Ok, so I in fact finished the book at 5pm on Saturday (I read pretty fast).

Short non-spoiler version: It's good. A cliffhanger, but better than #5.

Spoiler version below the fold Ok, so here goes. H-W-M-N-B-N is indeed back, even Fudge has to admit it, and as such is sacked as Minister and replaced by Rufus Scrimgeour, head of Magical Law Enforcement.

Narcissa Malfoy and her sister Bellatrix Lestrange (you remember, the one that killed Sirius) seek out Snape's help in protect Draco as he carries out a special mission from the Dark Lord himself. Snape agrees.

Harry, of course, is in Privet Lane avoiding the Dursleys when a curious letter instructing him to be ready because Dumbledore is going to pick him up and take him to the Burrow, where among other things Harry finds out that Bill is marrying the half-Veela chick from Goblet of Fire, Fleur.

So begins another year in the life of the Boy Who Lived. JK Rowling tries very hard in this book to make it a stand alone, but doesn't quite succeed. Whether it's because EVERYONE knows book 7 is the end, or because the build up of events is rather quick at the end of the book, is not clear. In the last 100 pages alone, we learn that Voldemort cannot be killed unless each of the 7 parts of his soul (hidden in 6 "horcruxes" and his own body, of course) are destroyed, these horcruxes can only be made when you spilt your soul by killing someone, Dumbeldore wants Harry to help him find them, Death Eaters invade Hogwarts, and Snape kills Dumbledore using the Avada Kedavra when Draco is too scared to.

But she leaves us quite the cliffhanger as well. Dumbledore and Harry have just returned from the pursuit of one of the horcruxes and after AD dies, Harry retrieves the horcrux only to find that what they risked so much for is a trinket intended to decieve Voldemort's enchantments, and a note from RAB saying he/she had taken the horcrux.....

Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to make it their personal mission to find and destroy the horcruxes so that Voldemort can be destroyed.....

My personal take, It wasn't bad. Too much discussion of snogging, and who was snogging whom, but I suppose 16 and 17 year olds do that. Heck, we did.

Other tidbits: Dobby gets a go a Kreacher, who indeed does belong to Harry after Sirius' death. That made me happy. Ron splinches himself learning to apparate. Moaning Myrtle returns with a cameo. Hermione finally falls for Ron, while Harry ends up with Ginny Weasley. Ron also (evidently) has learned how to flip people off....

Posted by: caltechgirl at 04:05 PM | Comments (3) | Add Comment
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