conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

Yup - right with you on this. I thought for one heartbeat that Ron was a goner, too, and how horrible that would have been for Hermione, but all was well in the end. GREAT epilogue, too - "Albus Severus Potter" is a great name, don't you think?

It's hard to express what I felt about the book. It was AMAZING!!! My friend Abbey and I were on the phone last night for quite awhile discussing it all. Don't forget to memorialize "Mad-Eye" Moody! I loved it, loved it, loved it. Yes, long live Fred indeed! I knew there was no way all of the Weasly's could make it through, there was just too many of them! I'm so sad it had to be one of the twins...can you even imagine poor George going through the rest of life? It makes me sad to even think about, so I'll stop there.

I have much to say (Tripp, next time we're together, we will talk!!) but I think I'll end it there now.

Thank you J.K. Rowling for giving us the gift of Harry Potter!

The last book was one of the strongest, IMO. I like very much that Rowling showed us so unequivocally that opposing evil entails a cost. Lots of painful moments in the book: lots of old friends among the books lost, though all to a higher purpose.

Quintessentially British moment: Harry, Hermione and Ron all having their spirits lifted by "Potterwatch" on the Wizard's Wireless. Blitz Radio, anyone?

Excellent, excellent book and series. And FWIW, I knew JKR'd pull Snape through as a good guy in the end. The form of his Patronus was heartbreakingly beautiful, I thought.

Three things ended as I predicted -- Harry and Ginny married and lived happily ever after (presaged in book 2); likewise Ron and Hermione. And Snape turned out to be on the right side after all (presaged in book 3).

Nice surprises: Percy's repentance.

Nice non-events: Hagrid's death

Hagrid's demise is one of the fuzzy parts for me. I am no writer, but that's where the narrative got fuzzy for me. I was not sure he died...you know? So, it becomes the "non event."

Rich, the patronus was heartbreaking...and so, he knew what Tonks was going through. I wonder now if he was empathizing in his snippish way in the previous book as Tonks' patronus changed.

Okay...So upon further reflection, Hagrid is not dead. He is going to have tea with the youngest Weaslys and Potters on Friday after they arrive at Hogwarts.

Yay! Tea with Hagrid.

I liked HP7. It was a fun read, and touched on many things from previous the books. The one that really hit me is that of the willing sacrifice of one's self in order to protect others. That, and the fact that Harry never uses "avada kedavra."

I didn't like the epilogue at all. I read that Rowling has had the epilogue in her back pocket for a while - and as it describes the "end" it shapes the rest of the series. However, I wish she had given it another rewrite.

3 things I wish the epilogue would have clarified:

1. WHAT THE CRAP HAPPENED TO UMBRIDGE??? I want to know that she was arrested and thrown into Azkaban prison for the rest of her life, to think about all the evil she had done in the name of "good". The woman was beyond evil. When I was watching the OoTP movie, I yelled out "Sadistic Bitch!"...cause she really was!

2. WHAT HAPPENED TO LUNA???? I LOVE Luna Lovegood. She is such a beautiful character, and I want to know that she is living happily ever after and continued publishing THE QUIBBLER and that...

3. DID LUNA AND NEVILLE GET TOGETHER??? I was SO hoping that Luna and Neville would end up together and married.

Those are my three wishes, I guess I can just pretend that yes, all of these things did happen and all is well in the world, oh, and that Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny are all Aurors!

Hi Tripp! So cool to meet you at the Biennial. And thanks for your kind message on my blog about our near tragedy at the beach.

I finished the book yesterday morning and wept at how beautiful the ending was (and also at the fact that it was over) [I got especially misty-eyed at the names of Harry's and Ginny's children, esp. Albus Severus]. Just loved, loved, loved the whole book. JKR is a genius. I thought Snape was going to end up being shown as being on Dumbledore's side in the end, but I couldn't imagine how. She pulled it off brilliantly.

The way everything went down in the end - wow, just wow. I cannot remotely understand why some Christians on the right have a problem with this series. There are so many thoroughly Christian themes and events in every book, esp. this one.

Brava JKR!