Harry Potter (split, finally!)

[Byakuya San]

If it interests anyone, JKR has updated her official website (jkrowling.com) with a thank-you I think is worth a read. It requires flash player, but if you can load it, click the eraser on her desk, then the doorknob, and finally the note.

[Wind]

Less than 5 hours left. Of course there's no midnight release, so I'll just have to try and sleep until 9:30, when the bookshop will open D=
Oh, mum said that our newspaper revealed plot points too. And I stopped listening to the news, in case they decide to be morons and hand out spoilers there too.

[Hil]

You know the epilogue that's been going around the web is fake though? I'll put it behind a spoiler tag anyways:

EDIT: IGNORE! I think it was real. Sorry.

Last edited by Hil on Mon Jul 23, 2007 8:08 pm, edited 8 times in total.

[Mongrel]

When did she confirm the epilogue as fake?

[Asthaloth]

You know the epilogue that's been going around the web is fake though? (According to JKR) I'll put it behind a spoiler tag anyways:

Harry has a son with Ginny and names him Albus Severus after "The two headmasters at Hogwarts"

I couldn't stop laughing.

...
AHAHA

Though that aint the one I've read.

[Alex]

eeeeeeeee I have the book =D I'm at page 56 so far.. am desperately trying to read as much as I can get before I have to work at 3pm x.x

[Bart]

WoW! I never realized that there's a lot of spoilers!

[zorg]

Finished! Took 4 hrs and 22 minutes

Huzzahness.

Now for someone else to finish so i can talk about it with someone

[Unitylejean]

Finished! Took 4 hrs and 22 minutes

I haven't finished it yet (heck, I haven't even started) but I've read someone's summary on the net. Well, a summary of the scanned version, anyway. I like spoilers. I'm weird, I know.
So zorg, could you please confirm if the leaked material really WAS the original version with

The Elder Wand, Snape/Lilly thing and the nineteen years later epilouge with the one and only Albus Severus?

Because if it was... then suddenly I don't feel like reading it at all.

[zorg]

Yes, from what that spoiler above says, the leaked version WAS the correct version.

However, it may sounds weird but its SUPER BLOODY GOOD.

The ending just works, it was great!

[ahoteinrun]

I have never sworn so much in my life (and I work construction) as I did while finishing this book.

OH. MY. GOD.
BUT! I was a good girl and I didn't cry. I just swore. A lot. It started at about page 5, and didn't stop till about page 456 when I was in such awe. (random page chosen, but it was around that area when I was soo enwrapped with the book)

And now below. DO NOT READ SPOILER UNLESS HAVE FINISHED BOOK!

I am ever so angry at myself that Snape was good. EVER SO ANGRY. Wow. Just wow. I'm like... 6 hours up past my bed time to read this thing. 3 hours and 15 minutes. Holy wow. I'm just so shaken up. Just wow. I need to re-read this in more depth. I missed somehow where they killed Nagini. Hmm. I'm also deeply saddened by the death of Dobby. My dad thought it would be Hagrid, but I don't think he bit it did he? I'm just shocked at hte amount of death. Of people I liked. Dangit. It's four am and i'm never going to sleep now.

And confused. How many kids did Ginny and Harry have? James, Albus and Lilly? Or were there more? Or less?

I'm terribly saddened about Tonks/Lupin biting the bullet. Oh my god. After having a kid? WHAT THE HELL?! They were honestly my favorite pair. I'm shocked and yet... it does fit. But who was raising little Teddy? I will be re-reading this book tommorow. *fangirl squeal* OMGRONHERMOINEANDGINNYHARRY! */end fangirl squeal*

[Mongrel]

And so it ends.
Immediate reaction:

I'm really quite disappointed with the ending. It felt so sudden and shiny-happy-love. There's no mention of mourning those who died in the final battle--what about Fred? What about Lupin and Tonks?
I know that the feeling after the defeat was overwhelming relief, but we don't get to see the grief that should've come, or any other thoughts about the future with all its rebuilding. There's no mention of the sudden loss of direction that completing the quest should've given Harry. His whole life has been leading up to this fight. What now? What does he do with his life besides marry Ginny and pop out babies with recycled names? Aaaigh on "Albus Severus."
That said, I loved the book right up to the point where Harry found out he was a Horcrux. I really liked that theory when I first read it(back when it was the changeling theory), but somehow it just felt unpleasant seeing it in the book.
Surprisingly, Snape's redemption didn't make me as upset as I thought it would. And I liked how the Malfoy thing turned out, though I wish we could've seen more of how the two got along after that.
Oh, and notice that Peeves calls Voldemort "Voldy" in his little song? Nice touch.
More later. It's 6:15 in the morning and I have to get up in four hours.

[Christopher]

Yay. Book is finished. The only two "spoilers" I ever accidently ran into on 4chan/CAD/friend were untrue, and stayed away from teh internets for the 6 hours it required to read from the outside world. I suppose anyone that read the above spoiler which you thought was fake got Owned however

Even though the movies suck, I can't wait to see this slaughterfest on the big screen.

I'm terribly saddened about Tonks/Lupin biting the bullet. Oh my god. After having a kid? WHAT THE HELL?! They were honestly my favorite pair. I'm shocked and yet... it does fit. But who was raising little Teddy? I will be re-reading this book tommorow. *fangirl squeal* OMGRONHERMOINEANDGINNYHARRY! */end fangirl squeal*

From the 'truly in the family' thing, I'm pretty sure it means Harry.

[Rachel]

i've just finished too, although i'm not quite as fast a reader as you lot. It took me about 13 hours including breaks for two meals and a nap this afternoon when my eyes were getting tired and i just couldnt keep them open!

My thoughts:

I'm still really undecided about a lot of it. I can't decide if i like Dumbledore or not, but it was very interesting learning more about him. and how he could communicate and still instruct snape even though he was just a portrait.

Everytime someone died i gasped, and i definately cried, towards the end even in the happier parts!! there were lots of bits (moreso nearer the beginning) that made me laugh though.

I really liked the Kreature turned out to be nice to harry etc though - it showed that he wasnt horrible really, he was just responding to how he was being treated. But dobby dying was so sad - is there no way to heal wounds caused by silver or was it the specific spot of the wound that killed him?

I liked the ending, although it was all a bit vague - i agree with others that it would have been nice to know a little more about the immediate after effects of that night, and it's a little too convenient that they all had kids the same age, i dont think life really works like that.

However, i really enjoyed reading it. not as much as HBP, but i definately enjoyed it.

[Hil]

It is? I'm sorry, I posted it because it was really too horrible to be true...