Blog Assignment #3

I felt many different emotions at the end of the Harry Potter series. However, my most sincere emotions were linked to the relationship of Harry and Dumbledore. Being that Harry lost his real father at such a young age, which was followed by the poor guardianship of Mr. Dursley, Harry never really had a true father figure. That is, until he went on to start his new life in Hogwarts and met Albus Dumbledore, whom we all saw first hand play a huge role as a fatherly type figure in Harry’s life.

Specifically, I felt poignant emotions when it came to instances towards the end of the series that involved Harry and Dumbledore. In Half Blood Prince, we see much of Dumbledore. He and Harry go on a quest to obtain the first horcrux, where Dumbledore trusts his life with Harry, as he drinks the potion and puts himself into major danger. At the end of this book Snape defeats Dumbledore, which is a heart wrenching moment for any reader as you feel many different emotions. The defeat and funeral of Dumbledore really pulled at my heartstrings, as he was a character that I really grew close to throughout the series.

In The Deathly Hollows, we learn more about Dumbledore’s past. Harry really struggles with this, being that some of it results in an uneasy feeling and is certainly hard to handle, like the memories of Ariana. Harry learns that Dumbledore did not have an easy past. He also learns more about what all Dumbledore has done for him and how selfless Dumbledore was in his death.

The most poignant moment for me in the whole series was when Harry finally defeated Voldemort and returns to Dumbledore’s portrait. They have a short conversation and he returns the elder wand to Dumbledore’s grave. This was a tribute to Dumbledore, as that was a very treasured item to him and for Harry to think to place it back with his body was just adorable. It overwhelmed my heart with so many different emotions!

I was so sad for the series to end; it kind of put me in a “funk”. I already want to re-read and plan to do so over the summer for leisure. 

Blog #3

At the end of the series I was definitely shocked about how the plot unfolded. The conclusion of the plan to kill Voldemort was something that I never saw coming. I couldn’t believe how well Dumbledore thought out this plan, from Snape’s role to how Harry was a holcrux all along.

 I was also shocked on how I felt about Snape and Dumbledore at the end of the series. Throughout the entire series I always thought of Snape as the “bad guy”. Even though he protected Harry in his first year,( and sometimes in the years following) I shifted all of my thoughts of Snape being good, to evil after he killed Dumbledore on the watch tower. From that point I HATED SNAPE. I hated how he portrayed Dumbledore, and I hated how he took over Hogwarts. I was even glad when Snape was killed because he was finally punished for killing Dumbledore.  But then there was that moment when Harry had a look at Snapes memories.  At that moment, my heart when from hatred to pure sadness as I realized Snapes true identity. The fact that he his job all along was to protect Harry, and how he loved Lily was something that I never would have suspected. I also had a different perspective on Dumbledore, and actually hated the fact that he kept all of these secrets from Harry all of this time, which made me question who he really was.

What I also thought was surprising about the ending of the series was the personality shift in Mrs.Weasley, and Neville. We all can recall one of the most memorable lines that Mrs.Weasley says “Not my daughter you bitch!”, and then killing Bellatrix, one of the most evil and powerful deatheaters following Voldemort. Honestly I never would have thought that Mrs. Weasley would swear, and didn’t realize how aggressive she could be! I even remember the whole audience cheering for her as that moment unfolded on the movie theater screen! I think I was more excited about her killing Bellatrix then Harry killing Voldemort. Yeah Mrs.Weasley!

With Neville, the moment that I changed my views on him was when he killed Naganni with the sword of Gryffindor. Out of everyone (especially Harry) Neville is the one who kills the most crucial thing in order to kill Voldemort, making him go from a zero to a hero, which I thought was awesome!

Blog Post 3: The End

Page 759 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - the end of something so monumental, it actually hurt my heart to close the book; a series that gave me a new perception on magic, creativity, and caused a sense of wonder I never knew existed. The ending was quite a surprise to say the least. I must've been one of Rowling's hopeful and expected "gullible readers" considering I never expected Snape to be a truly good guy. I imagined that after he killed Dumbledore, he remained faithful to Voldemort with no more surprises. I was clearly mistaken. His love for Lily Potter drove him to the most master plan of all, deceiving literally everyone he came in contact with for years. To think that Rowling had this plan the entire time, and was able to wind such an intricate web of magical mystery around it all is beyond brilliant.

Although not a main character, watching Kreacher grow throughout the story was one of my favorites. The chapter titled, "Kreacher's Tale" was like a surplus of hints and surprises that opened up doors to the rest of the story. The way he began to cook for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and do his best to help them in anyway made it a satisfying transformation to see, especially when reminiscing on his previous attitude towards them as a nasty, angry house elf that hid under the cabinet with zero respect for anyone but his deceased, previous masters. 

