Blog #3

The end of the Harry Potter series is shocking and tragic yet completely perfect.  I was shocked mostly by how well everything fit together after Harry looked into Snape’s last memories in the Pensieve.  Throughout the whole series, I went back and forth debating whether Snape was truly good or evil.  After he killed Dumbledore and proceeded to take over as headmaster of Hogwarts, it seemed that he was officially on Voldemort’s side – he killed that one person who could help Harry survive.  But after seeing how deeply he loved Lily, and how faithful he was to Dumbledore, it was hard to not sympathize.  Snape lived a tortured life.  Not to say that the way he treated Harry all along was justifiable; his outright loathing and harassment of his least favorite pupil was completely uncalled for.  At the end of it all, I found myself believing that Snape might have actually been one of the most important people in Harry’s life.

            Dumbledore, on the other hand, turned out to be less saint-like than I had originally thought.  I was shocked to find out that he was friends with Grindelwald as a teenager, might have been the one to kill his own sister, and knew that in the end, Harry would have to die.  Harry always felt like he didn’t know anything about the real Dumbledore, but I think it was for the best.  It was important for Harry to have a strong and powerful role model like the great Albus Dumbledore as he journeyed ever closer to his final encounter with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.  To find out details of his hero’s past earlier might have hindered their ever-strengthening relationship – Harry might not have put his complete trust in the man.  At the series’ end, I was left under the impression that Dumbledore was a shear genius but, when it comes down to, only human.

            Lastly, I would like to discuss the series as a whole.  J.K. Rowling has kept me spellbound with the Harry Potter books from day one.  After growing up with the book and movies, I feel like it is a series that defines our generation.  I think although Rowling’s magical world is pure fiction, the lessons we learn from the characters are essential in the real world that we live in.  The friendship between Ron, Hermione, and Harry is one that all should strive for.  It was from the pages of Rowling’s masterpieces that I learned the true power of love.  The Harry Potter books give us hope for a bright future and courage to face even our biggest fears.

Extra Credit: Lupin

In past novels, Remus Lupin always tried to be Harry’s best friend and wingman.  When he met Harry in the third book, he believed he had found a replacement for his childhood best friend, James Potter. However, by the seventh book, Lupin still refuses to grow up.  In Book 7, Lupin tries to join Harry, Ron, and Hermione on their mysterious quest.  He knows that Dumbledore has left them a mission and he wants to help.  When Hermione questions him about his seemingly strained relationship with his wife, Tonks, he informs them that she is pregnant.  He assures them that Tonks and the baby will remain safe at her parents’ house and that leaving them is for their own good.  He regrets marrying Tonks and endangering her life, and is afraid to endanger the life of a small child he is bringing into the world.  It’s an understandable fear but one that he must confront – it is time for him to be a responsible adult.  He tries to convince Harry further saying,“ I’m sure James would have wanted me to stick with you.” But Harry knows how it feels to be abandoned and grow up parentless and shoots down Lupin’s suggestion immediately.  Luckily, Lupin learns from his mistake.  He makes the mature decision to stand by his family no matter what his condition may entail.  Later in the novel, he names Harry the godfather of his son, Teddy, proving to Harry that he is not a coward and that he became a better man.  And in the end, he gives his life to save the students of Hogwarts, fighting for the Order of the Phoenix.  He shows that he is brave beyond belief and he dies for a cause he knows is worth the fight. 

Extra Credit Post: Luna Lovegood

As the Harry Potter series comes to an end, Luna Lovegood is essentially the only character who remains unchanged in my mind- a trait I appreciate. Luna is always unapologetically herself, something we see throughout the entire series and remains true even in the end. I appreciate how we see Luna's contribution in the final battle by aiding Harry in his quest to the diadem and I so wish that we saw more of her. While we know Luna is highly intelligent- for she is in Ravenclaw House at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, we never see her intelligence in a school setting. We see and almost are able to finally validate her standing in Ravenclaw house when she answers the riddle to enter the house and in the hypothesizing she and harry do in the tower. We already know of  Luna's intelligence, for we see her intelligence in the way she speaks to her friends, and often in the sage advice she offers to her peers. Luna always has a different perspective from the direction the story is going and the way her friends are thinking and she's never afraid to offer this opinion. The way Luna is presented to us earlier in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is when she has been captured and is imprisoned in the Malfoy Manor with Olivander, the wand maker and then still at Shell Cottage. Again, Luna fulfills her role as the character we expect her to be, and while some may see this an underdeveloped character or a static one at best, I appreciate greatly the voice that Luna provides and see this as a testament to her character that she has already uncovered what so many of her peers are trying to find and that is a way to be themselves. Luna develops as a character as the series continues as we learn more about her past and in a social way as she makes friends, always remaining loyal and true to those she cares for.

