Tying Up Loose Ends

[more2live4]

This is to discuss Tying Up Loose Ends by Robbie Fischer.

[pottersleuth200]

Thanks for writing and giving us something to discuss, finally! Where are all of the editorials?
Just one point to add to your thoughts. Jo has stated that Harry can no longer speak Parseltongue, as it was the piece of Voldemort's soul that was in his body that enabled him to do so, and now that it is gone, so is that ability.

[arula200]

Excellent editorial! I agree, where are all the rest? I thought I'd throw my two cents in because no one can stop me;

- Harry doesn't see ghosts, they're the spirits of his parents, etc, that only he can see

- Teddy Lupin was seeing Victoire off because she was going to Hogwarts

- Although I can't really back it up, Bellatrix definitely is dead; they way she falls got too much description to be a simple stun, and Voldemort reacts to "losing his ... general"

Sorry, I had to do it

[RJLupin3_14]

Your editorial was fun to read, so good job. A few comments, though.

1) Bellatrix died. I think the book is very clear about that. It says that both women (Molly and Bellatrix) were cursing to kill, or something like that. Then it says that Harry knew what was happening before it happened (meaning she would be killed). The "like Sirius" part was referring not to the particular curse used, but to the way she died. In addition, there's no reference to Bellatrix living--and she's one of the main bad guys (or girls, in this case)

2) You're right about the learnable language thing, but wrong about Harry teaching it (as others have already pointed out). Dumbledore learned it.

3) I tried to write a blog describing my feelings about the final Harry Potter book, but I wasn't able to do it--you were able to do what I could not, so good job!

[singapotter]

I’ll bet you a double-dip of Florean Fortescue’s ice cream (if and when his shop reopens) that Harry and Ron go on, as aurors, to give everybody in their department Parseltongue lessons.

Harry can't teach Parseltongue cos he can't speak it anymore! Unless he learns it but I doubt he'll be interested.

This is from the recent Bloomsbury webchat:

Nigel: Can harry speak parseltongue when he is no longer a horcrux?

J.K. Rowling: No, he loses the ability, and is very glad to do so.

[FishEByrd]

Yeah, thanks for pointing out the facts I missed, e.g. Harry no longer knowing Parseltongue, and Ron not being an auror. In fairness, the chat transcript came out after I had submitted this editorial, but they WOULD have been cool theories if JKR hadn't ruled them out... ;-)

[Phil_Stone]

To paraphrase Lt. Col. Henry Blake, Rule Number One in War is that young people will die. Colin Creavey was always the kid to those of Harry's year at Hogwarts, and from her introduction, with her bubble gum hair and frequent references to her parents, Tonks was youth personified.

The reader might understand Harry's feelings about the slaughter intellectually, if only bodies, and no familiar personalities were described as killed. But by personalizing death, the story allows the reader to more easily share Harry's feelings about the deaths, and better comprehend why he is willing to die for those remaining.

As for Ron "speaking" Parseltongue, it is pretty common for people to learn foriegn phrases phonetically, without really understanding the language. How many people recognize "Bonjour," but can go no farther? JKR sets him up by mimicing someone else earlier in the book, so the skill is not out of thin air.

[hpfttl]

I agree finally something to discuss! I personally didnt like the scene of harry and hermione and bathilda at godrics hollow. I did like though that she was speaking parseltongue and only harry could understand her and didnt know it. And the wand breaking was one of my most furious moments in the book. I did however shed some tears in all the same places...hedwig...dobby...and most of all when the entire school is gearing up to fight. I loved it.

I thought it was definitley pretty cool that ron was trying to replicate parseltongue and succeeded. I too remained ignorant that it could be learned or understood throughout the series.

[Talitha]

I would just like to point out that in a couple of your first comments concerning Severus, you labeled him as "pure-blooded". He was a half-bllod, Tobia Snape was a muggle, a drunk, and I suspect dabbled in a bit of abuse. As for Severus's feelings toward Harry, I have re-read "The Prince's Tale" several times and believe that Severus grew to love Harry, despite his outward appearance. He is the one wizard I love the most and he will be sorely missed.

[aggiefan1206]

interesting thoughts on what happens after.

Snape gained some respect from me although we do know that he only helped Dumbledore for Lily and that was it, it was more hisself wanting to correct a mistake. He was a brave man but some of the things he did were appaling.

I think that if the ring had anything to do with the vail then it is something that does not only occur in that room. Just like Dumbldore uses the analogy of hte room in the DoM that Harry possesses in large quantities.

As for Ron speaking parseltounge at first i though that it was the power someone gained later in life but JKR said she changed her mind on that oen so it had to be immitation.

As for the kings cross section i agree that it is what ever the person wants it to be. I think Dumbledore was there for two reason he had need to speak with Harry one last time and i think Dumbldore deserved his say in what happened in his childhood. I like how it went to show that Dumbledore did at one time make some poor decisions. But i dont think that takes away form his greatness. I think i even respected him omre after this discussion we really do know that he felt horrible for what happened.

[Weazleby]

Witty and clever as always, Mr. Fischer. I usually agree with most of your opinions and observations, chuckling all the while, of course. And I, too, was incredibly disturbed by the Godric's Hollow scene. While I was expecting a lengthy, old chat with an equally old woman, I instead get a decaying body controlled by a gigantic snake. It took a few re-reads of that chapter for it to actually sink in. Scary stuff, can't wait to see on the big screen. Anyway, great editorial. Infinitely amusing.