Lastly, Neville Longbottom - a boy I always thought to simply be an extra alongside Harry's band of accomplices that had his back in times of need. He transformed from a timid, clumsy wizard to the ultimate hero, defeating Nagini, the final Horcrux. I am overwhelmed with emotion after finishing this series, and my only question is, when will Rowling decide to write another seven books, telling the lives of Harry and Ginny's children during their journey at Hogwarts? 

Blog #3

The Death Hallows, in my opinion, is an incredible finale to the Harry Potter series. A huge part of this is because of the grand scale of the book; there’s so much going on and a lot of the mysteries are still being pieced together up until the very end, offering such a high caliber of storytelling that few series ever achieve.  For a majority of the series, Harry was always the focus and we just sort of watch him overcome the challenges placed before him. However, the threat in this book seems much more global, since the entire wizarding world is falling apart and Harry’s task of destroying all the Horcruxes in almost insurmountable.

One of the more interesting aspects of this book is how much we learn about characters like Dumbledore, Snape, and even Kreacher. Up until this book, we as the reader had always viewed these characters in a certain way, but Rowling surprises us yet again by showing us a different side to all these characters. Dumbledore had always been seen as this god-like wizard and a kind, helpful mentor to Harry. It’s kind of strange to think that Dumbledore was always such an important character in the series, but we the reader, just like Harry, didn’t really know much about him at all. Learning about Dumbledore’s past definitely makes him seem more human and proves that even the greatest of wizards can make mistakes. Snape is also another character who became increasingly more important as the series progresses, starting off as the scapegoat that Harry always blamed for the bad happenings around Hogwarts. Since then, we never really knew whether to trust him or not, but by hearing about his Lily and his promise to protect Harry really makes you respect him a lot more as a character. I know a lot of people (myself included) still don’t like him and some of the decisions he makes but you can’t deny that some what he did was genuinely heartbreaking.

The final battle at Hogwarts is also very powerful emotional for various reasons and serves as an epic climax to the series. It was very moving to see all of Harry’s friends and companions come together to aid in the fight against Voldemort and his army, proving that Harry doesn’t have to do everything alone. Even some minor characters like Neville and Mrs. Weasley step up and do major things like stopping Nagini and Bellatrix. A lot of the deaths in the final battle were extremely tough to accept, especially when we’re talking about characters like Lupin, Tonks, and Fred. The death of Lupin and Tonks was extremely unexpected and also very sad, especially knowing that Teddy was now orphaned and will have to live a life similar to Harry. It’s kind of cruel to see Harry lose not only his father, but also the two people closest to his father as well. For me though, the most shocking death was Fred’s because I also happen to be red-headed twin and I’d always related to there characters. They were always my favorites because they always stayed positive and did their best to cheer everyone up. I can’t even imagine what it’d would be like to lose my twin brother so it was super depressing to see George deal with something so traumatic. All in all, the finale throws so many emotions and surprises at the reader that makes it an unforgettable end to the series. 

Blog Post 3 - Rosmarin

Until this class, I really enjoyed the ending to Harry Potter. Not to say that I don't care for it anymore until recently, but analyzing the book critically has made me think of a few points that are harder for me to ignore until now.

First the concept of Lily's sacrifice requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. I understand the logic behind the power of love in Rowling's universe, I think she uses it well. However, I find it very difficult to believe that Harry is the only person who has ever survived the killing curse. I seriously doubt that no one else has ever totally given up their own life to save someone else in Rowling world. In the series, Lily's sacrifice is arguably the most important element of Harry's life but I struggle to believe that it's incredibly unique. However, this issue has had me asking some friends the following question: in the Harry Potter universe, if Jesus were a wizard and truly divine would him dying for us grant humanity a certain amount of protection from harm? Being able to ask that question for legitimate academic purposes brings me a lot of joy.

The sudden introduction of wandlore seemed like very convenient deus ex machina to me. Harry defeating Voldemort was only possible because he found himself at the end of the line of masters of the Elder Wand. In the last book it was a great mystery and built up a lot of tension until the very last moment. However, the idea of wands obeying certain people was never really seen elsewhere. Throughout the entire series people are being disarmed all the time, especially in the Dumbledore's Army meetings. You could argue that the wand understands context but in that case Harry taking Malfoy's wand from his hands seems like a very banal 'transaction.' If wands could so easily switch masters, I feel like no one would be able to enjoy the power of their own wand for more than a week. It's a fascinating concept that felt thrown in at the last second to justify the events of the last book.

Dumbledore's Evolution - Emily Joa Blog post 3

For me, the 7^th book was a great conclusion to the series. It answered all of the questions and made all of the characters seem really well rounded. Dumbledore’s character really changed and evolved a lot during the last book. My feelings towards him changed a lot, too.

