NOTE: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!
Having just finished rereading the whole Harry Potter series (except the first one, I'm waiting to read that one in French), I decided to post my thoughts on the book. This quote popped into my head contemplating the gloriousness of the seventh book.
"'Don't talk to me,' Ron said quietly to Harry and Hermione as they sat down at the Gryffindor table a few minutes later, surrounded by excited talk on all sides about what had just happened. 'Why not?' asked Hermione in surprise. 'Because I want to fix that in my memory forever,' said Ron, his eyes closed and an uplifted expression on his face" (Goblet of Fire, 207).
Although this scene happens immediately after Malfoy is Transfigured into a ferret, I thought this passage detailed my feelings and actions perfectly.
"All was well" (Deathly Hallows, 759). I love how she (J.K. Rowling) ends the series, with the Nineteen Years Later. Everything was well, peaceful, after Voldemort died. And that's exactly how I feel, peaceful. The books happened how they needed to happen. I liked how she drew out Voldemort's death. She didn't just say "He died." She described it, making people wait. She makes it dramatic. I wonder how long it took her to write his death scene. She draws out (in a good way) a lot of other scenes as well. I love how everything comes together in the end. Everything just fits, even small details that most people would overlook, she brings them back and makes them play an important role. I want to know what the very first idea about Harry Potter was, how these books came into being, how she planned everything out. I haven't gotten to that point yet, because she obviously had to have quite a bit planned out before she could actually start writing. Me, I just have a basic plot line, or even an opening sentence or two, and I go from there. She is really an inspiration to writers.
One interesting thing I would like to note is that both Sirius and Fred died with a laugh still on their faces. "The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest. The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock" (Order of the Phoenix, 805). Sirius was taunting Bellatrix's efforts to kill him. "And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's yes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face" (Deathly Hallows 637). Fred had been laughing because he thought that Percy was joking when he said he was resigning. And that Bellatrix gave a laugh right before she died as well, "the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil" (Deathly Hallows, 736). I don't know what to make of it, but noticed that and wanted to point that out to others. Perhaps that laughing is the best way to die? I don't know. I don't really want to think about death right now...
I had forgotten that Percy comes back in the end (thanks to the movies, they skipped over that part). I'm really glad that he did come back, and that he and Fred make up. I feel horrible for the rest of the Weasly's for their loss though... I saw a post that Molly never dreamed the twins would be separated, even when they were both lying "dead" when she was trying to get rid of the boggart in book five, they were together, albeit dead, but together. I suppose it just had to happen that way. But Tonks and Lupin? Come on! And Dobby too? WHY? She has some nerve, killing off her characters like that. But I admire her for it (only slightly)
I also saw another post that I thought was quite intriguing "The first thing Snape asks Harry is 'Potter! What would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?' Asphodel is a type of lily meaning 'My regrets follow you to the grave' and wormwood means 'absence' and also typically symbolizes bitter sorrow. If you combined that, it means 'I bitterly regret Lily's death'" Now, I don't take credit for this, but I think that is really clever, whether on purpose or not, on her part. That must have take a lot of research to come up with that. I'm sure I will always be finding new meaning in the Harry Potter books.
I was going to rant about the movies, but I'll save that for another day. Anyway, the books are the best.
