Doing another reread, there's a little paragraph that got me thinking.

When Bellatrix and Narcissa visit Snape in HBP, we see a description of Snape's house. His house is painted to us as really dark and lifeless. Definitely unpleasent overall. It's even described as feeling like a "dark padded cell". Now this could be overlooked as simply the apartment of a bachelor who just happened to not care. But I feel like its more than that.

I feel like the bleakness of the place is very much intentional. Its not decorated to feel nice to sit in. Its not meant to feel comforting. My theory is that, this is another demonstration of how regretful and miserable Snape is.

He doesn't feel worthy or deserving of good things. In his mind he doesn't deserve a well decorated living room. He just has enough to survive, enough to get by. He is here to do a mission and that's it. I just can't help but see someone who fully gave up on life or being happy ever again. And for so long, so many years of just "getting by".

Idk maybe this is reading into it too much or maybe it was obvious for everyone else but I really can't stop thinking about how tragic his life is. So I wanted to share and see what everyone else thinks.

Disclaimer: I am not saying hes a great person or horrible or this or that. I still haven't even fully decided how I feel about him. I just know for sure he suffered a lot and was very lonely.

I was just re-reading and realized that Harry never had time to take his apparition test. He turned 17 the day before the wedding, and then during the wedding they had to flee and started apparating all over England.

Speaking of, in the 6th book, Harry said Ron can take the test again with him over the summer after Ron failed the test during the year. I take it that didn’t happen either.

So Hermione is the only one of them that has passed the apparition test by the time they go off on their own. I suppose it doesn’t matter since they’re on the run anyway, but I’ve never noticed that detail before.

On first read everyone focuses on the fact that Harry needed to die and on Snape’s sympathy for that, but on reread I can’t help but pay attention to Dumbledore.

This conversation started with Dumbledore calling Snape to his office, but when Snape got there, Dumbledore didn’t speak to him right away. Instead he paced around talking to himself.

“Harry must not know, not until the last moment, not until it is necessary, otherwise how could he have the strength to do what must be done?”

“But what must he do?”

“That is between Harry and me. Now listen closely, Severus. There will come a time — after my death — do not argue, do not interrupt! There will come a time when Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake.”

Come on, you were the one who called Snape over to brief him, why talk about something that had nothing to do with him? Dumbledore was too anxious before saying the plan that sent Harry to die. He rehearsed it to himself to the point of ignoring Snape.

Along with how he snapped back at Snape's question and didn’t allow Snape to interrupt, you can see just how unstable Dumbledore’s emotions were.

“Tell him what?”

Dumbledore took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

...

Dumbledore opened his eyes. Snape looked horrified.

While explaining the whole plan, Dumbledore kept his eyes closed, shutting down his emotions. He couldn’t guarantee that with open eyes he wouldn't feel ashamed under Snape’s looks, or that he’d get through the plan without leaking how much pain it caused him.

Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter —”

“But this is touching, Severus,” said Dumbledore seriously. “Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?”

When Snape questioned Dumbledore, Dumbledore turned it back on Snape and asked about his feelings for Harry. This was partly probing Snape’s own personal growth, and partly deflecting, because Dumbledore had no face to say he loved Harry right after saying Harry had to die, neither cound he just lie and say he never loved Harry and just treated him like a pig for slaughter.

Finally, the tears after he saw Snape’s Patronus. Maybe they weren't just tears moved by Snape, but also from grief for Harry that Dumbledore had been holding back.

Dumbledore knew Harry would likely survive, and that only by destroying the piece of soul inside Harry could Harry kill Voldemort permanently and go on to enjoy his life. Yet the possibility of Harry actually dying, and the plan of “sending Harry to die” itself, still caused Dumbledore enormous pain. Yet he managed to hold back and carry out the plan after all. I think that's some delicate writing.

#48 is up! And no, I was. It having a stroke when I typed #4, that is how it appears in the book lol

As a reminder what this is and how it works:
Below are 7 sentences from the 7 HP books. I use a random number generator to pick the book and chapter, then hand pick a sentence that I think is decent. Not too long, too short, too obvious ect.  *** There MAY be repeated books in a set, but there will not be repeated chapters in a set. So there COULD be two from The Philosopher’s Stone, but they would be from different chapters! **\*
Scoring your points: It is 2 points for guessing the book, and 1 point for guessing the chapter, for a total of 21 points. It is obviously harder to guess the chapter than the book, but not everyone even cares to remember the chapter titles in the first place, which is totally fair and valid. So chapter titles are just a bonus point.
Below are the sentences and the answers hidden behind spoiler tags! These are fun to make, and I intend to make quite a few more if people keep enjoying them!

1. “It’s wonderful,” said Harry happily, thinking of Privet Drive. The Chamber of Secrets - Chapter 3: The Burrow

2. “He must’ve been Muggle-born,” said Harry thoughtfully.  The Chamber of Secrets - Chapter 13: The Very Secret Diary

3. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebration lasted all night. The Chamber of Secrets - Chapter 17: Dobby’s Reward

4. “Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?” said Ron. The Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 11: The Sorting Hat’s New Song

5. “Where’s the cannon?” he said stupidly. The Philosopher’s Stone - Chapter 4: The Keeper of the Keys

6. “Age is foolish and forgetful when it underestimates youth. . .” The Half-Blood Prince - Chapter 26: The Cave

 7. “Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic,” said Ginny, shrugging. The Order of the Phoenix - Chapter 38: The Second War Begins

If Barty Crouch was going to clear the board for Harry once he was in the maze, why (narratively) would you make Harry capable in the TriWizard Tournament?

