So how did you like Harry Potter 5? ***Beware Spoilers***

[mtemm]

For some reason I think Harry will end up dying when its all said and done, taking Voldemort with him. I'd like to be wrong about this, but its just a feeling I have.

 

[Tinks]

I completely forgot to ask a question....if Dumbledore was given the prophecy by Trelawney about Voldemort and a boy born in July..blah...blah....how did Voldemort know the prophecy even existed?????
Anyone???? This has me stumped.

 

[Sharon A.]

The prophecy was in a public place and somebody on Voldemort's side overheard it.

 

[skuttle]

The prophecy was in Hog's Head and someone overheard the first part of it.

 

[Tinks]

Thanks! That's what I assumed also...didn't see it written clearly that it had been overheard...just that things can be overheard there....what a good book. The prophecy didn't really tell us much that we didn't already know, though *sigh*...when is book 6 coming out?

 

[Mish19]

I was thinking about the book today...ok I'm always thinking about this book lately.

Someone mentioned Harry being like his father in the way he taunted Dudley, I see your point but in Harry's memories while Snape was teaching him Occlumency there were alot of times Dudley tortured Harry as a child.
Could it possibly be that James and Snape hated eachother the way Draco and Harry do? Draco and Snape both look down on "mudbloods" Harry and Draco have done some pretty tough things to eachother.
I totally think Ginny and Harry should and will get together. She had a crush on him but (supposedly) got over it so now she is very comfortable talking to him and seems more confident. I agree she has the Voldemort bond with Harry and although she is a little younger JKR really worked on developing her strength in this book. She and Harry would be good for eachother.

I'm confused about the room with the dais. I think I recall someone referring to it as the "Death Room", did Sirius die because Bella threw a spell at him or did he die because he fell through the curtain?
Does anyone else think Harry might be able to talk to his parents and Sirius after Luna mentioned she speaks to her mother through the curtain?

Even before I started reading the book I thought Harry would make a great Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, maybe he will do that as well as Auror.
Someone else mentioned wondering what James and Lily did for a living. I wonder if they were Aurors as well since they in that picture Mad-Eye showed Harry? Were only some of them Aurors?
Can't remember now.

 

[ErikdaRed]

Actually it was clearly laid out in the book that the person overhearing the prophecy was thrown out after the first part (pg 843). Which is why Voldemort went after Harry, even though it would make him his equal.

The Dais room is where they do research on life after death (implied from Dumbledore and Nick conversations with Harry). So the arch was the passageway to the land of the dead for want of a better term.

And everyone in the picture is a member of the order, not necessarily Aurors.

 

[Dancind]

When Harry talks to Sirius about his father, it comes up that James wasn't very good at Defense Against the Dark Arts. So I doubt that he was an auror. Diana

 

[Rajah]

Finally finished this thing. Yikes it was huge!

Okay, my thoughts. I hated Umbridge and could have done without about 100 pages of her slime. I hated her almost immediately, I didn't have to go until almost half the book before *finally* having something happen to counterballance her! I thought the first third of the book dragged on and was too much angst. We could have gotten the picture and I don't really remember much being accomplished in the first portion of the semester until *finally* the DA was formed. I was afraid that some of our favorite teachers were going to be sacked because of how they behaved against her. Loved their contribution to the revolt against Umbridge.

Was anyone else going crazy trying to figure out who it was that would die? I'd guessed before I started reading the book that it would be Sirius -- he was the only one who made sense. He was kinda a trapped character -- couldn't really do much with him because of the price hanging on his head. This was an "easy out" (killing off a character is easy??) and a way of adding even more angst to poor Harry. And if they had to get rid of one of Harry's primary supporters, Sirius was the "best" one to get rid of -- huge support to Harry, but otherwise he didn't exactly have much of a roll in the other books let alone this one. I did like him in the past two books, but he got on my nerves on this one. I am curious about the potion theory that someone mentioned earlier.

Anyway, as to who would die -- I felt certain when she had Harry walk in on Mrs. Weasly's boggart that it was foreshadowing for one of the Weaslys to die. I was very surprised that Mr Weasly lived, though at the same time thought it a bit early in the book for her to be killing off someone when he was attacked. Then when he didn't die, I was afraid it was going to be McGonagle (which would have made me more upset than Sirius did) or Hagrid.

LOVED the D.A., and especially Neville's blossoming and gaining confidence under Harry's tutilage. Did anyone else feel that Neville became more confident in *everything* after his sucesses in the D.A.? The D.A lessons and stuff were my favorite part of this book.

Hermione -- enough with S.P.E.W. already.

I agree that this one had the weakest actual *plot* of all the books so far. But it was still hard to put down -- I was up until 4:30 last night finishing it. LOL!

Poor Harry and Quiditch. He wasn't reinstated at the end of the book, but they did have Genny say earlier that next year, she would try out for a different position, opening up the floor for Harry to return as the Seeker. So we've got Ron as the Keeper, Harry as Seeker, Genny as ??? (Angelina's current post... is that the Chaser, or are the chasers the ones going after the blodgers?).

LOVED Fred and George in this book. They've always been fun, but they were really great in this one! Especially their pranks and exit. I'm glad they're able to get their joke shop going. I agree with Harry -- right now, they *need* that kind of laughter with Voldemort's return.

I'm glad they finally explained why Dumbledore has kept Trelawny around. But now that I think about it, didn't he say in book 3 that the prophesy Harry heard her give was the second true one she's given? That was hinting at what Dumbledore just revealed.

