Harry's parents die in 1981 (as seen on their Tombstone). Harry was one year old at the time iirc. He's seventeen during the course of the 7th book so... 1997?
Yes, either 1997, or 1998.
There was mention of Dudely having a Playstation, in the year 1994/5. This was one year before the japanese release. So the time frame may be a bit inconsistent. I think JK started the time frame from when she first thought of Harry, back in 1992 on a train to/from London.
SPOILERS, etc.
I just finished reading it. I think it was the best out of the series, but way too rushed, and too short.
Good stuff:
Snape turned out to be good/cool.
Lots of action.
Good story (up to the epilogue).
Tied up virtually every loose end from all the previous books.
Bad stuff:
Too short.
Too much bitching from Ron/Hermione.
Harry lives (seriously, it would've been more dramatic to have had Harry die. There would be no need for the epilogue and to have all the loose ends; the end is the end if Harry died).
Fred dies (would've been better for Percy to, IMO).
Too many grammar errors. Was "Stunning" always capitalized?
Was it me, or was basically studying every detail in the other books a definite prerequisite for understanding most of this one? There was no "'but horcruxes', Harry remembered, 'are just objects that a dark wizard can store parts of his soul in to gain immortality'", or anything like that. You need to know almost every name, place, event, and thing.
Anyway, still the best book so far, but I can't wait for the final book where Harry spends his eighth and final year and Hogwarts.
I could waste my time clearing up plot holes and such, but why bother? Most of it will be slammed anyway as the ramblings of an idiotic Potter fan (though I don't blame them).
I will make a few things clear, however:
1) Wizards don't give a rat's shit about house-elves and therefore underestimate their magic. Only characters like Harry, Hermione and Dumbledore, who think higher of house-elves and know their abilities, would even THINK to use them in battle.
2) Wizards are always behind on the times when it comes to technology because, let's face it, there's less motivation to create machines when you can pretty much magic anything.
and a two-part rebuttal concerning wizards and guns:
3) The Shield Charm (Protego), as shown in DH, can deflect physical objects as well as spells and hexes. So anyone who bears down on a wizard with an AK-47 wouldn't be able to get a single bullet on them. Also, if they were Hagrid, they'd probably twist the gun into a knot and throw it away before they could act. Oh yeah, and wizards can Apparate all over the place, making them an impossible target.
4) Spells move VERY fast. The one time a wizard/witch has the ability to dodge them is when their opponent is screaming the incantation, which is why the ability to conjure spells non-verbally is such an advantage in battle.
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I always got the impression that the main reason characters kept missing when trying to curse others was bad aim, not slow curses. When you can't dump a thousand machine gun shells into a single target, your chances for hitting lower dramatically.
But yes, I did not like the battle of hogwarts at all. I mean, seriously. There was a distinct lack of apocalyptic upheaval and/or avada kedavra. And whatever happened to non-verbal incantations, anyways?
3) The Shield Charm (Protego), as shown in DH, can deflect physical objects as well as spells and hexes. So anyone who bears down on a wizard with an AK-47 wouldn't be able to get a single bullet on them. Also, if they were Hagrid, they'd probably twist the gun into a knot and throw it away before they could act. Oh yeah, and wizards can Apparate all over the place, making them an impossible target.
4) Spells move VERY fast. The one time a wizard/witch has the ability to dodge them is when their opponent is screaming the incantation, which is why the ability to conjure spells non-verbally is such an advantage in battle.
Uh, I think a trained mercenary would be able to shoot someone faster than they could utter a spell. I mean, even sniping. You just have Juno there with that sniper rifle, and Voldemort's head is toast. The exit wound is like 6 inches in radius. Sure you can't "kill" Voldemort, but you could jack his wand after shooting him in the face. I gotta admit, that you'd have to be aiming to kill, because trained wizards have pretty good healing capabilities.
For those who think that the best wizard is much "physically" stronnger than the average human, why don't we take Fred as an example. He is definitely not a below average wizard (him being in the order was proof of at least average ability) an he was crushed by a collasping building. Kind of anti-climatic. He wasn't killed directly by a spell. This leads me to believe that a wizard is weak physically, if he is attacked unsuspectedly.
Stab Lucius Malfoy in the face (with a chainsaw)... Napalm Bellatrix... Shotgun Dumbledore in the face... Wayne Brady kills Dumbledore, bitches!
