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

[Rajah]

I think he died because he passed through the curtain.

 

[katerkat]

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

wasn't there supposed to be 8 books? why 7?

JKR is working on Book 6, but she said she's happier with Book 5 and the lack of a deadline to write - she thinks she did a much better job with the time she took. I would say we're waiting at least 2 years for Book 6.

I've heard 7, because there's 7 years of schooling at Hogwarts - one book for each year.

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.

I think Neville's going to take out Bellarix, who is protecting Volde, so Harry can get Volde at the end. Bellatrix seems to be his mortal enemy - after what she did to his parents - while Volde is Harry's.

 

[Michelemouse]

Re: Hermione & Harry

I saw a Dateline interview that Katie Couric did with JK Rowling. In it she asked if there would be any snogging (British slang for kissing) in Book 5 and then said "Hermione and Harry?" JKR said something like "Harry and Hermione??? Do you really think so??? No...Ron and Hermione." So I'm thinking (hopefully) that Hermione and Ron will develop deeper feelings for each other. Perhaps we'll learn more in Book 6.

Oh, and she also said the she does not have a deadline for the last two books. In another interview, however, she mentioned that she was already working on Book 6 so we can hope it won't be another 3 years.

 

[d.kurz]

Just finished yesterday! DD read it first and I "saved" it for yesterday when I waited while my car was being inspected.

Really enjoyed the book. Agree with most of what was said on this thread.

Just wanted to add that I think JKR could ride this gravy train for a lot more than 7 books. Fantasy has ALWAYS been one of my favorite genres and there are TONS of books out there about ADULT wizards!! And they are fun to read!

 

[Rajah]

Hey, as long as she doesn't kill Harry off in book 7, I'd love to read some more books about Harry, maybe follow his life as an Auror?

 

[d.kurz]

Originally posted by Rajah
Hey, as long as she doesn't kill Harry off in book 7, I'd love to read some more books about Harry, maybe follow his life as an Auror?

Yup. By the time she concludes this series the whole world will be so vested in these characters that we will clamor for more. And IMHO she won't kill Harry!!

 

[LuvTigger]

I was thinking it'd be neat if she wrote some prequels (like Star Wars) and maybe wrote more about James, Lily, Snape, Sirius, etc. when they were younger.

 

[Rajah]

Yeah, that would be cool!! I'd also love to read more about Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and Prongs

 

[disnee15]

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.

I said it first... heh... just started listening to the book on tape and i have a problem with missing little details so im just hearing some things for the first time...

 

[DisneyRoys]

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.

In one of the books Dumbledore tells Harry that the hat considered putting him in Slytherin b/c Voldemort had transferred some of his power to Harry when he tried to kill Harry. That is why Harry has Voldemort's parseltongue ability.

I finished the book a few days ago. I loved it but #4 is still my very favorite. Here are my thoughts.

I do believe that Ginny and Harry will ultimately end up together. I think this book really developed Ginny in a way that would get Harry interested in her later on. I am glad that the Ron/Hermione relationship is slow going. That is much more believable for a long term relationship.

Petunia has to be a witch. Tonks kept saying things about how "unnaturally clean" the Durleys house is. I bet Petunia even went to Hogwarts.

Something is going on with Neville's parents. When they are at the hospital his mom gives him a candy wrapper (or bubble gum wrapper) and his grandmother says "She's given you enough of those to wallpaper a room with." What's going on here? I think this is something to watch for in the future.

Lupin will play a bigger role in Harry's life now that Sirius is gone. I believe that Harry will have future comunication with Sirius since he has seen or had a little comunication with his parents even though they are dead.

Someone had questions about James or Lily's parents never being mentioned. Sirius does speak briefly about James' parents in book 6. He mentions how nice they were and how they treated him as a son or something along those lines. I can't quite remember, I will have to read that section again.

I like the connection someone made of Harry picking on Dudley is similar to James picking on Snape. I didn't even make that connection.

That's all I can think of for now. I'll try to post more thoughts later.

 

[Sharon A.]

For those of you who like to ponder the HP mysteries, I just found the best book. It's the Ultimate Unofficial Guide to Mysteries of Harry Potter. It's written by 2 college profs who have no inside information, which is good because I don't really want to KNOW -- only guess, but who put forth a lot of different theories. It only goes through the fourth book and I'm only about a quarter of the way through it, but they did catch the Mrs. Figg stuff.

I'll give you one I haven't heard mentioned:
They think Percy is named after Perceval the Knight who searched for the Holy Grail. Although powerful, through his naivete, his mother and uncle were killed.

Also, they seem to think Harry is Griffindor's heir through his father's lineage and Slytherin's through his mother's.

 

[Tinks]

Sharon...where did you find that book...I would love, love, love to pick one up. I think I'll call Barnes and Noble today.....I need another Harry fix. By the way...I was musing to myself yesterday that I wished JK would do some prequels too!! I loved book 5 where Harry peeks into Snape's pensieve...I wish we could see more of his parents...

 

[Grog]

Just finished late last night. I was planning to savor the book and take my time. I forced myself to take four days to read about halfway, but then I lost control yesterday and had to finish it before I could go to bed I love what is happening with Neville. I think that when he met his friends at St. Mungos' and his grandmother told them why his parents were there, with pride in her voice, and that Neville had no reason to be ashamed of them, it woke a new spirit in him.