On a completely unrelated note, did you ever get that ice cream you so rightly deserve?

[FishEByrd]

Originally Posted by Talitha

I would just like to point out that in a couple of your first comments concerning Severus, you labeled him as "pure-blooded". He was a half-bllod,....

Nevertheless, Snape shared the Death Eaters' pureblood mania enough to throw around the word "Mudblood" during his student days...

Alas, I am still owed that ice cream!

[ksc]

Doesn't Ron's occupation remain a mystery? There were two interviews with JKR right after the book came out; in one (with Katies Couric) she says that he and Harry worked as aurors, but in the other she says Ron goes to work with George. Maybe Ron ends up with two jobs?

Thanks for the editorial. I still need to read Harry Potter stuff, even if the series is over!

[Mysticbreeze]

Thanks for the editorial. Really enjoyed it and can not point out anything more than what has already been said. I hope more post book 7 editorials come out!

I would like to give one of my thoughts about this last book.

Even though I knew we all saw things through Harry's eyes, it never really dawned on me that we had not really seen the real Albus Dumbledore which made me feel really short sighted for not realizing that!
I love that we get to see DD "the human being" and DD "The General" willing to do what is necessary to win a war.

[Choocharoo]

It took me a second reading of the epilogue to figure out why Teddy Lupin was there as well; James says he is there to see Victroire off...so he is just there to say goodbye not to take the train. Also, to pose another question: In one interview JK states tht Ron became an Auror with Harry, but in her chat she says that he joined George in the joke shop. Did he do both?

[Tweak]

"It takes an extraordinary genius to make predictions about something after it has already happened." Once again you hit the mark, oh extraordinarily clever one, and I think it's a shame you have yet to receive your ice cream cone! I'd send you one but virtual cones are so unsatisfying.

I am looking forward to re-reading the entire series yet again because I can vaguely remember so many events and comments that foreshadow DH events throughout the preceding books.

One surprise in the book beside the death of Hegwig (sniff) and that comes to mind was the teflon Malfoy family. I never expected the three of them to come through the Battle intact. Narcissa's role deceiving Voldemort while crucial to the story, was self-serving. Once they found Draco, I wonder where in Hogwarts they hid while the battle raged. I want to know if their influence and power continued or if Lucius, and hence the family, was just a shell of a wizard.

Your section on Snape was nicely written. This book gave him depth of character in ways that HBP did not. He is very much a tragic hero and while I still abhor some of the things he did, I understand him better now. In some ways, he represents the people we marginalize in life and show us what can happen if there is not the social support system around an individual as they grow up. Lily alone, and even his love for her, were not enough to keep him from aligning himself with evil. His road to salvation was very rough and long. I wonder what his portrait will say when/if it is placed in the Headmaster's office. It was another example of Harry's innate goodness that he named his son after the two wizards towards whom he had felt such anger during his school years.

Thanks for the editorial which seem to be few and far between. I'm not sure if people are re-reading or still in shock; hopefully, more will be forthcoming. Don't let go of the promise of an ice cream either; you earned it.

[Darktimes]

What a great start to the many editorials that will provide revisionist history of DH, and the entire series at large.

A few DH comments......

The reason Harry ends up in " Kings Cross " is it represents the transition point in his life...where he leaves the muggle world and enters the wizarding world...it would be the natural point of departure if he chose the next life transition and move on the the afterlife.

The epilouge is purposely mundane.....Harry has a normal life and is experiencing the moments he could not as a child.....and it is all of the small moments that make Harry happy and content.

The best part of the book....and to me there is no close second; When Harry begins to refer to Voldemort as Tom Riddle....it truly demonstrates Harry's lack of fear, his confidence in the knowledge he posseses and it shows that Voldemort has not grown or gained any wisdom...he was alwats smart, but never made the jump to being wise.

Dumbledore turns out to be, like all great leaders, slightly flawed. But he understands who he is, and with that knowledge, surrounds himself with ones who fill in the gaps created by his flaws and ultimately creates a plan that succeeds by trusting those he has endevored to execute it. Leaders also take advantage of situations...Dumbledore took advantage of Snape's weakness and turned it into an operational strength.....Snape was a nasty piece of work, but it is the essence of Dumbledores argument that Love is the ultimate power that lead Snape to do his bidding...and to unravel Voldemorts quest for a world of fear and destruction.

[mdb09]

That was really good. I agreed on a lot of points.

On Ron opening the Chamber: some people think that you have to be the Heir of Slytherin to be able to do it...Ron was holding a Horcrux of the Heir of Slytherin...Harry was a Horcrux...

[yrome]

here's one more question - where is Voldy's ghost? Who/what is he haunting? He most likely didn't choose to go on, as his greatest fear is that of the unknown.

[ModernInkling]

Wonderful editorial; I greatly enjoyed reading it

Originally Posted by yrome

here's one more question - where is Voldy's ghost? Who/what is he haunting? He most likely didn't choose to go on, as his greatest fear is that of the unknown.

The impression I got was that Voldemort had so completely destroyed his soul that he could neither come back nor "go on", and so in a way met the fate worse than death. I like that idea, because it seems like a fitting punishment for him, but I could be wrong Somehow, I doubt that he would come back as a ghost anyway, though, for the simple reason that it would be bad for the story. Once evil villains are defeated, they just don't become ghosts - it simply is not done