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since i posted this on tumblr i guess i'll put it here, too
Um, so I may actually be working on my HP rewrite-of-DH-epic? Let's not talk about it. And so basically all I have done the last week or so is eat sleep and breathe Harry Potter (except for a brief break today to watch The Hour which entirely won me over in one episode and OMG ROMOLA AND BEN. BENNNNNNNNNNNNN. Watch it). So I've accumulated a lot of thoughts and thought I might as well share. They are legion. I warn you.
+ The best books are Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix.
+ The best movies are Prisoner of Azkaban (HELLO ALFONSO CUARON WOULD YOU PLEASE BE MARRYING ME NOW) and Deathly Hallows Part I. The first two films obviously don't have any depth, and all the rest feel less like movies and more like strings of scenes tied loosely together. Like really long montages, actually. But PoA and DH1 both feel like movies. And DH1 actually improves upon the text in some ways.
+ The prettiest movies are PoA and OotP. PoA has this lovely aged quality to it that's rough around the edges and kind of reminds me of a daguerreotype. OotP has the PRETTIEST COLORS OMG I AM DYING.
+ The more I watch of the films the more I grow convinced that if you haven't read the books you won't be able to follow them. Which isn't a bad thing, necessarily, just an observation.
+ The thing that pissed me off most in the last movie was all the Slytherins being completely evil. LIFE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THIS. ELEVEN YEAR OLDS ARE NOT DOOMED TO BE EVIL. UGH IT MAKES ME SO MAD. I really wanted to see more Slytherins turn out to be good people. AND I WANTED THE MOVIE NOT TO TAKE THEM ALL TO THE DUNGEON BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL EVIL.
+ The first two books are charming but nothing really all that special (JKR's imagination aside, which is truly wondrous), and the last two are a major disappointment to me. HBP and DH don't do almost any of the things that I want them to, and war-wise, especially, they don't live up to the promise of the middle three (especially OotP, which made me think that we were ACTUALLY GOING TO GET A WAR NARRATIVE AND TALK ABOUT CHILD SOLDIERS AND THEN WE DIDN'T REALLY). There are some great and moving scenes in both of them, but on the whole they just don't deliver for me.
+ The cast for these films is the MOST DELIGHTFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE EVER ACCUMULATED. I do not understand. DanRad is gloriously lovable and Emma could be my BFF any time she would like and Rupert is probably the best person alive. And that's not even getting into people like Jason Isaacs and Emma Thompson. WHY SO FLAWLESS, CAST?
+ The single thing that moved me most in this entire month or so of revived HP love is when Jason Isaacs said in an interview about the people who showed up for the London premiere: "They're not here to see us. They're here to say goodbye to their childhoods." HOW DOES HE GET IT? I LOVE THAT HE GETS IT.
+ I love Gary Oldman as much as the next person, but the ages on the Marauders + Lily are SO WRONG. SO VERY VERY WRONG. These people were like 21 when Harry was born! They should not look so old! Sirius, especially, is supposed to be youngish and handsome, and while Gary Oldman is not harsh on the eyes, he is not at all right for this role (yes, yes, I know Azkaban would have aged him, but not that much). See also: David Thewlis and the other actors who are all supposed to be the same age. I always thought that at least part of the tragedy of these people is that they died/had their lives destroyed so incredibly young by this war. We're supposed to believe that Sirius is immature enough to want to treat Harry just like he's James, but I just don't see that with Gary Oldman. TOO OLD. HIS LAST NAME IS EVEN OLDMAN THAT SHOULD BE A HINT. Also: Snape, though Alan Rickman is so good I almost don't care.
+ I feel really bad for Bonnie Wright, because while she was perfectly decent at playing young!Ginny, she doesn't have the onscreen energy to play Ginny as she gets older. Say what you will about book!Ginny not being well-developed (an argument that has some legitimacy), but she's nothing if not vibrant and energetic. That's absolutely necessary to Ginny's characterization, and she completely lacks it. She may be a very fine young actress, but she's so woefully miscast that it's just painful to watch sometimes. Poor girl. I hope she's in stuff she's good in later.
