I finally finished the book Monday morning, June 23rd at 1:06 AM. Lots of breaks... my uncle brought me Starbucks, packing, cleaning.... I finally did it. I won't mention the death just in case you do read the following. I will say that Rowling does build up to it in a very quiet way.
20 lines of spoiler space for those people living under a rock
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Susan Bones? Hmm I can recall that some people threw her as somone non-important just because of a brief mentioning of her in the first book. The first time we even hear of Susan Bones is during the Sorting Ceremony in the first book. Susan Bones ends up in Hufflepuff. Then in the Order of the Phoenix at a hearing, we meet Madam Amelia Susan Bones, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Susan's auntie. Susan then makes a reappearance as part of the D.A. How many times has that happened? A brief mentioning of in a book and then BAM! there they are. I'm speaking of Mrs. Arabella Figg, Harry's sometimes babysitter, and SQUIB!
GEORGE & FRED WEASLEY ROCK! Those two telling Umbridge off was the best. I'm sorry but they were created to make repressive-anal-retentive folks like her pull out their hair. Dolores Umbridge is a total psycho. That's another person you could have fun with if you're an actor. Most evil characters are the best to play.
So Snape... *hem, hem* Professor Snape did have a rotten childhood. As for Harry blaming Snape er Professor Snape for Sirius is so... juvenile. But then for Snape to do the whole sins of the father bit was pretty juvenile for a 41 year old man. *I'm assuming he's 41 cause Lucius is 41*
In the end with Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna, & Neville... they reminded me of the Scooby Gang a bit a la Buffy. With Harry of course being Buffy. Neville is definitely coming into his own. Neville is a hero. He will make his gran so proud, I see it coming. LONG LIVE DUMBLEDORE'S ARMY!!
I hope Cho falls off her broom in her next Quidditch game.
Three questions....
Luna Lovegood - does she want Harry or Ron?
And who did Neville see die?
Percy Weasley - will he suck it up and admit he was wrong?
Getting there to end with help along the way.
Of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position anyway. Take a look. Okay 4 down, 3 to go. Is the position cursed? We'll find out with Order of the Phoenix.. Friday night/Saturday morning.
I hope I'm right about the "poisoned honey" thing. I want Snape to be smitten with someone and scared of her at the same time. I can't think of any other literary examples except maybe the White Witch from "The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe."
On some tv shows & in some established book series there's always that one character that everyone loves to hate, and in this case it's Severus Snape. Usually another character that has the same traits as "The Hated" will make everyone more appreciative of "The Hated." Sometimes even protective or posessive. I think that's going to happen in this case. OR Everyone will think Snape is jealous of the new DADA. She's pretty, smart, and she probably turned him down some time in the past. Or maybe she's this Florence that we've been wondering about?
I'm assuming if you're here, you read Goblet of Fire - spoilers follow
Quoting text from Goblet of Fire, chapter 33, page 651, American hardcover edition - "And here we have six missing Death Eaters... three dead in my service. One, too cowardly to return... he will pay. One, who I believe has left me forever... he will be killed of course... and one, who remains my most faithful servant, and who has already reentered my service."
So to go with the grain on one mailing list, the one too cowardly has to be Karkaroff, the one lost forever is Snape, and the faithful servant is "Mad Eye" Moody aka Barty Crouch Jr. I wonder what Dumbledore wants Snape to do - chapter 36, page 713. Now since Snape isn't going to spy, what will he be doing? Seeking forgiveness from Voldemorte? I doubt it... when Quirrel was at Hogwarts Snape obviously made it plain how he felt about being a Death Eater. So Voldie knows how Snape feels about his own past transgressions.
Another point brought up - was Snape the he that Bertha Jorkins was referring to during Harry & Dumbledore's stroll down pensieve lane in chapter 30, pages 598 & 599. Snape is the sort to hex to someone, especially while he was still a student. Remember Bertha says, "He put a hex on me, Professor Dumbledore, and I was only teasing him, sir I only said I'd seen him kissing Florence behind the greenhouses last Thursday...." More things that make you go hmmm.
Looking at that picture of Rita Skeeter in the same edition on page 288, I'd swear that she has finger-waves. One of the nastiest hairstyles that anyone could ever have.