Harry Potter and the Unit7 Review Part 1

I have recently been rereading the Harry Potter books. I am currently a little over halfway through Order of the Phoenix. I am doing this mostly because 1) its been awhile and 2) Deathly Hollows part 1 is coming soon!

I could go into depth about each of the actual stories. Maybe one day I will... or maybe not. *shrugs* but while rereading this series I think I have once again fallen in love with not only the story but the characters. Dude if you don't like Fred and George you can GTFO here right now...

I personally think JK Rowling is an excellent story teller. Now aside from one saidism... I forget what it said but it used one that I remember someone on the writingforums.org suggested NOT to use specifically.

"Something something something" Ron Ejaculated angrily
I forget what exactly came after Ejaculated. Now I personally think that JK Rowling was having a bit of fun. Because... ok honestly raised your hands if you didn't catch the double meaning of that particular word. Remember Writers... there is a reason that Said is more then perfect in almost all cases.

But I really must say she is a brilliant story teller. She has away of bringing up crucial details to the plot and disguise them to the point where you might actually dismiss them all together.

In Sorcerers Stone Professor Querill is mentioned several times. He, aside from perhaps Snape, is given the most page time. You are supposed to believe that Snape is after The Sorcerers Stone. But alot of that is purely a red herring. Though the revelation that Vold- *looks around to see if anyone is wincing* aww your no fun! Voldemort is sticking out the back of Querill's head makes one scene absolutely BRILLIANT.

Towards the middle of the book. George and Fred have bewitched snow balls to hit the back of Querrill's head repeatedly. Now awesome is that? I mean if Fred and George knew what was under his turbin they would be regretting that decision. This alone makes Sorcerers Stone Brilliant.

But its also how frequently Querill and Snape are seen together. There is a small very small mention of Hermione bumping into him at the Qudditch match where Harry is almost thrown off his broom. A small minor detail.

Lets move to Chamber of Secrets.
Ginny firsts starts school at Hogwarts. During the shopping at Diagon Alley, Lucious Malfoy, picks up Ginny's obviously used books and puts them back into her cauldron all the while insulting her family. Alright. Minor detail. But Ginny is given alot of focus considering she is not within the main trio. She is described and these descriptions can easily be passed off as something else. She has her own version of Malfoy. Worried about her grades and all that. They are also for the most part minor appearances that you sorta forget about. But in the end, we learn that Lucious gave Ginny a Diary at Diagon Alley, and has been possessed by Tom Riddle. I thought this was a rather awesome bit.

Prisoner of Azkaban.
This one I rather loved. We are first met with Animagi's in the first chapter of Sorcerers Stone. McGonagle(orwhateverhernameis) when she sits around the Durselys house as a cat. Fast forward 12 years and Harry is being stalked by a large black dog. McGonagle(seriously how do you spell her name) mentions Animagus to her Class. We also learn that Sirius Black is on the loose and apparently out to get Harry. Everything points to it. EVERYTHING. Hes At Hogwarts... who else coudl Sirius know at Hogwarts? He is also supposed to be a big supporter of Voldemort. We also in the first chapter we learn how the Weaselys won a bit of cash and had a picture of them, with Scabbers, in egypt. In the book Scabbers is given alot of page time. But this is explained because of Crookshanks, Hermiones new Cat. But its sorta funny really. I mean before book 3 he was hardly ever mentioned. In fact Trevor, Nevilles pet Toad is given more attention then Scabbers ever did. Then there is Lupin's mysterious illness, his Bogart being the Moon, and Snape doing a lesson on Werewolves as he covers for Lupin. Of course the mention of the Mauraders(padfoot, wormtail, Prongs, and Moony)

Again. I just admire how ALL of these details fit together so perfectly. Its like a giant massive puzzle that is... well for the most part seemed like seperate puzzles in 1 book. Again I just love this about Prisoner of Azkaban(can't wait until I forget all most of this in about a year!) Neat, random and seperate details all coming together.

Goblet of Fire.
I loved this book. What with Winky sitting alone high in the stands at the World Quidditch Cup, her appearing to be struggling as she moved way from the Death Eaters at the Camp and into the forest. He terrible way Barty Crouch is to Winky. How Barty Crouch is later seen in Snape's office using the Muaraders Map. The attack on Mad Eye Moody. Mr Crouch having a son that was sentenced to Azkaban for life(not really feeling guilty about it either if I recall correctly) The mention of Polyjuice potion a few times throughout the series. Mad Eye Moody's paranoid state. Explaining his Hipflask. Explaining away his precieved attack on him the day before the term started.

There is so much more. But once again. All the details fall into place. The reason Winky was alone(she claimed to have been waiting for her master as she was saving him a seat) Why she struggled to get into the forest running away(assumed to because she was directly told stay stay put) All of it again just sort of fell into place. All of it made sense and all of it fit rather snug together.

