so, what's your name?
Okay. This is absolutely the first thing I'm doing on-line since I finished the book. The only other opion I've had is Sara's and it was a very vaugeish e-mail that indicated emotional response only. So, this is my pure and unadulterated view on Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. (And it's from memory only cause my copy is downstairs and I'm a lazy monkey who won't go get it.)
My first reaction when I finished the book (at 12:30 in the morning. give me a break about that thouhg. I was so distracted yesterday. first we went to the lake. then my dad's cousin's birthday party. then there was the meals in between. and all that travel time! I can't read in the car - I get violently ill.) was... JKR is brilliant. What she did at the end... I never saw it coming. But more on that later. The first chapter - expected. I really liked the whole idea of the two ministers talking together though. Nice and fluffy way to start a rather dark sort of beginning. The second chapter. WHOA! Not Harry? Bella and Cissy! I was muy muy excited about the new branching out pov. Oh yes. I am hoping we get the same sort of beginning in the next book actually. I like it when the bad guys are human, too. Poor Narcissa.
In that vein, I'd be very surprised if Cassie Claire wasn't totally thrilled by this new side of Draco. He's acting much more like her Draco does now. Eee! It made me happy.
So, in general, I was a little put off by how fast things happened in the book. She spent much less time on Quidditch and classes than she has previously and the lack of Hagrid was also new. It sort of.. disturbed me because it was so different, but I was so happy with all the Tom Riddle backstory that I forgave her.
Tom Riddle backstory! 0_0 I guessed that Merope was his mother almost immediately after meeting her. And Morfin.. delighted me. Not sure why, but I kinda liked him. (Koni's penchant for twisted bad guys has poisoned my brain! oh no!) But the elder Gaunt - pfft! The scene in the orphnage.. I was surprised that he was so violent. I always pictured Tom as more of a quiet loner, satisfied with his own brilliance, less of a petty torturer and theif. But if that's how JKR sees him... fine. I still like him. He is smart and awesome and he doesn't trust anyone. <3<3<3 Tom Riddle. Although it was a little freaky with that old lady. Such a charmer he was! Heh heh. ..but I do wanna know what powers Helga's cup and Salazar's locket had...
Slughorn. Eh.. He was all right. I feel like she didn't do enough with him. Like she just sort of gave up on him halfway through the book. But the scene with him and Hagrid getting drunk was priceless. And speaking of other priceless things.. There were several typical JKR lines that were hilarious. When Flitwick set Seamus those lines "I am a wizard, not a baboon holding a stick" (paraphrasing of course) I had to put the book down for awhile. And the whole Ron/Lav thing was fantastically funny. "Won-won" and all. Hee. I was glad about the eventual Herm/Ron realization though.
Harry and Ginny. Ahh. I knew right along that's where we were headed and I think she did a very good job with it. I love Ginny and I love Harry's problems with his own emotions so it was fun to see unfold. But I am also very glad that he told her the truth of the future of their relationship, too. Nice mature touch there.
So.. we're coming to the more important things. For the longest time, i though the Half-Blood Prince was Lily. Cause Hermione had that line about it being a girl and Slughorn kept comparing Harry to Lily etc. But by the time Hermione came up with Eileen Prince (actually.. more like when Harry used that spell against Draco in the bathroom) I think I knew it was really Snape. I still wanted it to be Lily, but I think I knew it was Snape.
Snape. Oh. Oh, oh. Okay, first off, when he killed Dumbledore I didn't think it was real. I was sure the whole thing was a setup and there was NO WAY Dumbledore was dead. Simply didn't believe it. But by the time Harry got back to the infirmary... I was realizing that I was wrong. And I got all choked up about it, too. (By the by, I was very happy about the whole Bill/Fleur thing. I really do like Fleur as much as a bunch of people I know do not. She's awesome.) ...yeah, so, I didn't cry about it until his funeral cause then it really hit me.. and.. wow. JKR is a very brave woman to be doing things like that. ANd I can't believe I had no idea! I should've known. All that time Harry spent with him and everything.. I should've known it was like being introduced to the Black house in book 5. She totally duped me on this one though. (Oh, and UGH. How awful is Kreacher still? And I still don't think I'm happy about the Remus/Tonks match. Bleagh. Too thrown together. ---Plus, Remus is for Sirius only! There is no other, dammit!--- )
BUT! I have my theories! And it is that Dumbledore knew what was going to happen. Firstly, I think I didn't see the Snape-killing-him thing coming because I had complete trust in Dumbledore's trust in him. And obviously after it happened I still did becuase I didn't think Dumbledore was really dead, but then... Oh, I was SO MAD. Almost as mad as Harry. But after I finished the book, I sat up another forty minutes thinking about it... And now I think, Dumbledore was right. Snape didn't betray him. Snape was acting on Dumbledore's orders when he made that Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa. Dumbledore knew he was going to die eventaully. Hence teaching Harry all the important things he needed to know. Hence saving Draco from the worst mistake of his life. I believe that Snape is still a double-agent, but for the good side. The whole pleading thing... "Please...please..." I think Dumbledore was actually ASKING Snape to kill him. Knew it had to happen for Harry to do the things he needs to do. Knew Voldemort will now believe he is more powerful than ever with no oppisition, but this only leaves his weaknesses more open than ever for Harry to exploit. ....you see where I'm getting all this right? Of course, I could just be totally dellusional, but it's my theory and I'm sticking to it until the 7th book comes out.
Oh. R.A.B.? Regulus Black was my first ping, and I think he fits. Betrayed the Death Eaters didn't he? Killed shortly after wasn't he? Like it said in the note.. "I'll be dead, but I wanted you to know..." Question is, did he destroy the locket? Is it in the Black house (now Harry's)?
And is Harry really not going back to Hogwarts!? This makes me sad. The next novel ought to be veeeeeery interesting though. I love these books so much. And JKR has done such fantastic things with them. They could have been tame and predictable but she has twisted them just enough... Ooh! I'm so happy I want to read it again now! But I won't... I need to go see what everyone else thought... Toodle-oo for now, dears.