A place to discuss not only the movie, but also the end of an era, how the whole Harry Potter phenomenon has affected you, and anything else that’s on your mind.
Mind your spoiler warnings, please. If in doubt, you can paste in this one:
HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER
That should be long enough, we think.
My god I am like a ball of emotions right now
I am happy! Because the movie is coming out soon! And I really liked the first half and am excited to see this one!
But that is underlaid with the SOUL-CRUSHING KNOWLEDGE that this means it will be over. It’s going to be like finishing the last book (SOBBING ENDLESSLY FOR THE LAST 8 CHAPTERS) all over again.
Haven’t watched the premiere yet. I’m anticipating crying through it so am waiting to see it till I can lock myself in my room with a gallon of milk choklit tonight.
I just hope the “we’re going to finish this together” scene isn’t in the movie, because I might walk out if it is.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOIL SPOIL WATERMELON SPOLER
Sorry. It is.
How bad is it?
I… have to admit I don’t care nearly as much about this as I wish I did. I’m going in costume because it’ll be fun, and I’m excited, but that’s mostly it. Maybe it’s because of Pottermore. I can’t stop squeeing over it! I don’t even really keep track of the movie news now, but I’m addicted to Pottermore and it hasn’t even come out yet! That’s> what I’m excited about. Personally, I think it’s much more a part of this than the movies because the movies aren’t canon. Of course, the things I do on Pottermore won’t effect canon, but it’ll effect how I see it (I think that’s the point), and I’ll get to learn new things about canon! That’s what matters to me. The movies are nice, but to be honest, I look at them about the same way as I look at fanfiction–great, but not usually to the point of SQUEE THAT’S SO FASCINATING or THIS COUNTS! THIS IS HARRY POTTER! or THIS IS WHAT I’VE LOVED FOREVER!, like the books. Pottermore will be in between for me. I just don’t feel at all like this is ending, because it isn’t. I don’t think I’ll get that sadness until I get all the information from Pottermore (I know some is House-specific, but I’m sure you can find that on the Internet).
Eh, it’s kind of the opposite for me. Since we still don’t actually know like anything about Pottermore I’m just not counting it. Everything they’ve said about it so far seems not that original a concept to me, so I’m not hugely excited. I mean, it sounds like it’s going to have a couple quizes, a forum, and a lot of flash. I’m interested in reading JK’s additions to the stories but the whole house thing just doesn’t really excite me.
I’ve asked my parents if we can see it in IMAX 3D as a birthday present. We’re going to be in (Not going to say what city) that day anyway, and it’s a pretty big city, so I reckon they’ll have one showing it.
I’m nervous, because I’m afraid they’re going to mess it up like they came so close to doing to the last one. This book had a lot of plot explanations and important details that really tied up the series, and I’m hoping they don’t leave those out.
totally. They will probably leave at least one important thing out.
CAKE! CAKE! CAKE!
My dad saw an article online that said Harry Potter tickets sold out the week before so now he is assuming the IMAX theatre I want to go to is sold out and so unless he wants it to be a suprise and is pulling my leg he hasn’t bought tickets and we can’t go
I will still see it at first oppurtunity but still.
Hold on, can’t he (or you) just check the theater’s website?
I think J.K. Rowling decided to start publicity for Pottermore now just so millions of fans won’t throw themselves off bridges when the seventh movie is over. That doesn’t mean I’m not excited, though. I’m going as Luna, to a midnight premiere back-to-back showing. I can’t believe this will all be over someday.
Rainbow and I are seeing it togetherrrrr~~ We’re having another Kokon!
HA HA HA! Sweeeet
Sorry, I’m just really, really excited. :3
Sold out.
The show that all of my friends is seeing is sold out. It wasn’t sold out is afternoon.
What am I supposed to do? Half of the fun is sharing the experience with friends. I can’t believe this. I’m actually sitting here on my bed crying. I’ve never been to a midnight show before, and this was my last chance. There’s another show a half an hour later, but no one is going to that one, so I won’t have a ride there or back.
If I had just called my mom th afternoon to see if it was okay with her, I could’ve been going. I feel like theres a black hole in my stomach.
I’ll bet other people are in the same fix. If you could use your famous Millennial social-media skills to find them and organize an expedition to the later show, you’d be their hero. It’s not ideal, but it’s what Luna Lovegood would do. Just a thought.
With my Millennial social-media skills, I’m trying to get my friends to switch their tickets to a show later that night, since all of my friends are going to the 12:15.
Buteveryonehastheirphonesoffwhyyy.
And nobody wants to go to see the 12:01 in 3D.
Lkdwvlkjsbvaroiub.
Okay bye.
Deep breath. It’s okay. The movie will be showing for weeks upon weeks, and even if your friends won’t want to switch, I highly doubt some of them will mind seeing it again.
Robert- Actually, I kind of think Luna would have just shrugged and gone on her own, but that’s not nearly as much fun.
You’re probably right. Or she’d go to a midnight showing of “Transformers” and not notice the difference.
“These heliopaths look awfully robotic…”
\” I never realized that there were GIANT nargles…”
I really hope it works out! ♥ ♥
Okay, so here’s the deal. Nobody wants to see 3D for whatever reason, so I asked if everyone wanted to switch to 12:25, a mere 10 minutes later, something that would be as easy as a quick trip to the movie theatre so that I could see it with them. One person out of the six said she’d go with me, but even she isn’t giving me a definitive answer, and it’s really annoying me. Our conversation seriously, with no exaggeration, went as follows:
“Would you rather see the 12:01 in in 3D or the 12:25 in 2D?”
“We can hang out on Sunday, right?”
Sadfadsofuihfa. I just ate up this whole thread. I’m sorry, I’m just really fed up.
I JUST WATCHED THE WORLD PREMIERE SPEECHES EXCUSE ME WHILE I GO CURL UP IN A BALL AND CRY.
I love the first half of the move, but I think it will be a lot harder to mimic the book in the second half, because so many people die, it will be interesting if they make them die or not.
P.S. EMMA WATSON CUT HER HAIR, AS ALL OF YOU PROBABLY KNOW , BUT I DON’T HAVE TV, OR GET THE NEWSPAPER, SO THAT WAS A BIG SHOCK. I WILL STOP WRITING IN CAPS LOCK NOW. BYE.
I believe that JK Rowling should give me money for college. She has enough. She could probably set up a massive worldwide scholarship program and send hundreds of kids to school every year. Or she could clean up Ecuador. DO IT JK ROWLING SAVE THE WORLD WITH YOUR MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY.
I have nothing more to say, or at least nothing more that won’t get me drawn and quartered right now.
She has donated a lot of money to a charity she started dedicated to helping the poorest children in the world. All the profits from Tales of Beedle the Bard, Fantastic Beasts, and Quidditch through the ages go to that. I don’t know how much of it is specifically for schools, but still.
Actually, I will tell you all Amusing Anecdotes about my childhood, like how I pronounced Hermione Her-mee-own until I read the fourth book when Ron says “Her-my-knee” because his mouth is full of pie (or something).
Also, when I was seven I always made my sister be Harry because she had short hair and I would be Hermione and we would have adventures in the pantry, which was Hogwarts/the cupboard under the stairs/the Shrieking Shack/whatever. We never had a Ron though because there were only two of us.
After we saw the first movie, my 5-year-old sister had a crush on Ron. She named her new slinky after him.
Also, AVPM rocks and has given me a wider appreciation of musicals.
That was how I pronounced it, too! But a crush on Ron? Eh…
The daughter of a friend of mine used to pronounce it “Hermi-One,” as in the number one: Hermiwun.
Jo said that was her favorite pronunciation, although not what she used.
I pronounced it that way too until I saw the fourth movie.
One Halloween, my sister went trick-or-treating as Hermione, me as Draco, and my brother as Harry. I don’t know why I wasn’t Ron, I think it had something to do with the store not having any red hair dye or something.
I kept saying, “Her-mon-nee.” As in, Hermony.
I always just kind of skipped over the word until I learned how to pronounce it.
GAPAs, zanycheetahgenre still has a URL in her name, in comments 9 and 4.1 in this thread, and, I’m sure, everywhere else she’s posted.
Basically the only way I am getting through this is by repeating to myself, “You think the dead we loved ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?”
Bluh. I’ll do a Thoughtful Emotional Tear-Inducing post later. Right now, just… bluh.
I WROTE THAT ON MY WHITEBOARD TODAY BRAIN CONNECTION
NOOOOOOOOO
IT’S THE END OF
THE WORLDHARRY POTTER AS WE KNOW ITTTTANNNDDDD I FEEEEEEL FIIIIIIIINEEEEEEEEEI FEEEEEEEL LIKE SOMEBODY HAS PUNCHED A HOLE IN MYYYY HEARTTTLIKE MY SOUL IS SPLIT INTO SEVEN PIECES
LIKE THE SKY IS FALLING
AND I HAVE CEILING PLASTER IN MY HAIR
*unsticks capslock key*
I’m sad it’s all ending. All throughout my life, I’ve been totally aware of HP. longpostlatergottago
LEONARD BERNSTEIN!!!!
Gah. *resurfaces*
I watched the world premiere, and GOOD LORD when they got to the part where Dan, Rupert, Emma, and Jo made those amazing thank you speeches I was getting teary eyed and had chills. Seeing Emma Watson – somebody I have admired for such a long time – crying and breaking down like that emotionally just made it so much more real for me. I mean, we’ve been preparing for this for months, but words don’t really express how it feels.
I was talking to one of my friends the other day, and she said, “Well, maybe this really is bigger than what we can see now” and I think that’s so true. Later on, will these years be known as the Harry Potter Era? Because that would be a pretty darn good thing for our generation to be associated with, if you ask me.
I am just a bundle of emotions right now!!! I am also going to see it at midnight, which I am SO excited for. At first there was a lot of confusion as to which show we’d be seeing, and things were selling out left and right so it was really stressful, but finally we got everything sorted out between my friends. Eek.
Okay, here’s my Growing Up With Harry Potter Story. {MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS. IN FACT, IT DEFINETELY WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS.}
So now in third grade Mom said I could read HP. So I finished the book I was currently reading (Old Yeller) and picked up Sorcerer’s Stone. I was like, “Hey, this is really good!” and by the time I had finished the second book, I was completely and totally HOOKED. But then my mom stopped me because I was only in third grade and she wanted me to mature with the books, which back then I viewed as “My mom won’t let me do anything cool and she won’t even let me read this stupid book” but now I think it’s a good idea- reading one book each summer gave me the chance to feel the anxiousness and waiting that I had missed being born too late to go to every premiere/release/dress up as Luna. But then Book Seven came out. And my mom got a free poster. It was pretty cool. But I was still reading book three. I remember book three got a TON of wear and tear; we eventually bought a new copy for Mom for Christmas. So then the next summer I read the fourth book, and cried when Cedric died, and threw the book against the wall. I read the fifth book, and cried when Sirius died, and threw the book against the wall. I read the sixth book, and cried when Dumbledore died, and threw the book against the wall. By this time, I was going into the seventh grade, and I had definetly learned my lesson about spoilers.
