Well, this book completely hooked me. For the first half, I thought Mrs. Weasley would be the one to die. Then, almost every other chapter a new character seemed to have dead meat tattooed on them. Sirius’ death was rushed but was definitely upsetting. Harry’s anger issues were frustrating and yet totally rang true. Even moreso Hermione and Ron’s reaction to his rages. Luna is definitely a welcome addition! I think she’s such a great character because we all know someone like her or are her. 
Snape’s character got a welcome third dimension in this installment. I hope before the series ends, he and Harry will reconcile. I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who found eerie parallells between Fudge’s Ministry of Magic and Bush’s regime. As far as pairing up,
Ron+Hermione 4EVA. Harry and Luna might have something. She was able to talk to Harry about Sirius’ death and make him feel better. A promising combo.
I was just happy that Snape didn’t kick the bucket this time. I really like the character, and I found the “Snape’s Worst Memory” part very disturbing. More disturbing then the “writing lines in your flesh” part even.
And I was sure before this that Snape was a mind reader, it’s good to have it confirmed.
Harry was definitely acting like an angry teenager in this one. I was actually a nice change. In all the other books, crappy stuff happens to him and he just seemed to take it in stride. Everyone has a breaking point, and I guess he crossed it.
True; the male Durselys are probably beyond redemption.
But I figured, what with all the talk about how blood relations are important and the revelation that Petunia knows exactly why it’s important that Harry stay with them, specifically, that maybe she might play a positive (if reluctant) role in future books, getting beyond her distaste for magic in the name of protecting a family member.
On a more general note, I think it’d be neat if there was some Muggle role in the upcoming war – seeing those two worlds collide would really be something. Plus it would make Mr. Weasely the go-to man, and dammit, I LIKE Mr. Weasley. 
Hmm… I wonder if Aunt Petunia knows about her squib neighbour…
And i think she’d probably have went along with Harry being thrown out had Dumbledore’s reminder not come in time.
Besides, what’s with the ‘you’re with blood relations so you’re safe’ thing? I thought that Rowling explained that away in the previous books? Ie now Voldemort can touch Harry already, and the curse that struck V so severely has been nullified.
So it doesn’t really make sense that Harry would still be protected over at the Dudleys. Anyway, any true blue genius evil master of the world worthy of that name knows that the way to go is to get the Dudleys one by one, and when they’re all gone, then Harry! :eek:
Well, a few dislikes, a few likes.
I didn’t like how mean and stupid Harry was, until I remembered he was 15. Then it became a plus.
It really bothers me that Harry used an Unforgiveable Curse. I’m hoping maybe that was a typo or something crosses fingers. I mean, that’s supposed to be a BIG DEAL – why would it even occur to him?
So… what if Dumbledore’s wrong and Neville really is The One[sup]TM[/sup]. Also, why isn’t Voldemort going after Neville too – for all he knows, Neville could still be The One[sup]TM[/sup].
The blood pen thing was creepy and brilliant. Ditto to Snapes’ memory. (BTW, how come in memories from people’s heads we can see what they couldn’t possibly have seen?)
I’ll actually be really disappointed if Snapes and Harry reconcile, unless it’s in the context of Snapes getting over James Potter.
Did anyone else notice that Harry’s birthday was totally ignored in this book? That bothers me.
I think Rowling should have cut down the size of this book, too. I felt like a lot of the stuff going on took too long.
Why doesn’t Ron seem to have any sexuality in this book? I don’t mean to sound creepy, but it’s like he’s not even interested in girls like he was last book. (Or maybe he’s gay :eek:, but there’s no evidence of that either.)
Gred and Forge’s exit was superlative.
Sirius’ death was way anti-climactic. She spent too long threatening other characters without actually building up tension. Oh, it’s Ron’s dad! no, it’s Hagrid! no, it’s Hermione! no… except for Mr. Weasely’s near-miss, none of them really upped the tension.
Did Voldemort come off rather… cartoon villain to anyone else? And why didn’t Dumbledore go toe-to-toe with him? I thought Mrs. Umbridge was way more creepy.