+ All of Dan's kissing scenes are awkwardawkwardawkward, and I'm pretty sure this is because of the lack of chemistry between him and the actresses. Who knows, though--maybe he's just an awkward kisser?
+ It really is amazing how much better Emma is in the last two films. She learned to act, and did a really, really love job. I hope she
+ But let's face it: Rupert is the most effortlessly talented of all the kids. His line delivery often kills me ("It's been known to happen" sends me into FITS OF RAPTURE) in all the best ways. And if you haven't read **this article about him, your life is sad and you need to fix it. I want him to be in ALL THE MOVIES from now on. Or possibly be a ginger!Doctor. After we have a not-a-white-guy!Doctor, because that's more important.
+ Ron gets shortchanged. All the time. I will not start talking about this or else I will start to cry.
+ This is something that's very, very specific to me, but: it really bugs me that after the 2nd movie, there's no way that you could claim that Hermione's hair is bushy. As someone with massively curly (big) hair who grew up having major issues with frizz (it's mostly settled down now, thankfully), I always LOVED that Hermione had this totally unmanageable hair. They could have done something with Emma's to make it bushier. It's not that hard. Besides, the power of the Yule Ball scene in GoF was completely undercut because she looked just like she always did, only in a dress.
+ Is it just me or are wizarding parents the worst people ever? The Ministry has fallen, Dumbledore is dead, and yet they decided to still send their kids to school? Oh, we'll just send them off to be far away from us and minimally supervised during the MIDDLE OF A WAR with a group of people who obviously have no problem killing children. Oh, that'll turn out well! And do we get any reference to them trying to get to their kids at any point during DH? I guess it would make sense if they tried and couldn't, but WHAT WERE THEY THINKING leaving those kids with the Carrows? Worst parents ever, I say.
+ The fact that we know nothing at all about Hermione's life in the Muggle world will never fail to vex me.
+ Okay, so the whole blood purity thing. I'm pretty sure at some point it's said that there are very few purebloods left? Correct? So quite a few of the Death Eaters, at least, must have at least some Muggle blood. So what's the cut off? When do you become too Muggle not to be on their side? Do you have to be half-Muggle? Entirely Muggle-born? Or just really willing to kill people who haven't done anything to you?
+ I must be the only person alive who doesn't have a lot of Snape feelings. I mean, my feelings are that he's pretty much a horrible person who terrorizes eleven-year-old children, joined the wizarding equivalent of the Nazis, called a girl who wanted to be his friend and who stood up for him a racial slur, and was basically a giant jerk. That's not to say that he didn't do some good things or that there's no good in him at all, but the idea that he's some kind of wonderful woobie hero pisses me off. And yet, I'm not overly invested in him in the books. Everybody else was all worried about The Prince's Tale section of the movies, and I was just meh. Also: I think I would have more respect for him if he'd been a double-agent for any other reason than being in love with Lily. Meh.
+ Lavender Brown does not deserve to be hated and I hope she goes on to be very happy. I would love to read a fic about her and Bill Weasley becoming BFFs and struggling with the werewolf thing together.
+ I love Fleur madly and think the whole scene where she's telling Molly off for thinking that she wouldn't want to marry Bill now that he's scarred is ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES IN THE WHOLE THING. It made me ship that soooooo hard.
+ I would commit murder for some really good information on what the wizarding world is like outside of Britain. DO THEY KNOW ABOUT VOLDEMORT? DO THEY CARE?
+ If I had written these books, they would be about Andromeda Black Tonks and her relationship with her sisters and her struggle to break free of this horrible world she was born into and also about Ted Tonks and how the war being fought over people like him affected him and how they fell in love and were wonderful. (Yes, I've read A Keen Observer and it is excellent.) Barring that, the books would be about Hermione. But clearly I didn't write these books, so they are about the white hero boy. Who I am fond of and all that, I'm just saying that I wouldn't have written them this way.
