Jayson's Reviews > Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

(A) 86% | Extraordinary
Notes: A bittersweet bewitchment: all stumble-back and rally, the touchy truth of bitter youth, and fevered feelings to finale.

*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[

Progress updates:

08/04/2020 - 2%

(1) Voldemort: "I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be."
- Interesting how, despite not hearing the prophesy, Voldemort came to the same solution on his own. Albeit for different reasons.
(2) Bellatrix is the worst kind of groupie.
(3) Tonks and Lupin are married already? I guess they eloped.

08/05/2020 - 4%

(1) I don't want to attribute symbolism where there might be none, but wizards really do react to their wands being broken like they've been gelded.
(2) "The idea of a teenage Dumbledore was simply odd, like trying to imagine a stupid Hermione or a friendly Blast-Ended Skrewt."
- Hermione has been plenty stupid before. It's just that hers has to do with common sense.

08/06/2020 - 6%

(1) "What did you say to one another at the end of sixteen years' solid dislike?"
- I mean, saying nothing is always an option, that is, if you dislike them enough to not even want to talk.
(2) It wouldn't surprise me at all if Dedalus Diggle was modeled after the White Rabbit. He's short, constantly checks his giant pocket watch, and always worries about being late.

08/07/2020 - 8%

(1) Re Polyjuice: '"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry," said Hermione, before catching sight of Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly.'
- Foreshadowing the later Ron subplot.
(2) '"Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Harry saw Ron throw a furtive, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on ... her waist.'
- Well, can't look too eager.

08/08/2020 - 11%

(1) Lupin: "Expelliarmus is a useful spell, Harry, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"
- Exactly what I've been saying!
(2) 'Hermione flew at [Ron] and hugged him tightly. "I thought — I thought —"
"I'm all right," said Ron, patting her on the back."'
- Ah, Ron's learning. Last hug he patted her head.

08/09/2020 - 15%

(1) "[Harry looked] into [Mrs. Weasley's] eyes, noticing as he did so that they were precisely the same shade of brown as Ginny's."
- Focus, Harry! She's not Ginny!
(2) Ron's addicted to hugs now... well, hugging Hermione.
(3) "Gabrielle ... threw Harry a glowing look, batting her eyelashes. Ginny cleared her throat loudly."
- That's right, girl. Mark your territory.

08/10/2020 - 18%

(1) Harry's already got Ginny, so why does Ron gift him a book on getting girls?
(2) "You've really got an eye for that sort of thing."
"Thank you, Ron!" said Hermione, looking both pleased and a little confused. Harry [smiled] to himself. He had a funny notion that he would find a chapter on compliments [in] his copy of Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches.

08/11/2020 - 21%

(1) '"Come and dance," [Ron] added abruptly to Hermione. She looked taken aback, but pleased too, and got up. They vanished together into the growing throng on the dance floor.
"Ah, they are together now?" asked Krum, momentarily distracted.
"Er — sort of," said Harry.'
- Harry being a total bro.
- Krum seems allayed by this news, like a suspicion's been proven true.

08/12/2020 - 23%

(1) Harry: "We just need to wipe their memories."
Ron: "But I've never done a Memory Charm."
Hermione: "Nor have I ... but I know the theory."
- Didn't Hermione do a memory charm on her parents? I guess there's a difference between erasing a memory and implanting false ones.
(2) Ron takes every chance to hug Hermione. So he's either an opportunist or formed a habit.

08/13/2020 - 26%

(1) "[Hermione's] fingers inches from Ron's. Harry wondered whether they had fallen asleep holding hands. The idea made [Harry] feel strangely lonely."
- Classic third-wheel talk right there.
(2) Ron: "Elf magic isn't like wizard's magic... I mean, they can Apparate and Disapparate in and out of Hogwarts when we can't."
- Wizarding common sense is why Ron's valuable.

08/14/2020 - 29%

(1) Re arresting Muggle-borns: "I'll tell everyone Hermione's my cousin."
Hermione covered Ron's hand with hers and squeezed it. "Thank you, Ron, but I couldn't let you."
"You won't have a choice," said Ron fiercely, gripping her hand back."
- Ah, the old Abram and Sarai in Egypt trick.
(2) "Mundungus dived for the stairs: Ron rugby-tackled him."
- See, Ron's useful.

08/15/2020 - 32%

(1) "Harry felt sure [Ron and Hermione] were looking at each other behind his back, communicating silently."
- Classic third-wheel talk right there.
(2) '"Snape, headmaster! Snape in Dumbledore's study — Merlin's pants!" [Hermione] shrieked.'
- I know enough of British English to understand that "pants" means something markedly different than the American definition.

