I know Betsy and I have enjoyed the last Harry Potter book! Anyone else out there a HP fan?

I thought I'd start this so we'd have a place to discuss the new book.

Warning if you haven't read, there may be spoilers ahead!

I really enjoyed the new book!

That being said, I was a little let down by it too. I think maybe it just had too much pressure and hype on itself.

Good points:
I loved that a lot of it took place outside of Hogwarts. It felt a little "freer" with Harry being able to do magic at anytime, and not in classes.
Loved the epilogue. I enjoyed seeing Harry as an adult.

Bad Points:
Did they really need to camp for months on end? I felt like that section took way too long and wasted time in the story.
I thought the Hallows felt forced. While they were neat, I thought that they almost seemed like they didn't fit in their.

I have lots more, but I'll bring things up as the discussion goes. I don't want to write a novel about the novel.

I read it, too. I agree with everything you said, Meredith, and I also wanted to add that I was very happy to see that Snape wasn't bad after all.

I totally agree! I so wanted him to be good!

I thought it was cool how JK Rowling killed Harry, but then brought him back to life, too. Btw, do you know what that thing was that was in the train station with Harry and Dumbledore when he was "dead" ? It was a baby or something that kept crying. I can't remember what it was now enough to describe it and I don't think the book said what it was supposed to be.

I think it was a part of Voldemort's soul. Since Harry was a Horcrux, when he was killed, the part of Voldemort he contained was killed too.

And I agree, I thought it was neat that he died, but didn't die. I went into the book thinking Harry was a Horcrux and was doomed. So I'm glad he didn't have to die all the way.

I read it too! I love these books!

I agree with everything you said so far. I also think the crying thing was the part of his soul that died. Hmm. I don't know about yall (could be my postpartum emotions) but I got a little choked up when he was walking to his death with his parents and they were talking about being proud of him, etc... I was going to be very disappointed if they hadn't done an epilogue. I like closure!

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Oh, that makes sense! I totally didn't think of Harry being a Horcrux. I guess he was, wasn't he. I tell you, my brain has not been working ever since I got pg.

About the part where Harry was walking to his death, I thought it was sad, but happy at the same time because Harry was now able to be with and talk to all his loved ones (that had died) again. I also like that the author showed us 19 years in the future. It was fun to see what happened with everyone. I love that Harry named his son Albus Severus!

I thought it was cool, too, that Narcissa Malfoy ended up helping Harry.

I didn't like all the hype about characters dying, when no main characters ended up dying after all.

Hey girls - I was so waiting for this book to finally come out! I read it in less than 2 days! I really liked it and liked how it ended - I would have been really upset if she had killed Harry off !!

I believe the reason Harry didn't die is because he was the posessor of the "Deathly Hallows". He had the cloak, the stone and the wand (although Voldemort had the wand he didn't "win" it and it therefore didn't have allegiance to him - since Draco was the actual person to disarm Dumbledore and therefore "won" the wand and then Harry disarmed him, the wand truly belonged to Harry and with it the power to overcome death). That is why I believe Harry had the choice to go back - he overcame death. I also think the baby in the train station was the part of Voldemort's soul that was attached to Harry and it was dying.

I thought Snape giving his memories to Harry at the end was surprising and really filled in alot of blanks. I was so convinced that he was bad!! It was too bad that Voldemort killed him thinking that would "win" him the allegiance of the elder wand.

I was sad that Fred died. I also thought it sad that Lupin and Tonks died too along with Dobby. I did like how we got to see 19 years ahead and saw that Harry was happy with a family of his own.

Overall a great book with so many details. I am reading the last 10 chapters or so again b/c I feel like there is so much I missed the first time through. JK Rowling certainly knows how to spin a good story!!

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GREAT book. So well written and so many answers. I loved finding out about Petunia really wanting to go to Hogwarts. The Snape chapter was one of my favs! I knew he was good but didn't know why...how sad. I cried like a big baby for a few of the deaths like Dobby, and Lupin and Tonks...they just had a baby! Fred made me sad too. I cried for Snape too...and when Harry saw his parents and others. I'm such a sap. I guess the TWO main characters that died might have been Snape and Fred or Snape and Voldermort...they have been there since the beginning. I didn't care too much for the epilogue. I thought it could have been better. It was just ok to me. Overall though, an awesome book.

I too am rereading the last several chapters as I flew through them to get to the end. I'm also going to slowly reread all the books.

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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959323/

This is a great article if you want a little more than the epilogue offered!

Hearing(reading) you girls talk about this book makes me want to read it!

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Who ended up raising Lupin's son? Was it Harry & Ginny?

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I don't think Harry and Ginny raised Teddy. Something they said at the end but I can't remember. My guess is maybe Tonk's mom?!

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I Loved all the books. I think I was just dissapointed with the epilogue because I wanted it to continue forever. I want to have half the imagination that JK Rowling does. I thought Ron would never get back, but alas.....

I loved this last Harry Potter book so much! I wish Rowling was coming out with another one but unfortunately this is the end! I was so excited when I read the article on msnbc about her coming out with a an encyclopedia covering all aspects of Harry Potter.

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dng- I agree with you about the epilogue. I wasn't crazy about it. I wish she had just left it up to our imagination as far as what happened to them in the future.

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I actually read an interview with Rowling where she went into much more detail than the epilogue gave......let me see if I can find it.

Found it!!

Exclusive: Finished ‘Potter’? Rowling tells what happens next - Wild about Harry - MSNBC.com