The better thing is that I was taking bets on who would take the "bait" first. Let's just say that I didn't win or lose, because everyone for voted Chamale.
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mr_roberts_z wrote:
I think it was the best out of the series
Why did you find it the best?
I can't understand how anyone who really really liked the previous books can seriously enjoy this one.
Everyone was out of character. All kinds of build up from previous books was completely ignored. Every other book had some major plot twist near the end, this one didn't.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Snape turned out to be good/cool.
Which was obvious.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Lots of action.
And she can't write a decent fight scene to save her life. I had to read the Severus vs. Minerva scene like 4 times till I understood what happened in it.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Good story (up to the epilogue).
I'll grant you that, the story in itself was good
mr_roberts_z wrote:
.
Tied up virtually every loose end from all the previous books.
Have you read the previous books? I mean seriously. It barely tied up anything.
How did Tom get his wand back?
How did anyone know Tom's spell backfired and he was reduced to vapor if there was a fidelus charm on the house? No one else was there. It doesn't even make sense that they Hermione or anyone else was able to see it, as Peter did not tell them the secret.
How did Hagrid get into the house and where was he for that whole day?
Why was Minerva waiting outside #4?
Why did Minerva buy Harry a Nimbus 2000?
What happened to the Mirror of Erised?
Why did it take Albus so long for him to go to England and back?
How could Albus know Harry was around if he was wearing his cloak?
Why did Crookshanks help Sirius, and even go to the extent to save his life by standing over him?
How did Albus know Harry was outside stealing Buckbeak?
How did Barty get an unauthorized portkey into Hogwarts without being noticed?
Why couldn't Minerva defend Barty from a single Dementor?
What was Dudley so afraid of?
Why didn't Kreacher appear before Sirius when Sirius called him?
What exactly was the silver smoke instrument?
Why couldn't Tom just take the prophecy himself?
Where was all the guards that night they all broke into the ministry? The Death Eaters were there waiting for a long while.
Why did it take so long for the order to appear? It took them hours to get from Hogwarts to the ministry.
Why did Albus pull his own memories out of a jar?
Why did the Avada Kedavra that killed Albus make him fly upwards in the air for a while, then over the side, when every other one in the series has the victim fall down dead?
Why did Tom guard one Horcrux so elaborately and barely had any protection at all on the others?
What the heck was Albus talking about that his hand was blackened because he wasn't as fast as he used to be?
What happened to Florence Flortescue?
This is just a quick list off the top of my head, sure you can answer some of them, but you can't answer most of them to satisfactory. Not to mention the multitude of plot holes the last book introduced which made it barely fit in with the previous ones.
Also, lets not forget the total lack of an ending, to tie up what people do with their lives. Like did Harry ever become an Auror like he wanted? And a bajillion other questions.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Bad stuff:
Too short.
Too much bitching from Ron/Hermione.
Too many grammar errors. Was "Stunning" always capitalized?
Agreed. Many grammar mistakes were atrocious, some sentences I also had to read several times to figure out where the mistake were and rebuild them. Not to mention some spelling mistakes. Where the heck were the team of editors from Bloomsbury and Scholastic? It's like they knew it was the last book, so it wouldn't affect future sales if they didn't even try with this one.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Harry lives (seriously, it would've been more dramatic to have had Harry die.
He did die. It was also foreshadowed he would die and come back.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
There would be no need for the epilogue and to have all the loose ends; the end is the end if Harry died).
Oh, so now there are loose ends? And if Harry stayed dead, it'd still have to tell you how everyone else handles it and what the other characters end up doing.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Fred dies (would've been better for Percy to, IMO).
Who cares who died? Death is natural. The fact that we get a two page write up on Peter's death, and two sentences on Remus is a problem. We don't even have a clue how George ended up coping with Fred's death, or what happened to Harry's big investment in them.
The last few chapters also felt incredibly rushed.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Was it me, or was basically studying every detail in the other books a definite prerequisite for understanding most of this one? There was no "'but horcruxes', Harry remembered, 'are just objects that a dark wizard can store parts of his soul in to gain immortality'", or anything like that. You need to know almost every name, place, event, and thing.
If you studied every last detail of the previous books, then this book makes absolutely no sense at all.
Minerva not being evil is completely incomprehensible if you studied her character from previous books.