And when Harry thought all the Order were gone -- I kept shouting Snape and the book Sirius gave him (I'd missed it was a mirror instead of a book until the very end when they brought the mirror out again). I hadn't forgotten them. Of course, if they hadn't had Harry forget, it would have been a hugely different ending...

I've rambled enough. I'll end with this was my second-least favorite (next to Chamber of Secrets -- not a big fan of snakes or spiders ) of the series, but still a real page-turner! I'm ready for the next book.

 

[Lanshark]

If Voldemort's father was human and he was also a "mudblood" how could he have been in Slytherin (sp) who only had pure bloods in it? Also why are people accepting of the Malfoys who are obviously on the wrong side?

 

[DisneyCP2002]

Also why are people accepting of the Malfoys who are obviously on the wrong side?

Lucius Malfoy has a way of making people like him. He never does anything that won't profit him or Voldermort or both. People think that he does nothing wrong because everytime he is around them he acts so perfect.


Oh! and I finished the book in one week. I now have it on tape and am planing to listen to it soon.

 

[DemonLlama]

Rajah --

As far as Ginny coming into her own and moving positions on the Griffindor Quidditch team, I'd love to see her fill one of her now-departed-brother's positions as a Beater: WHACK WHACK WHACK! Go Girl Power!

 

[TnRobin]

Lanshark - I have had the same question, but I reconciled it with the fact that he was the heir of Slytherin. But then comes the question - Harry's mom was a mudblood, why did the sorting hat want to put him in slytherin so bad if he was not from a "pure" wizrding family.

My favorite part has to be McGonagall telling Peeves how to unscrew the chandelier.

I have to say, I do have a new vision of Snape. I really can't blame his bitterness. If someone picked me up and turned me over showing off my underwear on a routine basis, I think I would hate his kid too. Especially if that kid looks exactly like the person who bullied me.

I also think the hint about Harry looking exactly like his father - except his mothers eyes is to mean that harry has her heart. She was much more kind and caring. This seems to be the big difference between James and Harry.

Finally thougths: I can see many instances whre Ron is jealous when it comes to Hermione, but there are more hints that she may like Harry. I am seeing this more as I listen to it on the CD (read the book on the 1st time through). She is more concerned with what Harry thinks about her than Ron. Her reaction have changed over the book with Harry, but not Ron. I also noted that Luna seems really interested in Ron. I guess time will tell.

 

[Wagamama]

can someone please explain the archway to me?

also, when is the next book coming out? someone had said 3 years..i can not wait that long!

and as much as i hate to admit it or for it to be true, i also agree with mtemm about Harry dying and taking Voldie with him at the end of book 7.
wasn't there supposed to be 8 books? why 7?

 

[kimmar067]

....cuz' so far I've only read up to page 215, and I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! (can't wait to finish!!!)

 

[bobcat]

I finally had the time to read this weekend. Of course I devoured the book but because Harry's mood was so dark I don't think enjoyed it as much as the others. I wasn't thinking throughout the book how much fun it was to read, but more what am I going to find out about everyone. The few comic parts were pure relief. I liked that everyone is starting to see how talented the twins are and not just goof offs.

I think defeating Voldemort will take both Harry and Neville, maybe with Neville dying. It was also time for Neville to face what happened to his parents and now having that info shared with his friends and facing Bellatrix and feeling the crustacious curse she used to drive his parents mad will help to give him more strength.

When Harry went searching for Headless Nick at the end I was expecting him to try and find the mirror that he saw his parents in. Afterall his greatest desire was to talk to Sirus again. I was heartbroken when he realized Sirus couldn't come back as a ghost.

Sirus' death didn't make me too upset but I got the feeling that he almost welcomed death. When he realized what was happening to him he accepted it before he went into the curtain. I think he was probably anxious to see James and Lilly again.

 

[Rajah]

The archway was just this archway in the middle of the room with a curtain hanging in the archway, and apparently whoever passes through it passes to the "other side" and is lost forever. That's my understanding, anyway.

When I read the prophecy the first time, I thought it meant that both had to die in order for either one to die. It wasn't until Dumbledore explained the prophecy to mean that in order for one to die the other had to kill him that I thought of it the other way. Makes me wonder if Dumbledore's wrong... I prefer to be wrong and that Harry lives, though.

Originally posted by Wagamama
can someone please explain the archway to me?

also, when is the next book coming out? someone had said 3 years..i can not wait that long!

and as much as i hate to admit it or for it to be true, i also agree with mtemm about Harry dying and taking Voldie with him at the end of book 7.
wasn't there supposed to be 8 books? why 7?

 

[Wagamama]

Originally posted by bobcat

I think defeating Voldemort will take both Harry and Neville, maybe with Neville dying.

When he realized what was happening to him he accepted it before he went into the curtain. I think he was probably anxious to see James and Lilly again. [/B]

oh no! i hope neville doesn't die!! i know this sounds bad, but i'd almost rather have harry die than neville

also, i thought sirius fell into the curtain/archway? i think i have to go read the book again

 

[Lanshark]

Lanshark - I have had the same question, but I reconciled it with the fact that he was the heir of Slytherin. But then comes the question - Harry's mom was a mudblood, why did the sorting hat want to put him in slytherin so bad if he was not from a "pure" wizrding family.

I also wondered that.

 

[Mish19]

Originally posted by Wagamama
oh no! i hope neville doesn't die!! i know this sounds bad, but i'd almost rather have harry die than neville

also, i thought sirius fell into the curtain/archway? i think i have to go read the book again

Sirius did fall through the curtain. I'm still confused if he died because of Bella's curse or did the curse just stun him and he died because of the curtain?