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May 24, 2013 · 3:23 am

Harry Potter readalong! Buckets o’ whining.

It’s Harry Potter post day! Hurrah.

So was it just me, or did this section seem to drag a bit? Which is weird, because plenty happens in this section… maybe it’s that Rowling does SUCH a good job at showing the tediousness and boredom of camping for weeks at a time with no new information. It’s kind of an action-packed section, but it didn’t feel like it.

half awake

Alright, so I forgot to bring the book with me to work and I only have the notes I made in my blogging journal to go on, which wasn’t much this time around… let’s get right to the bullet points.

  • Poor Lupin is all distraught and conflicted and let’s face it – Harry was a bit mean to him. I mean, he could’ve had the “Dude, don’t leave your wife and unborn child” talk with him in a MUCH nicer, less painful way.

cautious hug

  • Kreacher’s all happy and cooking and yeah yeah yeah that’s nice. Still don’t like him.
  • The Ministry! That was tense, and way more successful than I feel like they could have anticipated. But owwwwww, Ron got splinched.
  • Hiding out in the woods foreverrrrrrr. And everyone is all stressed and just kind of waiting around and that damn Horcrux just makes it worse.
  • So we get a re-hashing of the night Voldy tried to kill all the Potters, and I was wondering… why didn’t Lily grab baby Harry and Disapparate? Maybe she never learned how? Or she didn’t want to leave James, but I mean, at that point she knew he was dead and he TOLD her to just save Harry. Obviously things couldn’t have gone that way or the series might not have happened, but I’m just sayin…
  • Hermione and Harry read that bit in Rita Skeeter’s book, and Harry goes all “Never the whole truth! Never” whiny about Dumbledore. We all clearly wish that Dumbles had given Harry a bit more info about the Horcrux hunt, but seriously, he’s whining because Dumbledore didn’t share his entire personal life history with him. Earlier in the book Harry thinks about how he never thought to ask Dumbledore about himself – if he didn’t care enough to ask “Hey, so how was your childhood? Tell me all your secrets!” then why would Dumbledore have just brought it up? Grow up, Harry.
  • Ooooo, the silver doe Patronus! What a fun, brief mystery that was back when I first read this book.
  • Yay, Ron comes back and him and Harry make up. I love the bromance :-)

hp bromance

  • Poor Hermione, I totally get why she’s so rage-y at Ron. I like that she flipped and went all crazy bitch on him for a second.
  • Hooray, and now we’re off to see the Lovegoods! Which actually is not as good of a thing as it sounds, but I’m just glad they’re going off to do something. I hate the camping-in-the-woods scenes.

luna dance

Till next time, folks.

~Sarah

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May 17, 2013 · 3:00 am

Harry Potter readalong! And the deaths begin…

Happy Harry Potter post day ya’ll!

I meant to post this 2 weeks ago, but I forgot, so here we go – Dumbledore vs. Gandalf Epic Rap Battle of History. It’s actually not one of the better ERB’s, but I had to do it anyways:

 

 

Speaking of Dumbledore, I’m kind of excited to re-read this one because it’s the one I’ve read the fewest times and I only barely remember the whole Dumble-family drama. But this book also brings SO MUCH SAD and I’ve already teared up several times. Soooo yeah. Bullet points!

  • Awww, the slight making-up scene between Dudley and Harry.
  • Hehehe, 7 Harry Potters. This makes me want to re-watch the movies really bad. I can’t believe I don’t own them yet.

im hideous

 

  • And then this not-brilliant plan goes into action and just…. sigh.
For Hedwig and Mad-Eye Moody and George's ear...

