented Harry from committing Unforgivables. Of course, he taunted Harry about it, but I think that's just his only way - he would be unmasking himself as a traitor if he reacted otherwise.
All in all, I think Bellatrix was onto something when she blatantly refused to trust Snape, in spite of all his reasoning for his past behaviors. His explanations were flawless, I admit, and perhaps he is a good enough Legilimens to fool Voldemort, but I honestly think it takes a lot more to fool someone like Dumbledore. Snape, after all, spends much more of his time with Dumby than Voldie - how could he have put up such a believable facade for so long? He must've slipped at one time or another - and I refuse to believe Dumbledore too blind in his faith to have missed it.
So, in summary of my rather lengthy, incoherent, and rather segmented theory, I firmly believe that Snape was not acting out of evil, but out of Dumbledore's own orders. I believe he is using the guise of being a double-agent in order to explain his reasons for being amongst Dumbledore and the Order, but really, his loyalties lie with Dumbledore. I believe he genuinely cares about Narcissa and Draco, otherwise he would not have put his own life and the life of his mentor at such a risk (he *was* reluctant to do so at first), but of course it could also be argued that he feared Narcissa would go off and do something utterly stupid, jeoparding both her life and Draco's, if he didn't (which actually proves my point). I believe he was truly very sorry to have to murder Dumbledore and will forever despise himself because of it. I believe eventually he will be able to worm his way back into Voldemort's good graces, despite disobeying the Dark Lord's orders to let Draco do the killing, and will have everyone fooled that he is a Baddie until the last crucial moment, when he will once and for all reveal his true nature and loyalties and betray Voldemort. Perhaps, to atone for his guilt and the crime he never wanted to commit, he will sacrifice his life to save Harry's.
As for Draco, I believe Voldemort had no intention of the boy succeeding. I think Narcissa was perfectly correct in assuming the Draco was a pawn in Voldemort's scheme to punish Lucius. I mean, Voldemort himself fears Dumbledore and knows how powerful he is; why, even *he* can't defeat Dumbledore, yet he expects a hot-headed teenaged BOY to do the deed? Not bloody likely. Draco had always been set up to fail. Of course, if he miraculously succeeded, so much the better. And perhaps Voldemort was clever and sneaky enough to count on Narcissa to persuade Snape to aid the boy. Either way, I doubt he expected Draco to succeed - he is not so foolish as that. Draco, however, was the fool. He'd been tempted by the prospect of avenging his father, eliminating a man he despised, spiting his foe Potter in the face, and obtaining glory and power in the process. Blinded by his own ambition, fueled by his hot-headedness, fury, and temporary smugness and pride, he failed to realize the errors in his thinking as a result of his unexperienced youth. He overestimated his own conscience and his own abilities. I think JKR actually reveals more of Draco's inner side than in any other book; for once, he gets closer to becoming 3-D. Now, I'm not saying Draco is GOOD - no, Draco is a great many things, including petty, mean, spiteful, hateful, prejudiced, selfish, proud, insecure, cowardly, - the list goes on - but what he certainly isn't is pure evil. Draco is not a murderer - he could not kill a man in cold blood. Harm, perhaps, but not kill. And he's got other sides to his personality - Moaning Myrtle has revealed that he is lonely, troubled, and sensitive. I mean, come on, did any of us really expect the Smug Snarky Slytherin to actually CONFIDE in a female ghost, of all entities? That certainly took *me* by surprise! Plus, it seemed as though he wasn't rude and awful to Myrtle, otherwise she would've been offended by him, and he told her when he would visit her again - now that's gotta be something, considering Myrtle is a girl of a ghost and was a Mudblood to boot (but I doubt Draco is aware of that). And Draco, succumbing to tears! What a weakness we saw! He obviously wasn't too embarrassed about showing his weak side to Myrtle! He really is a troubled youth, misguided, confused, and motivated by all the wrong reasons. That doesn't make him evil, though. Another point in his favor was that he clearly displeased by the appearance of Greyback. I don't think he meant to do wreak so much havoc. He surely has a lot of growing up and learning to do, and it looks like he'll have to do it the hard way, sadly. His fate remains to be seen and I fear JKR might do him injustice by either condemning him to die or return to the Dark Side in his confusion. I think he has more potential to be saved, now more than ever.