So the first book came out before I was born. My mom liked the books and bought all the copies. I saw the giant thick books on her bookshelf, and thought “Oh, those are the big grownup books.” Once every two years or so, my mom would come home with a new book of increasing thickness, and read it while I was very quiet because she Should Not Be Interrupted. So all my life up till I actually started reading the books, I assumed that HP was for adults.
WILL BE CONTINUED IN PART TWO LATER
When I was in second grade, my mom had to convince me to read the Harry Potter books. I think she just wanted me to put down LOTR for a while. Anyway, I refused on principle because I didn’t want to do anything she told me to. But I liked the cover of Sorcerer’s Stone and one day when she was at work I went into her room to try to copy it onto a piece of paper. Her bookmark fell out and I was reading through to try and see where it had been and, well, I was hooked. I didn’t tell her until she noticed Book 3 missing.
Anyway. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s/Philosopher’s Stone was published just a couple of months before I was born. The Potter craze has basically been my entire life.
SPOILER SPOILER HARRY POTTER NOT REALLY A SPOILER BUT WHO KNOWS MAYBE IT IS SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER HARRY POTTER IS THERE ACTUALLY ANYONE ON HERE WHO HASN’T READ THE BOOKS? SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
I can’t believe I never thought to watch the HP7-2 trailers online, but here I replaying them over and over just a few days before the movie. Not that I dare to question the mighty wisdom of JK or Yates or any of the scriptwriters, but… why are Harry and Voldemort jumping off a tower into a bottomless pit together?
Dream sequence?
Possibly. Though Harry is wearing the same dreadful coat as he is during the actual fight…
Confuzzlement. I have to remake my dirigible plum earrings; I just sat on one.
My worst fear is that they heard how people were complaining how short the Harry/Voldemort fight was and decided to make it longer and totally make up parts of it…
I would hate that.
IF IT IS ANYTING BUT A DREAM SEQUENCE I WILL SUE
DITTO
I HOPE DAVID YATES DOESN’T CAKE THIS UP
I never really remember how I got into Harry at first. I think my older sister introduced me to one of the books while I was in elementary school. The first release party I went to was for Half-Blood Prince, but I wanted to go to the Order release party but couldn’t because my family was on vacation (I think). I never really got into going in costume, partly because I was to lazy to make/buy one and partly because not many people did at the release parties I went to. I have never gone to a midnight showing although I have always wanted to, but I’m getting a little ahead of myself. When I went to Book 7 release party, I was over somewhere discussing something when I guy who somehow got his hands on the book early lept up on a counter and started spilling the plotline. Luckily, I heard none of it.
My sister has always been into the books a lot. When we got the last book I won the coin flip to see who could read it first, but my parents made me go to bed after the release party so my plan was to wake up really early to read it. I woke up about 7:30ish, and went out ready to read, then found my sister on the couch with bleary eyes most of the way through the book. She was the first to finish.
My dad was never into them. He read the first half of the first book and the last of the last book and thought that was good enough to know what he was talking about when discussing hp.
My mom has read them all at one point but was never really into them.
My “Harry Potter story” of sorts (Since other people are telling theirs) started in 4th grade, when I won a game of bingo in library class (No idea why we were playing bingo in library…to learn about the Dewey Decimal system, maybe? I’m not sure.) and I was won of the winners and got to pick out a prize from this prize table. My best friend at the time convinced me to get Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, which sat on my bookshelf for at least a month before my younger sister picked it up and read it and then began raving about it so much that I had to try it.
I didn’t really get into the Internet fandom, though, until later on that summer, when I first visited [one of the major Harry Potter fansites] and started to realize that this was kinda a big deal. And after doing my research paper on Harry Potter earlier this past school year, I’ve gotten to be even more involved in it.
Zinc and I are seeing it together! At the midnight premiere! *happy dance* I’m not exactly going in costume, but I’m making a Hufflepuff scarf.
But after that, no more Harry Potter ever …
I know, I feel the same way. I never really got to read/watch things when they came out, but still, it’s going to be different. I recently finished reading the series. It feels… strange.
*sympathy hugs*
I haz tickets! *squee*
My scarf is almost done! I decided it should have 7 black stripes to represent the 7 books. Maybe Zinc and I could send Kokon photos …
This week’s Foxtrot comic was about the HP premiere. I have new respect for that guy.
The expectation and happy costume making and party planning (I’m papier mache – ing a Voldemort’s head pinata!!!) are all so much fun. I practically throw myself out the car window if we drive past an HP7.2 billboard. Ever since the Harry Potter craze started, we’ve always been waiting for something. It’s never ended. We’ve played this happy game of anxiously awaiting whatever new book or movie for years. Is it all going to end? I don’t think so. We’ll never stop loving Jo Rowling and Harry and Ron and Hermione and Hagrid and Sirius and Luna and Dumbledore and the Weasleys and Remus and Tonks and Neville and McGonagall and Flitwick and Ginny and Fred and George and Mad-Eye and and and….. I’ve watched and re-watched the movies and I’ve read the series so many times I can’t count, and I’m not planning on stopping anytime soon. There is not a more committed fandom anywhere.
I feel like I should be so excited about the movie but I’m not. I got interested in HP when I was seven, but I had to sneak-read them (sometimes in bookstores–I read half of the second that way XD) because my parents thought they would give me nightmares. I read them out of order (yeah, yeah, yeah). And I’m still in love with HP.
But I can’t suck it up and act excited about the last movie, or even sad that the series was ending, because I’m not. The series has already ended.
The movies are part of the culture, but so is Pottermore, and that’s coming out later. Harry Potter is not and will not end.
HP FOREVERRRRRRRR *battlecry*
I might go in a group and see it anyway. I think I’m going to try to crochet a Ravenclaw scarf. House Pride!
I feel the same way. I’m going in costume as Hermione because it sounds fun, but that’s it. Speaking of which, I found a Gryffindor robe to go in today, and it turns into a blanket, so I can still use it afterward! Mind you, I’ll have to turn it into a Ravenclaw one as soon as the movie’s over, because I’m really not a Gryffindor, but with the right fabric, anything’s possible!
I’M GOING TO SEE THE HP MOVIE IN IMAX 3D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It’s official. I’m seeing Harry Potter for no reason other than to see the Dark Knight Rises trailer.
So I have this friend. And this friend went into the city this morning to stand in line all day to maybe catch a glimpse of stars at the premiere. And this friend had invited me to go, but I said no because I had VBS.
This friend’s father won two tickets to see the premiere. Like, in the same room as the stars.
I received a text from this friend,
“I’m standing two feet away from Tom and Rupert.”
I’m so insanely envious that I can’t even keyboard smash or hurl threats at her.
Oh dear.
I’m trying to get together some friends from school for a group outing and working on a costume, but honestly, I’m kind of nervous as to how it will turn out. It IS the very last movie, so I doubt I’ll be able to make myself dislike it, but they seem to be taking the Battle of Hogwarts in a much different direction than the book.
Oh well. Very last part of the series (apart from possibly Pottermore), so I guess I’ll just have to enjoy it as much as I can
Sitting in my room all day, sewing silver swirls onto a black tank top for my Bellatrix Lestrange costume, pretending it’s not ending in two days
Also listening to book 7 narrated by Stephan Fry as I do this
I’ll bet he reads a good Bellatrix Lestrange.
I haven’t gotten to any lines of hers yet, but I can’t wait for them! Although I honestly love Helena Bonham Carter’s portrayal of her. EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR AND MORE.
Make sure somebody takes your picture, and send it to us.
I will! I dressed up as her for the last movie, but I’m going to try to improve my costume for this one
Woohoo my Luna costume is finally finally finally done. I had to find blue knee socks and my cloak kept falling apart, but I think it’s finally going to hold together. And then I went searching for blonde hair dye (the temporary, spray-on kind) and bought it last week.
I’ve also been practicing my Luna voice. “It’s a charm, actually. Keeps away the nargles.”
I wasn’t going to dress as a character this time…but it was too perfect.
I’m going as Trelawney. Yes, I’m too young to be her, but whatever.
I’ve got a lime green (but not obnoxious) scarf wrapped around my dreads like a headband-ish/turbanish deal, with the dreads sticking out crazy-like behind, a blue tank top with lace trim, a black knee-length skirt with white eyelet at the bottom and large side pockets, a black hogwarts robe (it’s got a Gryffindor logo, but it’s hidden), two shawl/scarves around my shoulders, about 5 or 6 necklaces of varying lengths, colors and materials; one’s a rock, another is a moonstone in a silver setting, another is what I call my “battleaxe” (a silver pendant that looks like a stylized axe), a hemp necklace with a mushroom pendant (seemed appropriate), and others. In one of my pockets I have a glass bottle of an interesting shape, and a “bug eye” magnifying glass that sort of passes as a crystal ball. I’m also wearing these round-rimmed glasses that make my eyes big out.
For an outfit cobbled together in 20 minutes, I think it’s pretty good. I’m going to have my parents take a picture.
BECAUSE LAST CHANCE TO DRESS UP ZOMG.
It hasn’t quite registered yet that this is the last Big Public HP Event for the foreseeable future. Yes, there’s Pottermore, which should be interesting, but that’s a sit at home alone and squee event, not a go-to-the-bookstore/theatre, see lots of other lunatics and have a big party.
*sob*
WHAAAAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?!
So, I was thinking DH2 was tonight. What with the information saying “Midnight Thursday” and all. Midnight Thursday means to me 12:00am on Thursday, which follows 11:59pm Wednesday, which was 15 minutes ago.
BUT NO.
According to the theater people, Midnight Thursday ACTUALLY means Midnight Friday.
Sooooo DH2 tomorrow night.
I feel exceedingly dumb, even though technically I’m correct. (At least, I’m pretty sure I’m technically correct…)
BAH.
@Midnight Fiddler… Virtually every movie opens on a Friday, just remember that and that should help save the confusion in the future. Although I understand why you were confused, you were technically correct about the times.
I’m going to see Deathly Hallows at midnight tomorrow. I find it exciting because it will be the first public fandom event(?) I’m going to…
I missed out on most of the Harry Potter fan experience, only getting around to reading the books just this past year. I wish I had read them sooner!
I have always seen midnight showings of movies as a great way to meet other fans who are just as passionate (or more!) than you are. Something came up every day the 3 Narnia movies (my other big fandom) were released, and I disappointingly couldn’t attend. I’ll finally be able to not only see my first Harry Potter movie in theaters, but see it with other fans. I’m really looking forward to it.
32 (E2MB)~ It did seem somewhat weird for an opening day/night, but I, being unversed in the ways of movie theatres, didn’t realize how much of a clue it was.
Hi, by the way. I remember seeing you around a long time ago, but haven’t recently. Welcome back?
So someone asked the advice blog I work for the question, “I know this sounds stupid, but I can’t get over the fact that Harry Potter is ending. What should I do?” And I replied to them, and a couple people sent me a message that they really liked it and it made them cry, so I’ll post it here, if that’s okay with the GAPAs (and sorry it’s so long):
Trust me, your question doesn’t sound stupid at all! Harry Potter has meant something huge to an entire generation. That isn’t something that just goes away lightly. There are most likely hundreds, if not thousands, of people who feel just the way you do—and I’m one of them.