Ginny not developing any of her Animagus powers that were hinted at either leaves me scratching my head.
mr_roberts_z wrote:
Anyway, still the best book so far
What drugs are you on?
Both 3 and 4 had these major "NO WAY" moments at the end when you learn what is really going on.
This book was really predictable, and no major plot points at all.
I can't even believe the same person wrote this. Completely forgetting your characters, lining things up properly, having build up on all kinds of build up and then not even mentioning it.
Where was the non verbal spells in this book? If the happiest person in the world is supposed to be seeing themselves in the Mirror of Erised, why isn't the ending where the hero lives including anything like that? Shouldn't we walk away knowing that he finally achieved true happiness?
The only explanations I could see is that JKR realized she'd make a fortune anyway, and didn't even try with certain sections, or the publishers forced her to do a hack and slash job on a good deal of the story because it became too long, or some of it was ghostwritten.
theenglishman wrote:
Wizards don't give a rat's shit about house-elves and therefore underestimate their magic.
And should we also think that Elves don't know their own magic? For what reason did Kreacher who loved Regulus not teleport him back after the locket switch?
theenglishman wrote:
3) The Shield Charm (Protego), as shown in DH, can deflect physical objects as well as spells and hexes. So anyone who bears down on a wizard with an AK-47 wouldn't be able to get a single bullet on them. Also, if they were Hagrid, they'd probably twist the gun into a knot and throw it away before they could act. Oh yeah, and wizards can Apparate all over the place, making them an impossible target.
This doesn't explain why there wasn't crates of sniper rifles to go around.
theenglishman wrote:
4) Spells move VERY fast. The one time a wizard/witch has the ability to dodge them is when their opponent is screaming the incantation, which is why the ability to conjure spells non-verbally is such an advantage in battle.
Yes, such an advantage that it's rarely used.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
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DK64_MASTER wrote:
Moody could see Harry too... Which means the cloak isn't really *that* special.
It means that Moody had a special eye, other than that, no idea.
The cloak didn't protect against non human eyes either.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Moody could see Harry too... Which means the cloak isn't really *that* special.
It means that Moody had a special eye, other than that, no idea.
The cloak didn't protect against non human eyes either.
If the cloak really is one of the Deathly Hallows, like Dumbledore suspected, shouldn't the cloak be "constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it?"
Perhaps Xenophilius's story was exaggerated? Or perhaps Dumbledore/Moody/Crouch (using Moody's eye) was able to sense him in a different manner (sound, occulmency).
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DK64_MASTER wrote:
Nach wrote:
DK64_MASTER wrote:
Moody could see Harry too... Which means the cloak isn't really *that* special.
It means that Moody had a special eye, other than that, no idea.
The cloak didn't protect against non human eyes either.
If the cloak really is one of the Deathly Hallows, like Dumbledore suspected, shouldn't the cloak be "constant and impenetrable concealment, no matter what spells are cast at it?"
Perhaps, but with a dozens of plot holes in this book, another one won't surprise me.
DK64_MASTER wrote:
Perhaps Xenophilius's story was exaggerated? Or perhaps Dumbledore/Moody/Crouch (using Moody's eye) was able to sense him in a different manner (sound, occulmency).
Well, you *might* be able to suggest that Moody could only see him because at that point in the book, he wanted to be seen by Moody, but not by anyone else. Same thing with Nymphadora finding him on the floor of the train.
But I'd really chalk up Moody seeing him due to his special eye, just like the eye could see through walls and his own head.
We also see that the cloak only protects against human eyes, cats can see Harry through his cloak without problem, chalk it up to the magic working on perception of certain color wavelengths.
The only real question I have is how the heck Albus could see him. I was thinking perhaps in this book we'd learn that there was something special about his eyes, or Albus wasn't human. This also makes less sense when the book says this cloak is supposed to perfectly conceal, and way better than any other cloak.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
I'd love to go through all of these and explain each and every one of them to you, but I'll do that when I have more time. Even better, go read the books.
EDIT: Alright, here you go.
To answer your questions, here is a mixture of theory and solid evidence. I will specifically state when something is either theory or evidence.
How did Tom get his wand back?
The "official" explanation is that Wormtail found it and gave it to Voldemort, but I agree, that one’s a bit sketchy. Like I said, I can’t explain all of them.
