[but crossing the world.] 2/4

[reenka]

Going onwards! I will finish these notes today if it's the death of me! :O And then on to writing fics madly because OMG PROPHECY SO SOON SO SOON AAAAAHHHHH!!! *breathes*

Okay, I can do this :P

Also: I'm being more emotional about this than about 95% of the stuff that happened to me last year. Why am I so lame :(


"Good luck, Harry, wherever you are." <3.
--

I love the snake thing, how it spoke Parseltongue but Harry didn't realize-- that's a great twist, and exactly the clever sort of use of Parseltongue you never see in fanfic :P
--

Oooh, wandless! Just as Voldy's wand is also useless against Harry. Great twist. I feel like things are definitely falling into place.
--

God, the plot is really awesome in this. <3 In terms of just construction & intricacy, full of twists & yet totally logical <3. Of course the book comes next up. :D [what the hell was I talking about here?? who knows]

And Harry keeps on losing everything until the only thing he's got left is quite literally himself-- and his power that Voldemort knows not. <3
--

Btw, I love how this book responds to and parallels OoTP much more than HBP did in terms of Harry; HBP follow up on Draco's development and set up this book, but here is Harry's repressed rage at Dumbledore some bemoaned the loss of in HBP, not to mention his general feelings of lostness and frustration, unable to find a clear path to follow in direct contrast to fandom's assumptions of his immediate future post-HBP. It seems so ridiculous how everyone seemed to think book 7 was going to be connect-the-dots and straightforward-- a book of pure revelation. And it is, but without the straightforward boring part, thankfully. :P
--

HIS FRIEND GRINDELWALD!!!!!! BEST. FUCKING. EVER. OMG SO MUCH LOVE!!!

So much better than blond pretty Dodgy [hahah, this is hilarious in retrospect]. Though what if Dodgy = Grindelwald??! Ok, too ridiculous [glad I thought so]. Still. <3!!! :D :D Genius twist!

Man, big big love.
--

Also, it's creepy & sad that Hermione seems afraid of Harry. :(
--

Also: I love how everyone evil seems to be handsome. Heh.
--

Holy Christ, forget my sentimental dreams of Dodgy/Dumbly. Albus/Gellert is where it's AT, baby. Whoo-hoo! :D "like a cauldron on fire" :D Oh, 17-year-old Albus. Everyone is stupid as a teenagber in the Potterverse, it seems [...except Luna]. It's just that where James was a 'righteous' asshole, Albus was just a sort of delusional righteous preachy arrogant geek :)) Unsurprising for his type ;)

So yeah, I still trust Dumbledore, so I feel sorry for him. It must have hurt him very much to have Gellert borrow that phrase and use it over things like prisons-- "for the greater good". I wonder if this is why he never gave Tom enough of a chance, as some people have said.

    Harry really does need that fragment of mirror right about now.
--

    That Hermione trusts Harry enough after all to pet his head after he raged at Dumbledore all over the place is just-- so... cute! And Harry closing his eyes. <3 Aww. <3. :>


--

...and unexpectedly, H/Hr shippers rejoice. Sort of. :)) I love it. Though it sucks that I like H/Hr more than H/G at this point, all things considered. -.- Even though I don't get romance vibes off them, they're still more interesting together. -.-
--

The sword in the Lake is actually so transparently Arthurian it's kind of hilarious. :)) I think the white doe is part of faery lore also....

Is the doe his mum's Patronus? Can't be Ginny's....
--

"Her presence meant safety"-- in the HP books, mom's presence literally and metaphorically does mean safety.
--

Ron came back after Harry proved himself a Gryffindor. :(( Forget the SWORD. HARRY GOT RON. :(( Oh Harry <3.

QUALITY THAT DEFINES A GRYFFINDOR: NOTHING WITHOUT HIS FRIENDS. <3

Also: connection to book 4 & the second task <3. Ron & pools <3. except reversed this time. :>


--

Oh, did I mention that Ron saved Harry's life? That's because RON IS AWESOME!!!! :D :D :D! YEAY! ;D The Trio 4EVAH, man.