+ I ship Harry with nobody, really. I can understand the appeal of Luna (definitely) and I can get how people ship him with Ginny, but I just think he's better on his own for the length of the books. Unless the Trio decides to actually be a trio...which would actually make loads of sense, if we're honest. On the other hand, I want him to have a family of his own because he so obviously wants one and we all know he'd make a wonderful dad. But I really think it would have made more sense for him not to end up with anyone in the books.
+ And in closing: RONALD WEASLEY AND RON/HERMIONE STILL GIVE ME ALL THE FEELINGS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A HUMAN BEING TO HAVE.
The end.
+ The best books are Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix.
+ The best movies are Prisoner of Azkaban (HELLO ALFONSO CUARON WOULD YOU PLEASE BE MARRYING ME NOW) and Deathly Hallows Part I. The first two films obviously don't have any depth, and all the rest feel less like movies and more like strings of scenes tied loosely together. Like really long montages, actually. But PoA and DH1 both feel like movies. And DH1 actually improves upon the text in some ways.
+ The prettiest movies are PoA and OotP. PoA has this lovely aged quality to it that's rough around the edges and kind of reminds me of a daguerreotype. OotP has the PRETTIEST COLORS OMG I AM DYING.
+ The more I watch of the films the more I grow convinced that if you haven't read the books you won't be able to follow them. Which isn't a bad thing, necessarily, just an observation.
+ The thing that pissed me off most in the last movie was all the Slytherins being completely evil. LIFE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THIS. ELEVEN YEAR OLDS ARE NOT DOOMED TO BE EVIL. UGH IT MAKES ME SO MAD. I really wanted to see more Slytherins turn out to be good people. AND I WANTED THE MOVIE NOT TO TAKE THEM ALL TO THE DUNGEON BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL EVIL.
+ The first two books are charming but nothing really all that special (JKR's imagination aside, which is truly wondrous), and the last two are a major disappointment to me. HBP and DH don't do almost any of the things that I want them to, and war-wise, especially, they don't live up to the promise of the middle three (especially OotP, which made me think that we were ACTUALLY GOING TO GET A WAR NARRATIVE AND TALK ABOUT CHILD SOLDIERS AND THEN WE DIDN'T REALLY). There are some great and moving scenes in both of them, but on the whole they just don't deliver for me.
+ The cast for these films is the MOST DELIGHTFUL GROUP OF PEOPLE EVER ACCUMULATED. I do not understand. DanRad is gloriously lovable and Emma could be my BFF any time she would like and Rupert is probably the best person alive. And that's not even getting into people like Jason Isaacs and Emma Thompson. WHY SO FLAWLESS, CAST?
+ The single thing that moved me most in this entire month or so of revived HP love is when Jason Isaacs said in an interview about the people who showed up for the London premiere: "They're not here to see us. They're here to say goodbye to their childhoods." HOW DOES HE GET IT? I LOVE THAT HE GETS IT.
+ I love Gary Oldman as much as the next person, but the ages on the Marauders + Lily are SO WRONG. SO VERY VERY WRONG. These people were like 21 when Harry was born! They should not look so old! Sirius, especially, is supposed to be youngish and handsome, and while Gary Oldman is not harsh on the eyes, he is not at all right for this role (yes, yes, I know Azkaban would have aged him, but not that much). See also: David Thewlis and the other actors who are all supposed to be the same age. I always thought that at least part of the tragedy of these people is that they died/had their lives destroyed so incredibly young by this war. We're supposed to believe that Sirius is immature enough to want to treat Harry just like he's James, but I just don't see that with Gary Oldman. TOO OLD. HIS LAST NAME IS EVEN OLDMAN THAT SHOULD BE A HINT. Also: Snape, though Alan Rickman is so good I almost don't care.
+ I feel really bad for Bonnie Wright, because while she was perfectly decent at playing young!Ginny, she doesn't have the onscreen energy to play Ginny as she gets older. Say what you will about book!Ginny not being well-developed (an argument that has some legitimacy), but she's nothing if not vibrant and energetic. That's absolutely necessary to Ginny's characterization, and she completely lacks it. She may be a very fine young actress, but she's so woefully miscast that it's just painful to watch sometimes. Poor girl. I hope she's in stuff she's good in later.