The reasons Harry Potter has meant so much to people like you and me are varied. For some people, it’s that the books are readable and enjoyable for both children and adults. For others, it’s the fun they had or are having guessing at the intricacies of the plot. For still more, it’s wishing to go to Hogwarts themselves, or the realism of the characters, or just being able to grow up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.
I spent my eleventh birthday watching the skies for the owl that would bring me my Hogwarts letter. Unfortunately, it was delayed, probably by Death Eaters, so I’ve had to wait a little longer than most budding witches for my summons to Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters. In the meantime, I bought all the Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans I could, found sticks in my backyard and waved them around chanting “Wingardium Leviosaâ€, and climbed onto whatever brooms I could scrape up around the house and jumped up and down frantically, trying to fly.
And along the way, in my quest to bring Hogwarts into my own life, I realized something, and it’s going to sound cliché to you. That magic that I had been so frantically seeking, the magic I was waiting for my owl to bring, had been inside me the entire time.
I don’t mean that I could suddenly Apparate, or cast the Imperius Curse. I mean that Harry’s courage, Ron’s loyalty, Hermione’s brilliance, were parts of me as much as they were parts of the characters. I’ve been rereading the books lately, and little lines resonate right into my life. Who hasn’t felt the desperate need to go home, whether to Hogwarts or to summer camp? Who hasn’t felt the stomach-twisting sickness at the discovery that their parents aren’t perfect, whether because they were mean to Snape or because they have short tempers? Who hasn’t felt the heavy weight of responsibility that they’re not sure they’re ready for, whether to find Horcruxes or to get an A in Chemistry?
Harry Potter is a part of your life, anon. That’s okay. And it doesn’t have to end.
There are fandoms you can be a part of, fanfiction you can write, roleplays and cosplays and any other sort of plays you can participate in. You can dress up as a Ravenclaw and go to the midnight premiere. You can spend all day on July 31 trying to get into Pottermore early. And those things are good, and you should do them if you want to. I know I will. But remember this:
“I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me.â€
And “You think the ones we love ever truly leave us? You think that we don’t recall them more clearly than ever in times of great trouble?â€
And “To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.â€
And “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?â€
Have fun on the 15th, hon. And here’s to the next great adventure.
Beautiful.
Why are you so awesome?
“After all this time?
Always.”
CANNOT DEAL
SNAPES FLASHBACKS
I AM GOING TO BE A MESS
I HAVE THAT WRITTEN ON MY SHOES
I APPROVE
The result of half an hour of banging on metal: A prefect’s badge. And since my crocheted scarf is done, I have decided that my costume is Penelope Clearwater. I’m not really sure when/where/why I’ll wear it, but it will get done!!!!
Bibli (23.1): I am envious of your robes! Have fun being Hermione.
trying furiously to finish my reread, probably not seeing it till this weekend which is fine but omg i am seeing reactions and whatnot from people who have already seen it (timezones!!) and UGH I CANNOT. the review is in the paper and i want to read it but I CAN’T and i NEED TO FINISH THIS REREAD BUT UGHHHHH MERLIN’S BEARD
Going to see it tomorrow evening with some friends. Probably going to wear my white blouse and grey vest, my Ravenclaw-blue bowtie, my feathers (which are blue and brown and white! and look really nice against my hair!), my Hogwarts pendant necklace, and maybe I’ll draw something on my Converse- a Dark Mark or a lightning bolt, maybe? If my mom will let me.
HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER
It’s over. Over. I wasn’t super into the fandom (though I adore the books), but still. Over. I can’t comprehend it.
I was one of the only people dressed up, and the only one I saw that appeared to have actually put any effort (however minimal) into dressing as a particular character (I was Trelawney). Oh well. We didn’t go for the party, and we didn’t linger when it was finished, and I didn’t go with friends, so we weren’t there for that much time, but I’m glad I dressed up anyway. Hopefully some people recognized who I was supposed to be. *shrug*
I haven’t reread the book since it came out (ahh gah I know, I am so sorry t.t), so I’m kind of fuzzy on the details, but overall the movie seemed to follow. There were the random details I could remember, of course, that they changed or left out that irked me terribly, but it was okay.
I’m so glad that they portrayed the battle with dignity. It could have been a bloodbath. It could have been terribly gory, but it wasn’t. It showed the destruction and the carnage, but in a dignified way, in a way that hinted at the scope of the destruction and loss without getting caught up in the “ooooh look blood!” mentality. That was good.
Then when the dead and wounded were laid out in the Great Hall….Tonks and Lupin next to each other, just touching hands. Just about lost it. And Fred, with all the Weasleys…
I was sorry they didn’t include Percy rejoining the Weasly family, and how Fred was laughing at the joke he made when he died, because that was such a poignant bit for me, but alas.
Snape…Severus…I love him. He’s one of the hardest characters to see die, because only after he’s gone do you realize how amazing he was. I didn’t actually cry (I am such an emotionless rock), but I almost lost it. Snape is such an incredibly complex character, there is no one, no one who could do it as well as Alan Rickman. The flashbacks were so hard to take. The suffering, the pain, the love….oh my god.
Of course, when Molly Weasley took out Bellatrix the entire theater erupted. Same when Neville killed Nagini, as well as a few other moments.
The 19 years later bit was good too. HARRY AND RON. *droooooool* Actually, Harry and Ron throughout the entire movie. Yum.
Al Potter looked alarmingly like Harry.
It’s 4am, I’m tired. Goodnight.
I saw it in 3D (With Harry Potter 3D Glasses!!!!) , just got back. It was AWESOME.
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I only have ONE criticism
WHAT, for Jo’s sake, was up with the NevilleXLuna stuff? I liked that she DIDN’T cop out and pair the spares in the books. Why in the movies?
Fans. Trust me, they can do a LOT.
* AHEMMRGOT KILLEDBYFANSAHEM*
long post later
I don’t know how I feel anymore
I don’t know how to feel anymore
IT’S OVER.
(Or is it?)
What a great movie.
They didn’t have it at midnight in my absurdly tiny town. Anyway, I probably would be too jet-lagged to see it. But I’m gonna see it today!!!! In 3D!!!! With a friend!!!!!
I really don’t know how I feel about it all. I really love the series, and the movies, compared to other books-turned-movies, were really good. I don’t really remember how I started reading it (I remember buying a used copy of the second for two dollars, that might have been it. It was definitely suggested to me by someone). I started watching the movies when I saw the first half of the sixth at a friend’s house. And I’ve got lots of good memories relating to Harry Potter. Once, a friend of mine from church sat there reading the sixth book in the lobby of the church for the entire service. She was eight, I think, and she was going to see the movie with her older sister that night, and she kept saying, “I have to finish this,” whenever someone spoke to her. I once saw the first movie with a bunch of my friends, and we all knew it so well that we said the lines along with the actors. And recently, we were watching TV together and were practically glued to the screen when a HP Part 2 ad came on. And while I was in Europe, my brother and I brainstormed what was going on in whatever scene was on the ad that we saw. And finding the last English copy of HP7 in a German bookstore after I’d finished all my English books (Being obsessed with books, I was overjoyed at finding something more to read.) And singing the Harry Potter Literal Trailer (from Youtube) (don’t ask) with friends. We memorized all the words. It was great. All of it.
But it’s over, and that’s pretty much all I know that I feel/think/know. But, I mean, once I finished reading the books and watching all the available movies, that was it. Life went on. I’ve gone from Mary Pope Osbourne, to Tony Abbott, to Andrew Clements, to Eva Ibbotson, to Diana Wynne Jones, Madeline L’Engle, Terry Pratchett, and J. R. R. Tolkien (my repertoire expands!) Harry Potter and his crew were there with me for a while, but I guess there were always books, and characters in those books, that took the places of ones before, and eventually took the some of the places that HP held in my heart. Life went on. Life goes on. Life comes on. And there are still more books out there, coming, somewhere in the future. I’m not leaving HP behind, though. I imagine that someday, every book I’ve read will be there in the back of my head, and I’ll be able to ask myself “What would Ron do?” “What would Harry think?” “What would Hermione say?” the same way I do with characters from every book I’ve read. What would Vicky, from A Ring of Endless Light (one of my absolute favorite books) do? I think she’d say “Enjoy the moment. But once you’re finished enjoying this one, enjoy the next one, and the next, and enjoy everything that you can do, and places you can go, and people you can meet. Enjoy the books you read, the movies you see. There’s always more out there. You just have to go for it. The adventure continues. Doesn’t it always? If not out in the world, the adventure continues in your heart.”
(Now that I’ve run out of steam, I’ll shut up and post this.)
CUTTING MYSELF OFF FROM THIS THREAD UNTIL I SEE IT TOMORROW!!!!!!!!
People, I’m working on a huge long post, which you shall see later, I promise.
Oh my god it’s over
On a scale of 1 to Lord Voldemort, how awkward are your hugs?
Now that that’s over with, onto the serious bits. HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER HARRY POTTER SPOILER.
I loved it, of course. Every second. The theater I go to is so fantastic- there’s always a little bit of a competition to see who can have the most obscure, ridiculous costume (I think my friend Abby won, as Tom Riddle’s diary. She wrote Ginny’s entries from it on her face in liquid eyeliner.) And in line I read people’s love fortunes with a deck of cards, and a few people came by and did a performance of “Going Back to Hogwarts” from A Very Potter Musical in front of us, and I sang along because I knew all the words.
And the movie. The movie was perfect. My actual only criticism is that they didn’t show the Grindelwald story arc, because that was my favorite, but other than that I thought it was really just perfect. I was really thrilled that they showed the scene where Hermione stabs the cup, since missing that was a casualty of Rowling’s otherwise very nice third-person limited, and oh WOW, you should’ve heard the scream when they kissed.
(I was also quietly triumphant that Neville and Luna got together. I am a diehard shipper, sue me.)
I’ve had my issues with movie adaptations over the years, but I really do think they hit it right on the mark. Because no matter what we fans may complain about, I think we know the truth.
Harry Potter isn’t a story about a boy and an owl, or wands and werewolves, or Ministries of Magic. It’s a story about finding the place you can call home. It’s a story about growing up. And above all, it is a story about friendship, courage, hope, and the invincible, immortal power of love, and their triumph over fear and hatred. And I think that the movie gave us those: in Neville Longbottom, in Narcissa Malfoy, in Harry, Ron, and Hermione themselves.
Because of friendship and courage and hope and love, Lord Voldemort knows nothing. And none who follow him, none who stake their claim in the human heart on fear and mistrust and despair, know anything of them either. As long as there are people who love, as long as there are house-elves and children’s tales, Lord Voldemort cannot triumph. As long as there is courage, the Death Eaters must despair.
So I say goodbye to Harry Potter– and I think that was the perfect way to end it, too. A train, rushing off into the distance, leaving those of us who love the people on it behind, just as the tale of Harry Potter will one day soon leave movie theaters for good.
But friendship, courage, hope, and love go on. And so do house-elves, in their way, and children’s tales.
And oh, I don’t want to go.
