i quite agree w/ you on the fact that the series went downhill after the fourth book in terms of plot/pace/romance - Rowling made Cho look degraded in the fifth book (a hidden indication of Asians not being good enough for white people) - i read the epilogue of Year 7 before anything else and said to myself "this book is not worth my time."

Luna for the mother fucking win.

Post more pictures of her.

To the blog owner:

To ap: I read Book 7, which I really enjoyed, but I very much disliked the epilogue. I'd recommend giving the book itself another chance, but if you're the sort of person who reads the back of the book first, it probably really is not worth your time...

I think you should have posted a spoiler notice. There are a lot of people out there that do no want it ruined for them. JK herself even said to wait and let the true Harry Potter fans find out for themselves.

I think you should have posted a spoiler notice. There are a lot of people out there that do no want it ruined for them. JK herself even said to wait and let the true Harry Potter fans find out for themselves.

Err...see the line in the 1st paragraph:

"As such, anything below this line are full of spoilers. If you haven't seen the 5th film or read the 7th book, look away now."

Order of the Phoenix had a bad screenplay. This was expected as the book was too long for the length of 2 hours. But I still feel it lacked Steve Kloves touch. The score by Nicholas Hooper was only okay but didn't portray the emotions like John Williams and Patrick Doyle had done previously.

Deathly Hallows was not fast-paced. The whole 'camping out in the woods' section dragged on for what seemed like an eternity.

Ginny and Harry are perfectly matched. You could tell this was the case ever since Ginny's first appearance in Philosopher's Stone. If you follow the films then sure, the romance wasn't developed as it should have been per the book.

The Cho Chang relationship was a bridging of gaps. Cho had to let out her emotions, and found Harry to be her outlet. Harry was still experimenting and was in the prime of his teens. Overall, it was never meant to end up being the end product.

The whole idea about the Deathly Hallows themselves was a waste of time. There was absolutely no point in it at all, except for

I admit this my be my Luna fanboyism speaking, but I think it's a bit unfair to simply label Luna as an oddball. After all, this is a world of wizards, dragons, and goblins. She certainly has some crazy and plain untrue beliefs, but she also has a strange sort of wisdom that's rather unique. Certainly, it's obvious by the end of book 7 that everyone considers her a valuable friend regardless. I keep wondering why JKR went through so much trouble to show how much of a deep understanding she had of Harry, and how sympathetic she was to him, and how they were gradually building a bond of trust, only to dump him on Ginny with an incredibly stilted and shoe-horned "love" story that most centered on teenage lust and some sort of misguided want for a "normal person's life."

I mean, I don't squeal over R/Hr, but I can certainly point to it and say that JKR at least did a decent job of showing that those two have wanted in each other's pants since they hit puberty, more or less.

Well, I guess romance was never the main focus of Harry Potter, romance aside, for a REASON. He still should have gone for Luna. I have a feeling that the biggest problem was that JKR was gonna include that silly "19 years later" bit she originally wrote around 19 years ago, story flow be damned. And to that, she had to get Harry with Ginny. So, she shoehorned in a stilted and out of place "Love Story" between them in books 6 and 7, ignoring that Harry's had more real, organic chemistry with at least 2 or 3 girls than he's had with Ginny, especially Luna.

I also agree completely that Harry-Ginny was simply an awfully rushed, badly-thought, unsuitable pairing, it just completely destroyed the series and book 6 in my opinion. It really did come out of nowhere from Rowling, which was completely unnecessary and destroyed the plot of the sixth book and outlook of the overall series, especially the epilogue, which was dreadful and the worst anyone could have thought of. Why didn't we get any details on how the wizarding world was being run, how Hogwarts was being run, and of the changes in 19 years? The epilogue was moreover extremely depressing and a little weird, as well; it really felt rushed.

In contrast, yeah, I completely agree that Harry and Luna would have been a much better pairing; they really had much more chemistry together. Luna was probably one of the most intriguing characters from the last two books; she really was the best choice for Harry. There were plenty of other characters who were extremely interesting, but who we did not really know much about, such as Regulus, who I'd really wanted to learn a lot more about in the final book. I really would have liked to learn more about Regulus and Grindelwald (and his later decline and regret), but alas.

Harry Potter after book three just died. Harry and Ginny was terrible. Harry, as a character, was just terrible. I just dislike the series in general. It basically killed itself. Glad it's over.

Sirius was indeed hit directly by the curse before he fell into the veil - I just reread the entire series last week before the 7th book came out :)

There were huge amounts of order of the phoenix cut from the movie, but that's understandable since it's such a large book. They still kept the main core of the book intact, even though you lose the bit about Kreacher.

Xerox: couldn't agree w/ you more

RandomVisitor: a friend advised me to read the epilogue first - i also read chapter 1... you make it sound like reading the end first is a bad thing

All Readers Who Despise Spoilers: Grow up! (if you haven't read the book, why read online posts anyway?)

Reading the end first is pure stupidity - you don't get any of the other context that makes it fit (I thought) nicely into the rest.

Xerox:Harry Potter after book three just died. Harry and Ginny was terrible. Harry, as a character, was just terrible. I just dislike the series in general. It basically killed itself. Glad it's over.

I always find it weird when someone says they are glad that a series that they didn't like is over. It is not as if someone is forcing you to read the book. If you don't like the series then just move along.

On a different note, I also didn't find the Harry/Ginny romance to be genuine and thought Harry would be better off either single or with Luna Lovegood. Harry and Ginny rarely interact with each other in the first four books, so I found it hard to belive Harry would develop an instant crush on her less than a couple of years later.

The book for me was perfect. I think you really should have re-read the first six books before reading Deathly Hallows. when you remember clearly what has happened in all the books the plot does fits in unlike what you have said.
I can't comment on the whole book becuase it will be take too long but I do want to say something about the epilogue. I think it was brilliant. why everyone thinks it should have told us what everyone was doing at that time? The Harry Potter series is about HARRY. almost all of the time(only two chapters weren't= the first of the six book and the first of the seventh book) we watch the story through Harry's eyes. so the epilogue and the events it in were true to the series. to me the epilogue was like returning to the first book. The beginning of a new adventure. and of course the closer for harry himself saying that all was well.
Maybe not the most magical book(the first), but to me Deathly Hallows was the best one.
Defiantly the best book series I have read.

i havnt read the book i read summaries .. many of my friends and people at school said that book 7 was the best of them all
it was shorter and well much mroe packed but it would have been crazy to fit in another book O_O and it was much much sinister as every expected the plotine of voldemort vs harry didnt really come into light until the 5th book where the battle actually begins whereas the books before were just like faces offs and not real battles.

Well I agree with lots of everyone's points, but I do feel that Deathly Hallows wrapped up the series fairly well. It was quite action-packed, so it kept me interested. Sure, there are a few unanswered questions, but I have a bad memory so I can't even remember what they are, so to me the book was a good ending. I don't mind Ginny/Harry though Luna would have been my first choice. I don't really like Hermione/Ron, but I kind of accept it.
Also, Order of the Phoenix film was my favourite so far. I think Daniel Radcliffe has improved as an actor. I was glad Emma Watson wasn't in it that much, though she has improved. Rupert Grint should have been in it more. Matthew Lewis and Evanna Lynch were excellent. The Ministry of Magic looked good too, considering most of it was wood. I didn't think the Dept. of Mysteries looked that great, but the battle with Voldemort was pretty similar to the book.
Yeah so I liked the book and the film. I'll have to read and watch them again though. My opinions may change.