+ All of Dan's kissing scenes are awkwardawkwardawkward, and I'm pretty sure this is because of the lack of chemistry between him and the actresses. Who knows, though--maybe he's just an awkward kisser?
+ It really is amazing how much better Emma is in the last two films. She learned to act, and did a really, really love job. I hope she
+ But let's face it: Rupert is the most effortlessly talented of all the kids. His line delivery often kills me ("It's been known to happen" sends me into FITS OF RAPTURE) in all the best ways. And if you haven't read **this article about him, your life is sad and you need to fix it. I want him to be in ALL THE MOVIES from now on. Or possibly be a ginger!Doctor. After we have a not-a-white-guy!Doctor, because that's more important.
+ Ron gets shortchanged. All the time. I will not start talking about this or else I will start to cry.
+ This is something that's very, very specific to me, but: it really bugs me that after the 2nd movie, there's no way that you could claim that Hermione's hair is bushy. As someone with massively curly (big) hair who grew up having major issues with frizz (it's mostly settled down now, thankfully), I always LOVED that Hermione had this totally unmanageable hair. They could have done something with Emma's to make it bushier. It's not that hard. Besides, the power of the Yule Ball scene in GoF was completely undercut because she looked just like she always did, only in a dress.
+ Is it just me or are wizarding parents the worst people ever? The Ministry has fallen, Dumbledore is dead, and yet they decided to still send their kids to school? Oh, we'll just send them off to be far away from us and minimally supervised during the MIDDLE OF A WAR with a group of people who obviously have no problem killing children. Oh, that'll turn out well! And do we get any reference to them trying to get to their kids at any point during DH? I guess it would make sense if they tried and couldn't, but WHAT WERE THEY THINKING leaving those kids with the Carrows? Worst parents ever, I say.
+ The fact that we know nothing at all about Hermione's life in the Muggle world will never fail to vex me.
+ Okay, so the whole blood purity thing. I'm pretty sure at some point it's said that there are very few purebloods left? Correct? So quite a few of the Death Eaters, at least, must have at least some Muggle blood. So what's the cut off? When do you become too Muggle not to be on their side? Do you have to be half-Muggle? Entirely Muggle-born? Or just really willing to kill people who haven't done anything to you?
+ I must be the only person alive who doesn't have a lot of Snape feelings. I mean, my feelings are that he's pretty much a horrible person who terrorizes eleven-year-old children, joined the wizarding equivalent of the Nazis, called a girl who wanted to be his friend and who stood up for him a racial slur, and was basically a giant jerk. That's not to say that he didn't do some good things or that there's no good in him at all, but the idea that he's some kind of wonderful woobie hero pisses me off. And yet, I'm not overly invested in him in the books. Everybody else was all worried about The Prince's Tale section of the movies, and I was just meh. Also: I think I would have more respect for him if he'd been a double-agent for any other reason than being in love with Lily. Meh.
+ Lavender Brown does not deserve to be hated and I hope she goes on to be very happy. I would love to read a fic about her and Bill Weasley becoming BFFs and struggling with the werewolf thing together.
+ I love Fleur madly and think the whole scene where she's telling Molly off for thinking that she wouldn't want to marry Bill now that he's scarred is ONE OF MY FAVORITE SCENES IN THE WHOLE THING. It made me ship that soooooo hard.
+ I would commit murder for some really good information on what the wizarding world is like outside of Britain. DO THEY KNOW ABOUT VOLDEMORT? DO THEY CARE?
+ If I had written these books, they would be about Andromeda Black Tonks and her relationship with her sisters and her struggle to break free of this horrible world she was born into and also about Ted Tonks and how the war being fought over people like him affected him and how they fell in love and were wonderful. (Yes, I've read A Keen Observer and it is excellent.) Barring that, the books would be about Hermione. But clearly I didn't write these books, so they are about the white hero boy. Who I am fond of and all that, I'm just saying that I wouldn't have written them this way.