For Hedwig and Mad-Eye Moody and George’s ear…

 

  • George getting his ear blasted off made me cry the most :-( The twins, I just want to hug them.
  • And poor Hermione, having to erase her parent’s memories so that they’re in less danger. Shit got real.
  • Good for Ron, finally reading a book on how to deal with girls.
  • Hey, Rowling re-named the Light-Putter-Outer! Good job.
  • If Scrimgeour wanted Harry on the Ministry’s side so badly, you’d think he’d do something like fire Umbridge to appease Harry and try to make up for all the crap he had to put up with…
  • Krum makes another appearance! I missed him. And he’s all angry about that weird symbol that Luna’s dad is wearing, I wonder if that’s important… HMMMMM….
  • EVERY PURSE should come with an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. Just sayin.
  • Why does Harry have to have a freaking crisis all the time about the adults he looks up to? It’s so annoying. Was his affection and faith in Dumbledore that weak that after hearing the tiniest rumors he has to spin into a anxious fit over it?

gag

  • Hey, we know who R.A.B. is! That was fast.
  • Hmph. Still don’t like Kreacher…

And that’s all I got! Short and sweet this week, apparently. Seriously though, can someone get on inventing an extension charm thingy for purses? Cause I would pay like a million dollars for that. If I had a million dollars.

 

~Sarah

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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May 10, 2013 · 4:16 am

Harry Potters readalong! Beedle Beedle Beedle

It’s Harry Potter post day!

This is only the second time I read The Tales of Beedle the Bard (I first read it in 2011 after re-reading the series yet again).

So let’s be honest – this a cute little book, but most of the stories are like “Oh, that’s cute. Whatevs.” EXCEPT for The Warlock’s Hairy Heart, which… geezus. Chill, JK Rowling. Way to give kids nightmares. Who the hell would read that to a small kid? I wouldn’t, and I don’t even like kids.

aaaak

 

Most of these are pretty pro-Muggle and be nice and don’t lock your heart away because it will get hairy and gross. But of course the best story is The Tale of the Three Brothers, and not only because it’s the story that has the most significance in the last book. It was the only one that I think really shows JK’s awesome writing skills. It reads beautifully, the moral of the story was pretty damn obvious, etc. Clearly Voldy never heard this story as a child – maybe if his mother had stayed alive and read it to him, he wouldn’t have been all crazy “I’ll never die not ever ever”. MAYBE. He was a creepy kid.

Also, for those of you that have seen the movies – how awesome was this part?

“But though Death searched for the third brother for many years, he was never able to find him.”

 

Clearly awesome. I LOVED this animation.

This book would be basically nothing without Dumbledore’s notes for each story.

“A simple and heartwarming fable, one might think – in which case, one would reveal oneself to be an innocent nincompoop.”

It’s almost like he’s still alive… sad face. 

Oh, and how hilarious is Deathstick? Clearly a creepy euphemism for a dude’s junk. Gross, JK. Although let’s face it, Lil’ Kim and 50 Cent ruined the possibility of ever referring to a wand as some sort of stick without it seeming sexual.

 Anyways… yeah. That’s about all I got. I do really like this book – I think it’s a really nice addition to the series, much cooler than those Harry Potter “schoolbooks” you can buy.

 Whatchya’ll think?

~Sarah

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May 2, 2013 · 2:12 pm

Harry Potter readalong! Dumbledore dumbles no more.

You guyyyyys, it’s Harry Potter Post Day! (Well actually tomorrow is, but I just published this by accident on Thursday afternoon, and I’m rollin’ with it.) But it’s a bit of a sad one, because DUMBLEDORE!!

tearing up

But I’m getting ahead of myself, as always. There’s a lot to chat about here, so I’ma jump straight into the bullet points. Kay?

  • Luna’s Quidditch commentary is obviously stellar, and McLaggen is such a douche.
  • Hepzibah Smith sounds like a female version of Professor Slughorn – they’re both large, addicted to comfort and luxury, and ended up giving Voldy something he wanted without meaning to.
  • Again, the Voldy memories are super fascinating. I totally forgot how he got the cup and locket.
  • Also, Dumbledore in that meeting when Voldy asked again for the DADA job? Ruled it

LIKE A BOSS

  • Wooooot and now we now why the DADA position is actually cursed!
  • You’d think that the “Half-Blood Prince” wouldn’t have just left his shit around for anybody to look at like that…
  • Harry takes the Felix Felicis and it’s hilarious, although I think more so in the movie.
pincers

Seeee? Felix is like a drug!