08/16/2020 - 35%

(1) "A bright-silver, long-haired cat prowled up and down ... to protect the prosecutors from ... from the dementors."
- Umbridge's patronus reveals the viciousness beneath her kitty exterior.
(2) '"Expec — Expecto patronum," said Hermione. Nothing happened.
"It's the only spell she ever has trouble with," Harry told ... Mrs. Cattermole.'
- Well, glad she has a flaw.

08/17/2020 - 37%

(1) "Hermione was watching Ron fret over the fate of the Cattermoles, and there was such tenderness in her expression that Harry felt almost as if he had surprised her in the act of kissing him."
- Hermione swoons over sensitive Ron. He should do that more often.
- #1 rule of swooning: don't get caught swooning.
(2) Hermione's an awful cook. Flaws make her endearing.

08/18/2020 - 39%

(1) Ted Tonks: "The Prophet? ... You want the facts, try the Quibbler."
- Ah, in the land of the blind the one-eyed man is king... or however it goes.
(2) Ron: "We're about as near getting rid of [the horcrux] as we are to finding the rest of them — nowhere effing near, in other words!"
- "Effing"? Some evil locket! Can't even influence Ron to use real effing swears.

08/19/2020 - 41%

Kiss rejected! Sorry, Harry. She loves Ron.

(1) Hermione: "I'm staying. Ron, we said we'd go with Harry, we said we'd help."
Ron: "I get it. You choose him."
Hermione: "Ron, no — please — come back, come back!"
- Ah, the subtext is exquisite.
(2) "[Hermione] threw herself into a chair, curled up, and started to cry."
- That's 4/7 books she's had a big Ron-cry.

08/20/2020 - 43%

(1) "Hermione dropped Harry's hand and walked away from him, finally sitting down on a large rock, her face on her knees, shaking with what he knew were sobs."
- Harry must be thinking, "I can't smell that bad? Can I?"
(2) Harry: "Gryffindor came from Godric's Hollow?"
Hermione: "As the village is named after him, I'd have thought you might have made the connection."

08/21/2020 - 45%

(1) "[Hermione] stood hugging herself in the midst of the candlelit squalor, looking toward the bookcase."
- When feeling shaky, bookcases are Hermoine's refuge.
(2) "[Harry] left [Hermione] sitting beside his bed, desiring nothing more than to get away from her."
- On one hand, she broke his wand by accident. On the other hand, she did render him magically impotent.

08/22/2020 - 47%

Literally Ron's worst nightmare.

(1) Rita Skeeter: 'Elphias "Dogbreath" Doge, the dim-witted but devoted sidekick [Dumbledore] had picked up at school.'
- Sounds like film-Ron, except for the "Dogbreath" part. Lavender, for one, seemed to love his breath.
(2) Rita Skeeter openly admits to using Veritaserum on Bathilda Bagshot. Last I checked, that was illegal.

08/23/2020 - 49%

Ah, relationship back to normal. ¡La pasión!

(1) Riddle: "Least loved, always ... Least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend ... Second best, always, eternally overshadowed."
(2) "Riddle-Hermione ... was more beautiful and yet more terrible than the real Hermione."
- Don't tell that to real Hermione that... being terrible to Ron's totally her thing.

08/24/2020 - 51%

(1) Harry: "She's like my sister ... I love her like a sister and I reckon she feels the same way about me. It's always been like that. I thought you knew."
- Didn't seem that way in the film... funny way to act toward your sister.
(2) Ron destroys the locket and then has himself a big Hermione-cry. Eh, he was due. Seeing as she has four big Ron-cries under her belt.

08/25/2020 - 53%

(1) Hermione to Harry: "Maybe it's something you need to find out for yourself."
Ron: "Yeah! ... That makes sense."
Hermione: "No, it doesn't!"
- Being anti-Ron conflicts with being logical.
(2) Harry: "You only agreed to try and get back in her good books."
Ron: "All's fair in love and war, and this is a bit of both."
- Aww, he loves her... I'm sure not as a sister.

08/26/2020 - 55%

(1) '"There were once three brothers who were traveling along a lonely, winding road at twilight —"
"Midnight, our mum always told us," said Ron ... Hermione shot him a look of annoyance.'
- Don't compare your girl to your mum!
(2) Xenophilius: "[Luna] is down at Bottom Bridge, fishing for Plimpies."
Harry: "So why have you only laid that tray for four?"
- Checkmate!