How did anyone know Tom's spell backfired and he was reduced to vapor if there was a fidelus charm on the house? No one else was there. It doesn't even make sense that they Hermione or anyone else was able to see it, as Peter did not tell them the secret.
The Fidelius charm was broken when the house was destroyed. My guess is that Wormtail was so distraught over betraying his best friend (he is quite pitiful after his betrayal) that he subconsciously severed the charm. Again, I can’t answer that for certain. However, I do have a pretty good theory as to how the rumours spread: Hagrid, a known drinker and not the best Secret Keeper, spread the tale in distress.
How did Hagrid get into the house and where was he for that whole day?
Well, if the Fidelius Charm was broken, Hagrid would have seen it flying on Sirius’ motorcycle. I guess it took him a while to fly there, and maybe to stop at a few taverns along the way
Why was Minerva waiting outside #4?
Go back to CHAPTER ONE OF BOOK ONE:
It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall.
i.e. she wanted to meet Dumbledore and talk to him about the rumours surrounding Voldemort’s disappearance.
Why did Minerva buy Harry a Nimbus 2000?
I think it was a maternal instinct. She knew Harry was lonely at Hogwarts and wanted to help him have a better time there. She also saw him as a great Quidditch player.
What happened to the Mirror of Erised?
I guess Dumbledore destroyed after the events of Book 1.
Why did it take Albus so long for him to go to England and back?
Do you mean when he was searching for the Horcruxes? In that case, I think Dumbledore spent more time collecting evidence and interrogating than actual travel. Otherwise it would have taken him years.
How could Albus know Harry was around if he was wearing his cloak?
Harry was being careless, forgetting he could be heard even if he couldn’t be seen. Perhaps after seeing the Mirror of Erised Harry lost all control.
Why did Crookshanks help Sirius, and even go to the extent to save his life by standing over him?
Crookshanks is part Kneazle and is more intelligent than the average cat. He probably understood through some animal instinct thing that Sirius was innocent. The question you SHOULD be asking is why Scabbers/Wormtail didn’t try to persuade Crookshanks otherwise.
How did Albus know Harry was outside stealing Buckbeak?
Time paradox? Again, I’m not saying that there are NO continuity errors in the books, just not as much as people think there are.
How did Barty get an unauthorized portkey into Hogwarts without being noticed?
The same way Dumbledore did in OotP: Portkeys, for some reason or another, are not traced when the charm (Portus) is placed upon them. The Ministry is pretty stupid.
Why couldn't Minerva defend Barty from a single Dementor?
What power does Minerva have against the Minister for Magic? She’d be arrested for obstruction of "justice" (if you could call it that) and then would not be able to help Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix?
What was Dudley so afraid of?
Ickle Harry’s magic wand? No idea, we’ll wait for the Encyclopedia Magicka for that answer. Ms. Rowling’s promised a lot for this next one, including an elaborate backstory for Dean Thomas.
Why didn't Kreacher appear before Sirius when Sirius called him?
Kreacher had fled to Bellatrix’ house, and there’s no rule on how fast a house-elf needs to return to their master, just that they get there at all.
What exactly was the silver smoke instrument?
Don’t we all want to know that?
Why couldn't Tom just take the prophecy himself?
And risk exposing himself, when he had the element of surprise and denial on his side to infiltrate the Ministry? How stupid would THAT be?
Where were all the guards that night they all broke into the ministry? The Death Eaters were there waiting for a long while.
First of all, it was the early morning, and they assumed the forms of the first people to arrive to the Ministry building. Secondly, with Polyjuice Potion nobody would see what they were until it was too late.
Why did it take so long for the order to appear? It took them hours to get from Hogwarts to the ministry.
Dumbledore loves to up the drama, that one. Wait until just the right time, and…BOOM!
Why did Albus pull his own memories out of a jar?
I think it was meant to be a red herring to tease audiences into thinking that the Dumbledore we all knew and loved was an imposter. Certainly a good case for the Dumbledore-is-not-dead fanatics anyway.
Why did the Avada Kedavra that killed Albus make him fly upwards in the air for a while, then over the side, when every other one in the series has the victim fall down dead?
My guess is that the more important (or pure) a person’s life is, the harder or more spectacular it is to kill them. Ripping out such an important soul must be hard work.
Why did Tom guard one Horcrux so elaborately and barely had any protection at all on the others?