"Are-- you-- mental?" <3333333333 *siiigh*
It's so brilliant. Ron is the true Gryffindor. Oh Ron <3. You are the hero after all. You are so needed. You cannot be left behind. <3.

[...] "certain kinds of magic, of the incalculable power of certain acts." <33333

And the image of Ron running for the pool <3.

I just love so much how Ron would do ANYTHING for Harry, and how Harry 'isn't being kind' but just... recognizing. Appreciating. Knowing the power that Voldemort knows not! *sigh* And of course Ron has to destroy the locket that drove them apart, that affects & scares him most, because Harry asked him. Harry asked Ron. <3.

HUG FANART NOW!!!!! D: D: D: NOOOOOOWWW!! WAAAAANT!!

See, I've said this to spare_change & I'll say it again: Harry forgives quickly, and doesn't hold grudges for long after debts are settled. For him, proof of Ron's loyalty & a hug was more than enough. Hermione's the one with the emotional range here, teehee <3. I think the contrast is so cute, <3. Aww.

...You know, I'm with Hermione. -.- I'd so have reacted the same way [to Ron returning]. Hee. <3.
--

*cries* "He must've known you'd always want to come back."

Ron always has the best lines. Hee. <3.
--

"All's fair in love and war," Ron said brightly, "and this is a bit of both." :D
--

Them interrupting the Three Brothers story is the best thing ever. Every fairy-tale should be told like that. :> Also: I love the Lovegoods' tower. Sounds like something I would like to live in, and I love how symbolic it is of Ravenclaw. I suspect it may have some clue to a Ravenclaw horcrux [hehehe I R SMRT!]. I'd love to see the tower when the last film is shot. <3

Oh Harry :( I think the only time I've really been disappointed with Harry is when he picked the stone. I mean, I know why, it's just. One more thing that makes him like Riddle [though JKR disagrees], isn't it? Except he doesn't want it for himself, at least.

And oh Ron & his wand. *sigh*
--

I find it interesting that Harry was desperate to know all of 'the truth' about Dumbledore-- yet is so eager to jump into a belief that "arms him in certainty" about the Peverells and the Hallows. I feel like this is a central contradiction in his character, perhaps.
--

Uh-oh. Harry's obsessed again. :> Gotta love how that always disturbs Ron & Hermione. :> At least this time it's not with Malfoy, but I've a feeling Ron & Hermione would kinda prefer Malfoy at this point. :>
--

I am cracked up at Harry's "new" self-absorption & "He would have been happy to sit alone in silence, trying to read Voldemort's thoughts."
:)) OH HARRY :)) *ded*
~~~~
    Sooo... it's day 3 of the Potterama :P I think I may just be the slowest book reader on the planet. :>
~~~~

Oh Harry <3. Oh Remus. <3. "nearly always right." Wah.

Oh, I'm all wibbly about them being captured, but then also aware this was the only way to find out how Draco was doing. Besides, Harry was getting a little too carried away with his new obsession, hehee.
--

A) Draco went to school! (in my main fic he did too).
B) "If that is Harry Potter, he will know." OTP!!! <3<3<3
    "I don't know." <3<3<3<3<3
Aaah excited!! Eeeeee!

The "usually languid, pale face" -- DRACO'S FACE IS-- USUALLY LANGUID!!!! :D :D

I want languid!Draco fanart :(
*sigh* Yeah, this isn't much but I'm still happy.
"It could be." <3<3
DRAAACO <3. I love yooouuuuuu.