But it’s as J.K. Rowling said: “No story lives unless someone wants to listen… The stories we love best do live in us forever. So whether you come by it by the page or the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”
It was a full moon last night. I almost thought it would be even better if it was a waning crescent, but the full moon was nice too.
I’ve never been to a midnight release before. It was odd, seeing all those people wearing something Harry Potter related. I think almost everyone going had something Potter related on.
HERE BE SPOILERS.
The first half was good, apart from some occasional oddness. It went downhill from there. Except the epilogue. The epilogue was pretty good.
But the entire climax was missing the little moments of friendship and loyalty and humor and had needless extended action sequences instead. Percy’s redemption was missing. Fred’s death was offscreen. Luna was pretty much completely absent from the final battle. No defensive plants, no Peeves, (I mean, that wasn’t much of a surprise, but still disappointing) no Trelawney, no scenes of ‘We’re with you to the end, Harry’, and no houselves. I missed those. Those and the little lighthearted lines that showed this world was still the one full of adventure and humor that we all fell in love with all those years ago.
Particularly disappointing scenes/bits:
That bit where Neville steps forward and gives the speech. That was an awesome scene in the books. In the movies it was just vaguely clichéd and full of oddness. Why?
The scene in the forest where Harry dies.
The Neville/Luna romance. Why?
The fact that nobody called Voldemort Riddle to his face at all.
The weird way they did the final confrontation.
The fact that nobody was watching the final confrontation.
King’s Cross was okay, but it felt really rushed and businesslike. Also they messed up their description of what the crying babylike thing was.
The houselves’ absence.
Probably a bunch of other things that I can’t remember right now, but I think this is enough for now.
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Okay, I was too frazzled and caffeinated and emotional to write anything last night (well, technically it was 3AM). But here I am, trying to choke back tears and recall the movie…
Wow.
Wow.
We (Allosaur and I) went to a double showing, with part one starting at 9PM yesterday. This was the third time I’ve seen part one, and it was the best viewing yet. The music is just incredible. I cried through Ron’s departure and the torture scenes and Dobby’s death, and then we stayed until the end of the credits before leaving to get candy.
Part two… the movie technically started at midnight, but with all the previews we had to wait awhile. Only whenever the screen darkened for another preview, everyone thought the movie was starting and burst into raucous applause. And when the Warner Brothers logo appeared… again, wow.
I sniffled through the entire movie (I’ll post another analysis later, this is just the my-important-evening recap), and then I lost it during the Snape scenes. Completely lost it. Everyone in the theater (including me) was crying their heart out. I sobbed through the rest, too, especially with Fred and the rest’s bodies.
So. More later. I’m going to go cry into my cereal.
What the…that double showing thing was EXACTLY what they did in my town. CO, do you live in CO? (see what I did there?)
No, CO lives in CA. But I think it was the same in a lot of theaters.
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(I know, I know, this is absurdly long and rambling; it’s two and a bit pages in Word. *pays choklit frogs to GAPAs and anyone who actually bothers to read this*)
I was going to write a huge, detailed post as soon as I got home from the theater at 2:30 in the morning, but my mom was not sympathetic to such needs, and so I had to just scribble down a few bullet points while brushing my teeth with my left hand. I continued writing after I woke up (at 8:45, which is rather surprising), though.
So. Costume. As I believe I’ve mentioned, I went as Ginny Weasley. This is because I had a costume from Halloween a few years ago, and also I have red hair and didn’t have to dye it (I also wore the costume to a party for the release of the Deathly Hallows book, which was awesome- my mom made us go home before midnight, though). Several weeks ago, after I convinced my mom to take me, and we had bought our tickets online, I dug a black witch hat and a Gryffindor robe out of the Halloween bin in the basement. The robe only came a few inches past my elbows and knees, but it didn’t look too terrible. Underneath, I wore a white blouse and long black pants.
My parents and I arrived at the theater at 11:10, which we supposed was rather early. Nope, the concession lines were huge, and we had to sit 3 rows from the front in the second theater (the other one was full already!) There weren’t actually that many other people in costume- if they weren’t in regular clothes, people tended to just be wearing an HP t-shirt and maybe some glasses. I did see a wickedawesome Katie Bell-in-Quidditch-uniform costume, though.
Well, anyway. It always seemed odd to me, the way that they never mentioned who owned Shelll Cottage in Part 1; it was just there, in the background. Like maybe it was some random Muggles’ house, and the trio simply stole their shovel to use, or something. I mean, come on, it would’ve taken Ron five seconds to say something like, “Let’s go to Bill and Fleur’s cottage†or “That’s where Bill and Fleur live.†And then, when Harry talked to Griphook for the first time, Harry decided to give him the sword just like that, as if it was just any old ancient sword and not their only weapon against Voldemort. I liked the little moral dilemma thing in the books about the ownership of goblin-made treasure, but I guess it couldn’t’ve fit into the movie.
They seem to have kind of de-emphasized Harry’s Cloak in these last two movies, when we’re just realizing how important it is. Like, why was Harry not under it while they were on their way to Gringotts and there was some dude thirty feet away? If I had a price on my head and a magical cloak that made me invisible, I would be pretty eager to use it. I did really like the Gringotts scene, though. For one, I’m glad that they left out Travers. He always kind of annoyed me when he was there in that part; there didn’t seem to be much of a point for him. Also, I didn’t really mind how they left out the duplicates burning you; it seems like they would’ve all died if they were being overwhelmed by a rising tide of super-hot metal. I think Griphook should’ve mentioned that the copies were worthless, though, since it would make the economy of the wizarding world even screwier if people could just make gold and jewels appear out of nowhere like that. One thing that puzzles me is: why did Hermione put up that big fuss about showing the banker-goblin a wand for identification? I mean, they had Bellatrix’s wand, didn’t they? Why would they not think to take it along? Or was Hermione just trying to “treat people like they’re scum,†or whatever? It seems like a big risk to take.
Then, after they land…what was with all the cake about Voldemort growing weaker? And it seems that he can feel it when the Horcruxes are destroyed, which is of course a direct contradiction of the book.
I think that the big Hogwarts battle came out nicely. Like Fiddler said, they didn’t make it be sixty minutes of carnage, which would’ve been spectacularly terrible. I loved the suits of armor, although I missed some of the other defenses mentioned in the book, like Professor Trelawney dropping crystal balls on the Death Eaters, which got replaced with the big force field thing. But I guess that a magical force field’s more exciting and visually impressive, which isn’t always a bad thing. The battle was extremely cool-looking.
Meanwhile, the scene where Ron and Hermione go to the Chamber of Secrets was meh. The part where the water goes rushing at them was weird- I mean, what made that happen, exactly? The kiss was okay, although it was better in the book when Harry was like, “Oi! There’s a war going on here!â€
The Room of Requirement scene was pretty good, although without it all getting set up properly in HBP, it was kind of awkward. I mean, what are the chances that Harry’d stumble on the box that contained the diadem and decide to open it? It was also odd that they included the Fiendfyre (that looked totally epic) but used the basilisk fang to kill the diadem instead.
The deaths…so heart-wrenching….I must’ve nearly begun to cry two or three times (I never actually did cry, though, but the epilogue was a close shave) Poor Fred… I never understood why he had to die! They should’ve put in Percy making up with his family, though. And Snape. Oh my god! So tragic….*snif* It was sorta weird that Harry used Snape’s tears for the Pensieve- wizards’ memories are stored in their tears?!- but who cares. And then the memories themselves…I think they should’ve spent more time on Petunia, and Lily criticizing Snape after the afternoon by the lake was totally missing, but otherwise that was one of my favorite parts. Littlesnape was adorable, too.
They included Molly vs. Bellatrix! Yay! (Not that I really thought they wouldn’t, since that bit was so cakin’ awesome, but you never can tell with moviemakers) But when Molly made Bellatrix go poof into a gazillion tiny pieces, that was…rather disturbing actually.
The scene with Dumbledore in King’s Cross was also meh. Without Dumbledore talking about the Hallows, it seemed like there wasn’t enough closure on the plot with the Hallows. At least they kept in “Of course this is happening in your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?â€
I really didn’t like the big showdown with Voldy and Harry that much. The bit where they both go flying through the air was fairly infuriating, and they don’t battle in front of everyone in the Great Hall! And Luna doesn’t go “Ooh look, a Blibbering Humdinger!†And when Harry made Voldemort go poof into a gazillion tiny pieces that floated in the wind with the sunlight shining on them, that was…incredibly disturbing actually.
I dunno about the scene where the trio talks about the Elder Wand. I’m not sure I liked how Harry snapped it and chucked it away, though I did love Ron’s expression immediately afterward. But I definitely hated that he didn’t mend his holly-and-phoenix wand. Is he just going to keep on using Draco’s wand for the rest of his life? And no “I’ve had enough trouble for a lifetime�
I don’t know what to say about the epilogue. It was pretty much perfect.
All in all, though, it was probably one of the best Harry Potter movies ever. They didn’t leave out anything too unforgivably huge, and the special effects were nice and all that. But there were small things I missed. Awesome quotes they really should’ve left in. “Well, I don’t know how to break this to you, but I think they might have noticed that we broke into Gringotts,†and those kinds of things. But, oh well. Movies are movies, and I think that realistically, you can never expect them to be perfect when they’re adapting a book. Still, this was the last movie. I can’t believe it’s over. It’s all over. But I guess I shouldn’t be too sad. Whether I come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.
I just made that into a wordle, and “like” is the biggest word. Should I be concerned?
Hermione couldn’t show them the wand because the goblins knew the trio had stolen Bellatrix’s wand back at Malfoy Mansion, and had been warned there might be someone trying to break in to Bellatrix’s vault.
I thought the whole force field thing was meant to symbolize the overall theme of the books and movies, which was basically the forces of evil against good old loyalty, innocence, and love (which I thought were symbolized by McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn, the teachers, and Molly Weasley, a mother, all of whom had very strong reasons to protect the school). That actually made me tear up a little, actually, but that’s mostly because I’m just an emotionally volatile bear.
Harry stumbling on the box wasn’t coincidence or luck, it was because he could hear the Horcruxes. If you listen closely, you can hear a whistling in the background, and occasionally whispering voices, whenever a Horcrux is near. There’s a moment where Harry pauses, and we can hear the whistling, and that it’s coming from the box.
But, yeah. Everything else I pretty much agree with.
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Oh, right. I guess I didn’t think of that. It seems still a little weird, though, since in the book they showed the wand and then Imperiused the goblin. Then, with the force field, yeah, it was quite symbolic. All of the defense preparations were cool. And bears are awesome, by the way. Somehow I never noticed the whistling noises, but I guess that that was a good way to deal with the lack of the Advanced Potion-Making hiding place.
Incidentally, I would like to say that I enjoyed the entire thing immensely. I watched, and I cheered and clapped and laughed and I didn’t cry because the saddest scenes didn’t go on long enough, and it takes a lot to get me crying, but I did start sniffling on occasion. I am extremely glad I went and the movie was much better than it could have been. There were several wonderful moments, and a few good ones that weren’t even in the books. The sets were very good and the music was fantastic. My last post was very critical, but that was mostly because when I finished writing it, I decided it was too long and deleted quite a bit.