So, I guess this puts an end to my theory that Fudge is a Death-Eater. Rats.
I’m with you. And disturbing as well that the moral implications of this were not explored (despite much sermonizing on the proper treatment of unpleasant house-elves).
I thought the prophecy was a bunch of mumbo jumbo - nothing that we hadn’t already figured out for ourselves. However, the revelation that NEVILLE could have been Harry was fantastic. I liked how his character was developed more, and how we got to see glimpses of exactly why he was put in Gryffindor.
As for the romance thing? I’m betting on Harry ending up with Ginny. I can’t remember the exact wording, but at the end of the novel when Ginny says that she and Michael Corner broke up, Ron says “Good for you. Just choose someone - better - next time.” and casts Harry an oddly furtive look while he says it.
Hint hint. Wink wink. Nudge nudge.
I seriously think that the Muggle world needs to collide with the wizarding world. There’s so much they could teach each other!
Also, Luna Lovegood and Tonks are really awesome, though I wish that more time had been spent on them (like Tonks’s ability to change her appearence, and Luna’s weird beliefs, and why they didn’t really come into the plot much.)
Well, Ron did have a bit of a giggle about Uranus when they were in the Ministry of Magic 
Huh this makes me think that:
Voldemort is simply a future Harry who has come back to avert whatever made him into the evil thing he is or he’s going back into the past to ensure his evilness and vast power hence the connection. When I saw the movie I vaguely remember there being some parallels drawn between Harry and Voldemort but my memory is sketchy at best.
Dagnabbit, that spoiler thing didn’t work again. At least it wasn’t much of a spoiler though, eh wot?
I was so glad to learn more about Snape. He’s one of my favorite characters, mainly because Alan Rickman plays him and I love British bad guys.
Well, for one thing, it drives Ron mad that Hermione is still writing Viktor. Hermione knows it drives Ron mad, but likes to sort of accidentally/causually let him know about it. Ron had mantioned more than once about how pretty Hermione is - the ball in GoF, and one other place I can’t remember right now-…and the bickering. That’s the kicker. How can you know every time someone makes the teeniest mistake unless you are subconsciously focused on that person.
My husband and I bicker and pick at each other all the time (in a fun, teasing way) and that’s what I see Hermione and Ron developing into.
FB
Here’s what I’m confused about - those horse things that pulled the carriages (cholestrols? okay, something like that), you can only see them if you’ve seen death, so now that Harry’s seen Cedric die, he can see them. But he saw his parents die when he was a baby, eh? I’m confused.
Disappointed with the death scene, glad to see less Quidditch, tired of the word prickling, but
(you naughty naughty enter key, jumping in my way like that)
ahem, where was I…
Thank the merciful Lord in Heaven that Arthur Weasley is not dead! That one frightened me, I felt so bad for Mrs. Weasley when she was facing the Boggart and crying.
Anyway, I didn’t like it as much as Goblet of Fire, but still fun! Yea Petunia! I think she’s cool, and I predict a big role for her to play in the war.
Hmm, yearh, now that you mentioned it. Perhaps the magic works only when you’ve consciously remembered the experience of watching someone close to you die. And it’s the memories/emotions that trigger the change?
The Department of Mysteries has brains with tentacles swimming around in a tank! Where would they get something like that – unless the Ministry of Magic is secretly in league with the mind flayers from D&D! That would explain why they keep Fudge as Minister of Magic – the mind flayers leave him alone beacuse he doesn’t have a brain.
so i’m still trying to wrap my brain around this book (no department-of-mysteries-pun intended)…
sirius’s death was so odd. it was just ‘oh he rolled through the veil, he’s gone now. sorry,’ when i was expecting something so dramatic. but i guess in life not all deaths are dramatic. most of them arent, i guess its just in how ‘realistic’ you like things.
i picked up the problem with harry having seen his parents die, but i guess he didnt know what it was, or he didnt actually see them die, just the green light…still…hm
fred and george are my heroes. oh wow. they made me so happy…
i’m really glad that we’re finally starting to see development of both ginny and neville. it’s about time if you ask me…but i really dont think that neville could really just be ‘the one’ and nobody knows. i think that part of what makes harry ‘the one’ is the fact that he’s the one voldemort went after. he made harry ‘the one’ by doing that…what i want to know now is why his father had to die as well but lily’s death was unneccesary, if all he was after was harry.