  • THE HORCRUXES! Dumbledore finally realizes what the hell he’s been doing and his big theory about why Voldemort didn’t die. And it’s awesome. And led to constant speculation about what exactly the four Horcruxes might be (because back when the books were still new, it seemed like maybe Dumbledore could’ve been wrong about one or two, and we didn’t know what the thing from Gryffindor or Ravenclaw might be.)
  • I find it interesting that the Dementor’s Kiss removes your soul from your body and you basically become a catatonic skinbag – no personality, no thoughts or dreams or desires. Buuuut apparently you can purposely rip your soul up into itty bitty pieces and store those pieces in random objects that might get destroyed without any real effect on your personality or powers. Oh, but it makes your physical appearance change and your face looks waxy and warped. What the hell, JK.

weird stare

  • Soooo… were brooms not an option to get across that creepy zombie-filled lake? Just wondering.
  • If only Dumbles was strong enough to apparate… Harry would’ve been safe stuck underneath the Cloak, but he could’ve saved himself.
  • Damn Malfoy, who is still a HORRID person and I can’t stand, but apparently he’s not a real killer.
  • DUMBLEDORE!!!! More sad faces.
  • Aaaand the biggest “Is Snape good or evil?” debate begins! That was a fun bout of speculation while waiting for the 7th book. I honestly don’t remember which side I was on…
  • Oh and Snape is the Half-Blood Prince! But by this point, who cares?
  • Ummm that battle scene in Hogwarts was EPIC. Can’t believe they left it out of the 6th movie.

how rude

  • So how gross is it that Fenrir Greyback has developed a taste for human flesh even when he’s not in werewolf form? So gross.
  • AWWWWWW Fleur loves Bill even though his face is all messed up. And AWWWWW Tonks and Lupin are in love! So sweet. And this:

“Dumbledore would’ve been happier than anybody to think that there was a little more love in the world.”

  • Scrimgeour, once again, sucks. And good job to Harry for refusing to tell anybody what him and Dumbledore were working on, except his close friends.

OHMYGOODNESS WE ONLY HAVE ONE BOOK LEFT! Well, two if we’re counting The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which we should even though it’s tiny, because it’s delightful. I’m dreading that in about a month I’m going to actually have to come up with something else to post on Fridays :-/

~Sarah

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April 26, 2013 · 3:42 am

Harry Potter readalong! All the VOLDY-time

Good morning and Happy Harry Potter post day! This section was kinda dark but quite fun, right?

Jumping right in, Harry is an ass for blaming Snape for Sirius coming to the Ministry to rescue him. I mean come on Harry, you know damn well that it wasn’t Snape’s teasing that made Sirius rush there – it was you, and the fact that he cared about you and would always rush anywhere to help you if you were in danger. Suck it up dude. Don’t blame Snape for something that was mostly your fault.

Bullet-points? Yes.

  • Felix Felicis makes you feel good and everything goes your way and would obviously be abused like crack in the wizarding world. I mean honestly, there must be SO many adult wizards who just mix it into their morning coffee, despite the risks of over-use.
  • So, Snape used to usually write potion directions on the board, right? But here Slughorn is using the textbooks’ potion directions, which obviously are incapable of ever producing a potion correctly because Hermione follows them and can’t even manage it. Does Slughorn not realize this? Why isn’t he teaching the kids how to make the potions the right way?
  • What would you guys do if you had a day of liquid luck to use? I would TOTALLY play the lottery. Obvs. Or if that for some reason didn’t work, I’d go get an awesome job of somesort that pays awesomely and gives me flexible hours and relates to books in some way.
haaay

Haaaaay.

