HBP Reactions

Well, now that I've had a couple of days to digest it, I thought I'd go ahead and give my reactions.



On the ships (Mostly canon, but some fanon):

Ron/Hermione: This was just perfect. It hit every note just right.

Ron/Lavender: Poor Lavender. I think she got really attached. I also can see exactly how this happened. On the other hand, my sympathy is strictly limited. Once you call someone Won Won... *shakes head* It's just wrong. Wrong I tell you. Ron isn't the most mature guy in the world. In a lot of ways, he's still just a sixteen year old boy. In a lot of other ways, he's not. He's seen to much at done to much for this to work. In short, Ron is way to mature for Lavender.

Ginny/Dean: Much like the Ron/Lavender thing. Ginny, while still a fifteen year old girl, is not the typical fifteen year old girl. She's seen way to much, done way to much, and the fact that she was still waiting on Harry pretty much meant this one was doomed.

Ginny/Harry: This was a disappointment. Not because I haven't seen it coming since Chamber, and not that I didn't want it to happen, but it just felt under developed. I wish she'd given us more of Harry and Ginny interacting, and I expect a lot of the Harry/Ginny fic written in the next two years will be HBP missing scenes, or post Defeat of Voldemort reunion fics. Ironically, while I'll probably continue to read and enjoy post HBP Harry/Ginny fics, I think HBP torpedoed Harry/Ginny. To me, there's a feeling of "they missed their chance" with it now. I'm curious to know if I'm the only one who feels this way.

Harry/Hermione: Okay, I finally see what they are talking about. I still don't think this one will set sail in canon, but dear god, Jo didn't throw them a bone, she threw them a frigging whale skeleton.

Harry/Luna: Okay, I think Luna's adorable. I didn't really see Harry/Luna before, but now I get it. I really hope Luna makes it through the next book.

Bill/Fleur: I just absolutely adored Fleur's big scene in the infirmary. On the other hand, I can totally see why she would piss off Ginny, Molly and Hermione. I can totally see what Bill sees in her, but he's welcome to it.

Remus/Tonks: Okay, I always thought of them both as gay, but I wasn't as upset about this as I could have been. Of course, that could be because I had just read the rather wonderful Shifts by FernWithy. In the end, it didn't change much of my perception. Tonks is still a marshmellow butch, she's just a bi marshmellow butch. Remus was still Sirius boyfriend, I'm just not sure that they got together again after Azkaban now. I think they did, and I think a heartbroken Remus fell into the arms of an already smitten Tonks when Sirius died. I think the scene in the infirmary wasn't "See we can get married!" so much as it was "They're getting married for fuck sake, and you won't even bone me!".

Snape/Narcissa: This has been my secret crackfic even since xochiquetzl wrote it for me. I just squeed. I love chapter two. I've read it about 4 times.

Hagrid/Madame Maxine: w00t! The big guy needs some of that French lovin.

Molly/Arthur: Mollywobbles! I died! I can not express how much I adore Molly and Arthur.

Minerva/Poppy: Okay, totally non-canon, but I loved it when Poppy knew just what Minerva needed at that moment. I still say they're knocking boots.

Minerva/Albus: Torpedoed. I feel sorry for the shippers, but that was not the reaction of a woman who has just learned that the love of her life was murdered.

On the Characters

Harry: I loved Harry hear. He is finally moving out of the passive, reluctant Hero thing into the active Hero that he needs to become. He's growing up. I know a lot of people aren't particularly happy that we didn't get chapters of Harry sobbing into his pillow over Sirius, but I'm fine with that. From my POV, Harry had already gotten a handle on his grief in the last book thanks to Luna. He's still bottling some of it, but I thought it was very well done. I also thought his reaction to Dumbledore's death was very well done. Harry's had a lot of practice with grief of late, and he's learning how to deal with it in a healthy fashion. I am just a bit worried about his tendancy to through around the dark magic in a fit of rage though. That's twice he's tried to his someone with the Cruciatus Curse. If someone hurts Ron or Hermione, I think we might actually see in Avada Kedavera out of him. I'd rather not see Dark!Harry.