+ I ship Harry with nobody, really. I can understand the appeal of Luna (definitely) and I can get how people ship him with Ginny, but I just think he's better on his own for the length of the books. Unless the Trio decides to actually be a trio...which would actually make loads of sense, if we're honest. On the other hand, I want him to have a family of his own because he so obviously wants one and we all know he'd make a wonderful dad. But I really think it would have made more sense for him not to end up with anyone in the books.
+ And in closing: RONALD WEASLEY AND RON/HERMIONE STILL GIVE ME ALL THE FEELINGS IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A HUMAN BEING TO HAVE.
The end.
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This post is excellent. The points about Fleur and Bill + Lavender dealing with wereism are wonderful and I agree with them. Still don’t care about Snape; still cannot talk about Ron in the movies without getting upset except that Rupert Grint is a wonderful being. I thought I was the only one cool with Harry being single all this life but I AM NOT YAY. Also, I feel bad for authors sometimes because they start out with these really great premises but you’ve got to know that halfway through the series they stumble upon an amazing character and they’re kicking themselves and they want to refocus the entire series around them but they can’t. And it is sad. Alas. Andromeda Tonks, you deserve your own series.
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I'm sure that there's got to be a Bill + Lavender fic out there, I just wish I could find it! Of course, if I find it, it probably won't be well-written. *sigh* Such is life.
Also, I feel bad for authors sometimes because they start out with these really great premises but you’ve got to know that halfway through the series they stumble upon an amazing character and they’re kicking themselves and they want to refocus the entire series around them but they can’t. And it is sad. Alas. Andromeda Tonks, you deserve your own series.
I know! If JKR ever does write a prequel series, it should be about Andromeda instead of the Marauders. Not that I don't love the Marauders, but: ANDROMEDA.
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Say what you will about book!Ginny not being well-developed (an argument that has some legitimacy), but she's nothing if not vibrant and energetic. That's absolutely necessary to Ginny's characterization, and she completely lacks it.
The fact that we know nothing at all about Hermione's life in the Muggle world will never fail to vex me.
Lavender Brown does not deserve to be hated and I hope she goes on to be very happy. I would love to read a fic about her and Bill Weasley becoming BFFs and struggling with the werewolf thing together.
I would commit murder for some really good information on what the wizarding world is like outside of Britain. DO THEY KNOW ABOUT VOLDEMORT? DO THEY CARE?
Unless the Trio decides to actually be a trio...which would actually make loads of sense, if we're honest.
I'm happy fanfic exists to correct these oversights. :)
All of Dan's kissing scenes are awkwardawkwardawkward, and I'm pretty sure this is because of the lack of chemistry between him and the actresses. Who knows, though--maybe he's just an awkward kisser?
That's obviously cause he wants to be kissing Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton! *sidles off*
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Me, too. And happy that JKR doesn't feel at all threatened by fic. Sometimes her writing really disappointments me, but she seems like a wonderful person. I'm a fan of her as a human being.
That's obviously cause he wants to be kissing Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton! *sidles off*
Naughty, naughty! :D
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I haven't seen either DH1 or DH2 yet. I guess I will probably try to before DH2 goes out of theatres? Ha, I have just sort of been unimpressed with the last few movies and sort of fallen out of interest. /blasphemy
Re: Snape, I am outside HP fandom so I never particularly had to deal with the woobiefication of him. I think I was hoping for him to be more altruistic while reading. But in retrospect I think it is better this way. I think the point is not that Snape was a good person; but that love can be redemptive to a degree even in bad people. Snape is a bad person who Dumbledore used (like he uses everyone) for good, and is the ironic, *living* embodiment of Lily's love, which is basically the central thing that keeps Harry alive. So Snape's love for Lily means he protects Harry at all costs; that goes beyond altruism in Harry's story specifically. He describes him in the cheesy epilogue as the bravest man he's ever known, not the best.
