HBP, first reactions
Jul. 24th, 2005 08:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfallingI started it late Friday afternoon, got about 2/3 of the way through by the time I went to bed, and finished it off by noon on Saturday. I would've finished sooner, but I had to keep stopping and taking my turn at the wheel. *sigh*
First off, there's a copy-editing error on page 10 of the American version: site instead of sight. *grumble*
Moving on now...
Dude. Look what I inadvertently 'predicted'!
So Tom split his soul and put a piece of it into the diary. So he cursed the Defense professorship.
Read this excerpt from the rough draft of "Secrets," chapter 9:
----------------------------------
He did. In fact, Tom had studied Egyptian irrigation projects and water-magic for a History of Magic assignment, possessed a fascinating store of knowledge on Egyptian curses -- "marvelously indirect and self-perpetuating," he called them -- and was very interested in the bits and pieces of dynastic lore Ginny had picked up from Bill over the past few years.
"Did you know," asked Tom, as he slouched mistily on the window seat of her dormitory, "that the court wizards of Ancient Egypt were attempting to create spells of immortality and resurrection? They tried various ways to extend life, including linking souls to amorphous powers from beyond the veil -- this is couched in religious terms, as was most of their magic, leading to the creation of a god-cult around the pharaoh -- and began to create mummies so that they could revive their kings if and when they finally perfected their spells.
"They found ways to trap souls on this plane, somewhat like ghosts, whether the souls in question would have normally become ghosts or not. Those that retained intelligence slept in their sarcophagi. The ones that became mindless revenants are the source of the bloodthirsty, shambling tomb guardians Muggles have incorporated into their myths."
He smiled at Ginny's theatrical shiver. "Remind me to tell you Muggle ghost stories some evening, Ginevra; I think you'd like them. But in any case, while those magics were powerful and dangerous, some of the Egyptians' theories are the basis of modern Pensieves and healing spells. They did know quite a lot about bodies and souls." Snow fell thick and white on the other side of the glass, dimly visible through Tom's misty body.
"Hmm," said Ginny from where she sat cross-legged on her bed, the diary open on her pillow. Had Tom based his diary spell on Egyptian magic? He was almost like a trapped soul... but that wasn't really important. "I guess it's good we got more from them than just mummies and lost treasure. So you know Muggle stories about Egypt?"
----------------------------------
I SO called that.
I'm now wondering how hard it would be to make "Knives" HBP-compliant. Not very, I think -- it just needs a couple tweaks to the H/G, a few throwaway comments about what some other characters have been doing, a time-shift on one of Ginny's actions, and a few edits to Harry's late-story confession.
Should I bother? The story works well enough as-is, I think, but given the timing of its release, it would probably be politic to incorporate the new canon.
Opinions, anyone?
----------------------------------
Also, I see that JKR has been giving interviews describing Ginny as nice and compassionate, and not at all unpleasant. Hah. How little she understands her own characters! Ginny has just as much of a nasty streak as the twins, although, to be fair to JKR, she doesn't seem to realize the twins are just as guilty of being bullies as the Marauders ever were. So I think it's a general blindness on her part, rather than a particular blindness toward Harry's love interest.
I quite liked Ginny in HBP, precisely because she has a nasty, underhanded streak. She makes sly comments to discomfit Mrs. Weasley. She deliberately crashes her broom into Zacharias Smith. She admits to essentially using other boys to have fun, letting them think it might be a long-term relationship even though she was still hoping Harry might come around, and would probably have dumped said boys very quickly should Harry have made his interest clear a bit earlier.
I do wish JKR had bothered to show the H/G instead of just mentioning that, 'oh, yes, they were together and liked it.' That would have made Harry's "We could've had months -- years, even" comment a bit more believable.
But I definitely think Ginny's reaction -- the, "I respect you because you put Voldemort as a higher priority than going around being kissy-kissy with me" -- was in-character... although JKR handled it rather awkwardly. *sigh*
One can't have everything, I suppose.
As for the whole R/Hr thing... to be perfectly honest, I expected that to happen in canon sooner or later. And I also don't think it's a particularly healthy relationship, nor do I expect it to last much past their teenage years, whatever JKR might think about it. But I'm not upset, since I never had anything invested in canon relationships turning out one way or another. I still find H/Hr more interesting to read and write -- I can see that as a more stable, lasting relationship, unlike R/Hr -- and I will cheerfully go on reading it whatever happens in canon.
(Trio!fic is still better than any of the possible twosomes: R/Hr bores me, H/R feels kind of awkward to me, and H/Hr, well, it does leave Ron out and he's such an important part of that friendship... Besides, threesome are fun!)
Hmm. I very much liked all the backstory on Voldemort, and the explanation of Horcruxes as why he didn't actually die back when he tried to kill Harry. I'm wondering if he never did manage to find one of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw's possessions and might have inadvertently turned Harry into a Horcrux. That would be mad interesting. And evil. :-D
I'm going to have to reread before I can form a solid opinion on whether JKR successfully handwaved the problems with the prophecy, but I will say that I think it was a good effort.
And as for Snape... well, I'm still not convinced he's evil. I will wait and see.