Like there's a chance in hell he wouldn't recognize Ron. <3. heeeeee <3

Maan. Book 7 AUs for the WIN!! <3 All Harry has to do is "rescue" Draco too. :> :>
--


--

Hahaha I always thought Wormtail would give it up for the Life Debt of his own free will. Ah well. Figures. Overall I thought his death was a bit anticlimactic (figured he'd have more dramatic a role), but realistic.
--


--

Heehee whatdya wanna bet the wand he uses is Draco's? "felt friendlier in his hand," indeed. :> Plus, see, Draco's still a bit taller <3.
--

[...]"to know, but not to seek? Did you know how hard I'd find that?"
*sigh* Oh Harry <3.
Always the Seeker <3<3<3 I so love Harry in this chapter (24). He's really maturing, and it's beautiful and a bit painful to watch. Dumbledore must be very proud of him.
--

Harry's liking Draco's wand and VICE VERSA is THE MOST ADORABLE THING EVER. But. I shudder to think of fandom going on and on about it for a year like they did with the 'want to know what Draco Malfoy is doing inside you' thing. Even thinking of the fandom's reaction dulls my pure enjoyment. :/
--

Still. Still. I can't resist:
Draco Malfoy: "reasonably springy" <3

I mean... Draco's wand... "bending its will"... to Harry's... after he "took it by force".... *fans herself* :P Aww. It's true lust. <3.
--

All this wandlore stuff is great; of all the subjects in the magic of the Potterverse, I've returned to wandlore the most (in all those unfinished WIPs, of course).

That Harry ignored the unbeatable wand and Voldy invading Hogwarts for it-- because he trusted Dumbledore-- I have no words. I love Harry very, very much right now. And I'm very, very proud of him. This is the most heroic thing he's yet done, no contest. <3. Oh Harry. My Harry. ♥.
--

Btw: I love the shell cottage. Forget about wanting to live in Luna's tower, man. This is the life. :>
--

Aww, godfather!Harry comparing himself to Sirius. <3 My little boy has really grown up. <3.
--

"Well, he's not my type, but he'll do," said Harry. ♥. *dies*
I love JKR. ♥. :D

We all know who your type is, Harry. :))
--

"Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting" <3. Oh Neville. <3

Also, I love Harry's resolve now. When he's full of conviction, it's amazing how strong his instincts are and how deeply he can see into both people & events/puzzles. I love how he knew Dumbledore was never free. <3. Oh Harry. <3.
--

Hehe! Neville's gran is way too awesome for words. Woo-hoo!! :D

I love that they're all waiting for Harry & he comes, and he'd wanted to come from the start. Awww. <3 And um, I also love that Hogwarts is also that important to Riddle, too.

Aaand, I have no clue what's going on in Snape's head. :P
--

Aww, all the hangings. <3 Finally, finally. Hogwarts united (...almost -.-) [and yeah, I skipped right by that issue, and yeah, that was disappointing but not surprising.]
--

Omg omg the ROOM OF REQUIREMENT PROVIDING FOOD (and incidentally a way out) is the most brilliant plot twist ever-- since the last Most Brilliant Plot Twist Ever. LOVE. <3
--

Wow, Voldemort's really emotional o_0 Screaming so much. o_0

Haha it just occurred to me they don't need to leave; the Room will just provide them with the 'lost object', right?
--

Everyone showing up is pretty hilarious, honestly. I totally sympathize 'cause I'm not a team player either, but Harry really does need to learn how to be one when necessary. The "Harry was back and we were going to fight!" thing reminds me weirdly of the Lost Boys & Peter Pan at this point. Heheh. Oh Harry.
--

Heehee, Harry & Luna makes me happy. Like, under the Cloak. I don't mean in a shippy way, though you could make the argument I ship Harry with everyone. It isn't true, but you could make it. :> I'm glad there wasn't too much Ginny. :))

Maaaan... I love it that they're back at Hogwarts searching for lost treasure as time runs out. As in the beginning, so in the end. <333333
--

...Aaand, as usual, McGonagall rules all. <3.

Comments

[amalin.livejournal.com]

Yes to the responding to and paralleling OotP foreverrrrrrr.

Cathy wrote Albus/Gellert, did you know?

I wonder if this is why he never gave Tom enough of a chance, as some people have said. I really like this point.