Anyway, I like him, still, on a personal level. As I see it, he has no internal life, no friends, exactly one confidant in Dumbledore who is his boss and who dies, and he relishes playing the bitter professor and torturing people because he doesn't have the option of finding other things in his life to give him pleasure, since they would almost certainly give up the game and ruin his double agent-ness. He's in a prison of his own making, and I find that sad and touching.
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DH1 is excellentexcellentexcellent. I highly recommend it.
I think I was hoping for him to be more altruistic while reading. But in retrospect I think it is better this way. I think the point is not that Snape was a good person; but that love can be redemptive to a degree even in bad people. Snape is a bad person who Dumbledore used (like he uses everyone) for good, and is the ironic, *living* embodiment of Lily's love, which is basically the central thing that keeps Harry alive....He's in a prison of his own making, and I find that sad and touching.
This is an excellent analysis, and I think if it weren't for fandom reactions, I could embrace it.
But I'm also always skeptical that he really loved Lily as opposed to just being sort of obsessed with her: if he loved her, would he have treated her son that way?
He's definitely one of the more nuanced and well-developed characters in the series, so I totally understand your reaction to him. It's one I approve of. :D
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Ok. Rant over.
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Oh, oh, and I know what you mean about not being able to get into Ron getting shortchanged without getting upset! I sometimes feel like if I hadn't read the books, the movies would seem like they were about badass, interesting, well-rounded Harry and his badass, interesting, well-rounded BFF Hermione, and some guy they shoved in the background to be comic relief, as well as Hermione's love interest. Thank goodness for Rupert, whose acting at least elevates the character occasionally.
Btw, have you read this? Your third to last point made me think of it.
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YES.
sometimes feel like if I hadn't read the books, the movies would seem like they were about badass, interesting, well-rounded Harry and his badass, interesting, well-rounded BFF Hermione, and some guy they shoved in the background to be comic relief, as well as Hermione's love interest. Thank goodness for Rupert, whose acting at least elevates the character occasionally.
OMG SO WELL SAID.
THAT IS THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER READ. I have a few quibbles with some of the details but still: BEST THING I HAVE EVER READ.
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I have to admit my favorite book is The Goblet of Fire mostly because it was the most fun, with the Quidditch World Cup (WIZARDS THAT AREN'T BRITISH!!) and the Tri-Wizard Tournament (okay, Euro-centric but still outside of Britain), though I totally agree about the best movies. My favorite is Prisoner of Azkaban (WHY COULDN'T CUARON DO THEM ALL? Then again if he were directing all the other Harry Potters we wouldn't have gotten Children of Men, the best and most subtle apocalyptic movie ever directed) though DH 1 was probably one of the best moviegoing experiences I've ever had (a bit better than DH 2 because there wasn't that added melancholy that this is the end). DH1 makes Camping, the Novel better than the book was, because we got pretty landscapes instead of boring text.
Ron does get shortchanged. I don't have all the feelings about him, but even I noticed this. The cockblock meme is there for a reason.
I like the idea of Snape/Lily, just not the execution, and either way Snape's a mean creep. But Alan Rickman does deserve all the awards.
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Then again if he were directing all the other Harry Potters we wouldn't have gotten Children of Men, the best and most subtle apocalyptic movie ever directed
Truth, and I can't be upset about this.
We are in agreement on everything, apparently. Shocked, I am.
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The thing that pissed me off most in the last movie was all the Slytherins being completely evil. LIFE DOESN'T WORK LIKE THIS. ELEVEN YEAR OLDS ARE NOT DOOMED TO BE EVIL. UGH IT MAKES ME SO MAD. I really wanted to see more Slytherins turn out to be good people. AND I WANTED THE MOVIE NOT TO TAKE THEM ALL TO THE DUNGEON BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL EVIL.
so much yes. Even if Sorting were appropriate at age 11, what the what? Ambition is not evil! Ambition is as ambition does, same as brains or courage or work ethic.
Andromeda Black Tonks and her relationship with her sisters and her struggle to break free of this horrible world she was born into and also about Ted Tonks and how the war being fought over people like him affected him and how they fell in love and were wonderful
♥! I love this idea.