So far, I'm satisfied with how all of the movies have been made and I think more people would share my view if they didn't think the Harry Potter books should be transferred word for word onto the big screen.

i think that deathly hallows was really good, but i t hink it someho lacked the description and some of the magic that Rowling puts in her writing...this might just be cuz im a major sirius fan, but i was hoping for more closure with harry/sirius and harry/lupin

" I always find it weird when someone says they are glad that a series that they didn't like is over. It is not as if someone is forcing you to read the book. If you don't like the series then just move along."

It gets annoying when everyone is talking about something you have an apparent dislike for. So it is easy to understand why people would breath a sigh of relief that it is over.

i personally felt DH was the best book of the series. she threw us a lot of twists such as pretending harry was gonna die, and bringing him back. (i actually believed it) and the pensieve scene with Snape's past was also quite emotional. she also nicely wrapped up a lot of people's character development, such as neville, ron and hermione, and even dumbledore. who has faults and secrets and everything like a normal person. the epilogue was great too, it sort of brought the series full-circle.

and regards to the author's comment about Harry and Ginny being a forced pairing, i don't agree. I sorta saw it coming because i caught on to some of the red herrings jkr left hinting at their possible relationship, such as the amortentia. i really couldnt see luna and harry hooking up, she's too weird for him even if they're similar. it wldn't work well for the last book either since one of the reasons he got through was knowing that Ginny would always be strong.

i understand why some people wouldn't exactly like this book and some of the others. If the reader can't... er.. get absorbed into the previous books its just not the same.

What's wrong with reading the end first anyway?? It's actually my usual habit to read the last page of any novel I bought, I mean it actually help me keep interested in the story. And heck I finished reading it afterall =/

Well generally, it was an OK series it would've been superb if JKR keeps the pace and the style like her first 3 books. I agree with other people...the series kinda died out after the first 3 books, that made her sudden rise to fame...afterward...it just gone down. This final installment kinda made me realize that Voldemort is the most foolish villain ever created, and also lacking in the characterisation too, he was evil all the way through. In other word, a very flat character.

My interest in the Harry Potter series began to waver after Order of the Phoenix was published for a variety of reasons. I’ve listed some of them below.

1. I truly missed the fun, wonder, and excitement the first four books held. I know that it was not possible for Harry to stay as carefree as he was before Cedric’s passing, but, to me, OotP had too much information for one to personally digest and remember, was downright depressing, and was cluttered with plenty of useless words.

2. When you are a teenager, I know you don’t always make the best decisions or thoroughly consider the consequences of your actions, but it is still difficult for me to grasp the logic in Harry’s attempt to try and connect with Cho on an amorous level. It would have been sensible, thoughtful, and sweet for Harry to make an effort to physically approach and comfort her like a friend would. However, by having Harry take the former route, J.K. Rowling’s main character gave off an impression of being rather dimwitted and self-centered.

3. Harry/Ginny's romantic relationship in HBP ( and now DH ) was far from convincing and I found Ron/Hermione's bickering ( in HBP ), which was quite amusing in the previous books, to be tiresome and too frequent.

4. Harry’s fascination with the Half-Blood Prince’s book was not sound. Was he supposed to have completely forgotten about the wickedness Riddle’s diary brought about, even though it was “helpful” to him at first?

Ok, how did Neville end up with Godric's sword? Didn't the goblin run off with it at the bank?

@ Immir: It's a bit confusing, but

I was actually happy with the book, although the epilogue could definitely have expanded more... but that slightly ruins the purpose of fan speculation and discussion i suppose (i.e., being handed all the information down to you). my only complaint is the harry/ginny pairing...it did not make too much sense to me. the hermione/ron pairing i dont mind too much, because rowling laid the foundations for it WAY back in goblet of fire (ron getting jeolous of krum, yule ball, etc.)

i did not actually like the order of the phoenix movie. many of the finer nuances present in the first three movies were not there, the actual PLOT and script was altered too much to squish the movie into one of the shortest harry potter films ever released, the department of mysteries scene felt rushed...not to mention the unnecessary inclusion of film techniques that doesn't particularly fit with the overall *magical world* and its charm (especially the scene where dudley and harry were running from the dementors). and the conclusion should have been done when the trio is reunited with the order of the phoenix when the hogwarts express reaches platfrom 9 3/4 again, instead of prior to riding the train and then ending with pan-up to the sky (since harry was talking about what "voldemort didnt have").

either that, or im too much of a purist of the book.

Order of the Phoenix (movie): Mediocre
Tons of important scenes were cut or changed for the film adaptation, and in return a generous (and wasteful) amount screen time was given to punchlines from the novel that don't translate well onto film at all. I understand the difficulties of translating a novel of that size to the screen, but this film was just inexcusable in its mangling of the plot elements.

Deathly Hallows: So-so

Haven't seen the movie yet, but I have read the book. What I could say about the last book would be that it did had the potential to be better if sumthings weren't dragged on. Like the Hallows, yes, its an interesting twist to add in but it just seemed like an added element that wasn't too necessary to place in to contribute to the rest of the main plot. And also the characters death, true, u would expect sum to die but sum just seemed like a random/unexplained/understandable death. The epilogue, it seemed to focus on only the main characters and ignored the rest. Leaving unanswered questions, such as Who's the Headmaster/mistress of Hogwarts? Where did all the Death Eaters go? What happens to Azkaban?... Tho, all in all, it wasn't a bad series just that the ending still left unanswered question and sumthings hanging.

The movie didn't really do it for me but I suppose you can only do so much within a time limit.

I am also one of those people that read the end first to predict how enjoyable the book will be. I thought the epilogue was terrible. [But that probably stemmed from my dislike of the H/G pairing and their happy ending. The two as a couple never really sat well with me and I wanted to see if at least one of them would meet someone new instead of ending up with each other.]

I felt terrible about the twins and Snape's past was pretty interesting. The character development was probably what I enjoyed seeing the most.

DH was good book overall, however, it possessed too many flaws to make it an EXCELLENT book:

- As many have mentioned before, the epilogue left too many questions unanswered. My favourite characters from the series are not the main characters, but the more minor ones, like Luna. What happened to Luna?!

- Mixing the Deathly Hallows with the Horcruxes, in my opinion, took away the smooth flow of the story. And...

Like a lot of you people, I dislike the Harry/Ginny pairing. Looking at Ginny on her own, I understand why Harry would like her: she's brave, tough and pretty. But the mistake Rowling made was that she didn't develop the relationship between Harry and Ginny enough. That's why I like the idea of Harry/Luna more. Although eccentric, Luna is very intelligent, and has a deep understanding of Harry. The development of Harry's and Luna's relationship over the three books would make them a more plausible couple than Harry/Ginny.