Your drawings <3

Book 4 and the second task! SDKFJSDKFSSLDKJFS I LOVE THIS POINT. LSKDJFS. HIS WHEEZY :(( I think this is my favorite parallel from past books aside from the obvious Mirror of Erised wanting the stone but not wanting to use it parallel.

The thing is that Harry and Dumbledore just really want to spend time with their dead loved ones, and keep leaping at the hope there's a way to bring them back - from Harry thinking he saw his parents in the Mirror of Erised, to hoping it was his dad casting the Patronus in PoA, to seeing them come out of the wand in GoF and asking Dumbledore hopefully what it meant, to desperately dashing after Nearly Headless Nick to see if Sirius could come back as a ghost. I think it is fitting that he finally does use the Resurrection Stone, but in a way wholly motivated by his love for them and their love for him, when he's going to his death anyway. The fact that he would just want to sit and talk to them for awhile :(( How he looks at his mum like he never wants to stop :( I don't think he ever thinks about it as, "I can trick death," but just as, "I can see my mum and dad? Even for a little, even if it's weird and wrong?"

I mean, the whole thing is that he is like Riddle, so very much, but he's also so very not. Their paths, how much he likes Tom Riddle when he reads the diary at first, because he understands Tom's desire to stay at Hogwarts with no other home - like he likes the Half-Blood Prince when he reads the book. The Seven Potters / the seven horcruxes. The abandoned boys. But his other choices that make him who he is. But he understands where they're coming from and doesn't run from that comparison (the abandoned boys line just gets me every time) anymore, because he knows how he is different, too. I think :-?

That Harry ignored the unbeatable wand and Voldy invading Hogwarts for it-- because he trusted Dumbledore-- I have no words. I love Harry very, very much right now. And I'm very, very proud of him. This is the most heroic thing he's yet done, no contest. <3.

Yes. LSKJS I loved that a lot, it was such a twist and such a difference from every other time he's gone recklessly running, and -- just, him being strong, and -- yeah. Yeah, oh, Harry. You remind me how much I love him and will always, forever. Why do people want to write about Al instead, I don't get it.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

I was really happy there was so much stuff from -all- the books, really, but especially OoTP, and at the same time there was a sense of a chord-- like, all these notes being struck at once, that I liked. And that some people thought made it too scattered, but whatcha gonna do, right :>

Y'know, the Erised thing didn't even occur to me. *headdesk* But there were actual Erised references with Dumbledore and Harry thinking that's the only personal thing he'd asked Dumbledore all this time-- and every time Harry thought something like that, I was like, awwwww <3333 because it felt so real. Like, suddenly Dumbledore became really real both to him and to us as readers, when it was too late, and Harry had all these clogged up emotions-- anger, curiosity, frustration, affection, trust, all battling in him at once. He has such intense relationships with... people other than his girlfriend :))

I agree though, that it's just that they want to spend time with their loved ones-- it's just that I thought that since Harry's dealt with that several times before (as you mentioned!) he'd learned by now, but perphaps the repetition merely means it's deeply rooted and inescapeable in him, to some degree. And I love all those parallels!! Even though that's a LOT of parallels, ahahah, but I'd forgotten the one about the Patronus and I wouldn't have thought to link it to the wand apparition-ghosts.... Though the truth is, much as I could tell it was supposed to be A Good Thing when he walked with his family to his death, I thought them encouraging him and telling him he was a brave boy was creepy/sad :( Even though I loved him looking and looking and never wanting to stop; I felt like at that moment Harry was very purely Harry, very much at his rawest and most needy and vulnerable. I thought it was interesting Lupin was there! Harry really had an odd relationship with Remus in this book. That's one of these things I'd like to think about more-- Harry and Remus and what might happen between them (not in a shippy way) if Tonks died but he didn't :> AU, baby.