Dumbledore: Ruled. There is no way around it. Dumbledore kicked unholy arse in this book. I loved him.

Ron: Poor Ron. We didn't get very much of him in this book, and what we did get was a great heaping of his insecurities. I think, in the next book, we're going to see him finally come into his own. It happened a bit in this book. Once Harry shows him he didn't really need the FF potion, Ron got over his quidditch nerves perminantly. He also did much better in the battle at the end of the book than he did in the DoM. By the time of the Funeral, he and Hermione seemed like they were finally ready to move into being a couple as well.

Hermione: Poor Hermione doesn't do to well in this one. Harry keeps showing her up in Potions, she steps on Ron's toes and ends up getting basically dumped in favor of Lavender. I think, in this book, one of Hermione's big flaws gets thrown into the light. Hermione has an ego that makes James Potter look modest. And it spends most of the book getting trampled.

Ron & Hermione: There is one thing I need to talk about in relation to Ron and Hermione, and that's the way they dismiss Harry's concerns about Draco. It took me a while to accept that, but you know what, it makes sense. They've had their faith in Harry's judgement shaken. Harry made a rash decision and it got someone killed. So, after thinking about it a bit, I totally get why they weren't really ready to listen to Harry. I think, now that they've seen that he was right, this trend will reverse itself a bit.

Snape: OMFG. I've never been a big Snape fan, until now. I don't think he's teh evil. I think he was doing exactly what Dumbledore asked of him.

Narcissa: Oh god, this was SO the Narcissa I wanted to see. Snarky, powerful, scary enough to intimidate Bellatrix, and a woman who very much loves her son, even if he is a smarmy little shit. While she's not quite the badass I expected to see, I still love her muchly.

Hagrid: Poor, poor Hagrid. Yeah, I can understand why he was upset. I'm also very glad that he was able to get over it. I just feel really sorry for him right now. I think, of all people, he will have the worst time of it, dealing with Dumbledore's death. If he doesn't go to France to be with Madame Maxine, I expect him to be head of Griffindor in the next book.

Minerva: Wasn't really doing much in this book. I wanted to see a lot more of her, alas. I do think, assuming Hogwarts is open, she'll be the new Headmistress. Flitwick will be her deputy.

Ginny: Rocked. I just wish we'd gotten more of her and Harry's relationship.

Slughorn: Was sleezy. I suspect, however, that I would have gotten along with him swimmingly.

Blaise: Is black with, it sounds like, just a hint of Asian. He is also teh hunky. Just deal with it already, because I'm already tired of the wank. Besides, he's a minor character, and is likely to stay that way.

Tonks: She just saw one of her friends die, is suffering from survivor's guilt, and is having relationship problems. She's freakin depressed. She does not, however, let it affect her ability to do her job one damn bit. I don't see where all the cries of "character assassination" are coming from. I really don't.

The new Minister: Who's name I am not even going to attempt is just delightfully sleezy. I suspect I would hate him were I to meet him in person. As it is, I think he's a great character.

Remus: Oh damn. Poor boy. I imagine it must just drive him insane having to take orders from Greyback.

Greyback: Interesting, but I totally don't get the cries of "teh sexy." The man is a monster. He is everything people believe werewolves are. The sooner he's put down, the better for everyone.

Draco: For the first time, I actually like Draco. Just a bit.

The plot

Moldyshort's backstory: Cool.

The HBP plotline: We haven't seen the last of that book. I think it will have a part to play in book seven. I also love the Harry/Snape/Riddle parallels.

The Big Character Death: Saw it coming since book one. Figured out Snape was going to do it by chapter three (the second Dumbledore's injury was mentioned).

Horcruxes: Totally, fucking, cool. I love this. I also think Harry is a Horcruxes.

The Trio skipping seventh year: Holy crap! Hermione dropping out of school! I'm stunned. I also love that the trio is sticking together.

Other Thoughts

I don't think there's going to be a final battle. I think the duel with Moldyshorts will be a small little affair. Just the Trio, Moldyshorts, Snape and Wormtail.

I really hope Harry survives book 7