  • Tiny Voldy is hella creepy.

teeny voldy

almost as creepy as this…

WHAT THE HELL

SO EFFIN CREEPY

  • But am I the only one who’s totally loving seeing all of Voldy’s backstory? It’s so INTERESTING. He was a sociopath even as a BABY. That’s crazy. And we find out exactly who his parents were, and that the Slytherin line fell really far because they’re all inbred, and he was all murdering folks as a teen. But he was super sneaky about it, whereas right now he’s all just killing parents of Hogwarts kids and stuff…
i kill what you love

how Voldy feels inside

  • Back to the kids, and it’s so teenage-y! Harry realizes he has some feelings for Ginny. Ron is snogging Lavender because he’s mad that Hermione probably snogged Viktor, and Hermione is going all crazy-girl on him and attacking him with little teeny magical birds and that’s awesome and hilarious. They’re so confused, but you can see the love-y feelings coming out.

romantic gaze

  • Minister Rufus sucks, cause he wants to use Harry as a Ministry of Magic posterboy. And Percy sucks as well. Of course.
  • When the older Weasley brothers just casually flick their wand and make gravy go back in the bowl before spilling, all I hear in my head is “LIKE A BOSS”.
  • Dumbly-dore mentions something on page 363 about child-Voldy, of “the woman he had thought could not be a witch if she had succumbed to the shameful human weakness of death”. Geez. So he was obviously obsessed with not dyin’, but why didn’t Dumbles like IMMEDIATELY say “Dude- wizards and witches die too, it’s natural, circle of life, etc.” I mean it probably wouldn’t have made much a difference, but ya never know.
  • Ron is poisoned! Dun dun dunnnnn.

~Sarah

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April 19, 2013 · 3:00 am

Harry Potter readalong! Ewwww, dementors breed?

Happy Harry Potter Post Day ya’ll! I am trying to be VERY upbeat, or I’ll spend the rest of the series being super-depressed about Sirius… but this first section is kind of fun, ain’t it?

harry potter dance gif

I love that we don’t see Harry until two chapters into this book. It’s like J.K. knew I’d be still kind of mad at Harry from the last book, so she slowly eased him into this one. Plus it’s totally cool to see what some of the adult wizards are up to during the summer.

Bullet-time!

  • I love seeing the Muggle Prime Minister interact with wizards, although man the wizards are kind of douche-y, aren’t they? Just kind of ordering the PM around, and I wanted to slap Fudge and tell him to slow down and really explain things instead of talking to the PM like he knows everything about the wizard world.
  • But seriously though, dementors breeding? YUCK.
  • I totally love Snape and Bellatrix’s argument, about why Voldemort trusts him. Not only does it show just how smart Snape is, it helped further that old “Is Snape really evil?” debate.
  • The Unbreakable Vow! **thunder claps overhead**
  • pg. 32 – What’s keeping the wizards in jail if there are no dementors? I mean I know it’s probably pretty easy to lock a wizard up if you take away his wand, but wouldn’t Voldy just show up instantly and break em all out again?
  • I feel a teensy bit bad for Narcissa, cause she’s just a worried mom in the beginning there. But why isn’t she out doing Death Eater-y stuff for Voldemort? Is she not really a Death Eater, just her husband? Wouldn’t Voldemort demand her to join along with her husband? I doubt he’d be like “Oh no, I won’t make you a Death Eater, obviously you have to stay at home with your child and cook and clean”. But if so, dude how sexist.
  • pg. 46 “yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often” Oh Dumbledore. You’re so saucy.

happy sigh simon

  • Awwww, Mr. Weasley has been promoted!
  • Harry is SO NOSY in this section. First following Malfoy in Diagon Alley, and then getting himself locked into the train compartment with Malfoy and his friends. Not the best plan, Harry.
  • Although, kudos to Harry for realizing that Malfoy’s probably working for Voldemort. I don’t know why everyone thinks Voldy cares about what age the people he uses are. He was totally willing to kill a toddler, I doubt he cares about waiting until teenagers legally become adults for them to join Death Eater ranks.
  • pg. 138 “It was like having friends.” Dude, Luna I love you.
  • I find it amusing that Zambini’s mother is a murderous gold-digger.

This was such a short section, compared to the giantess that is OotP. But it was fun, even though I know darker stuff is ahead. Really though, I wish there was a LOT more Dumbledore/Dursley interaction, because that was pure gold.

~Sarah

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April 12, 2013 · 3:00 am

Harry Potter Readalong! SIRIUSSSSS!!!!