Extra Credit: Neville & ron/hermoine relationship growth

How, did Neville Longbottom go from being one of the most dorky and mild mannered characters in the franchise into a being a very strong wizard. From the beginning in Sorcerer’s Stone he showed his ability to stand up to friends however he was never really a fighter. In the Sorcerer’s Stone he was the character that anybody could have picked on so easily but was always part of the group, but nothing really stuck out strong about him. We first saw a glimpse of his fighting abilities in the Order Of The Phoenix when he excelled in Dumbledores Army practicing charms and spells and showing he could perform decently. in the Sorcerer’s Stone we knew him but in the deathly hallows he goes full circle from being this boy that anybody could have picked on to being one of the leaders of Dumbledores Army after Harry was no long at Hogwarts and killing Nagini the last horcrux. Neville Longbottom has definitely developed quite a bit since we first saw him.

            Another character or should I saw characters that you could easily look at are Ron and Hermoine. At first always bickering with one another, and occasionally enjoying each others company. They went from Harry’s sidekicks helping him defeat lord Voldemort’s challenges throughout the years, to  being fully developed individuals by themselves and making big strives in the deathly hallows. This once childlike friendship went full circle as well as in the midst of all the madness of the battle at Hogwarts they found time to fall in love.

            The characters in the Harry Potter franchise have each developed in their own ways. Some are more evident than others such as Neville going from a nothing to being one of the strongest wizards compared to Hermoine whom just continued to be perfect but finally fell in love with Ron. The life lessons learned on the way to their final development that we are able to see are quiet numerous and I have only been able to name a few. What a crazy ride it has been. Along with the Harry Potter characters, I think the Harry Potter generation developed, had their own life lessons and at the end dove into the magical world of Harry Potter maybe boarding the train for the first or final time with the various characters.

Extra Credit: First Time Reader

Coming into this class I was a little nervous.  I had read only 3 of the Harry Potter books when I was younger, only seen 2 of the movies and barely had any Harry Potter knowledge.  After the first day of class I was even more nervous; thinking about the amount of reading we had to do and seeing that I was 1 of maybe only 10 people who hadn't read the whole series was overwhelming and I already felt behind.  To my surprise the reading was nowhere near as bad as I thought.  Yes, it took me hours to sit there and stay on track for our reading schedule, falling behind a few times; but it was so enjoyable.  I loved picking up my book and transporting myself into the wizarding world.  I couldn't read it fast enough, Rowling always left us with a cliffhanger and seemed to leave holes everywhere she could.  After finishing the series and seeing what happened in the end I knew I was going to have to re-read the series over again.  The amount of detail and planning that Rowling used was at the very least impressive.  I didn't know how Rowling was going to tie everything together in the end and make everything all right (especially everything with Snape).  Rowling wrote a series that you can't just read once when you've finished it, you had to go back and fill in all the blanks that you didn't understand the first time.  My biggest surprise was that Dumbledore had planned his own death and that Snape was not really a death eater.  When I finished the last book I was so disappointed that it was over,   Rowling's work keeps the reader interested and drooling for more, she leaves people to assume and waits til the last minute to tie it all together.  She has turned me into a Harry Potter lover and only left me with fan pages and alternate stories to feed my reading needs.

Extra Credit Dumbledore

Dumbledore is one of the most changed and developed characters as we finally reached the end of the last book.  In the beginning of the series we only seem Dumbledore as an incredibly wise old wizard.  Dumbledore appears to be a trustworthy(although secretive), role model for students and a face of safety and power in the eyes of the wizarding community.  We had never heard of Dumbledore's younger days until Rita Skeeter's book came out about him.  We learn that there is a lot of mystery surrounding his sister as well as her death.  It is rumored that they had been hiding and locking her in their house.  After Dumbledore's mother dies he then becomes gardian of Ariana.  He became close friends with a wizard who later turns dark, Grindelwald, comparable to Voldemort.  We find out from Aberforth that Albus did not give Ariana the care that she needed.  He was off planning to take over the world, to seize control "for the greater good".  Grindelwald later used that phrase as his slogan when he was taking over parts of the world, except for Britain, because he feared his old friend Dumbledore.  When Albus formed this friendship his brother Aberforth knew that he was more concerned about being brilliant and their schemes than taking care of their unstable only sister.  A duel broke out between the brothers and Grindelwald which resulted in a killing curse hitting and taking the life of Ariana.  We never find out who sent the killing curse whether it was Grindelwald or Dumbledore but Aberforth never forgave Albus and even broke his nose during Ariana's funeral.  Harry felt that Dumbledore was always too trusting (especially of Sanpe) but we learned he never trusted people with full details, he never fully trusted anyone will all the facts, only clues that in some cases he hoped his trusted colleagues and friends would figure out.  We also find out why Dumbledore always turned down the position of Prime Minister.  He never trusted himself with that much power, and I think that him telling Harry why he always turned it down helped Harry to refuse the Elder Wand and return it to Dumbledore's tomb.  Dumbledore was a role model and knowing his flaws helped him from straying to the dark side like his at one point good friend and kept him from becoming a dangerous powerful wizard.  Dumbledore changed from the beginning of the series but only because we find out who he was before he was at Hogwarts and what made him that way.