08/27/2020 - 58%

(1) Potterwatch code names:
- Lee Jordan is River (as in Jordan River)
- Kingsley is Royal (kings are royal)
- Remus is Romulus (twin founders of Rome)
- Fred is Rodent (because Weasley sounds like weasel), but wants to be called Rapier (???)
(2) Hermione: "I only said that to try and persuade you ... I didn't really believe it!"
- Questionable morals, that Hermione.

08/28/2020 - 60%

(1) Why bother to change your name if you don't want anyone to say it?
(2) '"What is it, Wormtail?" called Lucius Malfoy from above.
"Nothing!" Ron called back, in a passable imitation of Wormtail's wheezy voice. "All fine!"'
- I didn't know Ron could imitate voices. Must be a hit at parties.
(3) Wonder if it still counts as suicide if your arm has a mind of its own?

08/29/2020 - 62%

(1) Harry uses three wands at once to stupefy Greyback... makes you wonder whether multiple-core wands are a thing, or why no one owns more than one wand.
- It'd probably be akin to using a machine gun.
(2) "With a little shudder the elf became quite still, and his eyes were nothing more than great glassy orbs, sprinkled with light from the stars they could not see."

08/30/2020 - 64%

(1) "The steady rhythm of [Harry's] arms beat time with his thoughts. Hallows ... Horcruxes ... Hallows ... Horcruxes ..."
- In the end, he chooses horcruxes.
(2) Hermione and Luna wearing Fleur's clothes is a touch of hilarity beneath the sadness.
(3) "Hermione took the chair beside the dressing table; Ron sat on the arm."
- Aww... it's like a bicycle-built-for-two.

08/31/2020 - 66%

(1) Olivander: "Walnut and dragon heartstring ... Twelve-and-three-quarter inches. Unyielding. This wand belonged to Bellatrix Lestrange."
- As a woodworker, I can say that walnut has high acidity, and is one of the few species too toxic for mulch.
(2) Hermione: "I'm a Mudblood!"
Ron: "Don't call yourself —"
Hermione: "Why shouldn't I? ... Mudblood, and proud of it!"

09/01/2020 - 68%

(1) Bill: "Dealings between wizards and goblins have been fraught for centuries — but you'll know all that from History of Magic."
- Yes, History of Magic... smile and nod.
(2) '"Hermione and Fleur both squealed, "Congratulations!" and Ron said, "Blimey, a baby!" as if he had never heard of such a thing before.'
- To be fair, Ron was a year old when Ginny was a baby.

09/02/2020 - 70%

(1) '"You'll be using [Bellatrix's] actual wand," said Harry, nodding toward the walnut wand, "so I reckon you'll be pretty convincing." Hermione looked frightened that the wand might sting or bite her.'
- Just don't use it for firewood or compost... walnut's toxic.
(2) Harry casts the Imperius Curse which, while Unforgivable, is probably forgivable in this instance.

09/03/2020 - 72%

(1) "Behind him, whether from delight or fear he could not tell, Ron kept swearing at the top of his voice, and Hermione seemed to be sobbing."
- Ah, how very Ron and Hermione. How they each handle stress strikes at the heart of their personalities.
(2) I think it's indicative of how good a job he's done that I've not mentioned Stephen Fry at all during this re-read.

09/04/2020 - 75%

(1) '"Accio Cloak!" roared one of the Death Eaters. Harry seized its folds, but it made no attempt to escape: The Summoning Charm had not worked on it.'
- Well, it must be a real Hallow then, not summonable and thus not subject to other magic.
(2) 'It was of Ron and Hermione that he thought as he whispered, "Expecto Patronum!"'
- Aww... they're Harry's happy thought!

09/05/2020 - 77%

(1) Ron: "Yeah, well, food's one of the five exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration."
- Hermione must be beaming.
(2) Seamus: "We've been hiding out [in the Room of Requirement] ... and it even sprouted a pretty good bathroom once girls started turning up —"
Lavender: "— and thought they'd quite like to wash, yes."
- So... boys don't "require" washing?

09/06/2020 - 79%

(1) Harry uses the Cruciatus Curse and McGonagall uses the Imperius Curse. Sure, rules get thrown out when it comes to war, but do the ends justify the means?
(2) In the film McGonagall duels Snape one-on-one until he flees. In the book, it's Flitwick that runs Snape off.
(3) 'Professor McGonagall dryly, "we teachers are rather good at magic, you know."'
- Ha! Sassy.

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