Happy Harry Potter post day! Although I’m finding it hard to be too excited, because SIRIUS!  :-(

ugly sobbing

I don’t cry a lot during the Harry Potter series. I’m kind of tough on Harry, because he has a lot of faults (which are good because they make him more realistic, but man they can be frustrating) and I generally don’t get too choked up over a lot of the things in these books. Kids are pretty resilient. But I CAN’T STOP CRYING during chapters 35 through 37. Sirius was definitely one of my favorite characters, and the only chance at having an adult family member that Harry really had left, and OHMYGOD IT’S TOO SAD. The first time I read this book, I was depressed for about a week.

But let’s talk about some other stuff first.

  • The Grawp chapter is so boring. Stupid Grawp. Good for Hagrid and everything cause it’s sweet that he has a brother, but duuuuude I just don’t care about Grawp. He’s just filler, really.
  • Why didn’t Harry and Ron ever drop Divination? Is it because they figured that if nothing else, it’s easy credit because they can just bluff their way through it?
  • I forgot that Umbridge was the one who sent dementors after Harry! *If the centaurs did rape her… well I can’t condone rape of course. But I also wouldn’t really feel that badly for her. I really wish they would’ve just killed her off.
  • I like how the D.A. is the young, present-day version of the Order of the Phoenix :-)
  • Soooo chapter 32, and Harry has the Sirius vision, and Hermione explains EXACTLY why Harry should chill the hell out and think before he acts, because that vision probably wasn’t real, and UGH I GET SO MAD AT HARRY HERE. Mad a lot of people actually - Dumbledore for not explaining to Harry the exact reasons why he was supposed to take Occlumency and that there was a risk of Voldemort abusing the link between them, Snape for not being less of a dick during those lessons and not trying to get Harry alone ASAP to tell him that Sirius was really okay, Kreacher for being such a crappy little thing and for no one realizing how dangerous he was, and Harry for not even TRYING to learn Occlumency and then for rushing headfirst into this situation that leads to a bunch of people putting their lives in danger because he’s an idiot. I think one of the most upsetting things about Sirius’s death is that SO MANY THINGS could have prevented it, and it was a bunch of little mishaps that lead to it. And in a way, JK is genius because deaths that shouldn’t have happened and don’t make sense happen every day in the real world, but man it hurts when it happens to Sirius. But I’m getting ahead of myself again…
  • The showdown between the D.A. and the Death Eaters! How awesome was it, because they’re so young and still kicked a lot of ass? AND we see more of Bellatrix, who I hate but kind of really like because she’s insane.

THAT'S NOT NICE, BELLATRIX.

  • So when the Death Eaters come up on the D.A. members and try to get the prophecy, Harry asks (pretty sensibly I think) why Voldemort didn’t just show up and get it himself. And they say “Oh yeah he couldn’t just walk in here and get it, that’d be ridiculous” except they’ve all been hanging out in the Ministry of Magic for what, at least 15 minutes? and no alarm has gone off or anything. I really do think Voldemort could’ve popped in and grabbed that prophecy with no problem and been out again, probably in about 5 minutes or less. That’s a weak plot hole, J.K.
  • Then this happens and…  *SOB*

through the arch

  • Dumbledore fights Voldemort and that was a pretty fun battle to read about, and then when Fudge shows up and is all shocked to see Voldy, Dumbledore orders him around and he’s just such a badass there. I love seeing him just shut Fudge down, because he’s a massive idiot.
  • But then Dumbledore and Harry are in his office and I CRY SOME MORE because Harry’s grief is so raw and it’s just too tragic. And then Dumbly goes on about a whole bunch of stuff that he should have told Harry earlier, INCLUDING that the prophecy basically says it’s going to have to come to a battle-to-the-death between Harry and Voldy. I think this is the first book I really actively remember reading and discussing with my sister Heather, about what the prophecy would mean for the next books and whether or not Sirius was really dead (cause we just could not believe it).
  • Aww, near the end Harry FINALLY remembers the 2-way mirror and it’s just more salt in the wound :-(
  • And Luna shows up in her awesome weirdness to comfort Harry and we all just love her, right?

luna comforting Harry

Sooo yeah. That last section was probably the most depressing in the entire series. It’s bumming me out just writing about it. This is probably one of the very few times that I’m a big ol’ crying mess instead of the relatively cold-hearted reader you’ve all come to know! Seeeee, I do have a heart. Siriusly.

lotsa sirius

Until next week!

