Last Leaf Designs | Web Designer » Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Book and Order of the Phoenix Movie

There are spoilers in this post, if you haven’t read all of the books yet, I warn you to not go any further, that is if you don’t like spoilers.

I have been a Harry Potter fan ever since I’ve read a review on Inquirer one sunny day. I have never heard of it before but the review mentioning people “wanting to go to Hogwarts and be a witch” got me. I bought one after saving the money for a month, actually, I really never intended to buy Harry Potter with it but I was really curious. Turned out that I loved the story and couldn’t wait to read the next book.

I am not as fanatic as the others, I don’t know the page on when Bellatrix Lestrange killed Sirius, or how many pages each book have. I’m pretty sure Sirius was just knocked into the archway by Bellatrix’ spell but I can’t remember really. One reason why I believed Sirius wasn’t killed by the Avada Kedavra curse is because at the end, Harry kept on looking at his mirror expecting Sirius to show up there. I know because I, like Harry, actually waited there. I read and re-read the chapters because I just can’t believe it and I want a proof of something that Sirius will come back (I hate you, JKR!). I loved Sirius’ character, as much as I love Ron — clueless, tactless, jealous type and all — that I can’t believe the suddenness in which he died. I can’t believe that Harry - after all those years - will be left all alone, again.

I almost cried when Dumbledore died, at the back of my mind, I know that it was probably set up but I, like Harry, can’t help but feel disillusioned by the severity of what Snape had done. I felt so sad that all of my favorite characters died. Even Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Hedwig, and Dobby died! I had to re-read the passage of how they all died because I can’t believe such powerful characters could die. I guess it’s the kid in me who remained idealistic that’s why I can’t believe such characters could really meet imminent death.

I don’t normally cry while reading books (it’s fiction for goodness sake!) but I have to admit that tears fell when Dobby died and Harry was digging his grave and when he touched the resurrection stone and all of his loved ones appeared before him and he said to his mother “Don’t leave me” and he apologized profusely to Lupin, I still get the chill whenever I remember those events (I do hope the movie version will not murder those scenes or I’ll curse them forever hehe). When I read that Lupin and Tonks were dead, I can’t help but think “Why did she creat another Harry Potter?? Why?! Now, baby Teddy Lupin will never have parents as well!” But what can I say…

Deathly Hallows

I loved how all of the pieces were put together so nicely in the last book and how each questions raised on the previous books were answered, albeit some are shallow. I’m glad how each relationship were put to test, put to light and resolved.

• The trio’s friendship, somehow I’ve always felt that Ron is the weakest of them all however, he was the one who really binded them all together.
• The student - teacher relationship. I still can’t believe how Harry can believe Rita Skeeter, I mean she’s Rita Skeeter! He should have known that she can’t tell the truth unless her jewelries’ at stake. But I guess that’s because he’d been clueless on what he was supposed to do. Forced to do something he knew next to nothing about. I would have gone mad if I was in his shoes.
• Brothers. I never imagined that Dumbledore has a family, to be honest, hehe I’ve always seen him as someone who had always been old. I can’t imagine him as someone in bad light either, he’s always been Harry’s protector, the very wise and kind old, odd man and even though he told Harry himself that he did wanted to be very powerful, I still can’t take it in. But I hope Harry was able to tell Albus’ brother the truth and so he would stop hating his brother.
• Snape-Harry. The first book showed Snape saving Harry, but I thought it already stopped there. Sure he taught him Occlumency but the heck, it was ordered by Dumbledore! Until now, I never thought how deeply committed he is in protecting Harry. I can’t help but be awed on how much he loved Lily, since childhood! I can’t believe how he was able to call Lily mudblood. Oh well, I’ve always had love-hate feeling for the guy, I guess I will still feel that way while re-reading the previous books but the hate would have receded somehow.
• Lovers. Ginny is one gutsy girl, have to say, thinking of doing “it” in her own house. I never thought Ginny and Harry would be the pair hehe, I’ve always thought Hermione and Harry would be the “love team” but I can’t say that I don’t like Ron-Hermione pair up. It’s even better, I think, they complement each other. I don’t like how Ron kept on hugging Hermione at the start though, it made me feel like Harry’s being alienated and my being against PDA is also one of the reasons.

While reading Deathly Hallows, I can’t help but feel that it has already been written in advance. I don’t know, that’s just a feeling. I guess those rumors around Harry Potter as nothing but a marketing genius have a point. But I take things in black and white, so how would I know? As far as I am concerned, I enjoy the books, as long as I can buy the books, I’m one happy, shallow girl!

Order of the Phoenix - The Movie

What can I say, none of the Harry Potter movies were able to satisfy me, I went into the theater without any expectation aside from, this will suck, this will so suck. It did not suck that much BUT I still feel that it lacks a lot! It doesn’t have the ‘oomph’ factor.

I was near tears on my most favorite part of OoTP — Sirius, death. The lack of sounds did it I guess. It was very… intense. Sirius is sooo lovable. I can never bid goodbye to him.

At the start of the movie, I thought Luna Lovegood was not “Loony” enough. But towards the end, while in the Ministry of Magic and while at the top of the Thestrals, I can’t help but laugh at how she looked, I thought to myself “Oh wow! I can’t believe how perfect she was!” haha I really laughed at the end, when she was already looking for her things, and she was consoling Harry, goodness. She’s so sweet in a creepy kind of way. I say, brilliant acting! Absolutely perfect! hehe

All throughout the movie I kept on noticing several scenes missing, the one where Mr. Weasley was brought to St. Mungo’s and they all heard Moody talking to Mr. Weasley saying stuff about Harry and “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named”. I was also disappointed on the scene where Voldy possessed Harry and taunted Dumbledore to kill him by killing Harry. It was so creepy, why didn’t they do it right?!

All that happened was within Harry’s mind, how he battled with him while Dumbledore looked on and said weakly “It’s not how alike you are, rather, how you are not” or words to that effect. *sigh* Anyway, they better make the last two installments better! Grr! And they didn’t even show Kreacher betraying Sirius! That’s important too, you know! But I guess you can’t fit everything in two hours… *shrugs*

To close, I guess one of the charms of Harry Potter (aside from genius marketing) is that you can actually empathize with Harry, you get to grow old with him, learn with him, get mad with him, be saddened and all. Well, that’s how it felt to me.

With the end of the series, I felt like reading everything from the start again and read all of the details that I miss. It’s always easier to read something when you already got the whole picture of it. I will surely miss waiting and anticipating the fate of Harry… For a moment there I thought we’d lose one of the trios. I’m glad that they all lived happily ever after, I keep on forgetting that it’s a children’s book.

/edit Aug. 16, 2007/ Fix spellings for “Hallow”