I’m surprised he had any protection at all, because he never expected anyone to find out about them. And anyway, if you guard something too heavily it becomes a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?
What the heck was Albus talking about that his hand was blackened because he wasn't as fast as he used to be?
He couldn’t just blab about finding one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. It was a secret mission, for God’s sake!
What happened to Florence Flortescue?
No idea. Wait for that illusive appendix.
There. Hoped that answered most of your questions, but you’re right, there ARE a lot of holes in the story. Just not as much as everyone thinks there are.
My current project: Something mysterious (oooooh!)
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I'd love to go through all of these and explain each and every one of them to you, but I'll do that when I have more time. Even better, go read the books.
That's the second time you've said that. Maybe you forgot you've said that? It's not like repetition is going to help us understand what is going on through your head.
I could waste my time clearing up plot holes and such, but why bother? Most of it will be slammed anyway as the ramblings of an idiotic Potter fan (though I don't blame them).
You haven't even tried. Perhaps you can't take criticism?
What idiotic potter fan? What makes them idiotic? That they don't understand the book? You should then help the idiot understand it, rather than insult them while offering no reason to for insulting them.
Please; put up, or shut up.
What the heck was Albus talking about that his hand was blackened because he wasn't as fast as he used to be?
Either what was already said, or he was referencing putting the ring on before letting his mind think a bit. Fast in this case could refer to the speed of his thought processes.
Why did Tom guard one Horcrux so elaborately and barely had any protection at all on the others?
What Horcruxes didn't he guard?
There were:
The ring, which had an unknown amount of protection and a rather nasty curse.
The locket, which we all know about.
The cup, which to get, you had to... break into Gringotts for. I'd call that protection.
The diadem, which was impossible to guard in such a way at Hogwarts (and if Harry is correct in that Voldemort hid it while on the way to a job interview, he didn't have the time anyways). Security through obscurity. There were rows upon rows of stuff in that room; Harry got incredibly lucky when he remembered it.
The journal, which managed to lock itself in the supposedly-inpenetrable chamber of secrets.
And the snake. Making the snake a Horcrux was a really stupid decision.
How did Tom get his wand back?
He had over 10 years. While I have no idea how he did it, it wouldn't be impossible, and I imagine he kept tabs on it after exiting the forest of albania.
Why did Minerva buy Harry a Nimbus 2000?
She wanted to wipe the smirk off of Snape's face for continuing to win stuff.
And then there's a lot of stuff that was either cut out or put in solely to add dimension and depth to the world (Dumbledore's silver instruments + memories, Florean Fortescue, etc).
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theenglishman wrote:
How did anyone know Tom's spell backfired and he was reduced to vapor if there was a fidelus charm on the house? No one else was there. It doesn't even make sense that they Hermione or anyone else was able to see it, as Peter did not tell them the secret.
The Fidelius charm was broken when the house was destroyed. My guess is that Wormtail was so distraught over betraying his best friend (he is quite pitiful after his betrayal) that he subconsciously severed the charm. Again, I can’t answer that for certain. However, I do have a pretty good theory as to how the rumours spread: Hagrid, a known drinker and not the best Secret Keeper, spread the tale in distress.
What in the world are you talking about? Peter was the secret keeper.
theenglishman wrote:
How did Hagrid get into the house and where was he for that whole day?
Well, if the Fidelius Charm was broken, Hagrid would have seen it flying on Sirius’ motorcycle. I guess it took him a while to fly there, and maybe to stop at a few taverns along the way
Yeah, the Hagrid you know would ignore Albus's orders to go immediatly and fetch a poor kid lying in a wreck and stop at a few pubs first.
How did anyone even know Harry was alive and the rest dead for Albus to send him to fetch Harry?
theenglishman wrote:
Why was Minerva waiting outside #4?
Go back to CHAPTER ONE OF BOOK ONE:
It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"
"Yes," said Professor McGonagall.
i.e. she wanted to meet Dumbledore and talk to him about the rumours surrounding Voldemort’s disappearance.
That's the whole point, she didn't give a reason. She just accepted whatever Albus said as an excuse. She had no idea why Albus was even there.
You also have to wonder what the heck Albus was doing the whole day. Why send Hagrid? Too too many questions about this, and not a single answer.
theenglishman wrote:
Why did Minerva buy Harry a Nimbus 2000?
