HP, and the Power of Hydrogen.

[jsbowden]

Okay, I'll drop this under a cut for those who haven't gotten around to reading the latest HP book yet.


Right then, so, Dumbledore is no more. Sucks to be him, eh?

Snape is in a hard place. Best as I can tell, he's still on the side of right, and did what he had to do, but he's fucked going forward. Harry still owes him a huge fucking apology, and I can only hope Rowling gives him enough character to actually realize this and deliver it one day.

On to Harry then. He's STILL missed a huge point that Dumbledore has been making since the very first book. Harry's last little conversation with Ginny is proof that he still doesn't quite get it. If he thinks Minerva is going to let him skip his final year, and take Ron and Hermione (there's no WAY in hell she's letting him take the most able witch out of Hogwarts before she's done with her) with him, he's on crack. I think we've seen very little of Dumbledore's asst. headmistress so far, but everything we have seen makes me think that she's not too far below Dumbledore himself in ability or brains. Oh, and she's got a picture on her wall that will make Harry's life hell if he thinks he can hide at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Phineas seems to enjoy giving Harry shit, and to be able to do so at the new headmistresses order? He'll be in his element.


So, there it is, thoughts from the void.

Comments

[locumtenens.livejournal.com]

Nah, he's not going back - at least not for any length of time. I believe that's why JKR made this book so teenager-typical with just a dash of evil, because she knew that Harry (and the readers) would not have a chance to be that way (young) again.

[jsbowden.livejournal.com]

As dscotton points out above, Harry isn't ready to face Voldemort as he is. He really missed out on not taking Arithmancy with Hermione. About the single most useful thing he could have learned once he got the basics of magic down was theory. He'll need it, and it's a huge gap in his education. He's good at improvisation, but he lacks the skills necessary to engineer new blocks and counters. Talent is useful, but without the necessary honing of that talent into a proper skill and craft, it'll only get you so far. The problem isn't Voldemort directly, it's all the people around him that Harry needs to get past first. Honestly, once he gives it a little thought, with a prod from Prof. Mac, he should realize that Dumbledore would have wanted Harry to finish to be as prepared as possible.

[locumtenens.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree with everything you said, BUT do you really think one extra school year would make that big of a difference? I don't. I think what Harry lacks in his education, his friends will make up for it. At this point there's no way Harry can catch up with Hermione in Arithmancy (for instance) and Ron is good at tactics, AEB his skills in chess, etc.

However, he does need to learn how to close off his mind to others - and fast.