I can’t compare it to the other movies, I haven’t seen them. But this movie was done well. I criticize it and say that it should have had this or that in it, but they took an amazing book and turned it into a very good movie. Really, I should have started with the praise that it does deserve. I don’t know why I didn’t.
In short, I loved it despite its flaws.
And I can’t believe Harry Potter is over.
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER.
I would not want to be hugged by Voldemort.
Why did they only use the invisibility cloak once?
Why didn’t Harry fix his own wand before breaking the elder wand?
“Let’s finish this how we started… by jumping off a cliff!”
I’m glad McGonagall got to be awesome.
Spoiler alert.
Harry Potter.
Cried a lot.
They missed some stuff ( Harry’s speech to Voldemort, my biggest regret ) but I still thought it was great.
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Did anybody besides my brother and I notice that Fred and George were in possession of all four ears?
Yeah, I noticed that too… I figured the creators figured they healed it by magic or something.
Mrs. Weasley specified that it was impossible.
I noticed that too, but I looked closer to find that George’s ear is badly scarred. Or at least something’s wrong with it.
LOOK WHAT I FOUND ON TUMBLR, NO LOOK
Once upon a time there was a wonderful story called Harry Potter. The story was not thousands and thousands of hours long, it was not prejudice or demanding, nor boastful or self-righteous. In fact, it was a simple story. It was a tale of an orphaned boy who thought he was alone in the world, and destined to be so forever. He soon discovered that friendship, love and family were waiting for him at an odd little place called Hogwarts. His friends and his foes fought valiantly through seven years of school, discovering that weaknesses could be overcome and strength could be encouraged through a simple thing called love. Harry Potter thought he was alone in the world, if only he knew that millions of people, like myself, saw him as so much more than a character, but as a friend.
Tonight, I, like so many before me and so many yet to see, watched the final installment of the Harry Potter film series. Like all of those prior, it was a rare piece of magic that was more than a joy to watch. However, throughout the entire film, I could not help but feel a terrible pain in my chest. This was goodbye. While I agree that the story itself will never truly die, there is still that awful feeling knowing that while the story will live on in our hearts, the faces we know, the people we love now have to leave us.
I feel as though I have lost my very best friend. Those whom I have grown with, laughed with, cried with and loved with as though I was a part of the books and films myself. No words can accurately describe the love I feel for these characters and this story, and I am positive that nothing will be the same again.
However, another thing I know for sure is that Harry Potter leaves behind it today a better person than it found those many years before. I’d like to think that through the wise words of J.K Rowling, the brilliant direction of all of the directors (from Columbus to Yates) and the beyond magical performances of all the actors, I have become a far better person than I could have ever hoped had I never found this story.
We always thank the brilliant Joanne Rowling for the stories she wrote. She brought us all together, and created the greatest story I will ever read, and the greatest characters I will ever know. She created a world entirely of its own where magic is not just in the minds of children, but in the hearts of adults and kids alike. She defied age, and genre, and conventions, to create something that was unlike any of its predecessors. She is a true genius, and constant hero for all of us.
But those we regularly forget to acknowledge are the brilliant minds behind the film series. These people took something that could only be seen in our minds through the magical words of J.K Rowling, and made it into a physical and visual reality where we could watch all of our dreams come a reality. The special effects team that made magic possible, the production and art designers who created the world we wanted to see, the editors who pieced together pieces of a puzzle to create a masterpiece, and the directors who orchestrated the most brilliant and visually mind-blowing piece of cinematic art that I will ever know.
And to the actors who sacrificed their “muggle†childhood to become wizards for real, I thank you with all of my heart. For me, the books and movies go hand in hand. That which isn’t shown in the books I assume happened just off camera, and that which is in the movies, occurred between the lines. Therefore, for me, when I read the books today, I see Dan, Rupert, Emma and all the rests’ faces as their respective characters. Dan, you could not have been a better Harry if you tried, and no one will ever be nearly as wonderful as you. Rupert, I could not thank you enough for being such a skilled and brilliant actor, allowing all of Ron to come out in your performance. And to Emma, I literally could not say enough words to explain how much I am forever in your debt. You brought to life my favourite character of all time, and no one but you could have done it with such grace, style, kindness and brilliance. No one could have cast a more perfect cast, they will always be the true wizards. I do not think it is possible to be more grateful to a person than I am to J.K Rowling, the entire crew and production team and the amazing actors.
But most of all, I’d like to thank the characters themselves, for teaching me the greatest lessons I’ve learnt so far in my 18 years of life. To Harry Potter, who taught me that luck pays no part in succeeding, but courage, loyalty and kindness will always win over evil. To Hermione Granger, my hero and inspiration, for teaching me that intelligence is a trait to be embraced and that wants of myself do not out way the needs of many. To Ronald Weasley, who showed me what fierce friendship and love truly looked like. To Neville Longbottom, who showed me that bravery sometimes may take its’ time in coming to us, but when it does, it can change the world. To Ginny Weasley, for being brave enough to fight not only for love, but for family and friendship. To Hagrid, for showing me that that which is odd to the eye, can be kind to the heart. To Luna Lovegood, for making quirks and unusual traits something to be embraced rather than feared. To Fred & George Weasley, for teaching me how to laugh, even at the saddest of times. Draco Malfoy for showing me that family will always be worth fighting for. To Albus Dumbledore, for never overlooking the good in all hearts. To Minerva McGonagall for standing up to evil for the sake of her students. And, to Severus Snape, for teaching me that love, even that which is unreturned, is the most powerful magic of all.
I will forever miss you, Harry Potter, but your story will forever beat in time with my heart.
Six. Six years of school.
Okay, so, at work and thus typing from my iPod so…short post here, more to come later if I remember
I went to the midnight showing, though due to technical difficulties our 12:01 showing didn’t start until 12:25 and even then it was just the previews. We fit to the theatre at 8:30 and there were ready 6 people in line for our theatre, they’d been there since 8. So we got great seats
Before the movie, Alan and I stopped at hot topic, and like I told him, that was a Very Bad Idea, like taking a crack addict to a crack store (for the sake of this analogy, please pretend that there are crack stores), because there was a table filled with awesome. There was a gryffindor sweatshirt I really craved, but it was over 50 bucks and my annoying sensible side won out. We were there looking for a shirt for Alan, but all they had was tiny stuff that wouldn’t fit him. We ended up vetting a rubber deathly hallows bracelet for me and a deathly hallows necklace he was going to wear for the evening, before giving to me, but turns out the chain was like a choker on him, so I added it to my neck along with my horcrux necklace, lightning bolt necklace, and hogwarts forever choker I made years ago
Now, SPOILERS AHEAD, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
In chronological order, my likes and dislikes of the movie, as best I remember. Overall, it wasnt terrible, though they added too much extra action
First off, ollivander did not have a clue about the deathly hallows in the book. He was utterly clueless when Harry enquired about them. HRry then followed up with an enquiry as to whether ollivander had ever heard of an immensely powerful wand, which he had. This irked menthat the movie had him knowing of the hallows
Next, my ongoing irk is that in the movies, the voices don’t change when the people are polyjuiced, they’re supposed to
And on the way to gringotts, in the book, the quartet runs into a death eater, yaxley I think though this may be wrong. He starts questioning bellatrix about various things, mentiong the rumor that her wand had been stolen. the trio, being Not the most intelligent, hadn’t thought about this and were using her real wand in the book and told the death eater it had not been stolen. Then they had similar trouble with the goblin, and Harry ended up imperiusing them both. They messed this all up in the movie. And what the cake was with the human security guards??????? That seemed really weird and out of place to me
I did like they kept the thieves downfall waterfall though.
The next major irk was that while they made the treasure multiply, as in the book, they didn’t keep the all important curse that made the treasure burn you when you touched it. Because to me, multiplying without burning seems rather inefficient. How hard is it, then, to simply not let go of the item of treasure, since there is no pain that causes you to drop it alongside the worthless replicas?
And the dragon did not destroy gringotts in the book. It rather undamagefully escaped
And I didn’t like the implication that voldy learned about the destroyed horcruxes by reversing his and harrys connection and looking into harrys mind. It was clearly stated in the book that voldy dared not reverse the connection. In the book, he learned about the theft from bellatrix’s vault and then checked on all the others to see if they were hRmed
And that’s another thing nthe movie made out he could feel the destruction of his horcruxes but it was strongly emphasized at one point on the books that he could not, because he had damaged his soul so thoroughly.
And they messed up the hogsmeade scene with aberforth saying it was his cat that set off the caterwauling charm, and his patronus not harrys
And up to the following complaint, I wasn’t too annoyed. A bit irked in spots, but they were doing pretty well although come to think of it they left out lupin’s announcement at shell cottGe of the birth of Teddy. But then, once at hogwarts things just started going down the drain, fast
Harry wasn’t supposed to have some big reveal to snape in the great hall, he was supposed to go up to the ravenclaw commonroom with Luna. And what was with the grey lady knowing Luna? I’m pretty sure the two didn’t have any special bond in the book. And I wanted her to do the full, proper story including the bloody baron. But no
And they left out too many of snape’s younger memories, and Harry was supposedto see the memories before seeing the bodies in the great hall. And that’s another thing. I wanted to actually see freds death and percys reunion with his family
And harry never told Ron and hermione he was going to his death,’and be was supposed to tell Neville to make sure the snake for killed
And then the final battle, I didn’t like the extended Harry and voldy fight all over the castle, I like the short, sweet, public lack of battle the two had in the books, along with harrys explanation of the wands to voldy. And peeves though I knew we wouldn’t see him
And I didn’t like what they did with neville’s snake killing scene, nor the added malfoy allegiance scene
The rest of the battle, Molly killing bellatrix etc was fine, but I wish they’d kept that and the voldy killing scene together like the books
And Harry was supposed to repair his wand and return the elder wand to dumbkedore, not destroy it. That was annoying
And the lack of house elves
And what is with killing goyle instead of crabbe? At least I’m pretty sure it was crabbe who was supposed to die and Goyle who did in the movies. Which brings up another thing. What is with the long string of different actors playing crabbe? More importantly, why did he suddenly morph from white in previous movies to black in this one?
And imthink the epilogue could have been better. For non book readers, without james’s teasing, albus Severus’s concern over being in slytherin was completely random, and Harry was supposed to say when prOmPted by al not just that the hat gives you the choice, but that it did for him.
And what happened to Teddy and victoire snogging?
And apparently I lied…..I am going to type a really long post on my iPod, and there won’t be a different one later. And
If there’s some really confusing sentences that don’t make sense at all it’s because my iPods autocorrect smokes crack. Heavily
I agree with you about your iPod and crack.
Perhaps without the detailed remembrance of the seventh book, there were quite a few of these that irked me while watching the movie. I wanted to whisper to someone, “The gold should burn them. The room probably wasn’t that cramped.” Although I don’t think she’s specific, it seems that the british cover shows the vault being quite large.
The diadem was destroyed by the fiendfyre, not the basilisk fang.
As for the extended Voldemort-Harry chase/fight scene, I think it was necessary. While readers know that it didn’t happen like that, the people who wrote and directed the movie probably thought that an audience would prefer a bit of an extended cut when it comes to the most important battle in the book.