Extra Credit: Harry and Neville

            From the first to last book of the Harry Potter series, all the characters have grown and developed.  As all readers see, Harry Potter has distinctly grown as a character.  Harry started as this confused adolescent and became a fighter and stronger character at the end of the series.  Readers notice this because in the beginning and throughout the series Harry refused to die, but at the end of the series when Harry realized, in order to kill Voldemort, he would have to die, Harry became a stronger character and accepted his fate.  Also, we notice that throughout the series we see Harry as this character that is protected by others including his mother’s love spell.  By the end of the series, Harry is able to prove that he can defeat Voldemort without this because he is able to use his own powers.

            A character in the series that has also grown is Neville Longbottom.  Although Neville isn’t identified as a main character, I find others overlook Neville.  In the beginning of the series, Neville was an outcast, and he was expected to be in Hufflepuff not Gryffindor.  We first see Neville’s character in the first book when he stands up the Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and also in the fourth book when Neville helps Harry with the Tri-Wizard Tournament.  However at the end of the series Neville pulls the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat, which the only person who has been able to do that was Harry.  Neville slays the last horax, which was Nagini.  I feel like Neville is a hidden main character. 

            When looking and both Neville and Harry, they are similar and different.  Similarity is that both Neville and Harry were outcasts.  Harry’s parents are dead, and although Neville parents aren’t dead, there lack of mental health shows that they aren’t really there.  The differences between these two characters are that everyone expected Harry to do great things.  You almost knew that Harry was going to do something amazing at the end of the series, however, with Neville know one would of thought he would be able to get ahold of the Sword of Gryffindor.  Neville’s bravery was more of a surprise to all of us, because no one would expect he would be able to do it.  If anything, the readers would of thought Ron and Hermione would be able too.

Extra Credit:Elder Wand

Although I did not miss the last quiz I wanted to write an extra post to make up for a different missed quiz.  The elder wand played a significant role in the last book in many ways.  The first way was because it (along with the other 2 Hallows) became (or was) an obsession of many of the characters in it.  Characters that were obsessed with the Elder Wand include Dumbledore, Grindelwald, and Voldemort. The wand captivated Voldemort, he longed to possess the wand that had been rumored to be the most powerful Wand, unable to be defeated in a duel.  Voldemort realized that Dumbledore was in possession of the wand when he was alive so Voldemort broke into his tomb to get his wand.  However he did not realize until later that he had to kill the current master of the wand.  He thought that since Snape had killed Dumbledore he was the master, not realizing that when Draco disarmed Dumbledore he had become the master.  Voldemort kills Snape, who was what he thought as his most valuable death eater, the only murder he says he regrets.  Voldemort thought that killing him would finally make him the master of it and he would be able to defeat Harry.  When he used the Elder Wand against Harry it was not able to kill its master and only killed the part of Voldemort that was inside him.  Harry had defeated Draco at Malfoy manner and taken Draco's other wand; the Elder Wand then recognized him defeating Draco and changed allegiance to Harry.  When Harry discovered that he was the new master of the Elder Wand he didn't want it.  He said he was much happier with his own and returns it to Dumbledore's tomb after repairing his first wand.  Harry proved to us that he had gotten over his obsession with the Hallows, he had seen so many destroyed by them and he did not even want the Hallows in his life, he was a stronger man than any before him to own it.

Extra Credit: Draco Malfoy

Throughout the series, all of the characters changed and developed as the story progressed. One of my favorites, even though he started off as a little prick, is Draco Malfoy. Draco starts off as a high-minded spoiled boy. He remains high-minded throughout the story, even  a bit to the end, but I do believe he becomes less spoiled. That’s easy to believe, seeing as Voldemort takes up in his home and his family is in disfavor!