Throughout the series, Dumbledore seemed like an amazing wizard. He was wise and always ten steps ahead of everyone. He was kind to everyone and treated everyone the same. He never treated Harry like he was a silly little boy. He treated him with a lot of respect and believed in him. But as the series went on, he seemed to grow more distant and hide more secrets from Harry. By the fifth book, he was blatantly ignoring Harry. By the sixth, he was hiding things from Harry and not fully explaining himself. By the time I got to the seventh book, I was unsure as to who Dumbledore really was. Everything about him came into question during the eulogy and Rita Skeeter’s book. Harry kept finding more and more big secrets about Dumbledore, and at one point I wasn’t even sure if he had actually defeated Grindewald or not. It seemed like maybe he wasn’t any of the things he seemed to be when he was alive. Then the big moment that confirmed everything I was afraid of came when Harry was looking into the pensieve at Snape’s memories in book seven. During this, we find out that Dumbledore knew Harry was a Horcrux and that he would have to die in the end. That really changed my viewpoint of Dumbledore because it showed him as heartless and like he didn’t actually care about Harry. Talking to Snape, he said, “But this is touching, Severus. Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?” (687). This really made him seem completely heartless. Snape is astounded that Dumbledore seemingly raised him “like a pig for slaughter” (687). And yet Dumbledore doesn’t show emotion to this. He’s more astounded that Snape actually cares. After this, it was hard not to hate Dumbledore.

After all this heartbreak, the scene that brought Dumbledore back to reality was the scene after Harry dies by Voldemort’s hand and Harry meets Dumbledore at King’s Cross. This scene brought back the Dumbledore that I knew and loved in the beginning of the series. It showed that Dumbledore couldn’t love Harry more and was constantly worried about him. He did everything to help him because he knew what his fate would be. He was brave. He made mistakes. He was human. It really made Dumbledore seem so much more of a man who wasn’t perfect but who was amazing. It made me believe in him again.

This is my first time reading the books, and so I saw the movies first, in theaters of course. When I saw the last Harry Potter, I was thoroughly impressed. My first impression was that that was the perfect ending. When I first saw the scene where Harry goes to sacrifice himself, I was deeply disappointed because the whole series I was waiting for the big showdown between Harry and Voldemort. And so when they went to battle again, it was amazing. Everything was done so well and I was so impressed. But I wasn’t nearly as impressed as I was when I read the books because there is so much more to the series and so many more questions that are answered.

Overall, Dumbledore went from one of my favorite characters, to one of the most heartbreaking villains, to one of the best characters in the series. It was a long journey with a lot of unanswered questions that I honestly didn’t think would ever be answered. But by the end of the series, I was glad they were answered and I loved the answers I was given. The end of this book was the perfect ending in my opinion. 

Blog for Missed Quiz-The Greater Good

For my missed quiz blog post, I will be discussing the fan-video called "The Greater Good," which depicts Albus and Aberforth's duel with Grindelwald, which ended with the death of Ariana. I thought it was a very well made video that expanded on the story that Aberforth told Harry, Hermione, and Ron before they snuck back into Hogwarts.
The video showed Grindelwald's obvious anger toward Albus about abandoning their plans to rule over Muggles. In the beginning, Grindelwald spoke of controlling the Muggles, and Albus retored by saying "How the British Muggles control India?" which helped set the historic scene during which this was taking place. That helped me understand when exactly this story was happening and how Albus had seen what control was doing to the world, even if it wasn't directly affecting him.
Just a few moments later, Grindelwald said "I don't know love." You could see the way that affected Albus, his eyes turning sad, which connects to what JK Rowling had said about Dumbledore being gay, stating that he had indeed been in love with Grindelwald and that it had blinded Albus from seeing Grindelwald's true nature.
Toward the end of the video, when Albus and Grindelwald's duel was coming to a close, Grindelwald shot the Killing Curse at Aberforth. Albus protected Aberforth from it by shooting out Expelliarmus. The two spells connected and and fought against each other, like Voldemort's wand did with Harry's in the books and movies. I think they chose to do that because they wanted to show that Dumbledore was like Harry when he was fighting Grindelwald.
The video also shows who's spell could've potentially killed Ariana. Albus and Grindelwald shot Killing Curses at each other, which Ariana then shouted "No!" and sent out a pulse of power from her hands, which knocked the curses off course and they were then directed at her. At first, it looked like it would be Albus's Avada Kedavra that would be the one to kill Ariana. But, Grindelwald's curse also hit Ariana at the same time, so it was still shown as a very ambiguous murder. It is left to your own interpretation of the video.
I think this video helps expand on the universe of Harry Potter, taking a story that many would've liked to hear more about or potentially see and transforming it into it's own short film. I saw that the same team who made this video also made a teaser trailer called "Severus Snape and the Marauders," which would expand upon another part of the Harry Potter universe that many people would like to see, including myself. This video and other parts of the fandom are what keeps Harry Potter alive, even after nearly eight years after the final book was released.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGHBwk0quxs