As for Ron/Hermione...this pairing is acceptable, since their relationship had been developing since the fourth book. But I don't really think they suit each other so much (Ron is a bit too stupid for Hermione, in my opinion).

The movie sucked. The movie was edited so badly that it seemed like it was a montage of bland acting. What even sucks more is that the same director from Order of the Phoenix is returning for the 6th movie.

I do wonder who will direct Harry Potter 7 movie. It's going to be special.
I have to agree that Harryxginny seemed so contrived and dry. Sometimes their scenes were incredibly cheesy that i would roll my eyes.

As for the final book. Who would have though that

ick. I always hated ginnyxharry. I seriously thought JK Rowling made a huge mistake when she got them together especially when there was very little development between them. Their romance felt so contrived and dry. I always wanted Harry to either die or end up alone.

The movie was terrible. It was horribly edited like a montage, and I started not caring for the characters. The fact that the director is going to direct the 6th movie makes me want to gag.

As for the last book, it was okay. I hated the ending.....BLEHH.. Snape's past was heartbreaking. I did see redemption coming to him, but i didn't think it had anything to do with love.
Since I grew up with these books, i do feel a little depressed because i won't be waiting for another Harry Potter book..

Another point I forgot to make...I also didn't like how after being blocked from Voldemort's mind in the sixth book, Harry was able to once again gain access to Voldemort's thoughts in the seventh book. I know the connection between them grew stronger, but surely, a highly capable wizard like Voldemort could still block out Harry! It appeared as though Rowling couldn't think of a better way of allowing Harry to find out about the hiding place of the final horcrux, so she resorted to such a plot device instead.

i agree w/ you about harry/ginny pairing. i feel nothing about the pairing when i was reading. the whole thing seems so - fake, even though i alrd have the feeling that harry is going to pair up w/ ginny ever since book 2. but the ron/hermione pairing is ok.
the epilogue definitely suck. i know jk rowling is entitled to have a happy fluffy ending and so does the characters but she could have picked a different way to tell it. so many things were left unsaid, undefined, and unsatisfied!
the series do go downhill after the book 4 like you said. *sighs*
so many unnecessary deaths!! poor them. and i just like snape even more now.
but all in all, the HP is still wonderful, and i'm not regretting following it to the end.

I thought the movie was pretty good. They left out a few parts that would've been interesting to see on screen, but it is understandable considering that they had a limit of 2 hours. I enjoyed seeing the acting this time as well (especially Evanna Lynch's). The actresses that played Umbridge and Bellatrix, I thought, were amazing. The casting for the older characters certainly were well done.

The epilogue definitely should've been written out of the book. From what I've seen and read, it wasn't very popular with the readers at all. But I suppose it was necessary to show that Harry, in the end, respected Snape. It was a bit much though, to name your kid after someone who treated you poorly over a span of 6 years even though they had the right intention. I think JK Rowling just didn't write that very well at all. And I agree that JK Rowling should step away from writing romance.

Tiin: But the mistake Rowling made was that she didn't develop the relationship between Harry and Ginny enough.

This is so very true. Ginny is almost nonexistent in the first four books, as such, her development as a character seems rather fractured. Her lack of presence adversely affects the credibility of the relationship she shares with Harry. You would think a future love interest of the main character would be featured in the books a bit more.

Totally agree with Garten on DH, although I do think it completes a relatively satisfying journey. About Luna, my favourite character, I really still don't understand why JKR put so much effort into introducing and building a completely new character as late as book 5, and then didn't really let her to shine. I thought she would turn into someone special, with an important role to play in the main plot, possibly as HP's new love interest. But despite the fact that she turned out to be a unique, interesting, wise and sometimes-other-worldly-but-still-likeable character, nothing exciting really happened to her!?!

I thought the movie and book were okay.

I agree that that HarryxGinny pairing came out of nowhere. At least the RonxHermione pairing had some basis and development, but I don't like the idea of the friends dating within the trio; it doesn't feel appropriate. Hopefully, J.K. Rowling will never never never never never ever write a romance novel. She's missing one important ingredient: CHEMISTRY!!!!! The more I think about HarryxGinny, the more I want to gag until my guts spill out.
Also, why did she bother making such an interesting character such as Luna Lovegood(my favorite character) if she didn't give her a bigger role? I feel really sad when a character gets neglected like that, especially when the main characters are not as interesting.

Some good points I liked about Deathly Hallows was the relevations of Snape, Regulus, and Albus Dumbledore. Additionally, I liked how Kreacher and Harry ended up getting on better terms later. I was actually feeling sorry for Kreacher in this book.

Well, I actually liked this and the last book and while it does have its flaws, it was quite good as far as plot goes. I do agree that the prologue was lacking a lot but I still think that it did a good job of making the story go full circle, do I won’t say I hated it, although yeah, could have been waay waay better. I pretty much disagree with everything you said in your review Garten and therefore with plenty of the posters here, so I suppose I will go in order for the discussion ^^.

First, apparently most of you people didn’t like the last two books because of the ginny/harry pairing. I suppose this could have an origin on too many fan-fics, discussions and etc, cause you people seemed to be already predisposed for some things and so, when they didn’t happen, you loathed it. Sorry Garten, but it would of have been very very lame having Harry get no romance at all. I mean c’mon, the books make it quite clear that Harry is a popular boy even if he’s quite normal and not so into it, so is natural for some girls to be interested. Also, considering that we see him go from a boy to a teenager, it would be impossible for his hormones not to play a part. So, considering that he did need a couple, what where the choices? First comes Cho, his first love but, pretty much for that reason, it couldn’t have worked. First loves being the destined couple is just an anime thing, and definitely it pretty much never happens IRL. Besides, Cho was Harry’s first crush, so once he had what he wanted (the physical satisfaction, and since he was way to inexperienced to be fucking her around, that would be kissing her), he realized he didn’t have any form of bond to her, it was just like Ron and his first girl (don’t remember her name now), he was just having fun there, but he clearly still liked Hermione. And from Cho’s part, she was pretty much just seeking comfort and security (her last boyfriend was killed in a horrible way so it’s just natural for that) and Harry, who also seemed to be attracted to her was, of course, the best choice. End of it. Next comes Hermione but let’s just be francs here, they really shared nothing but a good friends brother/sister kind of relation trough the books (even if the fangirls and maybe fanboys tried to read subtext from books 1 to 3 before it was completely clear there was nothing between them). Fin. Next would be Luna I suppose. Now while many fans seemed to like them as a couple, I really don’t see any romantical interest from any of them. I suppose plenty of people out there like the “give the nerd/freak/whatever a chance”, but once again, those things hardly happen IRL. I liked Luna as a character myself because she definitely was both fun and interesting, and yeah, she did have quite some good moments of insight, but that’s what makes her a good support character for Harry and the rest, not necessarily a good couple with “chemistry” with him. And yeah, I completely hated rowling for leaving her out of the epilogue, and would of have required just a few lines -_-. And now the oh so hated Ginny. Yup, theirs came out of nowhere, but I think most people is forgetting that up to book 3, Harry was too young/child/whatever to even be actually interested in other girls and Ginny indeed had a crush for him. On book 4 he got an interest on Cho while Ginny started growing up and moved onto other boys. Then, on book 5, Harry satisfied his needs for Cho and realized he wasn’t getting anything else from there, while we saw Ginny having fun with other guys. Then on book 6 Harry was indeed open to new suggestions as far as girls goes, and both Luna and Ginny could of have worked here, so don’t come with that “their relationship came out of nowhere”, cause as far as Luna goes, it would of have been pretty much the same. A good part of book 6 is indeed about Harry’s growing attraction to Ginny, and I actually really liked how it was developed, so by the (nearly) end of the book, when they kiss, I actually loved the scene (for I was really looking out for it). And, after so much Ginny on book 6, book 7 came with pretty much nothing of her. It felt really disappointing that, after building her up as a strong and brave witch (which is supposedly what he liked most from her), she hardly even got to participate on the final battle at Hogwarts. I would of have preferred indeed a team of her and Luna take and bring down Bellatrix instead of that lame scene where a house wife suddenly became a great dueler… yeah right, I know this whole, momma fighting for her childs and whatever but it really felt out of nowhere. By the way, I agree that having all of them actually marrying is probably not very close to how things usually happen IRL, but of course, it would of have been even weirder for any of them to be married to random strangers on the epilogue. C’mon, it’s a potter book, it was supposed to end on a “they lived happy ever after” tone.