I think it was a maternal instinct. She knew Harry was lonely at Hogwarts and wanted to help him have a better time there. She also saw him as a great Quidditch player.
Yeah right. You just spend a fortune on the best broom on the market which is hard to get because a kid is lonely. Ignoring book 7, the only logical explanation is to get him him up in the air so Quirell can take him down.
theenglishman wrote:
What happened to the Mirror of Erised?
I guess Dumbledore destroyed after the events of Book 1.
For what?
theenglishman wrote:
Why did it take Albus so long for him to go to England and back?
Do you mean when he was searching for the Horcruxes? In that case, I think Dumbledore spent more time collecting evidence and interrogating than actual travel. Otherwise it would have taken him years.
No. My questions were in book order. Ending of book 1, Albus was away the day the attempt on the stone was made. Where the heck was he for so long? As soon as he reached England, he realized he had to get back.
theenglishman wrote:
How could Albus know Harry was around if he was wearing his cloak?
Harry was being careless, forgetting he could be heard even if he couldn’t be seen. Perhaps after seeing the Mirror of Erised Harry lost all control.
What are you talking about? Harry in standing in the corner of Hagrid's hut, and Albus and the minister come in, then on the way out, Albus notices Harry, and makes his infamous loyalty line. What noise?
theenglishman wrote:
Why did Crookshanks help Sirius, and even go to the extent to save his life by standing over him?
Crookshanks is part Kneazle and is more intelligent than the average cat. He probably understood through some animal instinct thing that Sirius was innocent. The question you SHOULD be asking is why Scabbers/Wormtail didn’t try to persuade Crookshanks otherwise.
So this means he would give up his own life to protect Sirius?
theenglishman wrote:
How did Albus know Harry was outside stealing Buckbeak?
Time paradox? Again, I’m not saying that there are NO continuity errors in the books, just not as much as people think there are.
This is the only one that isn't an error. It intentionally pointed out that Albus knew what was going on outside the hut from within it, that macnair had to be kept away from the window, that Harry pulled him into the forest instead of flying away. This is all very explicit, we just have no idea HOW.
theenglishman wrote:
How did Barty get an unauthorized portkey into Hogwarts without being noticed?
The same way Dumbledore did in OotP: Portkeys, for some reason or another, are not traced when the charm (Portus) is placed upon them. The Ministry is pretty stupid.
In OotP they said they couldn't make a portkey because it'd be detected and they'd be thrown in Azkaban for trying to make an unauthorized one, it was more than their life's worth.
Albus did it under the minister's nose and didn't care.
It doesn't explain in the slightest how Barty wasn't detected. And by your logic, Draco should've had one made to get DEs into Hogwarts easy as 1-2-3 in 6.
theenglishman wrote:
Why couldn't Minerva defend Barty from a single Dementor?
What power does Minerva have against the Minister for Magic? She’d be arrested for obstruction of "justice" (if you could call it that) and then would not be able to help Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix?
Against the minister? Hello? A guy is getting attacked here, she can't rescue him? It was stated that the Dementor went out of control, it wasn't planned. There was no justice planned here. There was no authority given to kiss.
theenglishman wrote:
Ms. Rowling’s promised a lot for this next one
She promised much for this one too which wasn't brought up at all. But I'm not going to get into it, because if she doesn't put in something she said she would in an interview, I don't really care.
theenglishman wrote:
Why didn't Kreacher appear before Sirius when Sirius called him?
Kreacher had fled to Bellatrix’ house, and there’s no rule on how fast a house-elf needs to return to their master, just that they get there at all.
We see that you call and they immediatly appear. Harry called Kreacher and he came immediately despite not wanting to. By your logic, he could've put it off.
theenglishman wrote:
Why couldn't Tom just take the prophecy himself?
And risk exposing himself, when he had the element of surprise and denial on his side to infiltrate the Ministry? How stupid would THAT be?
What risk?He got a whole battalion into the ministry undetected. We don't even have a clue what happened to the invisible guard of the order that was supposed to be there. Tom could've just slipped in and out. No one noticed him till when he was leaving the fight, you'd think I guy who could turn invisible, fly, and a ton of other things couldn't sneak in and out if he somehow got a dozen DEs in there to wait for Harry completely undetected.
theenglishman wrote:
Where were all the guards that night they all broke into the ministry? The Death Eaters were there waiting for a long while.