OotP, which made me think that we were ACTUALLY GOING TO GET A WAR NARRATIVE AND TALK ABOUT CHILD SOLDIERS AND THEN WE DIDN'T REALLY....I would commit murder for some really good information on what the wizarding world is like outside of Britain. DO THEY KNOW ABOUT VOLDEMORT? DO THEY CARE?
I wonder how much the whole HP phenomenon works as like a...cultural wish-fulfillment to post-WWII generations. What if someone had successfully intervened in time? We didn't see a war in the books like we might have expected because the plot presented what's probably an on-the-ground best-case-scenario in terms of real-world conflict, with the DE faction neutralized quickly by domestic forces. And whether or not that works for people plot-wise (I liked the last couple books, but totally subjective, I know), I wonder if that's not part of the massive appeal on some level, is this very comforting answer to the hypothetical.
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I KNOW. This is exactly how I feel.
Ambition is not evil! Ambition is as ambition does, same as brains or courage or work ethic.
Absolutely. And honestly, I think it's a dangerous message to send to kids.
♥! I love this idea.
Still in mourning that it doesn't exist.
What if someone had successfully intervened in time? We didn't see a war in the books like we might have expected because the plot presented what's probably an on-the-ground best-case-scenario in terms of real-world conflict, with the DE faction neutralized quickly by domestic forces. And whether or not that works for people plot-wise (I liked the last couple books, but totally subjective, I know), I wonder if that's not part of the massive appeal on some level, is this very comforting answer to the hypothetical.
I had never considered this, but it's a fascinating angle to approach it. That's a reality we'd like to live, but it's not a story I'm that interested in reading unless it's Inglourious Basterds but that's just because I'm obsessed with Shosanna. It's good for me to keep in mind, though. I like your brain!
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It was annoying and super weird because in HBP, we got the perfect example for a good Slytherin with Slughorn. He showed that you can be attracted to power and be a little sneaky and greedy without being evil. And unlike Snape, he didn't have to sacrifice his Slytherin traits to fight the good fight. The hate on that house is so ridiculous.
"+ This is something that's very, very specific to me, but: it really bugs me that after the 2nd movie, there's no way that you could claim that Hermione's hair is bushy. As someone with massively curly (big) hair who grew up having major issues with frizz (it's mostly settled down now, thankfully), I always LOVED that Hermione had this totally unmanageable hair. They could have done something with Emma's to make it bushier. It's not that hard. Besides, the power of the Yule Ball scene in GoF was completely undercut because she looked just like she always did, only in a dress."
Emma Watson was impressive in the last 2 movies, but I'll never understand why they cast her in the first place. Her acting was quite terrible in the beginning, and she looks nothing like Hermione in the books. I don't like how they feel they have to make the characters more attractive in movie adaptations to be able to sell the film. Hermione's hair and teeth were part of her character.
Btw, what do you think of Michael Gambon's Dumbledore? I mean Dumbledore WAS kind of a douche, but his portrayal killed whatever magic was left in this character. He looked so agressive and creepy all the time, ugh.
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YES. I just wish there'd been a student who got the same treatment. I'm planning one for my fic, and I'm super excited.
Emma Watson was impressive in the last 2 movies, but I'll never understand why they cast her in the first place. Her acting was quite terrible in the beginning, and she looks nothing like Hermione in the books.
Agreed. I find her beyond delightful as a person, but she is just not Hermione, is she? I might be a little bitter because I pretty much would have made a fantastic Hermione if I weren't American. And also not an actor.
Btw, what do you think of Michael Gambon's Dumbledore? I mean Dumbledore WAS kind of a douche, but his portrayal killed whatever magic was left in this character. He looked so agressive and creepy all the time, ugh.
I agree. I thought he did a pretty decent job in PoA, actually, but after that his performance was just off. If only Richard Harris had lived! He was wonderful and whimsical and fantastic!
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Haha as a fellow member of the big hair club I feel you on the point about Hermione.
I would read your book about Andromeda Blank Tonks.
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No energy or I'd write more, but basically -- WORD to everything you said. So glad you posted this.