Ok, and that’s it, I got kinda carried away with reviewing all the girls, so it got way toooo long xd sorry about that. Some other day I may post to discuss other parts of the book.

Oh, and also, sorry if there’re many spelling/grammar or whatever mistakes, but English’s not my first language and I don’t get to write on it much ^^u

I really enjoyed HP and the Deathly Hallows. Although it is not my favorite of the series, it ends with a satisfying conclusion. I agree that the Ginny/Harry pairing was always kind of awkward (my theory is that JK wanted to have some sort of deja vu ending. Going back to platform 9 and 3 qtrs, and having some Lily/James look alikes. A glimpse of what life could have been like if the Potters weren't murdered.), but the Ron/Hermoine pairing was a given from the start - making their relationship development much more interesting to follow. Despite some slow spots, I found HP 7 to be really enjoyable and I am sad that the series is over.

Serenade, below is my take on what you have posted.

First, I agree with you when it comes to Cho and Hermione. I believe Harry's chances of having a healthy relationship with Cho were doomed after Cedric passed away. When it comes to Hermione, it's obvious that he considers her as nothing more than a close friend. However, I feel that Luna could have functioned well as Harry's other half if she had been either introduced earlier in the series or played a more significant role in the latter part of the series.

In spite of the above, I still have to agree with the other posters about Ginny. I don’t necessarily think her relationship with Harry came out of nowhere, instead I feel that Ginny could have benefited from additional character development in order to make her bond with Harry have a better impact on fans of the series.

Second, although I didn’t enjoy the Harry/Ginny aspect of the last two books I do have other legitimate reasons as to why HBP and DH weren’t as stimulating as the beginning of the series. As I have stated in a previous post ( look above if you want to ) regarding HBP, Harry’s interest in the HBP’s book was silly and felt like a rehashing of what occurred with Riddle’s diary in CoS, Ron/Hermione’s quarrelling became bothersome, and the fact that Ron and Hermione deeply doubted Harry when he raised suspicions about Mafloy’s activities, even though his father is a Death Eater, seemed out-of-character. My only added complaint concerning DH would be ( like Garten said ) that the main plot is somewhat puzzling.

Yup, I agree that Harry’s interest on the HBP was kind of dumb, I assume this came from his lack of a patriarchal and yet close figure in his life like what Sirius could of have been to him. Cause of course he wasn’t going to approach Dumbledore for counseling on things regarding his adolescence or the like (just think about it: “so, Dumbledore… ejem, how do you make a girl feel, you know… nice… herm… down there?”) and so, maybe he found “words of wisdom” or whatever he wanted from the book (that’s what I think Rowling was trying to project there at least). Still, 100% agreed with how much of a stupid he was trough that.

Ron and Hermione… yup, there where moments on these last two books were I just wanted to become a character, and tell Ron to fucking go for it… even in the end it had to be her who jumped into his arms… man, grow some balls already.

I never disliked Harry/Ginny cause I actually liked her as a character. I just loved how she grew from a very shy girl to a self sufficient and strong witch, and how indeed, it was “moving on” about Harry what made her realize her own potential. And so, I really hated how she was downgraded to some “damsel in distress” of sorts on DH. And while I liked Luna too a lot, it just felt impossible for her to be anything else than a friend to Harry… sorry if I go against the Luna/Harry fanboys out there, but the so called chemistry some people talk about, to me seems to be just how much of a sensible person she was towards others… which makes sense considering that, before Dumbledore’s Army, she pretty much had no friends at all, and being lonely, she probably just spent her time wandering around and watching people while they went trough their days and socialized, learning a lot about people in the process and maturing quite a bit.

I didn’t find the main plot from the last two books confusing at all, I kinda liked the concept of horcruxes and deathly hollows, as they touch two common themes on human history/fiction, the “search for immortality whatever the price” (the horcruxes) and the “getting something (usually godly/magical/incredible powers or abilities) in some easy ways (generally from a god/demon/etc) trough some item/artifact/illumination/etc” (the hollows), and there are plenty of examples for these on both history and legends/fiction. And btw, I was really afraid that most of DH would be like some RPG or adventure game where you get an item (a hollow in this case) after every dungeon/part of the game/story that would be needed to access/defeat/etc the final part of the game, but actually most of the book was about the relationships and adventures, with the actual horcruxes appearing pretty much just by the end and being mostly part of the result, more than part of the means. All in all, I think it was more about what these items represented and meant for the characters, rather than what the items actually where capable of doing, and that’s something I really liked, the fact that none of these became some kind of deus ex machina for any character at all (if this was anime, by the end Harry would of have used the three DHs to bring everyone back to life, his parents included -.-) but actually a way for them to grow up a little more.

On a final note to Garten, Voldemort couldn’t keep on tempting Ron because he never did so from the very beginning. The book made it quite clear that he had no connection at all with his horcruxes (except with Harry I suppose), and so, the tempting came from the horcrux itself, in a similar way at how the diary affected Ginny, it could be said that the horcruxes had some sentience or sapience of sorts.

Anyway, I just got to long again I suppose, though I think I’m pretty much finished with all I had to say about to book ^^U

Personally, I think that there were two scenes in the book that were pretty much ‘cop outs’; The scene where Harry Disarms Malfoy, and the final battle against Voldemort. Maybe it’s because it’s a kids book, but Harry never has to ‘get his hands dirty’. I was assuming that he would most likely have to kill one, or both of them, and that Ron or Hermoine would not survive to the finale.

I would’ve done something like this, for the final battle; Instead of having Voldemort’s Death spell rebound on him (C’mon, three times? What are the odds?) have the spell simply…fail…And let Harry Disarm him. Then, flashback to Book 5: “Self-righteousness isn’t enough (To use an Unforgiveable Curse). You have to really mean it…”

So, close in on Harry. He weighs the factors, makes a decision- And coldly, calmly, kills Voldemort with the Avada Kedava curse. It’s the only real choice, after all.