It's true though, that in the end he does reconcile his understanding of Tom and Snape with his feelings towards them, which are separate, and his identity, which is his own (and how much did I love Dumbledore saying it's more that Harry's like his mum at heart!!-- ties into 'what did Dumbledore understand about me'!) I guess in HBP it was ambiguous and even slashy-seeming-- like, why is he -so- into the Half-blood Prince's diary considering it's Snape's and he hates everything about Snape? But the thing is that he identifies with and understands their feelings and mtoivations without really sharing their conclusions or big chunks of their formative experiences. And in the end, it's Harry's mum in him, the instinctive balancing influence, that makes Harry... softer. Not just because of the choices, but because of his overall different approach to relationships and emotional commitments and instinctive choices in that regard. Like, I don't think Harry chose to be who he is, really, within JKR's context? Snape chose, but at the same time, I think he was always like that-- desperate for affection, unable to grab it or to explain himself or show himself in the right light. Harry is just... well, likable, and makes friends easily (even though he doesn't consider that many people part of his inner circle, his outer circle does expand dramatically in this book).

I dunno man, I think people think blank slate = free to invent crazy fanon, omg. It's like the fascination with Blaise and Regulus and such. Ahhh fandom. I wish I could quit you. :>

[amalin.livejournal.com]

I can't help it, Book 5 is my favorite forever. I fucking love OotP, even though I can see how Harry has grown, and needed to grow, since then. GOD, OOTP.

Hahaha, I think it's because I've been thinking about those essays that talk about how the seven tasks in PS/SS parallel the seven books, so the seventh book is all about immortality and death and the Mirror, in metaphorical ways. It is creepy/sad, his parents and dead loved ones being there, but at the same time they're what give him strength just as much as Ron/Hermione, you know? It's stupid but I think of the PoA movie and how Harry tells Remus about the one memory he has, of his parents, and how it's both a happy and sad memory, but it's the best he's got. :(

Well, I don't think Harry chose to be who he was, either, but it's not just his mum - it's also having Ron and Hermione, and Hagrid (and Hedwig, hahaha) and Dumbledore, and Sirius, etc. I mean. The choices he makes regarding friends (not taking Draco's hand) but also how having friends and loved ones influence his choices. And he is different, and he does get the family JKR gives him in the end, unlike the rest of the lost boys - Riddle, Snape, Dumbledore, Hagrid. Remus, I thought, but I guess in her scheme of things, him getting a family too makes sense.

I was never fascinated with Blaise or Regulus! I did read a lot of fics about Blaise, though.

[amalin.livejournal.com]

I guess what I meant by the Resurrection Stone bit was that it's exactly what Harry dreamed about having, Books 1-6, and wished for so badly - a magical object to bring back the dead. His hope of something like this existing keeps coming back, even though he knows deep down that his parents and Sirius are dead and will stay that way. And now that he does get this object he uses it right, in a way I don't think he would have been ready to do, in the past six books. His journey there :( To death, in so many different ways.

*interrupts to say*

[arboretum]

yes! I was creeped out by his wanting the stone at first, too, but when he finally did use it, it just felt right, and oh, HARRY. I have never been that big of a Harry fan, but this book totally converted me. CRY.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that totally makes sense-- and see, that means that the Hallows weren't just a randomly introduced late player in the plot but rather something that has underpinnings in all the previous books. *smug* And you're totally right, he does keep hoping, doesn't he! Fandom thought the mirror would come into play or he'd find a way to use the Veil or something, remember! Even I was interested in those sorts of fics (and there was actually a lot of cool Veil fanon with S/R, like fics where Remus finds a way to go beyond without dying, heheh). And it just figures that his only extended conversation is with Dumbledore :))

HIS JOURNEY TO DEATH :(( Wah. Yeah. <3.

[amalin.livejournal.com]

Also, have I mentioned, I really love your picture of Harry digging Dobby's grave.

[yourpoison.livejournal.com]

<3! yeay. I spent way too much time on that yesterday and delayed everything trying to get it right (in terms of coloring). And then I realized I didn't actually -say- anything about that whole scene. *facepalm*