All in all, it was very enjoyable, even though it did feel like it flew by. Despite it being over two hours, I felt a bit rushed, but there really wasn’t much for me to complain about when it came to this being too fast, this being too slow. The whole thing felt fast, so I don’t think there was any way to make it feel differently. People probably liked that though, but then again I liked the slow scenes of Part 1 while others hated it…. Always liked those forest scenes.
SFTDP
I think the biggest disappointment is not telling people what happened with Grindelwald and Dumbledore. That story is basically the core of Dumbledore’s character, and so now people have this idea that Dumbledore just killed his sister because she was a burden. Am I wrong? Was there some sort of explanation in Part 1? I don’t remember one.
I thought the guy with Draco was Blaise, not Crabbe? Just in the movie I mean, it was obviously Crabbe in the books. But I just assumed for some reason they had Blaise with Draco instead. It looked kind of like the same actor, though I may be misremembering.
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In the movie, the guy who was with Malfoy and Goyle in the Room of Requirements wasn’t Crabbe – it was Blaise Zabini. The actor who played Crabbe was arrested for marajuana possession and didn’t reprise his role. I was extremely confused as well, and the switch wasn’t well explained at all.
I guess I just assumed it was supposed to be crabbe, to the point I could have sworn Draco called them crabbe and goyle. I think they should have just replaced crabbe’s actor, I doubt most people would have noticed the difference
I had to explain this to the people sitting behind me in the theater as well. The guy who played Goyle was growing weed in his mother’s basement and was arrested so he wasn’t in the last 2 films.
I agree with you on many counts, except for the not destroying Gringotts thing. I seem to remember in the book the dragon clawing his way through solid rock while Hermione shouted “DEFODIO” to help out.
Favorite lines:
‘I’ve always wanted to use that spell!”
-” You mean, blow it up? As in, boom??”
-“BOOM!”
“Not my daughter, you b****!”
“Words are an inexhaustible form of magic.”
-“After all this time?”
-“Always.”
I was literally trying not to sob when we were watching Snape’s memories. The part where he’s holding Lily’s body is heartwrenching. And then at the end of the movie when the train is pulling away and they’re playing the same theme as the first movie, I was crying, too.
I have no more words. Best series ever created, period.
Also, the entire theater got to their feet and applauded when Bellatrix died. I love people so much.
I loved that they kept the “If we die for them I’ll kill you Harry!” line.
My theater applauded when Neville killed the snake. It was amazing.
My theater applauded at EVERYTHING
agrrrfishi – when the theme music started playing at the end, I realized it was the same music I’d heard probably thirty times in a row while waiting for the Forbidden Castle ride at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. So I didn’t appreciate it.
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Things I liked:
We got to see Ron and Hermione destroying the Horcrux, instead of the random “oh yeah this is what happened” in the book.
Snape’s memories.
The fact that nothing too major was changed.
The epilogue.
NevillexLuna. Yes, it wasn’t in the books, but I always thought they should have ended up together.
Things I disliked:
Fred deserved an onscreen death and reunion with Percy, not 5 seconds of being shown dead.
Neville’s epic snake-killing scene was better when he was wearing the flaming hat, being humiliated in front of everyone and about to die, and then suddenly pulls off a Crowning Moment of Awesome in front of Voldemort.
Same with the Harry vs. Voldemort battle, it would have been more dramatic with the golden flames and everyone watching.
Harry not using the Elder Wand to repair his own wand. What wand is he going to use now?
Quick version: the details were wrong but the movie was right. I cried on and off for the whole thing and was a wreck for the entire second half. I just… Wow.
This.
Yes.
That was me exactly.
I saw it today, and I agree with… everything, basically. Well, obviously I can’t agree with both sides of the Neville/Luna thing (incidentally, I do not support it; just because 2 people are outcasts doesn’t mean they’re supposed to be together; look at the Tiffany Aching bookd), but I agree with everything else, especially “The details were wrong but the movie was right.”
MISCHIEF MANAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!
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We watched the movie in IMAX 3D with our whole family today. After the movie, I was super excited, but my mother had a few questions.
I mean, really? Sheesh, I would understand some plot questions, but she questions two of the firmest facts in the book.
The only thing I really wish I could change is that Harry didn’t mend his wand at the end. That was one of my favorite moments in the book.
Yes, but Hermione and Ron’s faces were like:
yeah so i sat there and ugly cried for about two hours sustained.
i feel so lucky to have experienced this series, these movies, this story. thank you jo, thank you to the whole movie crew, thank you harry.
i love the whole world and all its sights and sounds…
Sigh. I feel a little unfulfilled by the movie; couldn’t they have made it longer? They could have added some more details to the movie that were in the book. Like adding Harry’s speech to Voldemort right before he kills him.
My favorite part was Snape’s memories.
Biggest opening weekend/day/midnight sales ever.
Is it really 6% better than The Dark Knight?
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER A CRUMPLE-HORNED…
I have to admit that I wasn’t so fascinated by the movie. It wasn’t bad, but considering they made a whole separate movie for the second half of the book it could’ve had a lot more scenes from the book in it. Luna has maybe two lines in the entire movie and I think Malfoy says “Help” once or something like that. The Malfoy part bugs me especially since they left his importance to the plot in and since these movies and books show a lot of character development, I think he deserved to speak at least once. Neville’s speech was okay, but somehow the way it was delivered irritated me. Snapes memories were amazing, no question there (except him hugging Lilly’s dead body was slightly creepy). Two details that really irked me: firstly, when they go to Gringotts, why doesn’t Hermoine show Bellatrix’s wand? They stole it anyway. And second, if the actress who plays young Lilly has brown eyes and Harry has blue eyes, how does he have her eyes? I always imagined that one literally, I guess.
I liked the movie, but it didn’t do the books justice.
SPOILER WARNING HARRY POTTER SPOILER WARNING FINAL MOVIE SPOILER SPOILER HARRY POTTER DEATHLY HALLOWS PART TWO SPOILER SPOILER.
Yay! I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thought that the Lily-hugging was creepy.
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I got the impression that they didn’t show the wand because Gringotts had been warned that there could be an imposter, and that her wand was stolen.
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But they left out the scene where the other Death Eater (I forget who) asks if her wand was stolen.
A lot more scenes from the book, definitely.
Well, I know I should post some big analysis of the whole movie, but given that it’s the last one and I’ve been spending ages sobbing about it, it’s not going to happen for a while. In the meantime:
Things that our theater applauded at:
-The dragon escape
-Molly Weasley killing Bellatrix
-“I’ve always wanted to use that spell!”
-Hermione and Ron kissing
-“That’s my girlfriend, you @$#%$&!”
-Every time a Horcrux was destroyed
-Everything Neville did
I swear there was some hint of romance between Neville and Luna, which pleases me. I mean, I know it doesn’t happen in the books and JK says Luna marries Rolph Scamander, but I thought they were intended for each other.
Things I cried at:
-Every death
-Snape
Voldemort’s death was… odd. I mean, I could tell the entire theater was waiting to stand on their feet yelling when he died, but in the movie he sort of slow-motion explodes into dandruff and nobody could figure out when to cheer.
And the ending was just kind of messed up. I mean, for one thing, Harry threw away the Elder Wand without ever mending his (and he was supposed to just wait until he died a natural death and the Wand’s power was broken.
And the epilogue… it’s hard to believe that the actors were actually the same people, but it’s nice that the last thing everyone saw was the trio at Platform 9 3/4, with the beginning theme playing.
Who said that fifth quotation?
Ron, I think.
Harry certainly didn’t have much time for Ginny in the movie, did he? Why wasn’t she on the bridge when Harry broke the Elder Wand?
Well, they did add in a kiss I’m pretty sure never happened in the book- perhaps she was too busy mourning over Fred.
Meh, that was in the books too. There was a line or two about ‘there would be months and perhaps years to talk’ and then he pulled Ron and Hermione off to Dumbledore’s office. I think he knew that R&H deserved an explanation but bringing Ginny would require explaining a whole lot more to her, and besides he was tired and wanted to sleep before trying to make any romantic speeches. Which is actually pretty sensible, if you think about it.
I went yesterday, with my mom and sister. I don’t have many Harry Potter costume items, but I wore a really long blue and bronze-ish scarf. Nobody else was in costume. The audience cheered when Bellatrix died, and when Voldemort died, though it was sorta hard to tell when it happened …we cheered through the whole part when his pieces sort of drifted away. I personally went “WOOT” when Neville chopped of Nagini’s head. And everyone went wild when Harry jumped out of Hagrid’s arms and was awesome.
My mom and sister were away when the Snape memories started, but oh my God, it was SAD. I sniffled, and I don’t usually do that.
So. Yeah. It’s…over. I can’t really…believe it. Sigh.
“i laughed, i cried… it moved me, bob!”
but siriusly oh my word… that was massively intense. so overwhelming. these EMOTIONS. i didn’t think i cared so MUCH but. so perfect. so sad. so so beautiful. and the ennnnnnnnnnnnnd. cried for ages afterwards. just sobbed uncontrollably. think that was probably good for me.
they changed some things… but that didn’t even MATTER because the way it was was RIGHT.
neville! mcgonagall! SNAPE! young!snape is oddly adorable, like, “oh let me hug you you poor pathetic little thing.” neville/luna is my new otp. applauded several times – really wanted to stand up and cheer but decided not a good idea.
stole my 3d glasses rather than recycle them. keeping forever.
there are no words for these things that i am FEELING.
Big block of text about HP and my life, since all the cool kids are doing it and my story is actually pretty cool.
The first book of the series was published when I was almost three years old. I was too young to be aware of it at the time, but there it was.
When I was five or so, my parents were trying to get me to start reading on my own, instead of mostly depending on them to help me with books.
I wasn’t really interested in the little kid books, so, trying to get me really interesting, my mother sat down with me one afternoon, and started reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone with me, taking turns reading every other sentence. After a while of this, she had to go cook dinner. “Don’t try to read ahead without me,” she warned me.
When she returned to check on me, I had read several chapters already.
That was the first book I ever read on my own, and I quickly devoured the words waiting within the pages of all the other books that had come out at that point. (My parents were quite the Potterheads themselves; my dad even has a Gryffindor scarf.)
One of my first childhood memories is watching the first movie, and hiding behind the sofa when Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Neville found themselves trapped with a three-headed dog. It traumatized my sister so badly that she wouldn’t go anywhere near the series for the next five years or so.
Eventually, another book came out. My father and I dressed up as Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, and we went to the bookstore for the release party. I remember braiding my hair the day before so that it would be curly and bushy, and my mother made robes for the both of us. We went trick-or-treating in the same costumes, and my younger sister was costumed as a Snitch. My mother artfully created her headpiece, as well.
And so the years passed. I read each book millions of times; sometimes, I would just curl up on the floor with a stack of all the books sitting beside me and just read through all of them in a day, if I didn’t have much else to do.
I remember when Deathly Hallows came out, we rushed to the bookstore to grab a copy, but my mother wouldn’t let me read it straightaway because my aunt and cousin were coming to visit us from Japan that week, and I was sternly told I couldn’t read it until they left, a week later.