Also, don’t forget the 19 years time jump. That was really, really rushed, and seemed to be a desperate attempt to give the book a happy ending. A more realistic, or perhaps more cyclic one, would have Harry become the eventual Headmaster at Hogwarts- You could have Ron and Hermoine’s kids being greeted by Hagrid, brought to the Great Hall…And have Headmaster Harry give the opening speech. While it’s just me, that would’ve fit in much better than the spliced-on ending…

And the pairing. Good god, the pairings. There just isn't any chemistry between Harry and Ginny- Hell, even Luna would've been a better choice, considering their similar traumas...

I agree with most of the comments that you made about the 7th book. It is clear as day that the romance between Ginny and Harry was forced and completely unecessary, in fact, I was re-reading the 5th and 6th book a few weeks ago and noticed how Harry started to have actual 'feelings' for Ginny when he caught her snogging with some guy, I think it was Dean Thomas. It was completely laughable. It made Harry look like a perv rather than somebody who actually liked Ginny. Not trying to hate on Ginny, but it seems as though she became schizophernic in the course between the 2nd book and the 6th. At first she is an unfailingly devoted Harry fangirl and the next she is a complete slut. I know how Hermione told her how to 'act like herself' but since when did kissing everybody and everything consitutes as acting yourself? Its rather disgusting actually. I hate Harry/Ginny and with reason, too. I completely agree that Harry and Luna should've been together beause at least it seemed plausible in the long run, right? It certainly doesn't seem forced and there seems to be a genuine attraction in their would-be relationship if it were to ever occur. The 6th book was my least favourite as well. I am more inclined to like the way she handled Ron/Hermione even though Ron acted like a prick at some points. It is obvious that JK cannot write romance and that it just seems really, REALLY forced.

As for the Deathly Hallows, I liked the way she handled the entire concept seeing as it tied in with other loose ends with the other books however it just seemed too good vs. evil to me, especially when Harry had to choose between the Hallows and the Horcruxes which was basically to show how different Harry was from Voldermort...I guess? Regardless the book as a whole was nth times better than the 6th but the 5th book shall remain my ultimate fav!!

As for Dumbldore not being exactly good was a bit odd for me, really. The only fact that Dumbledore wasn't as pure as we thought was the fact that his past wasn't talked about at ALL so it was just really up in the air. The last battle between Harry and Voldy was well-done because it really was a battle of wits I thought rather than a banazana of unforgivable curses.

I also hated, HATED the fact that she killed Lupin/Tonks becuase even though I never really understood the pairing I did warm up to them and when finally I was like 'okay, I can deal with Lupin and Tonks' they end of dying after their kid is born. I mean, seriously? I couldn't help but think, 'god, Teddy will be the new Harry' or something along those lines becuase I just didn't get WHY they had to die. Fred too. Isn't it good enough his other half has a damn hole in his ear? (and does it make me a terrible person that I laughed at that part?) but yeah. The saddest death for me was Dobby because I thought it was handled well and I cried like a baby throughout the entire burial. Mad Eye's death was kind of anticlimatic for me, but I was more indifferent to the death than anything.

When Harry asked his dad if death hurt I really started to bawl because I haven't seen that innocence from Harry since perhaps the 3rd book? I loved Snape's tale and it was really obvious that Snape loved Lily from the get go. I loved the part where he asked Harry to look at him so he can see his eyes (hence Lily's) before he dies, it was very sweet.

I laughed like a banshee at Scorpius, lol. I also cringed with the cheese at the epilogue, although Albus Serverus will never, ever sound right regardless of what Harry's intentions were. The last sentence was possibly the worst thing I ever read, but you can't have everything :))) I loved your review tooo, I'm glad you think Harry/Ginny is as forced as I do or at least annoyed by it, its a rate entity as of late.

Finally! Someone who agrees with me that the only girl that seemed even remotely good enough for Harry was Luna.

This is a little girl's fairy tale, on the part of Ginny. She crushed on the big hero, and he hated her. Only to fall in love with her???

I expected him to end up with Hermione until book 5, really. Then Rowling succumbed to the fangirls.

God, some of the comments I see are perfectly rediculous. They're arguing for the sake of argument.

The movie was pretty good, if you come from the perspective that it is intended to be very condensed view of the entire book. In that aspect, I think it did its job well.

I could find no fault with Daniel's acting. Evanna Lynch was perfect as Luna; I thought Emma was overacting throughout - something that I have noted since the previous movies. They didn't give Rupert enough lines but he did well in the scene where Ron defended Harry from Seamus. The actor portraying Neville did good as well.

Personally, I thought the director could have been more subtle with the "Ginny is a powerful witch" takes. Also noticed that she didn't have any actual lines....

As for the books themselves, I could have understood the length of Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows, but Order of the Phoenix and Half Blood Prince was just too long and could have done with a good editor or two.

And I see that the the shippers come out in force....

And HBP was the nadir of the entire series. It was only good if you are a Harry/Ginny ship zealot and completely ignored the fact that that the writing came across akin to leftover meal scraps tossed by Rowling to the starving shippers.

First of all, I just have to say I loved Order of the Phoenix (the book) and I'm sad to see it being given such bad rap. It's angsty and I absolutely adore the scene at the ministry of magic. The movie was the best out of all of them but I still don't like the movies (esp. Chamber of Secrets, watched it too many times and it became really cheesy)
As for the book
1) The scene with Dudley being all "I'm gonna miss you, Harry" absolutely made my day. Not that I always loved the Dursleys but I'm glad to see that deep down they (or at the very least Dudley) care about Harry some.
2) Tonks should've been introduced earlier that way the relationship with Lupin would've seemed....at least the marriage and the baby, less rushed.
3) Despite what everyone says about it being action packed, the part with them being all on their own camping out in forests did slow it down. Now, I'm not not complaining about them, it gave a realistic sense that they didn't know what they were doing. However it also gave me the impression Rowling herself didn't know where she was going.
4) The epilogue was definitely Rowling trying to get back to the "this is a children's story" mindset. While I don't necessarily I hate it, certain parts particularly disturbed me.
1) Kids names: It just really creeped me out. I don't know why but they definetly sent a chill down my spine. Hugo, made me laugh though...
2) No mention of other characters and impact on the world: Someone mentioned that because the books are about Harry that it was only natural that it center uniquely around him, yet it is such an unfortunate reason. The main characters are not what made the series, the world and the secondary characters did. I really lament that she didn't include what resulted in the wizarding world and everybody else. But what can you do?
Overall the epilogue was cheese only slightly wiped off. Could been worse I know that, but I daren't imagine how. My view is that Rowling let herself get overly fangirly over her own series and put what she wished would happen not what she should have written in an objective manner.
5) I like the Hallows as a distraction even though it seemed to get them offtrack a bit. What I didn't like was the background story. I just didn't like it. It was like the Three little pigs. The one thought that seemed to not pass through anyone's mind though is that Harry and Volde....(crap I always misspell his name)You- know-who are very distantly but nonetheless related. If the Potters are descended from the third Perrvel (however you spell it) brother and You-know-who's grandfather was a descendant from the second brother then there definitely is a connection.....maybe it's not that important but I just though someone would've mentioned it by now.
6) Aww.....Snape*tear*.....It was kind of obvious from book five that he loved Lily. I used to think he was a useless character up until book six. I really want to get a full volume of the development of this relationship but I can't fan fiction. Nya! More angst for Snape. :'(

It's sort of ironic, as the series progresses, you tear yourself away from the main trio and development other favorites: Neville, Snape, Luna, Sirius, Lupin, etc.

