Sarah Barr Blog #3

Blog #3

            The ending of this series was so epic, it truly was.  The whole time I was reading the last book I couldn’t put it down.  I could feel the excitement build in me and I just couldn’t stop reading.  With that being said however, I found books 5 and 6 to be exceptionally hard to get all the way through and in fact, I technically did not read all of them.  At book 5, I found myself getting bored and annoyed not only with Professor Umbridge, but also with Harry Potter.  Harry said it himself, she’s evil, she’s pure evil and as I was reading, the way she held herself made me want to slap her across the face.  (This I realize is such a Muggle thing to say, as in the wizarding world you don’t fight with your body but with magic, I just can’t help the reaction.)  So, all the excitement for me was in the very last book.  Even at the very end of the last book, while there was so much death all around Harry, I couldn’t help but feel the thrill of being victorious, the strength in being united against evil, and the truthfulness of the power of love.  For me, the way that Rowling wrote the battle scene to the end of the book was so powerful and had such an impact on my emotions as a reader. 

            Some moments in particular that were poignant for me were when Dobby died, when Harry Potter is going through Snape’s memories, and when he talks to his paremts and Lupin and Sirius before he walks to his death.  Dobby is such an innocent character, and I believe his gratitude and therefore his love for Harry is just as strong as the love Harry’s parents, Lupin and Sirius have for him.  While all characters who died essentially died for Harry and the cause he stood for, Dobby stood in the way of death for Harry.  Multiple times he chooses to save Harry even though he knows that doing so puts himself in danger.  Reading about the way the Dobby dies in Harry’s arms almost made me cry.  As for the recollection of Snape’s memories, it tugged at my heart to see how much he loved Lily Potter.  My heart naturally is pulled to those who are misunderstood, who long for a love that is out of their reach.  To know and see the way that he loved Lily made my heart break for him.  And finally, when Harry talked to his parents as he was walking through the forest, I thought of what it would be like to live your whole life, knowing that your parents sacrificed themselves so that you could live. 

            Two characters that stood out to me were Snape and Dumbledore.  Snape’s character obviously tugged at my heart as I read about his memories.  To see how strong his love was for Lily, even in death, was so powerful, and knowing the way he died was especially hard.  Previously, as I read the other books, I could feel the hate of Snap with Harry, but after reading the last book my heart completely went out to him.  My respect for Dumbledore more than doubled upon reading the last book.  His ability to be 10 steps ahead of everyone else is amazing, unparalleled.  One quick example is the gifts he left for Harry, Ron and Hermione.  He knew exactly what they needed and when they would need them.