*Warning: The Surgeon General has determined that while spoilers may not be dangerous to your health, this article does contain them.
I repeat: This article contains spoilers. Especially those of the "did another character die" variety. Stop reading now if you don't want to hear about it in great detail. I am going to reveal major plot points. If you haven't read it but plan to, you will not want to read this.
Still reading?
Ok, then. Yes, another character did die. And this is one of the reasons for my very angry title. To begin with, I knew this approximately 50 pages in because I got bored. Now, when I get stuck when I'm reading something, I turn to the back of the book, pick a right hand side page that is relatively far from the end, and read a line or two from the middle of the page. I don't know why this is so, but I've found that if something major is going to happen in the plot, it tends to happen on the left-hand pages towards the top. Characters are usually in the middle of a daring and dangerous situation on the right hand side of the page. And this method has not failed me since high school when I figured it out. I haven't had a book ruined for me by doing this since I was about 16. Well, I did this, and the first line I came across gave me the name of the character who dies. (*Warning* I am going to reveal the name of the person who died now.) Rowling kills off Dumbledore! So then, I spent the whole rest of the book waiting for it to happen.
I've got to say that I was not really that surprised by who did it. I have never really liked Snape. I thought it would be Malfoy, but I wasn't surprised that it was Snape.
At first, I thought that he probably screwed up Harry's Occlumency lessons during the last book on purpose, too. Part of me wants to believe that when Dumbledore said his name, he was telling Snape to kill him so that Malfoy wouldn't so that Malfoy might have a chance to change sides. I don't know. Another part of me hates Snape with the fire of a thousand suns and hates J.K. Rowling for beating the crap out of Harry.
Now, granted, the first rule of writing is that if you like a character, you have to give that character hell. That character has to go through more than any of the other characters in order to be interesting. Otherwise, you're like an over-protective parent: The character never develops because the character never has to struggle.
That said, Dumbledore was one of my favorite characters, and now Harry doesn't have anyone except Ron and Hermoine, who, I would like to point out, would never have agreed to leave school to help Harry as easily as she did. Additionally, I think we all knew that Dumbledore was going to die at some point, but I always envisioned it as coming partway through Book 7.
Also, Harry is basically recovered from his grief over Sirius after the four weeks before the beginning of the book, which is ridiculous. His confidence would be very shaken, at the very least.
All in all, I read it in less than 48 hours because it was Harry Potter, and I've been waiting for it for two years. It's good, don't get me wrong, but it's not as good as the other books. I feel like she sacrificed the character developement of everyone else in order to work on Voldemort's character. Which was useful, but not neccessarily exciting.
My predictions for upcoming books:
--Snape will end up being a "Gollum" figure for the story. Either that, or he will really have been working for Dumbledore, even in killing him. Whatever the case, he will be one of the most important characters for the conclusion of the war between good and evil.
--Hermoine will marry Ron, and Harry will marry Ginny.
--Harry will die some sort of metaphorical death and will lose all the powers Voldemort gave him. (Pheonix metaphors, anyone?)
--Harry will not be able to be an auror due to the fact that he left school, so he will play professional quidditch.
--Neville will die but only after showing greatness.
--Percy will become a Death Eater.
--Malfoy will turn traitor to the dark side and help the Order of the Pheonix.
--One of the Weasleys will die.
That's all I've got for now. I'm sure I'll come up with more.
Additionally, I add "booo" to the Fantastic Four's total score. Seriously, guys, the movie blows.
Posted by LoWriter at July 18, 2005 09:12 AMdude, i hate you. i cant read this entry until i borrow your damn book and read it for myself. that said, can i have it on wednesday? heeheeee.....
Posted by: Dr. Gonzo at July 18, 2005 12:25 PMHave to say I agree about Snape.
I agree about who will marry who.
I agree Harry will probably die some sort of metaphorical death - but I (like JK Rowling) am not ruling out actual death.
I never thought Harry would be an Auror and I've always thought he would plan Quidditch or some other entirely frivolous thing once Voldy is dead. Does anybody know what his parents did?
Neville will, unfortuneately, die. Where was he in this book?!!??
Percy's an idiot, and I think the current Minister of Magic will be a death eater.
Malfoy may return, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Charlie or Percy or Arthur or Molly Weasley will die. Ron, Ginny and Bill are safe.
Additional predictions:
Hermione will some day become Headmistress of Hogwarts.
Regulus Black will still be alive. (RAB anyone?)
Dumbledore will help Harry through his portrait in the Headmistress' office.
Harry may not be able to get all the Horcruxes and will therefore have to kill Voldy twice.
Harry will learn Occlumency, finally!!
Ok so some of those are reaching, but you get my point.
Posted by: 10lees at July 19, 2005 04:23 PMI agree that Regulas Black will be alive. Also, he may possibly be the adult figure in Harry's life in the next book. Neville was totally missing from this book, but so were most of the characters if you think about it. We didn't really see much action in this book. Even Ginny is talked about, but we don't really SEE her as much as we should since she's dating Harry by the end.
I think you're also right about the current minister of magic, which may also account for Fudge's description in the opening chapters. He may be being used... or he may have joined. One thing you can say about Fudge. He may have been incompetent, but at least you knew he wasn't evil. Now you don't know what you've got.
I think you're right about Harry not being able to find all the Horcruxes, but I think that this may be where Snape will come in as a Gollum figure. Just my speculations though.
Seriously, when is the 7th book going to come out already!
Posted by: Lo at July 20, 2005 07:37 AMDespite Snapes actions in this book I think it will be with his direct help that Harry will finally defeat Voldy.
Anyone think Dumby isn't really dead and that it was somewhat staged to fool voldy?
Posted by: jeff at July 27, 2005 11:20 AMI guess it makes sense to me that dumby was killed because the actor that played him died a year or two ago.
Posted by: jeff at August 2, 2005 02:50 PMI think that it's possible that Dumbledore is not dead.
I really hope that Rowling didn't sell out to the movie industry and kill off a character simply because the actor died. At any rate, they've replaced that actor, so it's all good. The new Dubledore in movie 3 is not nearly as good.
Posted by: Lo at August 2, 2005 03:41 PM