Actual actual Deathly Hallows nostalgia this time

[author_by_night]

Since DW butchered my earlier post, I'm trying to re-post. (Take three. Sigh. I'm so sorry, guys.)

Not 100% sure why I'm being nostalgic - I've grown up, after all. I'm not the slightly naive 22 year old girl I was ten years ago. But I also think part of growing up is realizing some things will always stay with you. Besides, adulthood sucks sometimes, and one needs a retreat to simpler times.

So even if I feel I should be talking about properly adult things instead of squeeing over a book series I used to really love, screw it, my LJ/DW's going to be nostalgic today. :P

So to kick off, here is my initial review of the book at 7:02 PM on the 21st. Yep, I read it all in one sitting. I had the worst headache afterwards.

Oh. My. God.

Brilliant.

I was sad Remus and Tonks died, but honestly, I'm okay with it. Yes, it did sort of crush my whole ficverse, but in some ways, it opened new windows. They have a metamorphmaging son who can live knowing his parents cared about him and died, as Remus himself said, so he could live in a better place. (ABN, you are such a liar. You ranted about their deaths and characterization 87 times for the next ten years.)

The epilogue was great - it tied up stuff, but not too much. I look forward to playing with those nineteen years we didn't see, as well as seeing what others do with them. And I really appreciated seeing the trio and Ginny with their children, living normal, happy lives.

I had a similar idea re: that Charity Whatshername (Burbage)... I wrote DorcasMeadowes as someone who'd actually been killed herself for teaching kids "the truth."

Dobby's death broke my heart. "Harry... Potter. " :( (I left out that I'd known it was coming since CoS, though. I mean, come on. "Don't try to save my life again." Harry doomed Dobby with that remark!)

NEVILLE AND LUNA KICK BUTT. As did Molly - not only does she take down Bellatrix, she looks her in the eye and calls her a bitch. (IN A KIDS BOOK! But I digress. This book wasn't really a kids book anyway - I'd rate it PG-13. At least.)

Man, I have so much else to say, but I think I still need to process the book. So as always, see you in my comments to your posts, and in posts I make the next couple of days!

(Oh, and Remus/Tonks people: WE ALL NEED TO DECLARE A STATE OF SHIPPY EMERGENCY!)

And this is my first "follow up" DH post...

Was I the only one who:

1. Didn't think the deaths were pointless or wasted? (Or, rather, thinks that in such a brutal war, there are going to be deaths with no real point that are just... devastating, and nothing else?)

2. Kind of liked the epilogue, the horrible names and same-ageifying of several offspring aside? (Yes, ABN. Yes, you were.)

Current thoughts:

- As far as Remus and Tonks go, in the end (...but not the end of my ranting), I contended they were meant to have a more coherent backstory, but JKR ran out of room, took them out and tried fitting them back in where they really didn't quite fit. I actually wonder if they weren't supposed to be more like Bill and Fleur, who are very minor characters, yet manage to have a love story arc play out without disrupting the plot. (Or, you know, their characters.)

Having said that, what was the point of Tonks being a Metamorphmagus? She never actually uses her powers, aside from a few brief moments in OoTP. But I digress.

- I WILL say that I think the Marauders and Snape were meant to be tragic characters. So on that end, I could understand both Remus and Snape's storylines.

- Towards the end, Phineas Nigellus mentions Slytherins helped with the final battle. I don't think this is actually shown, but okay. (I'm not a huge Slytherin person, but I would've liked more... proof that they're not all Teh Evulz. Because I never thought that one.

- So, at some point earlier in the book, Neville, Luna and Ginny try to steal the sword of Gryffindor. But I couldn't remember why or when they learned it was significant and Harry needed it...?

- I still think the epilogue is fine, but we definitely needed a bridge between character deaths and nineteen years later. Especially given the formula of most of the books, where we do see the characters try to return to normalcy (difficulty ranges from book to book), then return to King's Cross. We needed that here. Something like (this isn't meant to be prize-winning writing, I'm just rambling):

"We're going back to King's Cross?" Harry asked.

His mind drifted back to his conversation with Dumbledore and the horrifying, suffering child on the seat. What had it all meant? He would never really know. Perhaps it was better not to.

"Yeah," Ron said. "Return to tradition, y'know. Besides, train driver's got to be paid sometime."

"Without taking exams," Hermione noted.

"Are you mad, Hermione?" Ron looked incredulous. "You're still worried about that?"

"Not really, no. I suppose... well, some things matter more than books. Like friendship and bravery. But didn't you hear Percy? Seventh years will take NEWTs at the Ministry this summer, or they can return, which is what I plan on doing."

"You are mad," Ron said, gaping at her in amazement. Hermione beamed.

Halfway out of the entrance, Ron, Harry and Hermione were joined by Luna, Neville and Ginny. They hadn't all been together at a time since the battle... no, even before that. They were all a little worse for wear...

And then they get on the carriages, the train, Ron says something snarky but intelligent, we see King's Cross, close. Then we return nineteen years late. That's what I think we needed.

Anyway, those are my thoughts! What about you guys?

Apparently I have the day to myself, so I may concoct a few drabbles or... something later.