What's more, it is clear that Draco isn't so selfish as to care for only his own hide - he also wanted to save his family, which ended up being one of his later main motivations for going through with his mission. I think he truly loves his parents, and it was also clear that Narcissa loves her son and husband dearly. That's gotta count for something as well.
Snape, on the other hand, will have to face many demons, both in the physical world and in the depths of his troubled mind and soul. Now, I may be a Draco lover, so I'm inclined to believe the best of the prat, but what I'm definitely NOT is a Snape lover. I never particularly liked Snape. I found him odious and at best, I was indifferent to him. But in spite of all that, I don't believe he is evil. I may be wrong, he may truly be the worst of the sort, but I highly doubt that. I think he will atone for his sins in the next book, and likely with his life. I don't think he ever wanted to kill Dumbledore but not doing so would've been disastrous, for not only himself, but for the boy who has potential to find redemption somewhere down the line. And Dumbledore, too weak to defend himself, would've been dead anyway, a lost cause.
Right, so that *finally* concludes my longwinded theory. I hope I haven't left anything out. I haven't been able to stop thinking about this all day and night and I'm certain I probably left out some subtle hints or clues to Snape's true motivation that JKR presented in the book, but for now, I think I've said enough.
Now, for other aspects of the book I'd like to comment on.
Ships:
Overall, I was rather satisfied with the ship developments in HBP. I long ago figured Harry would end up with Ginny - as she bears such a resemblance to Lily Evans Potter - and I rather find the ship endearing. I'm glad JKR gave Harry/Cho a shot though, and Ron/Lavender, well, we saw *that* enough in fandom! I wasn't too surprised. R/Hr, while I accept it in Hogwarts canon, I still cannot root for them. I wish I could, but I can't. D/Hr is still going strong for me, no amount of R/Hr-ness can dissuade me from that. As for the other ships, I always found Bill/Fleur rather cute and I'm really glad she managed to win Mrs. Weasley's heart in the end. Remus/Tonks was another ship that I felt was blossoming since OotP and really liked it, so I was tremendously happy to see it made canon at last!
For the non-canon ships, I felt a slight undercurrent of Cissy/Snape but a much stronger one of Bellatrix/Snape. It must be the love/hate dynamic at play again. H/D undertones were also tremendously abound that at many points in the story I thought H/D slashers must be having a field day. I mean, Harry Potter explicitly obsessed with Draco Malfoy? All their spying and confrontations? The new feeling of pity Harry starts to feel for Draco? Definitely a premise for the ship. Much more so than my OTP of D/Hr, I'm sad to say.
But I'm not worried, because I know what to expect. JKR shot down Dramione in that dratted interview last year so I've gotten loads of time to get used to D/Hr never being in canon. But that doesn't mean the dynamic isn't still *there* and it doesn't mean that it's eternally impossible. I always figured it was going to happen post-Hogwarts anyway (given she doesn't kill Draco off in Book 7). We still see Draco being deliberately hateful to Hermione...yet, what does he do but steal her nifty ideas? He doesn't know it yet, but he truly appreciates her wit and creativity. I still maintain that she'll be his ultimate salvation. One day.
Long live D/Hr! (Now if only Ron/Luna will happen soon...)
Characters:
Narcissa - behaved exactly as I expected and her motivations had been around fandom for ages. Protecting her one and only son? Sound familiar, ppl?
Harry - liked him loaaaads better here than in OotP, where I thought he was far too angsty for his own good. I'm glad he's growing up.
Ginny - I like her.
Hermione - I found her tedious when she kept on reprimanding Harry for using illicit spells for personal gain when she did the EXACT same thing to help Ron win. Rather hypocritical of her, and I felt it was most unlike Hermione to brush off Harry's suspicious notions on Malfoy so carelessly.
Ron - Did anyone notice what I believe to be JK's tribute to Rupert Grint, when she had Slughorn mistakenly refer to Ron as 'Rupert'? Lol.
Neville and Luna - TOTALLY DISAPPOINTED in their VERY background role. After giving them such significant parts in OotP, I found it rather bad form of JKR to reduce their roles so drastically. I wish they would've had a bigger part and I hope JKR will do them better justice in the final book.
Draco - I was totally amazed at the major role he played in the plot of HBP. After making him rather significant in the previous book, I thought he was just going to fall into the background, appearing here and there to annoy Harry and complicate his world. I had NO idea JKR had *this* in store for Draco. I only hope she does him justice in the finale as well.
And that's all I will say for now. Bed time. Tell me what you think.