Just wanted to add that I think JKR could ride this gravy train for a lot more than 7 books.

I hope so. My prediction...

We just learned that it takes three years to become an Auror. That's books 8, 9, and 10. I think Harry will kill Voldemort in book 7, but a new Dark Lord will take his place, or attempt to... Draco Malfoy. Harry will have to kill Draco at the end of his Auror training or maybe even in a book 11 after he is a fully trained Auror. I may be wrong of course

 

[KimRaye]

I finished it today! I really enjoyed this book! I just hate how they all end with the summer and, Privet Drive looming. Maybe this summer will be better. The Dursleys have been warned!

I too, found myself LOL at some points! The descriptions can be hysterical.

I have passed along all 800+ pages to my Mom, who got me started with these books in the first place!

Can't wait for #6!!

 

[shortbun]

OK you guys- get ready to flame me. I LOVE Harry Potter books
and we're 1/3 through this one with absolutely no action.
We've met umteen million new people, only Tonks and
Umbridge seem to be deep. The chapters spent at the Black
home seem to have been wasted although Sirius did get some
time then. Dumbledore has only made one appearance and
no Hagrid!!!!! Dumbledore and Hagrid are our two favs and
viturally nothing. DS is bored-DH is bored. DS spent Kindergarten
and first grade drawing scars with red marker on his forehead
so you know he's a fan! Does this book get interesting?
Too us it lacks the tension and promise for action that
the first 4 seemed to hold. Harry is depressed and Ron and
Hermione seem to be supressed characters. Hermione trying
to free house elves is cute but sophmoric for a 15 year old, talented wizard and could have been included back in book
2 or 3 when ages were more appropriate. I'll keep reading
and hope we get some action and not just description of
more new people. We are reading out loud so it tends to
go slowly but that's not detracted from the others.

 

[Betsyt82]

Power read the book in two days and loved it. Her next book I hope is not bigger than this the size makes it hard to get in a comfortable position to read it!! I also hope she does not take another 2 years to put out the next one!!!!

 

[WDWLVR]

I agree about the size! It took me a week to read it and it was very hard to get comfortable. I guess because each book is a year at Hogwarts and we learn more and more about the characters (and add characters) each year that is why it keeps growing. I'd like to see slightly smaller books come more often.

 

[snuggles]

Shortbun, I felt like you did for a while. I think things will start fitting together for you soon.

I too had an awful time getting comfortable trying to read. The huge size of the book and the bifocles make it even worse. So funny, if they had handed me a book that size in school and said read I would have died!

I agree with most of the comments, but I think Harry and Hermione will get together.

Petunia has to be a witch. How else could she be held to the contract that she signed? What will come of that I have no idea.

Snape is a very curious person isn't he? Can't decide if he is good or evil just yet.

Prof. Mcgonigall has become one of my favorites. To see that she has a sense of humor really adds to her character in my opinion.

I hope that Harry will be able to talk to Sirus, and maybe his folks, through the curtain. Wonder if that will be a place where someone tries to push him through in later books?

 

[bobcat]

shortbun keep reading a litle furthur. I felt the same way at that point.

As for the size of the books I kept thinking how nice it would be if it came in two volumes, packaged together of course. It would make it much easier to read, it was so heavy I kept having to find new places to rest it, and it also makes it easier to pass onto other family members.

 

[CruiserDew73]

Whoo! Just read the whole thread, it's a good one!

I loved this book. I love how JKR hints on things, and then builds upon them in following books. I was really paranoid about the death! Everytime something happened to some one, i thought it would be them. I thought it was: Mr. Weasley, Hermione, Luna Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonnagle (that would have been awful) and Sirius, lol. Here's some of my thoughts:

~My favorite part was probably when Prof. McGonnagle told Peeves how to unscrew the chandelier. I loved the way that she stood up to Umbridge, and insulted hre with the 'competent teacher' line. I thought that she had been killed and was soo sad.

~Umbridge was i GREAT villain. I hated her so much!! I could hardly stand it! All those decrees, banning harry, fred and george from Quiddich! Grrr.

~Fred and George were GREAT!They were so much fun to read about, and they lightened the story. I liked seeing that they had inteligent sides, and sirious sides (when Mr. Weasley was attacked)

~I was very dissapointed that i was not sad about Sirius's death. It just didn't make me sad like i kept thinking that "the death" would. I also found the final battle VERY confusing. I have to reread that...

~I seem to be the only one who feels this way, but I don't like Neville. He's just not an appealling character to me. I think he's annoying, and gets in the way, and although i know he's to become a bigger part, i would perfer he didn't.

~I REALLY liked Luna Lovegood. She's just such an interesting character. I felt SO bad for her at the end!! but she didn't even seem to care. I loved that about her.

~It would be really interesting if Aunt Petunia was a witch. I don't think it goes as far as that she went to Hogwarts, but then, how would I know?

~I don't want Ron and Hermione to go out. That would really break up the friendship, of the THREE of them, and it just doesn't seem right.

~I was dissappointed that things didn't work out with Cho Chang. I liked her, but i guess, like a previous poster said, that she really wasn't strong enough for him. I would really like to see Harry and Ginny get together.

~Somethings really seamed thrown in. I sure hope that JKR builds on the whole Grawp story, because that seemed REALLY pointles.

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL BOOK 6!