Oh! And Draco! See, he really is three-dimensional if you push him the right way, and he does have lines he won't cross! *rubs hands gleefully* Hah. I knew it!
First off, there's a copy-editing error on page 10 of the American version: site instead of sight. *grumble*
Moving on now...
Dude. Look what I inadvertently 'predicted'!
So Tom split his soul and put a piece of it into the diary. So he cursed the Defense professorship.
Read this excerpt from the rough draft of "Secrets," chapter 9:
----------------------------------
He did. In fact, Tom had studied Egyptian irrigation projects and water-magic for a History of Magic assignment, possessed a fascinating store of knowledge on Egyptian curses -- "marvelously indirect and self-perpetuating," he called them -- and was very interested in the bits and pieces of dynastic lore Ginny had picked up from Bill over the past few years.
"Did you know," asked Tom, as he slouched mistily on the window seat of her dormitory, "that the court wizards of Ancient Egypt were attempting to create spells of immortality and resurrection? They tried various ways to extend life, including linking souls to amorphous powers from beyond the veil -- this is couched in religious terms, as was most of their magic, leading to the creation of a god-cult around the pharaoh -- and began to create mummies so that they could revive their kings if and when they finally perfected their spells.
"They found ways to trap souls on this plane, somewhat like ghosts, whether the souls in question would have normally become ghosts or not. Those that retained intelligence slept in their sarcophagi. The ones that became mindless revenants are the source of the bloodthirsty, shambling tomb guardians Muggles have incorporated into their myths."
He smiled at Ginny's theatrical shiver. "Remind me to tell you Muggle ghost stories some evening, Ginevra; I think you'd like them. But in any case, while those magics were powerful and dangerous, some of the Egyptians' theories are the basis of modern Pensieves and healing spells. They did know quite a lot about bodies and souls." Snow fell thick and white on the other side of the glass, dimly visible through Tom's misty body.
"Hmm," said Ginny from where she sat cross-legged on her bed, the diary open on her pillow. Had Tom based his diary spell on Egyptian magic? He was almost like a trapped soul... but that wasn't really important. "I guess it's good we got more from them than just mummies and lost treasure. So you know Muggle stories about Egypt?"
----------------------------------
I SO called that.
I'm now wondering how hard it would be to make "Knives" HBP-compliant. Not very, I think -- it just needs a couple tweaks to the H/G, a few throwaway comments about what some other characters have been doing, a time-shift on one of Ginny's actions, and a few edits to Harry's late-story confession.
Should I bother? The story works well enough as-is, I think, but given the timing of its release, it would probably be politic to incorporate the new canon.
Opinions, anyone?
----------------------------------
Also, I see that JKR has been giving interviews describing Ginny as nice and compassionate, and not at all unpleasant. Hah. How little she understands her own characters! Ginny has just as much of a nasty streak as the twins, although, to be fair to JKR, she doesn't seem to realize the twins are just as guilty of being bullies as the Marauders ever were. So I think it's a general blindness on her part, rather than a particular blindness toward Harry's love interest.
I quite liked Ginny in HBP, precisely because she has a nasty, underhanded streak. She makes sly comments to discomfit Mrs. Weasley. She deliberately crashes her broom into Zacharias Smith. She admits to essentially using other boys to have fun, letting them think it might be a long-term relationship even though she was still hoping Harry might come around, and would probably have dumped said boys very quickly should Harry have made his interest clear a bit earlier.
I do wish JKR had bothered to show the H/G instead of just mentioning that, 'oh, yes, they were together and liked it.' That would have made Harry's "We could've had months -- years, even" comment a bit more believable.
But I definitely think Ginny's reaction -- the, "I respect you because you put Voldemort as a higher priority than going around being kissy-kissy with me" -- was in-character... although JKR handled it rather awkwardly. *sigh*
One can't have everything, I suppose.
As for the whole R/Hr thing... to be perfectly honest, I expected that to happen in canon sooner or later. And I also don't think it's a particularly healthy relationship, nor do I expect it to last much past their teenage years, whatever JKR might think about it. But I'm not upset, since I never had anything invested in canon relationships turning out one way or another. I still find H/Hr more interesting to read and write -- I can see that as a more stable, lasting relationship, unlike R/Hr -- and I will cheerfully go on reading it whatever happens in canon.
(Trio!fic is still better than any of the possible twosomes: R/Hr bores me, H/R feels kind of awkward to me, and H/Hr, well, it does leave Ron out and he's such an important part of that friendship... Besides, threesome are fun!)
Hmm. I very much liked all the backstory on Voldemort, and the explanation of Horcruxes as why he didn't actually die back when he tried to kill Harry. I'm wondering if he never did manage to find one of Gryffindor or Ravenclaw's possessions and might have inadvertently turned Harry into a Horcrux. That would be mad interesting. And evil. :-D
I'm going to have to reread before I can form a solid opinion on whether JKR successfully handwaved the problems with the prophecy, but I will say that I think it was a good effort.
And as for Snape... well, I'm still not convinced he's evil. I will wait and see.
Oh! And Draco! See, he really is three-dimensional if you push him the right way, and he does have lines he won't cross! *rubs hands gleefully* Hah. I knew it!