During the drive back home after dropping my aunt and cousin off at the airport in Atlanta- about a four or five hour drive- I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. About five hours straight, I hardly even looked up from the book once. I finished it about an hour before we got home, and spent that last hour of the car ride crying over Snape and trying not to give my parents any spoilers about the ending.
A few months later, when I turned eleven, I eagerly awaited my Hogwarts letter, hoping with all my heart that it would come. It did not, and I was heartbroken.
I re-read the books countless times, and watched the movies over and over again, until I knew every detail, every character, every important scene, by heart.
All of my life, as far back as I can remember, has been influenced by the world of Harry Potter.
Now, it’s all over.
I went to see the movie with a few of my friends. I dressed up, cried at all the tragic moments, laughed at all the brilliant scenes, and broke down completely when it was over.
A part of me just wants to curl up on the floor with a stack of books beside me, like I used to, to stay up all night watching the movies on my portable DVD player, to gather together my Hermione statue, my Hedwig keychain, my Hogwarts pendant, my Hermione doll, my chopstick-turned-wand, and my homemade cloak, and hold them close, to remind myself that even though there might not be anymore books or movies, the series still lives on within the minds and hearts of those of us who love the books.
“I shall never truly be gone unless none here are loyal to me.”
This exactly! Where can you get a Hedwig keychain?
I have no idea.
I kept cracking up at inopportune times because of AVPM and AVPS. Did anyone else have this problem?
No, but I did do that during the sixth movie.
♫ I gotta get back to Hogwarts… ♫
A group of people came by and performed “Gotta Get Back to Hogwarts” in front of the line. Their Harry Potter was a pretty good singer!
I love my local theater.
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I just remembered another thing I was a bit put off about: They completely left out the whole Dumbledore mystery. Well, there was that little bit about Grindelwald in Part 1, but for the most part it was completely gone- no hints about what happened to Ariana or any Dumbledore/Grindelwald romance, no big revelation about Dumbledore and the “For the greater good” thing, no big rant by Aberforth, no explanation from Dumbledore in the afterlife.
A thought: I spent the entire fifth grade trying to Apparate.
Another thought: Spellcheck recognizes “Dumbledore” as a word.
You aren’t supposed to be doing that in elementary school! Apparation has to wait until you are at least a sophomore.
I think the reason I’m saddest of all is because this means that my Hogwarts letter wasn’t just held up by Death Eaters. It’s actually not coming.
Maybe those of you who follow fan sites can answer this question. When the last book came out, JKR said she had planned to kill off one character but relented at the last moment because she couldn’t bear to. Any idea who that was? (Wild guess: Hagrid, maybe?)
NO NOT HAGRID
I think I remember her saying on her website or in an interview or something that the charCter she almost killed off was Arthur Weasley but that she decided to kill someone else instead (tonks? Lupin? I forget)
I can’t believe she wanted to kill off more than one Weasley. And Tonks and Lupin would have to go together, I’d think. As for Ron — surely not! What would Hermione have done? Go back to Viktor Krum?
I’ve looked around, and it was indeed Arthur Weasley whom she spared. He was originally supposed to die of the snakebite in “Order of the Phoenix” instead of recovering. And she decided to kill off both Tonks and Lupin instead. Very, very sad — but artistically the right decision, I think. (And apparently Hagrid was never anywhere near her hit list.)
Oh, good. Yes, I would rather see Tonks and Lupin die instead of Arthur Weasley…if he had died in the eighth movie I would probably still be crying. ( No matter that he would have died in the fifth. )
Well, I think it was a trade-off between Arthur and Sirius, actually. She said before the sixth book was published, “I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who hasn’t read the books, but those who have will know who dies, and that he is a father too…”
Of course, she also said the flying car would make an appearance. WHY DIDN’T IT
I’ve read books 1-3, book 7, watched the first movie, and read a ton of fanfiction. I didn’t really expect to enjoy the movie – I don’t do well with violence – but went as sort of a social thing.
I cried. So much. Especially at the pensieve scene. Had such a good time.
I. Loved. The. 7th. Harry. Potter. Movie. And. Am. So. Sad. It’s. Over.
That’s all I have to say.
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I was annoyed by Harry not repairing his wand as well.
I was so sad the way the Minerva-Snape battle turned out. I think that would have been an oppurtunity for some great special effects, like the firey snake turning to water and flying knives.
I personally think they did Snape’s memories very well considering the vast amount of information and feeling to convey. The one part I think should have been added in was Petunia’s letter.
I really think they did well in the “afterlife” scene because of the way they portrayed King’s Cross and the horcrux.
An annoyance of mine throughout the series was the virtual exclusion of Peeves.
Griphook didn’t betray them in the books besides grabbing the sword without permission, right? And he didn’t die in the books.
Muggletum. OKAY SPOILER ALERT
I was disappointed by no Peeves too! However, I loved that scene at the end where Filch tries to sweep up. And who cares if Griphook died? I never liked him.
SPOILER ALERT
He yelled, “theives!” and then he grabbed the sword, but other than that, no.
One of my friends invited me to go see the movie, so I get to watch it again. Hmm.
It’s just as awesome the second time! Yay!
OMG MY CAMP WENT TO SEE IT ON MIDNIGHT AND WE GOT DRESSED UP A RENTED A WHOLE THEATER ( SCREEN) AND SOME OF THE COUNSELORS HAVE A BAND AND IT’S CALLED THE PREFECT PROJECT THEY TOTALLY ROCKED AND I WAS ON THE NEWS AND AFTER I BUY MY SCHOOL SUPPLIES I GET TO SEE THE MOVIE AGAIN WHOO HOO AND I GOT ICE CREAM AND WE MADE WIZARD CANDY AND WANDS AND MY HOGWARTS LETTER IS COMING! AND I GET TO GO TO A CONCERT FOR MY FAVORITE SINGER IN MY CITY 5 DYS BEFORE MY BIRTHDAY AND POTTERMORE OMG POTTERMORE AND I’M SO DANG HAPPY!
SO. HAPPY.
On a website I saw a long post about how the books and the movie in particular ended up portraying Snape as too good while James Potter got snubbed as kind of a rude guy. Does anyone think that Snape still was a jerk for calling Lily a mudblood and working with Death Eaters? And as for James, do you think his actions as a young wizard are meaningless and he was a great guy in the end?
I’m a little conflicted, but I think I have to say that both people ended up being “good” in the end. I mean, Dumbledore had problems and made mistakes during youth, so I forgive James and Severus for their mistakes then. As for later in life, I don’t know. Snape bullied Harry quite a bit, but I feel like it was never a reason to absolutely loathe all he stood for. I don’t think he protected Harry out of guilt; I think he protected Harry because he knew it was the right thing to do. Gah, this is bothering me.
POSSIBLE SPOILER POSSIBLE SPOILER ALTHOUGH YOU SHOUL READ THE BOOKS I REPEAT POSSIBLE SPOILER
I think your point about Dumbledore is a good one; people make mistakes. It’s only human. And we know Dumbledore was good, no question about that. I love Dumbledore.
I think that I can forgive James quite easily, partly because he was a kid when he was such a jerk, and kids do stupid things–Harry seems to object to this a lot, saying that he never would have done it, but I think that maybe Harry was sort of forced to grow up, and grow up quickly. He had You-Know-Who to think about, and all this other stuff, depending on the book. He needed to become maturer; he was shoved into the Wizarding World and wouldn’t rock the boat for fear of it all disapearing. Essentially, Harry had a much harder childhood than James, so he realized important things more quickly. It just took James longer. And it’s hard to hate James, since you know that he died for Harry.
Snape didn’t really do any of the really bad stuff when he was a kid. The mudblood incident was when he was a kid; also, he was in Slytherin and didn’t really have anybody to be friends with who wasn’t prejudiced. Basically, a lot of the hate he had towards muggle-borns was peer pressure. He bullied Harry because he still had hostile feelings towards James; this was wrong, but understandable.
His actions as a Death Eater are not excusable. However, he was good and he was loyal in the end, and he loved Lily so much–I can’t possibly hate him.
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I’m still conflicted about Snape. He seemed like he was working for Dumbledore and wanted the good side to win, but then, if they had lost in the end anyway, he would have already been on the winning side, so it was a win-win for him. However, he didn’t predict the glitch with the Elder Wand, but I think that Snape was on the good side, but was willing to go back to the bad side if things went bad.
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I think anything Alan Rickman does is awesome, but I love Snape the most. Even more than Marvin. Alan Rickman was the only actor in the entire series- and quite possibly the only person other than JK- who knew how the seventh book would end. JK says he was the only actor she envisioned playing Snape while she was writing the books, and she told him about the conflicts in his character so he could act it out appropriately. I think he did marvelously.
However, I think it was a bit more fun to watch Snape before the seventh book came out. When I started watching the movies, it was fun to heap abuse on him, since he was so unpleasant. Now that we know about the tragedies of his past, how he was abused and neglected at home and tortured mercilessly by his peers at school, it’s impossible to hate the horrible person he is in the earlier movies. Now when I watch or read HP 1-6, I analyze every aspect of Snape’s behavior to try and figure out when Alan Rickman was showing the tortured, miserable, bitter man’s good side- for example, toward the end of Prisoner of Azkaban where he jumps in front of Harry, Ron, and Hermione to shield them from the werewolf.
I think the movies do tend to portray James Potter as a jerk- but they only show Snape’s memories of him. He was definitely brave, and very loving, and he worked in the Order, too, to bring down Voldemort. I agree with Mikazuki- people make mistakes. I think that’s one of the things that makes the whole series so captivating- none of the characters are perfect. Dumbledore made the mistake of trusting Grindelwald and plotting his rise over the muggles in his youth (although I would say he paid for that a hundred times over), and turned out one of the bravest, cleverest, and most influential wizards ever. Harry’s brave and reasonably powerful, but not enormously intelligent; Hermione is smart and powerful, but can be somewhat grating; Ron is funny and loving, but not especially good at magic. James Potter was charming toward Lily, but very cruel to Snape when he was young; Snape was bitter and angry and felt he didn’t fit in among anyone at Hogwarts, and joined the Death Eaters (in my view) so he would finally have somewhere to belong.
The other captivating thing behind the series is that there are motivations behind the characters’ mistakes. Dumbledore was desperate for a friend, James was in love with Lily and feared she would choose Snape, Snape had a miserable childhood and the tragedies of his life made him bitter and unhappy. In the broader view, neither James nor Snape were really nice people when they were young, but both turned out brave and loving, even if they showed it different ways.
I’ll stop analyzing Snape’s character for now, I think. Choklit to whoever can make it through this essay,
Not that I don’t like Ron, but “he can be a bit cruel sometimes.”
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In my opinion, Snape isn’t really on either “side”. I think his motivations were mostly his own, for Lily’s memory. As the movie highlighted so distinctly, Harry had his mother’s eyes, and, even though it seems petty, I think that’s the only reason Snape helped him at any time. I think that Rowling could do worse than write a version of the story from Snape’s perspective–the focus would be on his lost love, and everything else would be secondary. That would be a good book. Anyways, getting back on track: Snape hated Harry because of his father but loved him because of his mother, and I think that can pretty summarily explain his behavior towards Harry. I’ve never been in such a dramatic situation, so I can’t really judges his actions as right or wrong.