~Sarah

* Thanks to Kayleigh for linking to that article earlier.

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April 5, 2013 · 6:04 am

Harry Potter readalong – Weasley twins forever!

Yay, it’s Harry Potter Post Day!

Whoop — There it is!

I think I read one chapter ahead last week, but yeah – poor Mr. Weasley! And even more poor Mrs. Weasley and the kids, cause they were all a mess. And although I absolutely adore the Weasley twins, it was a BIT of a low blow for Fred to pull the whole “You’re not risking your neck” thing to Sirius. But it’s alright, I’ve already forgiven them.

Who am I kidding, attempting to paragraph this? I got about half an hour before I have to do work-y things, so let’s just jump into the bullet points!

  • Hey, look, Harry’s angst is back again! His little temper tantrum over Christmas break at Grimmauld Place was SUPER annoying. And Ginny shuts his whole pity-party down when she reminds him that she has experience with Voldy too. Good job, girl.
  • Poor Longbottoms :-( And poor Neville. I’m glad to see Neville growing so much though.
  • Hmmmmm, Kreacher is disappearing now and again. I wonder why…
  • Mass breakout from Azkaban! Voldy’s now got his posse back. And I have to admit although I hate her because I have to, I’m kind of excited to see more Bellatrix. Insane baddies are the funnest.

HP baddies

  • Hermione is a freaking bloody genius, arranging Harry’s interview and then practically planning that Umbridge would bad it and hence make it a must-read story.
  • Even though he’s SUPPOSED to be practicing Occlumency (which he doesn’t even try to practice, honestly), he dreams some more important Voldy stuff that he’s not supposed to. This info would probably be really helpful to the Order, but instead he doesn’t tell any of the adults because he wasn’t supposed to be dreaming up Voldy stuff anymore.

so fucking stupid

 

  • Dumbledore is on the run, thanks to stupid Marietta. The Ministry is stupid, Fudge is an idiot, Marietta TOTALLY deserves that jinx, Hermione is awesome to have thought of it and done it so well, and Dumbledore’s got style. Phineas Nigellus says so.
  • This leads to the end of the Harry-Cho ship! Hooray!
  • Harry does another super-dumb thing and decides to take a peek at Snape’s Pensieve. I think this book is one of the most frustrating because Harry, in his infinite teenage annoyingness, constantly does things that make no damn sense. This is one of them.
  • And of course he doesn’t like what he sees, cause he realizes the Marauders were kind of assholes. Wah wah wah…
  • He then risks his neck just trying to talk to Sirius, but he’s safe thanks to… the Weasley twins!

 

 

HP OOF - harry-potter-and-the-order-of-the-phoenix Photo

 

See how I brought that full-circle there?

Now on on to the dreaded last section… :-*(   SOB SOB SOB

~Sarah

 

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March 29, 2013 · 3:45 am

Harry Potter readalong! Hem hem.

Wooooo it’s Harry Potter post day! As I got barely 3 hours of sleep last night, this probably won’t be very coherent. Expect ALL THE BULLET POINTS!

  • Can you believe that Umbridge woman and what she made Harry do to his hand?