i agree that there are going to be many more casualties in this war. we must remember that in book 7, all bets are off. anyone is fair game to die because, well, they dont need to be appearing in any more books (that means harry, ron, hermione, malfoy, snape, and anyone else).
on snape: im glad we’re seeing more sides of him, im especially glad that harry is. if only he could stop being such a 15-year-old boy… alas. he needs to realize that there is no way a guy like dumbledore would keep anyone around in his inner circle without reason. imo, part of his manner is an act to keep the death eaters believing he’s on their side. if he hates harry for being a prat, think of how much he must hate malfoy. there’s not a bigger moron in the school, if you ask me.
but sheesh, harry needs to learn a thing or two. heres what he needs to do, imo:
- listen to hermione more. she’s got people figured out much better than he ever does, and how many times is it now that she’s been right and he’s refused to believe it only to have it rubbed in his face later?
- nobody’s perfect, and nobody’s as simple as he thinks. he’s not the only many-layered onion around, and he’s got to realize that there are many shades of gray (like snape)
- now that he knows the fate we all knew ages ago was going to be his, he needs to really try in school. he needs to learn everything he possibly can if he wants to be well-prepared for a final battle.
- just because the dursleys are always looking for ways to make his life miserable out of sheer blind hatred, that does not mean everyone else is, too. hes gotta stop taking out his anger on people who’ve done nothing to him, and he’s gotta see from other people’s perspectives.
basically, he’s gotta grow up. and quick. before more people die avoidable deaths, as dumbledore admitted was definitely happening.
im glad that his parents are not the saints he believed they were. and im glad that they grew up as well. its about time harry looks back on his life and sees how much he’s changed, and how much people can change over time. it’s an important part of life.
i like luna. she’s gotta stop with the slightly draco-reminiscent ‘my father’ speeches, but i like her. i think she’s gonna go for ron, not harry, just from the author’s insinuations (especially in the train part, on the way to hogwarts). i’m a harry/hermione shipper, but they’ve got a ways to go before that’ll ever happen…and actually i think harry/ginny could happen soon.
harry is definitely a teenager. hormones, angst, sarcasm, the only thing he’s missing is a squeaky voice and some acne.
the d.a. was definitely great, but i knew it was a matter of time before they were busted. it was just working too well…
and that woman, that evil evil ministry woman… goodness. she makes lockheart look positively divine in comparison.
im glad rowling went into topics like censorship and the effect of the media and government, how ridiculous teen relationships really are, tabloids, and the power of denial. it’ll be interesting to see where she goes next. and i really loved the sorting hat’s song. did anyone else feel like the d.a. was the kind of house-bonding the hat was talking about?
oh, and i noticed so much more brit slang in the american edition, it made me really happy. because i hate the fact that scholastic changes things (like the PHILOSOPHER’S stone).
oh yeah…
interesting how luna was doing for harry what he refused to do for cho, isn’t it?
I’m still holding out that Nevile could be ‘the One’! It would make for a good shocker twist. Though it probably won’t happen (as millions of fans are gonna scream in outrage), it’d make Harry think he isn’t the centre of everything. I think his character is coming along nicely. One of the things that Rowling is to be praised for is developing Harry’s character. I’m happy he’s more like a typical adolescent now, and at the prospect of having him grow out of it by the next 2 books.
I winced a little at the Dumbledore’s Army bit, and how quick he was to ‘confess’ tho…
Hmm…i thought that the hat was talking more of everyone banding together to expel Umbridge…
I’m glad someone answered my original question. 
So everything is preserved in the American edition, besides superficial spelling changes?
IIRC, the reason Harry hasn’t gotten in trouble for the Cruciatus curse is that no one saw him do it besides Bellatrix Lestrange, who was more concerned with the fact that Harry no longer had the prophecy. So for now he’s gotten away with it.