It's a shame such a fantastic series had to end this way. The biggest downfall of the series, for me, was Harry's character development. Even at the end he was highly dependent on the efforts of others and never (if not rarely) had an attack of conscience and morals. The whole time I was rooting for him to use the 'avada kedavra' curse on Voldemort 'for the greater good.'

I thought the theme of the 7th book was to revolve around adapting your own values to survive. (Harry having to kill, for example) It was mature and held the sense that Harry is no longer the same boy who entered Hogwarts.

MATURE DISCUSSION ASIDE:
What the f--- is up with the epilogue? Felt like a badly written fanfic to me. Needs more Luna and more Neville.

....So Harry doesn't actually die in the end??

i finished the book the day it came out! i was so sad! Snape was so nice!!!!

I basically have to agree with Garten. I loved the series and most of what JKR did with it, but I HATED almost every single relationship in it. The main exception being Snape/Lily.

I started cringing as soon as JKR dropped hints at Ron/Hermione in book 4. They argue all the time! I can't remember any scene where they're just sitting in a normal situation and being civil. Plus, Hermione is an intellectual and Ron is... not. It's almost as if JKR was trying to remake Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. It's like we're supposed to believe that arguing and physical attraction can make a relationship work.

Harry/Ginny... I think enough has been said that I would just be repeating previous comments. Although I have to mention that it's unlikely for a guy to change his mind about a girl once she's been classified as his "best friend's little sister". It sucks, but it's true. She really should have moved on and never looked back. I really started liking her character before she was put with Harry.

Still, despite all of that, I really enjoyed the series and I'm glad JKR wrote it. I just wished she understood fanshipping more or could have been more adventurous with her pairings. That way, if people hated them, at least they weren't boring >.

The Ginny and Harry pairing had absolutely no chemistry, and even if hints were present throughout the sixth book that they would form a relationship, it still feels forced.

I also have a problem with the final battle between Voldemort and Harry. It was sort of anticlimactic after all the obstacles that they have been through to finally get to that point. The fights and escapes Harry, Ron and Hermione experienced before the final confrontation was more exciting.

I think the reason why Harry ended up with Ginny is because she resembled/reminded of his own mother in the way that she is kind and decent and they both had red hair.
I was still surprised how Ron was a jacka_ _ and left Hermione and Harry in the 7th book. Still it was an awesome read.

Ahhh.....love is in ze air with Fleur and Bill, Tonks and Lupin, Haryy and Ginny, and....RON AND HERMOINE!?

Personally I didn't see it coming.

The Harry and Ginny works great in my opinion. Sometimes when your tired or something you end up skipping stuff and not realizing it. Maybe you need to re-read the books again and then you will see.

Tonks and Lupin was kind of surprising in HBP. But I seemed to accept it.

SPOILER BELOW!

William, while I agree with what you said, you certainly seem to need to re-read the books yourself :)

The Ron/Hermione couple has been hinted (though faintly) at least since the Goblet of Fire party, and on a worst case, on HBP is completely obvious where things are heading.

Voldemort didn’t know about the hallows, and that’s left quite clear trough the book. He transformed the Gaunt’s ring into a horcrux because it represented his conecction with his ancestors (wizard ones), not because he knew about its powers as a hallow (he even wielded the ring without realizing its magical powers). He went looking for the Elder Wand not because he knew about its origin as a hallow, but because the wand was the better (and even the only) known of them all, as a very powerful wand with a bloody and relatively known history, and so he desired it for himself in order to defeat Harry’s wand.

So, for everyone who taught the epilogue was lacking a damn lot of info we wanted (while I liked how it was done and how it perfectly made the story come full circle, it really lacked a lot of important information. From my point of view, the book should have had two final chapters, one of general info about the world and characters after the war, and then the final, 19 years later, part of the story.) here’re some answers from Rowling herself, so while this may not be on the book, at least it can still be considered canon (this can be quite long, as I just copied the questions and answers, so I’ll better cut it on two posts):

Leaky Cauldron: What, if anything, did the wizarding world learn, and how did society change, as a direct result of the war with Voldemort?

J.K. Rowling: The Ministry of Magic was de-corrupted, and with Kingsley at the helm the discrimination that was always latent there was eradicated. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny et al would of course play a significant part in the re-building of wizarding society through their future careers.

Katieleigh: Does Hermione still continue to do work with SPEW and is life any better for house elves!

J.K. Rowling: Hermione began her post-Hogwarts career at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures where she was instrumental in greatly improving life for house-elves and their ilk. She then moved (despite her jibe to Scrimgeour) to the Dept. of Magical Law Enforcement where she was a progressive voice who ensured the eradication of oppressive, pro-pureblood laws.

Blodeuwedd: Hi jk, first of all thank you for all the books I have enjoyed each and every one of them could you tell us what professions Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and Luna go on to have did the trio do their final year at school and take their newts?

J.K. Rowling: Thank you! I’ve already answered about Hermione. Kingsley became permanent Minister for Magic, and naturally he wanted Harry to head up his new Auror department. Harry did so (just because Voldemort was gone, it didn’t mean that there would not be other Dark witches and wizards in the coming years). Ron joined George at Weasleys’ Wizarding Wheezes, which became an enormous money-spinner... After a few years as a celebrated player for the Holyhead Harpies, Ginny retired to have her family and to become the Senior Quidditch correspondent at the Daily Prophet!

Alicepie: What happend to Luna, did she get married who to?

J.K. Rowling: She ended up marrying (rather later than Harry & co) a fellow naturalist and grandson of the great Newt Scamander (Rolf)!

Casey Kunze: Who killed Remus and Tonks I think if I knew this, I would get some closure over the very sad, but understandable, death of two of my favorite characters.

J.K. Rowling: I’m so sorry! I met a couple on launch night who had come dressed as Lupin and Tonks, and I felt dreadfully guilty as I signed their books! Remus was killed by Dolohov and Tonks by Bellatrix.

Tineke: Did Teddy grow up living with his grandmother?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, Teddy was raised by Andromeda. However, unlike Neville, who was also raised by his grandmother Teddy had his godfather, Harry, and all his father’s friends in the Order, to visit and stay with.

Vio91: Is Teddy Lupin a werewolf?
J.K. Rowling: No, he’s a Metamorphmagus like his mother.

Tineke: What happened to Percy - did he return to his job at the ministry?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, the new improved Percy ended up as a high-ranking official under Kingsley.

Georgina: Did Lucius Malfoy, and all the other escaped Death Eaters, go back to Azkaban?

J.K. Rowling: No, the Malfoys weaseled their way out of trouble (again) due to the fact that they colluded (albeit out of self-interest) with Harry at the end of the battle.

