The Book of Revelations

[izmeina]

Stolen from scaeriefaerie13

Yessss - Izzie must be the last in our circle of serpents to post our musings on the not so precious last tome of the Potter saga
Not just because of reading at a snail's pace in order to make the most of the very last one but remaining in Cyberian exile all that time and not returning until last Thursday.
And then of course - there was the seemingly common WTF? reaction and catching up with all the commentaries. But this of course is veering closely to the dangerous territory of spoilers. Not an issue for most of Izzies' friends but Izzie's regard of the Unforgiveables (of online behaviour) is somewhat higher than a certain boy wizard who shall remain nameless



While the weather was the sort that only a Dementor would enjoy, the Izzie managed to avoid letting it distract her too much
Got to thinking that there were a few things we knew would have to happen and the rest would be speculation
The certainties being a wedding, the need for Harry to leave Privet Drive in safety, a visit to Godric's Hollow and a showdown with Voldemort at some stage - with or without all the horcruxes destroyed

So, at first was very impressed that the story started in a place which was not too easily predicted
A bit miffed that the Muggle Studies prof held prisoner was an unknown character but rather liked her pleading "Severus...please...please"
yesss. The Great White Witch is trying to mess with our minds but the Izzie awaits more evidence before condemning the Potions Master as really having gone over to the Dark Side.
His accuracy in information concerning the date of departure not being enough as that is the whole point of being a double agent - giving enough information to convince either side of your loyalty but not any more than is necessary to do so.

Then there was the interesting manner of introducing all the juicy Dumbledore backstory and the exit from Privet Drive.
Rita Skeeter's musings have to be viewed with some scepticism but the idea that there was more to Dumblie than Mr Goodie Goodie Two Shoes grandpa was most intriguing indeed
The business with the Dursleys was rather amusing. Dudley was acting most out of character but Harry's explanation was rather convincing that the Dementors must have given him a soul when they tried kiss him

Izzie's first shock was the sudden death of Hedwig. It was the one which upset Izzie the most - including all of the later ones.
No tears for Dobby - annoying and grovelling git that he was. Kreacher is just so much cuter - an elf with attitude. But Harry's reaction and the business with the muggle methods of grave digging was rather tear jerking and moving indeed
At the stage of getting half way through the story and realizing just who had got her pretty paws on the locket - had such a fit of the giggles over that one - was most impressed indeed. 300 pages gone and still no progress on the Horcrux front
Lots of action, puzzles and mysteries and things being generally consistent with what had gone before but not totally predictable.
The fickle nature of the Fidelius Charm did come to our attention - a bit of goal post moving there. But generally - if the writer does not piss us off mightily like Phillip Pullman and his unbearable pomposity after only a handful of pages - Izzie is quite generous with our suspension of disbelief and will let the odd little thing slip under the radar. Things like the Trace and Harry's increasing reliance on his inner serpent. Like the use of the newspaper headlines for the fifth movie - it was a convenient device for conveying information that could not be otherwise got without many detours although Izzie did wonder why Voldemort was not taking advantage of the two way nature of this connection


But that was before the silver doe slinked on the scene. Had some vague notion of this creature being mentioned in connection with Lily - but not sure where that idea came from. It casts her in the role as being a mere spare rib and sidekick to James. A swan or dove or even corny unicorn would have been more appropriate - especially in the light of the scene of Quirrell in the forest in the first book
But the dead do not return and there were no other likely suspects so left it as a mystery and useful plot device to get the sword into the hands of the three.
Just loved those creatures in the locket. Voldemort must surely be descended from the serpent in the Garden of Eden
The scenes in the Ministry were amusing - poor Madeye - what a fate to be turned into a door knocker. But she laid on the Nurnburg laws stuff just a little bit thick. Some subtlety - please
But the whole idea that Harry would once again have the Ministry on his trail like in the fifth book and the hunter would also be hunted added a twist of excitement.

Xenophilius Lovegood was such a cool and crazy critter. You so had to sympathise with the awful predicament he was in. Standing up to kidnappers and terrorists by refusing to give in to their demands is always easier to do when it is some one else's family they have got - even when logic tells you that cooperating just encourages their bad behaviour.
But Izzie's favorite had to be Aberforth. "It's a goat. You idiot" had to be one of our most favorite lines in the whole book. He was such a cynic but a good hearted one and there to help when push came to shove

But it was the trip to the Ravenclaw Tower when things slowly started to unravel. Not so much that Harry used that curse - he's getting pissed off and nasty in his old age and that McGonnagal who should know better goes and does it too - but that after staining his soul in such an act, he then goes back to his old 'saving people' thing and goes rescuing Malfoy and his mob from the burning buildings. Come on. He's risking the lives of his friends to save some one who has already got him in a whole lot of shit (although Draco was nice to him earlier by being rather vague about his identity and was not mean and nasty enough to kill a defenceless Dumblie in the tower earlier) but - the two acts just do not go together. Inflicting cruel and unusual punishment on an almost total stranger but going way beyond the call of duty to rescue a known foe from self inflicted incineration. (Izzie sees a Gollum moment coming soon)

The Ministry had obviously lifted restrictions on certain forms of dark magic - but whether or not there is external punishment - murder and torture are still murder and torture - even when brave Gryffindor Harry does it. Those oh so special Gryffindors who should know better