In regards to James, I objectively think that he was a bit of an ass, though he certainly did a lot of good as well, later in life. But, since the focus in this last movie switches to Lily, I think that James’ “good” actions just don’t show up, and so they’re overpowered by his being a jerk when he was young. That probably could’ve been avoided.
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Went to see it last night, and the theater was almost full. I think that’s the fullest I’ve ever seen it. There have definitely been a few instances when my family/friends and I have had the theater all to ourselves.
Thoughts.
-They never included the Ariana/Grindelwald storyline, where Harry starts to doubt Dumbledore. I thought that was pretty important. I was a little irked they never explained about Ariana; all we got was Hermione saying, “That’s your sister, isn’t it? She died young, right.” or whatever. Annoying.
-Shell cottage was good, almost word for word, except for the fact that Ollivander knew about the Hallows; that was something I didn’t like, and I think he should have explained a little bit more in depth about the Elder Wand.
-Gringotts: The human security guards were a little odd, but since there were wizards with probes in the book I guess it’s not that big of a stretch. I thought they did pretty well here, as well, except that they didn’t include Travers, which I thought was a nice touch, and the objects in the Lestranges’ vault didn’t burn when they multiplied: that was the whole point.
-The voices have to change with Polyjuice Potion; that’s always infuriated me. It makes no sense. How could Crouch, Jr. (played by David Tennant, thus awesome) have survived for that long as Moody? Voices are recognizable.
-The Cup had a snake on it; it would’ve had a badger! But it’s possible I just missaw it; it was only the focus of the screen for a few minutes.
-Harry can hear Horcruxes?! He knows what/where they are?! WHAT?! But I guess it’s to be expected ’cause they never had Dumbledore discuss it with him. Argle.
-The dragon was cool.
-Voldemort would not dare to look in Harry’s mind. This was so irritating. He couldn’t have found out that way; he had to find out by going to the places. I hated that he could feel them, too; that’s the point, don’t they get it?! His soul was so beyond repair that he could no longer feel it!
-The scene in Hogsmeade was cut out; I thought that it should have been included. Also, why weren’t they wearing the cloak?! The movie people sort of eased off its importance, but it was getting even more important. Argh.
-I thought Ariana’d be younger, but that’s just me. Not a big deal.
-Neville & co. never properly explained about the Room of Requirement, the D.A., and all that other stuff. The scene in the Room could have been expanded.
-The scene in Ravenclaw tower was also cut out. That was a really nice one; I’m sad that they did. I wish the Carrows had been present, also, and that they pressed the Dark Mark.
-They never showed Voldemort searching for the Horcruxes, which I think would’ve been a nice way to show how fantastically angry he was.
-McGonagall/Snape battle never happened right; that was too bad. I think that it should have been McGonagall who called everybody to the hall; not Snape. Otherwise why would the D.A. have come?
-The underage/Slytherins were never evacuated. I didn’t like the fact that McGonagall sent them to the dungeons; she never would’ve done that.
-Harry revealing himself to Snape was just stupid, no question about it. It made no sense; just arrogance and pleasure, basically…
-Um, PERCY?! He should’ve made up with his family.
-We never got to see Fred die; I thought that we should have.
-Uh, Snape’s memories in his tears was a little weird, but…
-The memories were good, and Little Snape was adorable, but I wish they’d done a few more memories with them as kids, and included the mudblood moment. Also, Snape hugging Lily’s dead body while Harry watched from his crib? That was pretty creepy. Snape wasn’t there the night Lily and James died!
-Ron and Hermione didn’t tell him where they were going; I liked it better when he’s worried about where they are and then they’re like, “Yeah we’re being really smart–another Horcrux down, mate!”
-The tidal wave/tsunami was idiotic; Voldemort doesn’t feel it! So there!
-Kiss was sweet, but funnier in the books.
-Harry never told Hermione and Ron that he was going to the forest; he told Neville! That’s how he knew to kill the snake!
-King’s Cross scene was okay, except, again, a lack of Dumbledore explanations.
-When Dumbledore said the line, “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?” he left out the ‘on earth’ part.
Kidding
-Neville never got his big moment! He just made a completely dumb speech! I mean, how hard would it have been to include the whole “spells won’t hold” thing, have him put the sorting hat on Neville and have it flame up, and then have him yell, “I’ll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore’s Army!” and then slice the head off the snake?! That would’ve been a lot simpler and easier.
-The snake chase–and the final battle–for that matter–are drawn out a lot. Rather than making them more exciting, I think it jsut took away from them. If they had shortened the snake and the battle, they would’ve been able to have more scenes–they needn’t have cut the Ravenclaw one, just for starters. I thought that was kind of the point of a two parter…
-I’m glad they kept the battle between Molly and Bellatrix, but Bella, Nagini, and Voldy exploding into ashes and drifting away was…disturbing. Why couldn’t they have just crumpled to the ground?
-The battle between Harry and Voldemort…argh. I think it should’ve been in the great hall, and if they wanted it bigger they could’ve drawn out Harry’s explanation.
-Whoops, I left out the diadem. Rowena should have explained the whole story, it was good! I also didn’t like the fact that Luna and Rowena were friends and that Luna had to tell Harry about the ghosts maybe knowing. He couldn’t have figured it out?!
-Luna isn’t as nice in the movies. She helps Harry out a lot in the books, and she doesn’t in the movies.
-The room was okay, but again, what was with the Harry hearing the Horcrux? Also I don’t think Rowena told him where it was hidden
-Uh…Goyle didn’t die? Nor was he black in the previous movies, but okay…
-Why didn’t Fiendfyre destroy the diadem?! Nice effects, though I didn’t like Voldy’s head showing up.
-Peeves and Grawp weren’t there–sad!
-Epilogue was okay but I don’t think they should have just focused on Albus Severus.
-Completely random, but my mom once waited on the actor who played Snape.
Overall opinion: It was probably the best one yet, but if they hadn’t expanded on some stuff I think they could’ve left a lot more in. Actually, I think they could have left a lot more in, period. Still, it was good.
Allosaur thought the security guards at Gringotts were part of a large amount of Nazi imagery. It’s true, they kind of did look like the Gestapo.
I can’t think why they cut out the Dumbledore mystery; it would have added a lot to the story and made the scene with Aberforth much more satisfying.
I was cross about Neville’s speech. That’s a good actor, and he could have been a lot more inspiring had he just yelled, “I’ll join you when hell freezes over! Dumbledore’s Army!” rather than waffled about Harry living on in everyone’s hearts. Too much waffling, not enough action.
YOUR MOM WAITED ON ALAN RICKMAN THAT IS THE MOST SPECTACULAR THING EVER.
It’s interesting you talk about Nazi imagery because I remember in DH part 1, the propaganda posters being reproduced in the ministry looked very much like fascist/communist propaganda (to the best of my knowledge).
My mom thought those were meant to represent the more enthusiastic patriotism of the Republican Party. *facepalms forever* There are no limits to the depths that that fails.
SFTDP: Rowena says the diadem is “In the place where all things are hidden. If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask.” Harry figures it out.
Wasn’t her name Helena, or somesuch, and Rowena was her mom?
Yeah, but what I meant was that she didn’t know where it was; she didn’t even give him a clue. I have no idea how she found in the movie; it’s not very likely she just stumbled upon it and Tom Riddle hid it at the school a while after she’d told him.
Also, whoops you’re right, Rosebud.
Helena, not Rowena.
Goyle was the same. You’re thinking of Crabbe. From what I’ve heard, they replaced Crabbe with a new actor ( Blaise Zabini? ) because the first actor who played Crabbe got arrested for growing marijuana. Then they switched the storyline so Goyle was the one who created the Fiendfyre.
Some of the things you mention ( like Voldemort feeling the Horcruxes, Harry being able to hear them, etc. ) I think the director added so people who haven’t read the books could understand better. Silly, but there you are. Also, I think that the directors never thought Luna was as important, so they have other people help Harry. And I agree with you about Neville, the explanations, etc. It would have added more of a literary aspect to the film.
Oh, whoops. I was going by who died.
I suppose that that makes sense for the director’s perspective, but I think there were a bunch of things that would have been confusing to someone who hadn’t read the books that they didn’t cover up. Huh, that’s kind of odd.
Finally saw the movie yesterday.
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I thought it was great. Not perfect, but still great. It probably ties with POA for my favorite Potter movie, and it’s good to see that David Yates has some potential as a director. More than any other movie in the series, I though that the narrative embellishments actually helped the story, especially since DH was one of my least favorite books in the series. My dad and I agreed that from a filmmaking standpoint, in regards to the Voldemort battle, that “I’m going to take half an hour to kill you” was better than “I’m going to talk to you for a while and you’ll inexplicably die”. I thought the kids did their best acting yet, and Alan Rickman was good too. The memory sequence was impressive, mostly because it actually managed to make scenes from HBP look good.
Two of the bad points: The whole thing with the Elder Wand breaking in half. I get the symbolism, but Harry now has no wand. Yeah, I didn’t get that either. Also, the “awkward Voldemort hug” that Draco gets. I laughed so hard when that happened, even though it was supposed to be dramatic.
So yeah. I liked it.
I discovered some major love for Alan Rickman’s acting in the last movie. I love the way he talks.
“… will be treated as… e-qual-ly……… guilty.”
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Implied Neville/Luna, anyone?
It’s not Ginny/Luna, but I guess I should be happy that it’s not Luna/some random guy who never appeared in the books XD
Overall, I thought the movie was great. There were some small things I didn’t like (like the Elder Wand thing, same as Muselover) and the fact that everything Harry treated as important and secretive in the book seemed trivial and non-secretive in the movie – but it was a great end.
Actually, Neville ends up with Hannah Abbot apparently. I read that today as a supposed “HP fact”. More investigation will be needed…
*googles* Apparently, JK said she began feeling a “pull” between the two characters, but thought that having them wind up together would be “too neat.”
I just saw it! My family went and saw it without me as I was preforming my duties to the Kokonspiracy (meanies) so it was a while until I saw it. I watched it in 3D with a similarly Potter obsessed friend crying on my lap about everyone who JK Rowling had to heartlessly kill off.
I know that I should be sad about the end of Potter, but I was more upset over the books, as I have never been a real fan of the movies anyway. It was pretty good, but I think that Voldemort forgot how to talk. It must be hard to pronounce things without a nose…
Oh, definitely Luna/Neville. Did anyone else notice that Lily’s eyes WERE NOT GREEN? Well, neither are Harry’s in the movie…
Gringots was amazing, as was kings cross, but Harry vs. Voldemort was way over the top (Literally in some cases) I think that the movie made me hate the Epilogue less, though.
This morning on the bus I started wondering what the Harry Potter story might be like retold from the wands’ point of view.
“The big sweaty hand grabbed my feet and waved me around in the air…”
It would be great told from the point of view of Ron’s wand in book 2 when it got broken.
Basically:
EVERYTHING THAT YOU GUYS ALL SAID. I AM SAYING IT TOO.
[insert entire thread into one post]
Okay, that pretty much sums it up.