Steph: Will Azkaban still use Dementors?

J.K. Rowling: No, definitely not. Kingsley would see to that. The use of Dementors was always a mark of the underlying corruption of the Ministry, as Dumbledore constantly maintained.

Here's the second part of Rowling's answers to fans.

Camille: How is George getting along without his twin?

J.K. Rowling: Well, I don’t think that George would ever get over losing Fred, which makes me feel so sad. However, he names his first child and son Fred, and he goes on to have a very successful career, helped by good old Ron.

Michael: Why didn't Fawkes come back to help Harry? I would have thought that since Harry was so loyal to Dumbledore, Fawkes would have been Harry's new pet?

J.K. Rowling: Something had to leave the school for good when Dumbledore died, and I decided that would be Fawkes. Dumbledore was a very great and irreplacable man, and the loss of Fawkes (and the fact that he was ‘non-transferable’!) expresses this symbolically

Annie: Does the wizarding world now know that Snape was Dumbledore's man, or do they still think he did a bunk?

J.K. Rowling: Harry would ensure that Snape’s heroism was known. Of course, that would not stop Rita Skeeter writing ‘Snape: Scoundrel or Saint?’

Natalie: Are house divisions as prevalaent in Harry’s childrens' Hogwarts as in the previous generations?

J.K. Rowling: Slytherin has become diluted. It is no longer the pureblood bastion it once was. Nevertheless, its dark reputation lingers, hence Albus Potter’s fears.

Courtney: What child did Harry give the marauders map to if any?

J.K. Rowling: I’ve got a feeling he didn’t give it to any of them, but that James sneaked it out of his father’s desk one day.

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.

Pablo: What is toadface Umbridge doing now?

J.K. Rowling: Glad to see you like her as much as I do! She was arrested, interrogated and imprisoned for crimes against Muggleborns.

Maggie: Is Rita Skeeter still reporting?

J.K. Rowling: Naturally, what could stop Rita? I imagine she immediately dashed off a biography of Harry after he defeated Voldemort. One quarter truth to three quarters rubbish.

Maggie Keir: Was Hermione able to find her parents and undo the memory damage?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, she brought them home straight away.

Rachel Nell: Jkr, thank you for such amazing books! I would like to know how come no one seemed to know that Lily and Snape were friends in school they were obviously meeting for chats, etc didn't James know their past?

J.K. Rowling: Thank you for your thank you! Yes, it was known that they were friendly and then stopped being friends. Nothing more than that would be widely known. James always suspected Snape harboured deeper feelings for Lily, which was a factor in James’ behaviour to Snape.

Lona: Did Draco and Harry lose their animosity towards eachother when Voldemort died?

J.K. Rowling: Not really. There would be a kind of rapprochement, in that Harry knows Draco hated being a Death Eater, and would not have killed Dumbledore; similarly, Draco would feel a grudging gratitude towards Harry for saving his life. Real friendship would be out of the question, though. Too much had happened prior to the final battle.

Emzzy: Did Mr Weasley ever get around to fixing Sirius' motorbike?

J.K. Rowling: Of course, and it ended up in Harry’s possession.

Chelatina: Was Firenze ever welcomed back into the herd?

J.K. Rowling: Yes, the rest of the herd was forced to acknowledge that Firenze’s pro-human leanings were not shameful, but honourable.

Gandalfxj9: Did Krum ever find love?

J.K. Rowling: Of course, though he had to go back to his native Bulgaria to do so.

Finchburg: Does the dark mark remain on those that Voldemort has branded after his death or does the tattoo dissapear now he is gone thanks for considering my question!

J.K. Rowling: My pleasure, Finchburg! The Dark Mark would fade to a scar, not dissimilar to the lightning scar on Harry’s forehead. Like Harry’s, these scars would no longer burn or hurt.

Katie Mosher: How is the Quibbler doing these days?

J.K. Rowling: Pretty well, actually. It has returned to its usual condition of advanced lunacy, and is appreciated for its unintentional humour.

Darchey: Did Voldemort ever love a girl?

J.K. Rowling: No, he loved only power, and himself. He valued people whom he could use to advance his own objectives.

Brian: Did the DA keep the coins?

J.K. Rowling: Naturally. They would be like badges or medals of honour — proof that the owner had been at the heart of the fight against Voldemort from the start! I like to imagine Neville showing his to his admiring pupils.

Smallbutpowerful: On behalf of all Harry Potter fans who consider themselves to be Hufflepuffs could you please describe the Hufflepuff common room as it is the only common room Harry hasn’t visited.

J.K. Rowling: The Hufflepuff common room is accessed through a portrait near the kitchens, as I am sure you have deduced. Sorry — I should say ‘painting’ rather than portrait, because it is a still-life. It is a very cosy and welcoming place, as dissimilar as possible from Snape’s dungeon. Lots of yellow hangings, and fat armchairs, and little underground tunnels leading to the dormitories, all of which have perfectly round doors, like barrel tops.

Sorry for the double post of course ^^

I vowed that I would burn my books if Ron and Hermione got together. I rescind that promise only because I find the burning of books to be terrible, but the sentiment remains. I know that JKR was 'building' towards this end for quite a while now, but I still find, as some other people have commented, that Ron is just plain ol' too dumb to get with Hermione.

The only good thing about that whole book was Hermione's continued excellence. Honestly, Harry would not have made it without her. He could have switched Ron with a myriad of other loyal characters, but without Hermione he would not have even lived to this book. Oh, also that bit towards the end where he's essentially talking to the spirits of his dead loved ones in preparation for his own death. It had the exact dark mood that was required and never quite fulfilled by Harry's lack of 'CHOICE' at the end. Many above have commented on how Harry didn't have to actually kill Voldemort, which would have been infinitely more compelling. But we forget that Harry is supposed to be a children's book.

Harry/Ginny doesn't bother me much, simply because it makes sense enough to me. Ginny finally was able to be herself around Harry, and he liked her.

I don't see Luna and Harry together; in fact I was gunning for a Ron/Luna pairing. Crazy, I know. But I could definitely see Luna as being a very close friend to Harry, making her lack of presence in the epilogue lame.

The end of Tonks = FTL. You've got likkle Ted, no parents and one grandparent--where do you go? One line in the epilogue was not enough.

The epilogue was also FTL. I mean, I understand the desire to return to normalcy, and how, with Voldemort gone, people can go about their pursuit of happiness business and sending their kids ot Hogwarts and such. But shouldn't there have been just a little sense of misgivings in Harry, just a touch of worry that he quickly overcomes? And Ginny and Hermione became part of the background in those last pages; JKR essentially killed them by making them wives. LAME.

Wow, I guess I wasn't happy with it. Alas, we were all disappointed because it ended anyway.

Reading lots of those comments made my head spin (especially with the number of tequila shots I just got 2 hours ago), but believe me when I say that I understand what everyone was saying about the movie and the book.