First of all, it was the early morning, and they assumed the forms of the first people to arrive to the Ministry building. Secondly, with Polyjuice Potion nobody would see what they were until it was too late.
Early morning and the guards go home? We learned the order had 24 hour watch. We also find out when Arther was attacked that there were people on higher floors. Not to mention that other order guy was caught in middle of the night breaking in.
And I don't know where you brought in poly juice potion from. But good point, Tom could've polyjuiced himself, got his group, and walk in and take the prophecy, no one would see him as Tom if he did that, and odds are he wouldn't be seen at all. Doesn't that seem like such a more logical idea then spending the better part of 5 months trying to trick Harry into getting it for him?
theenglishman wrote:
Why did Albus pull his own memories out of a jar?
I think it was meant to be a red herring to tease audiences into thinking that the Dumbledore we all knew and loved was an imposter. Certainly a good case for the Dumbledore-is-not-dead fanatics anyway.
Oh because it's a red herring suddenly gives it a good reason for it to be there and not a lose end? Gee, lets add all kinds of random noise to the book.
Q: Albus, why did you have my cloak?
A: Why Harry, the answer is simple, it was a red herring.
theenglishman wrote:
Why did the Avada Kedavra that killed Albus make him fly upwards in the air for a while, then over the side, when every other one in the series has the victim fall down dead?
My guess is that the more important (or pure) a person’s life is, the harder or more spectacular it is to kill them. Ripping out such an important soul must be hard work.
Yeah, like that makes any sense. And we learned in this one, Albus wasn't exactly pure.
theenglishman wrote:
Why did Tom guard one Horcrux so elaborately and barely had any protection at all on the others?
I’m surprised he had any protection at all, because he never expected anyone to find out about them. And anyway, if you guard something too heavily it becomes a bit suspicious, doesn’t it?
Yeah, having a ring in the corner of the chamber of secrets under powerful magical spells and invisible and a ton of other things would be real suspicious.
theenglishman wrote:
What the heck was Albus talking about that his hand was blackened because he wasn't as fast as he used to be?
He couldn’t just blab about finding one of Voldemort’s Horcruxes. It was a secret mission, for God’s sake!
What the heck are you talking about? He told Harry all about the Horcruxes, it was not a secret mission from Harry. It was Harry and only Harry he mentioned the less speed to.
theenglishman wrote:
There. Hoped that answered most of your questions, but you’re right, there ARE a lot of holes in the story. Just not as much as everyone thinks there are.
You barely answered anything, and you only showed me you weren't sure what the story was. And I contend there are more holes than everyone thinks, since people think this is a good book, and it's obvious that it's swiss cheese.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Joined: 3/9/2004
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Maur wrote:
The ring, which had an unknown amount of protection and a rather nasty curse.
We learn it was hidden under floorboards. The curse was only if one put it on. There was nothing to protect it if it was attacked head on.
Maur wrote:
The cup, which to get, you had to... break into Gringotts for. I'd call that protection.
Uh huh. The locket fought back when it was attempted to be destroyed, and the cup absolutely nothing. And the Lestranges could get to it no problem, or anyone with them.
Maur wrote:
The diadem, which was impossible to guard in such a way at Hogwarts (and if Harry is correct in that Voldemort hid it while on the way to a job interview, he didn't have the time anyways). Security through obscurity. There were rows upon rows of stuff in that room; Harry got incredibly lucky when he remembered it.
Yes and this makes so much more sense than throwing it in the chamber of secrets?
Maur wrote:
The journal, which managed to lock itself in the supposedly-inpenetrable chamber of secrets.
The diary wasn't protected, there was no protection on it, it was given to Lucious. And this one was meant as a weapon.
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Who cares?
Some of the stuff you're twisting your panties into a knot about can be explained away by saying that 'it served it's purpose, now we don't need it anymore.' Mentioning it again would just be a red herring (and although I think that a small amount of red herrings is useful to keep the reader thinking and add depth to the world, you obviously do not agree).
Why couldn't Tom just take the prophecy himself?
Because the prophecy could only be removed by either Tom or Harry, if I remember correctly. If it shows up missing one day, and Harry was at school... well, who could it be?
On that note, having the prophecy only be removable by the people it regards is a bad plot device. There's no point in keeping a store in the ministry if you can't open them. But that's the way magic works, I guess.