It was around this stage that the worm started to turn. Not just the convoluted saga of the Elder Wand. Izzie was not even too upset by the manner of Snape's death. That is the joy of being a spy - hated by all and regarded as expendable. But what self respecting Slytherin would ever be killed by a snake? And in the Shrieking Shack? The scene of his childhood torment. And to be left there alone and friendless to rot - that is almost the ultimate indignity. But there was more in store

All through the whole Grindelwald and Dumbledore adventures, Izzie sensed some parallel with Snape - in the sense that because Dumbledore made amends for the stupid and reckless irresponsibility of his youth, he may have had faith in Snape too seeing the light. But to find that it was nothing more than infatuation with the one woman who had treated him reasonably decently while his own family abused and neglected him - that was the saddest and most pathetic of all.
Could not help but be reminded of that most interesting scene beloved of Snarry slashers in the Goblet movie when there are whisperings backstage just after Potter's name had been put in the Goblet. Not sure if it was Snape or McGonagall but one of them said something like "The boy's not a lump of meat"
And then we find that apparently Dumbledore thought so all along and had been using people in the very way he accused Voldemort and Snape of doing. But of course - it was justified - being all For the Greater Good.

And that sad and pathetic Patronus. But that was nothing compared to the Grand Aslan moment in the Forest.
Harry had known for a long time coming that there would be a duel with the Dark Lord sooner or later and he wanted to enter it on his own terms - head held high and all that heroic stuff but it just was too much like the scene in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe for this serpent's taste. And his resurrection after the soujourn in King's Cross was due to the same reason. We even had Hagrid of Cyrene on the battle scene carrying the fallen hero.

But funny - could have lived with all that King's Cross Christian stuff and the tragic waste of such an amazing character as Snape if not for the very very last Cruciatus curse in this sad saga. Yesss. The one that started on page 601 and began with the words "Nineteen Years Later"

Simply unforgiveable. A Happy ever after with squealing beasties running around everywhere and Daddy Harry telling Albus Severus that he can always choose not to be in Slytherin.

The only hope remains that his godson Ted whose parents also died at the hand of Dark Lord will grow up and begin the Hero's journey all over again.


So so glad that we dawdled on the first reading of this book. Did manage to disapparate for days to this most magical world before the sudden return to reality. With 20/20 hindsight, it will never be the same again. In the past, the stories always got better second and third time around. Not so sure any more

But ten years on, there will be plenty of volunteers out there to start the saga again with "Severus Snape and the Philosopher's Stone"

Will always be grateful to the Great White Witch for her invention of a most amazing magical world. But she meddled with magic of the most mysterious sort and like the Sorcerer's apprentice - her spell created a creature that was beyond her powers to control. She may have tried to put her "Bad boy" back in his box but will never succeed.

Long may the soul of Severus Snape live in Cyberia where he may associate with those who truly appreciate his snarkilicious complexity and his choice to take the path that was right rather than easy

Comments

[mamaslyth.livejournal.com]

But to find that it was nothing more than infatuation with the one woman who had treated him reasonably decently while his own family abused and neglected him - that was the saddest and most pathetic of all.

I already addressed this in someone else's journal, but this was probably the most psychological correct of the whole thing:

It is called Attachment Syndrome (or something like that, my psych notes are in another city than I am at the moment). And it's strength with the victim is more than a shallow obsession with a pretty girl. It's more than almost any other psychological compulsion. It's what is believed to be one of the driving factors of the Stockholm Syndrome. The only difference is that Snape never feels safe, so his psychological need to hold onto Lily's memory never faded away. Even if Dumbledore hadn't told him he should protect Harry for Lily, Snape would have found a way to keep her memory alive. He had too. His emotional survival depended on it. Dumbledore just gave Snape a less creepy way of doing this.


And being lazy, I just cut and pasted it...

[izmeina.livejournal.com]

Izzie expected Snape to cling to Lily as probably the first person who was ever really nice to him - in such circumstances - she would take on a significance far in excess of what would be expected for those from happier circumstances - as you outlined in the quote. But had expected that it would not be the ONLY reason. Especially after finding that Dumbledore had also been dabbling in the dark arts and the temptations of power but when he seen the consequences of such irresponsible behavioiur, realised the error of his ways and tried to make amends for it.

[izmeina.livejournal.com]

Just occurred to Izzie - Harry sort of clung to Hagrid and Dumbledore in the same way and basically worshipped the ground they walked on for an unusually long time. But then after Dumbledore's death, he had to learn to come to terms with the fact that there was a dark side too and to begin to see Dumbledore as a flesh and blood person rather than an almost infallible Godlike father figure. He'd already worked that out about Hagrid we guess after the incident with the hairy scary spiderses in the Forbidden Forest

[mamaslyth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but do you think Snape would actually admit to Dumbledore that some of it was loyalty to him too? I don't think even let Lily know how much she really meant to him.

My book is with my son right now, so I can't reread this part, but wasn't Snape kind of pissed of at Dumbledore when he stated that Lily was the only reason?

[timatina.livejournal.com]

yep.. btw he was really pissed huh....

and I do think Snape wasn't fully healthy minded.. which makes me sad for him but not irritated at all.

[mamaslyth.livejournal.com]

But my point still stands. He was mad at Dumbledore, so if Snape had any loyalty to him, he wouldn't admit to it at that time. His pride wouldn't let him.

[mamaslyth.livejournal.com]

I know. He never did find someone he could truly confide in and trust.

[timatina.livejournal.com]

sorry... rofl here about the pic