We hear about how dangerous it is, how people died in prior tourneys, Dumbledore saying the age requirement was neccesary for safety reasons yet this underage kid with average magical knowledge at best just breezes through it.

I get he was assisted but even with the assistance, wouldnt it have been more interesting to see Harry (and/or others) get injured and show everyone how dangerous the tourney really is? Really build the stakes of it all.

For such a famously dangerous event, not a single person was injured in any serious way in all 3 tasks. Cedric doesnt count.

Not the only instance of the author making grand statements about historical events only for the present day event to be underwhelming. It was said the last world cup went on for 5 days only for the Ireland/Bulgaria WC to end in idk half an hour?

GoF is not my favorite book but it has its moments. The resurrection was fantastic. Barty Crouch Jr is a great character. The TriWizard Tournament is a fun change of pace although poorly executed, imo.

But one thing that falls short is Harry and Rons fight.

The jealousy thing seems to be split in 2 par

One, it kinda comes out of nowhere. This is where the narrative style is somewhat limiting. We really dont see on the page where Ron feels that disparity between his and Harrys status. There are certainly moments but Ron seems to take them in stride. Then all of a sudden he cant take it anymore. I can understand a pressure valve type of situation but **show me** .

And secondly what did the fight accomplish? Ron comes back immediately after the first task realizing he was wrong but the fight wasnt about him being right. It was about deep seated insecurity. The kind that doesnt quickly wash away once it shows its ugly face. Sure they were inevitably going to reconcile but couldnt it have at least last through the 2nd task? String it out a bit and allow for some other characters to shine. Allow for Ron to be wrong but to also find some status in his time away.

Would you have changed anything about Harry and Ron's fight?

On a relisten of the new cast version and it made me think, if this was a different year, or if Sirius didn’t break out and it was another year of a looming threat of Voldemort would Harry been able to go Hogsmeade?

I appreciate he still blew up his aunt so the Dursley’s wouldn’t have signed his permission form, but do you think that McGonagall or Dumbledore would have stepped in to allow it?

The answer to me is, HBP. Now, don't get me wrong, i've never hated/disliked this book, it has always ranked really high for me. But, only now after reading it now pretty much, i am completely surprised how much i love it.

I think to me, HBP was carried by its amazing ending and i just sorta thought the other stuff was okay. But now, dude this book it's just really engaging and frankly, impossible to put down. It's something to do with the writing, but it's just so on-point in this one, and you can tell the author really hit her stride. One of my favorite things, is that i like that it's sort of a spiritual sequel to COS, which to me is the worst book in the series, yet even though it takes alot from it, it makes it work way better than in COS.

One of my favorite things about the series, is the relationship between harry and dumbledore, and this book is a huge reason why, it's just so full of it. And ofc, you cannot forget the thing that really makes this book what it is, voldemort's memories. I think those flashback scenes are what solidified voldemort as the best villain to me, hands down.

Even the things that people hate on in this book, like the romance subplot, it doesn't bother me as much anymore! Sure, harry's monster in his chest is pretty cringe, but i find it funny in an ironic sense. And yes, ron and hermione's relationship is just full of drama, but buddy, i'm a sucker for this kind of BS.

There's so much to talk abt this book, because it's just jampacked full of amazing things and they all work so well. I always thought i preferred OOTP to this book, and in my mind i always compared the two. Because i reread OOTP and i was like ''it's amazing as well, and maybe even better than HBP!'' But then i started reading HBP, and it's no contest really.

Anyways, share your thoughts down below!

He was either 15 or 16 when he killed his father and grandparents, as well as make his uncle believe he had done it. However, he was still underage so the ministry should've known he had performed underage magic outside of Hogwarts, his exact location, and correct me if I'm wrong, but don't they also know what spells the underage wizard/witch does? Is this explained?

I've always had a little theory that a ghost could be destroyed by a dementor.

A dementor as we know can consume and destroy a person's soul and that a ghost is the imprinted soul of a dead person.

We also know that a ghost can be affected by powerful stimulus from the living world: like when Nearly Headless Nick is petrified by the basilisk.

I won't lose sleep if people disagree.

Hi All,

Would anyone know if it’s possible to get just the exclusive prints / posters that come along with Jim Kay’s illustrated version of the books?
Bloomsbury UK sells it with the books, but unfortunately they do not ship to Ireland. And I already have the books. I am looking for the prints/posters that came along with it.

Thanks.

I have never owned the harry potter books and i was thinking about buying them. There’s so many different illustrations and i can’t decide.
So can yall suggest the best ones? I like the ones that have the magical feel to them and have some type of illustrations.

Wasn't Voldemort's power rising for longer than the 11 years before Harry's parents were killed?