The movie was up to par, I believe, although I am bothered that Kreacher was not given screen-time -- even without the 7th book expounding on what his character is, and how he had been essential at some point that he even clicked with Harry, I felt he should have been introduced in the movie. Harry Potter has definitely grown on Daniel Radcliffe -- I am thrilled to see that he is constantly improving his craft. (Although I'm interested on how he'll be acting in 'December Boys', and how un-Harry he would be in that movie. I've read the book, and if he doesn't live up to the character then I guess he'll be stuck as The-Boy-Who-Lived-to-Relive-The-Boy-Who-Lived, if you catch my drift.^-^) The fight scenes at the Ministry felt a bit rushed, and lacked budgeting (I say this because I saw it on iMax 3D, and the haze/smoke/spells lacked texture. lol) but fantastic all the same, since I could not imagine how they would put into film what JKR has written in the last few chapters of OoTP. (or, perhaps, this is just my lack of imagination.)

As for DH... I'm also disappointed with the ending, but since WE are not the AUTHOR of the book, any ending she would have done would be justified. It's her story, she owns it, she may have made lots of money with it, and ultimately she completely has control as to what she would like it to turn out into. But since others have also put in a knut of their thoughts...

HarryxGinny *was* contrived. But I think this is only due to JKR's character development, in which Ginny lacked and Harry had too much of. Ginny may have been portrayed to have matured after the incident at CoS, but she still lacks interaction with Harry (aside from her being a permanent fixture in Ron's life as his sister) through which any relationship in real life would definitely based on. (Even love at first sight involves some interaction at some point.) If JKR was aiming to give Harry some lovin' after being in solitude for a very long time in the form of a love interest, then it should have been someone who has been portrayed as to have made a huge impact on his life. (And no, I am not pertaining to any girl here.) I have no qualms in saying that he was better off dead together with Voldemort, but since JKR had wanted to go back to the roots of her series, everything has to go well for her protagonist. I think the way JKR portrayed Ginny in the beginning as the hopelessly infatuated girl whose love was doomed to be unrequited was meant to gather sympathy from readers so they would root for the pair to end up together. A bit successful in the first two books, but it went downhill when Ginny 'moved on' and Harry 'took notice' a little too late. Very typical of a guy to just notice when the girl has moved on. So it's a bit of a wonder that Harry still got the girl after it was clearly depicted that in book 5, Ginny had 'gotten over him'. I may have missed it, but there was no subtext in OoTP that gave away Ginny's apparent harbouring of feelings still for Harry. (Or should I interpret her glances as that of 'yearning'? It clearly wasn't, imho.) So it came off as a... surprise(?) that in HBP they had romantic relations. And Ginny was also underexposed in DH, so much so that her maturity into a 'strong and brave witch' felt utterly useless. A waste of words for JKR when she could have just developed, oh I dunno, Snape, maybe?

RonxHermione *had* been hinted off since the CoS. (And now that I think about it, maybe JKR *did* intend for readers to read off the pairings at the second book. But I still stand by my opinion that HxG lacked further grounds to make them plausible.)

However, even if it had been intended that Ron and Hermione end up together, I find it odd that they have stuck together until the 'Nineteen Years Later' epilogue. with Hermione's brilliant mind, and Ron's classic sidekick/comic relief character, I wonder how they even stayed together in one household for YEARS, when it was clear as day that they could not stand not fighting within ten months of being classmates. It is true that love works in strange ways, but for someone like Hermione, love doesn't just cut it. She'd be bored out of her mind to have a Quidditch-obsessed husband who wouldn't even know if he was hit by a bludger by the way he is portrayed in the epilogue. I have my personal preference as to who Hermione would be better off with, but that is considered crack, so I won't mention it here, in fear that others would fail to see my reasoning and accuse me of just being a rabid fangirl to that particular pairing.

(In fact I am more inclined to think that Ron and Luna would make a good pair. ^-^ It is worth mentioning also that Luna has a certain fondness for Ron, as shown in her first appearance in OoTP.)

The 7th book was good, but disappointing. But we will do well to remember that even though JKR's Harry Potter series is subject to much criticism from fans because she had published it for the public to view, the author still owns it, and has all the liberty to finish off her series the way she wanted it.

Ooooh. I guess I ranted too much. Haha.

Jason Issac's Lucius Malfoy is the prettiest one in that movie!! (minus our beloved Snapey of course)

He needs more screentime damnit ><

Thank god they are done with making these crap overrated books. Only two lame movies left to go with it's terrible acting from hell!

If Danile and Emma are going out than they should just tell people

Harry/Ginny works out for me, although I agree Rowling really should have developed the relationship better, for her girl readers, at least. It popped up way to suddenly for me in book 6, and no way can she expect all of her readers to comb her previous books for clues. Unfortunately, Luna and Harry couldn't have worked out - she'd eventually drive him nuts with her Gnargles and other such fantastical stories. I think Harry appreciated her as an odd entertainment, and for her help at the end of the fifth and seventh book, but Luna's personality just wouldn't mesh with his. Now, if Luna ever got it with Ron, I could imagine him actually believing some of her crazy stories....Ron seems gullible like that [no matter how watered down his character was in the 7th book]. Ron and Luna are both pretty easy going; I imagine they'd have great kids. I saw nothing with Luna and Dean, they just happened to be in the same location for a time, but Dean just seemed confused as to how to respond to her weirdness. I think Hermione is a bit too type-A and possibly too OCD-ish for Ron, in the long run. She should've just stayed with Krum. Both are intelligent and bring a lot of culture and respect into the relationship.

I find it sad that no one seems to like the Ron/Hermione couple. Personally, I do not like the Harry Potter character. People who spend their time victimizing themselves and swimming in a pool of wanna-be lonely-heroism piss me off. Fine, I do realize that the title is "HARRY POTTER" and that most things should focus on him, hut I feel that she overly justified his rude moppy behaviour based on him being an orphan and all what not. from about book 5, I had to deal with Harry's teenaged moodiness and perpetual anger and it is freakin' irritating.

now, to get back to my point: Hermione and Ron are the only ones that have kept me reading this book. they bring comic relief and a human/real touch and properly compliment Harry, who would otherwise be a rather pompous kid. I mean, how selfish of him to always get mad at what Dumbledore seemed to have lacked to tell him when NEVER in the book do you see Harry taking interest in anyone else's life story except his own?!?!

back to my point: GO HERMIONE/RON!!!

i luv dis book harry + ginny
ron+hermione

I can't believe she killed off Fred, I mean would you kill off Fred. I was so sad. I didn't like the ending because there wasn't a lot of detail. Ron should have named his son Fred instead of Hugo. I mean what kind of name is that. It was because Herominie's name startedwith an H so th eboy's name started with an H and there daughter's name started with an r because ron's name starts with an r. I also knew harry and ginny, ron and herominie were going to end with each other it wasn't a big suprise.

well i didnt read the book so i wuz wondering if someone cuold catch me up on this.?

I prefer Harry and Luna too. I mean, Harry Ginny is so forced and stupid. It just slows donw the story and annoys the fans.

I love the 7th book, it's th best 1 i've read so far, and yeah, I don't prefer Harry x Ginny. For Luna, I'll prefer her with Neville.

PS: the 5th movie sucks. Hate it!!

Um....you might not like the book n the movie but I love it!! N besides the pairing does not seem forced - ne1