How did anyone know Tom's spell backfired and he was reduced to vapor if there was a fidelus charm on the house? No one else was there. It doesn't even make sense that they Hermione or anyone else was able to see it, as Peter did not tell them the secret.
If Dumbledore wasn't in on the secret I would be incredibly surprised. He may have retrieved Harry and told everyone (but that also wouldn't explain how a memorial sign got put up at the entrance to the house).
Plus, for all you know, it may be semantics: the secret could have been worded "the hiding place of James and Lily is..."... well, if they're dead, they don't have a hiding place, so the secret is nonfunctional? This just goes to show that you can explain anything away if you want to, I guess.
Against the minister? Hello? A guy is getting attacked here, she can't rescue him? It was stated that the Dementor went out of control, it wasn't planned. There was no justice planned here. There was no authority given to kiss.
I think Fudge was glad for the excuse.
[edit]
There was nothing to protect it if it was attacked head on.
Did the books specifically say that, or did they just make no mention of it? I don't remember that part too well, so bear with me.
Uh huh. The locket fought back when it was attempted to be destroyed, and the cup absolutely nothing. And the Lestranges could get to it no problem, or anyone with them.
The cup didn't have any parts that could move, so it'd be hard for it to fight back. Also, the Lestranges had no reason to "get to it". Bellatrix didn't know what it was, and she was in complete terror of someone else finding it. And anyone visiting the vault with Bellatrix would have to get past her aswell (and possibly the gringotts goblin who came with them).
I do find it galling that nobody besides Dumbledore realized Voldemort had horcruxes though.
Yes and this makes so much more sense than throwing it in the chamber of secrets?
Voldemort didn't have the time to throw it in the Chamber, he was on the way to a job interview. He could possibly have been intending to move it if he got the job, but that's beside the point. Hell, even Ron and Hermione expressed disbelief that he hid it in the Room of Requirement.
The diary wasn't protected, there was no protection on it, it was given to Lucious. And this one was meant as a weapon.
I meant that the ability to influence others was a sort of protection, but I understand what you mean.
Joined: 3/9/2004
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Maur wrote:
Why couldn't Tom just take the prophecy himself?
Because the prophecy could only be removed by either Tom or Harry, if I remember correctly. If it shows up missing one day, and Harry was at school... well, who could it be?
That's a good point, I like that answer.
Maur wrote:
I think Fudge was glad for the excuse.
And by this logic Minerva transforms into an incompetent worthless loser?
Warning: Opinions expressed by Nach or others in this post do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or position of Nach himself on the matter(s) being discussed therein.
Here's another point: When they're Apparating all over the place to try to duck Voldemort, it mentions that they travel all over "Britain, Scotland and Wales". Why the fuck wouldn't they go to Beijing or Santiago? Are they too dumb to realize that there are countries besides the UK? Or do they hope that eventually they'll land on a horcrux? On that note, why wouldn't Voldemort hide the horcruxes in the Sahara desert, or even drop them in the Pacific Ocean?
I suspect that Rowling isn't the brightest crayon in the box, but she thinks she is. So, she makes her characters a little dumber than her, which makes them exceptionally stupid.
It is a book for children (despite the somewhat darker themes later on). Of course there will be obvious errors upon analysis. It's not meant to be believable, it's meant to be fun.
Edit: I don't particularly mean this in a condescending manner. Oh, and of course she wouldn't like it being 'for children'. Sell less books that way. 8)
It is a book for children (despite the somewhat darker themes later on). Of course there will be obvious errors upon analysis. It's not meant to be believable, it's meant to be fun.
This is what irks me. I was under the impression that JK hated the series being referred as "for children." How come all the recent movies are pg13? I think that while the book initially was meant to be for the children of that time, these people have grown up (it's been 10 years, after all) and the series grows up with them. It's not quite adult, but it's definitely not a "Children's" book.
Although, I rolled my eyes when the phrase "effing" came along.
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Yeah, if I had been Voldemort, I would have encased each horcrux in a large cement block, and dropped them into the ocean where it's the deepest. Spread them all over the globe, and maybe put some on the moon, Mars or other planets. Actually, maybe even launch one of them into space so that it would go outside the solar system and go on into infinity. Then it would be absolutely impossible to destroy them. Sorry, you just couldn't do it.