incredulous cat

  • Me neither. Well except obviously I do, because I’ve read these before. She be crazy.
  • Harry refuses to tell Dumbledore about the woman making him carve words into his own hand because “Dumbledore had not spoken to him once since last June.” Ummmm petty much??? Geez Harry, you know he IS your headmaster and the leader of the OoTP, cut the old man some slack. I mean I know the real reason Dumby’s being all aloof, but Harry doesn’t, he’s just being a brat.
  • Sirius gets all surly when Harry says not to risk his neck by coming to Hogsmeade. I know Sirius is being a tad childish here, but I feel bad for him. He’s stuck in that horrible house ALL THE TIME, and feels like he’s the only Order member not doing anything useful. Still don’t quite understand why avoiding the Ministry & Death Eaters is THAT hard, but it’s a crap situation he’s stuck in.
  • On page 333 Ron gets all freaked out when Hermione says Voldemort. I’ve been wondering for a while… since all these kids their age and younger never knew the terror that was Voldemort’s previous reign, should they really be that afraid of saying his name? I’ve been wondering this for the last 4 books, but apparently it’s only now really bothering me. By this age, you’d have grown out of being afraid of just a name. I’m pretty sure I grew out of the “Don’t say Bloody Mary” phase by the time I was their age.
  • The Room of Requirements is THE BOMB. Probably one of the coolest magical things in Potter-verse. I want one.
  • When they’re creeping to the Room of Requirements for the first time, Harry checks the Marauder’s Map and sees that Mrs. Norris is on the fourth floor. So do other pets show up on the map, like Crookshanks the cat or Trevor the frog? Or is Mrs. Norris really an Animagus or something? Was this ever explained?
  • SO MUCH CHO in this section. Snore. But I love this part when Hermione’s explaining Cho’s feelings to the boys:

emotional range of a teaspoon

Oh Hermione. You’re so cool.

  • Oh and Umbridge is all mean to Hagrid! What a malicious, conniving b…

she needs to get a life

 

And now I can’t believe where this section ended, because OMG Mr. Weasley! And so many big things coming! I felt like this past section was a lot of filler… just Umbridge being a psycho and Harry’s awkward flirting with Cho.

Onward!

~Sarah

 

 

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March 22, 2013 · 9:29 am

Harry Potter readalong! Harry and his teen-rage.

It’s Harry Potter Day! And I JUST finished reading the first section, so everything is super fresh in my mind.

This book is SO dark compared to the previous books, but first! Some Sirius love.

harry and sirius meet again

 

Now doesn’t that make everyone feel better?

This book tends to get on my nerves a bit, because Harry is such a freaking teenager and I want to slap him. I mean, good job J.K. for writing a moody teenage character so perfectly, but crap it makes Harry really irritating. He has more mood swings than I know what to do with.

Sooooo Harry gets attacked by dementors, the Dursleys talk about magic (!), Harry and the gang are all living at Sirius’s place and trying to listen to Order of the Phoenix stuff, a super unfair trial happens but Harry’s cleared of all charges, back to Hogwarts where the MOST EVIL PERSON EVER is the new D.A.D.A. teacher, people are being mean to Harry and now he just got detention with Umbridge for the rest of the week. BAM, whole first 250 pages in one paragraph.

Let’s bullet-point some stuff, mmkay?

  • Mrs. Dursley on page 26: “Did he use – his thing?” *snickers*
  • Evidence of Harry’s serious case of teen-rage on page 66. Okay I get that he’s frustrated, but he’s like this throughout SO much of the book. Hermione finally tells him to stop being such an ass to her and Ron, but still.
  • Ron mentions Kreacher’s mom, and that makes me wonder… how are house-elves procreating? It seems like wizards that have a house elf only have one and they’re basically slaves, so it seems unlikely that they ever get to meet one another to bump elf-uglies…
  • On the whole “should Harry be able to ask what’s going on in the Order thing” – I’m totally on Sirius’s side rather than Mrs. Weasley’s. 15 is not that young, and since Harry IS the one who saw Voldy come back and IS the one who Voldy is trying to kill, I think he’s entitled to be kept in the loop. Being kept in the dark is more of a danger.
  • Oh, there’s a locket on page 116…
  • That hearing/trial happens which is obviously just ridiculous. Knowing what’s coming, Dumbledore’s refusal to even look at Harry is super-upsetting.
  • Ron gets made a prefect instead of Harry! He really deserves his moment in the spotlight, so good for him.

 

luna lovegood gif

  • Luna! One of the funnest and most interesting characters is finally introduced. She’s a weird one, but I dig her.

TRUTH.

  • The most evil character ever AKA Umbridge is introduced as well. UGH.
  • Ron on pg. 231: “It means they’re not real fans, they’re just jumping on the bandwagon -” JUST like a sports fan.

Aaaand I think that was it for most of my random thoughts and post-it notes.

Yay for book 5! On to the second section! As Mrs. Weasley says, “Oh, I’m all of a dither!”

~Sarah

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