Draco begins as being wildly proud of his pure blood status. He has a rich, powerful, father and he uses this to bully and get his way. He does things like buying the Slytherin Quidditch team, trying to get Buckbeak executed etc. He runs high on his father power. That is, until his father is discovered as a death eater at the ministry. Suddenly, Draco’s power base disappears from under him. People stop caring what he has to say. They know he is from a family of known death eaters, and death eaters are no good. Yes, other Slytherins still listen (probably because of his Dark Mark) but in general his power has gone. It gets even more apparent he’s lost his power when even Crabbe and Goyle stop listening to him in the 7^th book, when he tries to stop them from killing Harry.

He’d protected Harry another time as well. When he failed to clarify if it was Harry, he did a huge thing. If he had said it was Harry, his power would be reinstated, because his family would have helped deliver Harry to the Dark Lord. Instead, Draco dithers and won’t say for certain who it is. He wants the hell Voldemort has brought to his family to stop. I think he feels bad and in his own way, he’s trying to apologize to Harry. This gesture is huge, and the high minded spoiled little boy from the beginning of the book would not have done something like this. Draco now understands death. His wand had dipped in his duel with Dumbledore. He wanted to be good, but he didn't see many avenues to do so.

Yes, he did try to appeal to other Death Eaters after Harry saved him from the Fiendfire in the final battle, but I think he was just sick of fighting. He was trying to save his own skin, which I think is perfectly acceptable. 

Extra Credit Blog

I've always thought that people never really change but the Harry Potter series proved me wrong although it may be a fiction series.  There are 2 main characters who changed and grew the most to me, these two characters are Ron and Snape.  Ron when we see him in the earlier books acts more as a young boy (as he should).  He constantly has people taking care of him and he relies on others in order to keep his confidence up.  However in the last book we see two completely different Rons.  The first Ron we see is the childish Ron who is unable to fend for himself and is reliant on others to do the work while he tags along.  After Ron leaves Harry and Hermione and returns he is a changed man.  He is finally able to start pulling his own weight and although some find Ron being able to open the chamber of secrets as ridiculous I think it was the perfect way to revive himself in the fight against Voldemort.  As for my other character naturally Snape was the most surprising character to me.  Snape's intentions always seemed questionable and we always seemed to catch tid-bits of incriminating conversations.  Never in my wildest dreams, especially after finding out that Snape killed Dumbledore would I have thought that he was the one who was always fighting for Harry to live.  I didn't think that it would be possible for Rowling to bring Snape back from "Team Voldemort" but her plans were perfect.  She was able to tie up all lose ends and explain everything that we thought we saw.  Rowling not only made this series an epic but a story of love, and Snape's undying love for Lily was a bitter sweet addition to her edge of the seat story.

Severus Snape

The last Harry Potter book is definitely my favorite because of the way J.K. Rowling brings everything together so brilliantly. One of the things that I thought was done so well was Snape turning out to be a “good guy.” I know in class the argument was brought up of “good person” vs. “good guy.” I am one of the readers who is a big fan of Snape. I think his story is a very powerful one of love. I agree that it isn’t really love towards Harry that drives him all these years but his love for Lily. Regardless, I don’t think that really matters as he is still helping Harry through his life. I am very impressed with Harry and his ability to forgive Snape. Not only did he forgive him but he fully recognized the danger Snape put himself in. He devoted his entire life to The Order and to defeating Voldemort. I know, I know, many people did that! There are, however, many things that set Snape apart from the rest of The Order. One, he is arguably more sacrificial than any other character in the book. One thing that people long for in their lives is recognition of good deeds. I am not by any means saying this is a good thing but it is something that our selfish nature desires. Severus Snape put aside this desire for self and let everyone think he is a terrible person throughout his entire life. This to me is so selfless and loving.  Loving not only to Lily but also to Harry and the entire “good side” of the fight. He is definitely a very brave man. Or, as Harry put it to his son, Albus Severus, “he was probably the bravest man I ever knew.”

Bonus: Neville Longbottom

Neville Longbottom. He is considered to be possibly the worst wizard at the school for most of the series. He is clumsy, he is a pushover, and has no courage. This is until he is faced with great challenges such as Snape becoming headmaster, and standing up for what he believes in. As we find out in the deathly hallows when harry Hermione and Ron enter Hogwarts, Neville has been leading the DA. We see a glimmer of this bravery in the order of the phoenix when Neville joins harry and the others when they go to the department of ministries.

Neville’s story has developed greatly since we first meet him on the Hogwarts train in book 1. We eventually find that he could have very well been attacked by voldemort rather than harry based on the prophecy. His parents had defied voldemort three times, and he was born at the end of July. And in the end Neville helped kill voldemort. Without truly knowing what he was doing, Neville destroyed the final horcrux.

         Neville has shown his bravery for the cause that helped drive his parents mad. He finally showed his grandmother that he was just as great as his father, and he proved to all his fellow students that he truly did deserve to be in the house of Gryffindor.