This is why I think JK Rowling is a brilliant story teller. Her writing isn't exactly the best at times.

Now I have yet to finish Order of the Phoenix. But I had a rather funny revelation about Harry's mood.

As I mentioned earlier the more info you recieve on something, the bigger chances as it plays a bigger part in the story later. JK Rowling often gives excuses for us to dismiss alot of the details or she throws a big red herring at us and we sorta forget about certain things.

But as I started to read Order of the Phoenix I was clearly reminded of how people seemed to have hated Harry in this book in particular. I couldn't help but agree. While I wouldn't blame him. I mean if you think about it. He has to deal with the nightmares of the Graveyard, the frustration of no one telling him whats going on, Dumbledore seemingly to cut off all contact with Harry, feeling sorry for Sirius, him being a grumpy Teenager. His scar... hurting.

Now if you wouldn't be a bit crabby towards people after all of this. I would be utterly surprised. But then I remembered something. Its actually rather amusing. Harry's feelings are not as detailed as they are in the other books. Yes we learn when he is particularly happy, angry, and frustrated. But I don't remember them being that descriptive at times.

Its then I remembered that if something is given more detail... then its worth paying attention to. I then remembered that rather odd connection he has with Voldemort(first introduced in... well probably book one actually as I am sure he mentions it hurting from time to time) but not fully until Goblet of Fire... and then its explained even more in book 5. and then not until book 7 is it... well nvm.

At the end of the book we learn that its more then possible that Harry and Voldemort could not only see what the other is doing, but probably influence each others minds.

THIS Is why I particularly love Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter in general. I am rather slow at times. But I couldn't believe this connection never snapped. I mean I knew this. But I never bothered to actually explain away Harry's mood towards the begining of Order of the Phoenix. Well more so towards the begining.

Yes lady's and Gentleman. I am indeed a bit daft at times. I had always explained to people that Harry was... well just read up a bit where I explain about the graveyard.

The real reason that Harry is so pissed off is because Voldemort is influencing Harry's emotions. Not knowingly, but that connection they have is by far stronger since his revival. In fact in Goblet of Fire much of Voldemort's existance after he fell from power, was that for the most part he felt he had to force himself to exist. There was little room for any other real emotion except this. But now that he is stronger. Harry's mood and being pissed off so much was a giant spoiler. Its not just when Voldemort was feeling something on the extreme side(incredibly happyness/anger) it was probably the whole time.

Now of course it wasn't only this. He wouldn't be happy care free Harry Potter. All that other stuff would have made things worse. But I think it was mostly Voldemort unknowingly influencing his emotions.

Yup...

I suddenly feel like I am the last to know this or make this connection.

Anyways lets just ignore that for a moment.

Basicly I think JK Rowling is a brilliant story teller simply because she can add all sorts of details into her story. They are puzzle pieces that seem to go to different puzzles, but in reality everything is one giant puzzle. She does this quite brilliantly. Something I hope one day I can pull of just as well.

Thank you for reading... uh did any of you actaully read this?

Anyways.

Thank you for reading and I hope you stick around for Harry Potter and the Unit7 Review Part 2.


Part 2 will mainly focus on primarily Racial Issues...

I should really reread the series... Haven't read HP since Deathly Hallows came out...

OH! And it's McGonagall!

Actually I am on the opposite view. Don't get me wrong she is a good writer but she takes narratium to Pratchett like levels without the self awarness. Everything just conveniently happens to the main characters to absurd degrees even for a fantasy book, they easily learn everything, the adults all act like well incompetents and often the great mystery that they have such a hard time finding turns out to be common knowledge(like who Flemel was in the first book, the underwater breathing thing and so on). And the hallow thing was really really stupid. I get that Rowling wanted some dramatic symbolic thing but seriously. Just give us a good battle instead of an elaborate scavenger hunt

And the her world is pretty crappy. Very very surface description on it's mechanics(I mean at least tell us how the hell do they chose a minister of magic?)

And the villains are too simplistic. It was a god attempt with showing Voldermorts past but even so he seemed to bond like of a villain



However I do realize that these are children's books so I guess I can let it go

Okay how weird is it that I started rereading the series about 2 weeks ago and that I'm also about half way done with the Order of the Phoenix? I'm on page 3 hundred something.
I agree. I love how everything in the books just seems to fit together.
Another thing that I love is how something that is such a minor detail in one book turns out to play a big role a couple books later. Like how in the Order of the Phoenix, they find a locket when cleaning out a cabinet. This is such a minor little detail that is completely overlooked. It's just mentioned in one sentence, in a list of s couple of things found in the cabinet. However, later on in The Deathly Hallows, the locket plays a huge role.
Or how in the first couple of pages of The Sorcerer's Stone, Sirius is mentioned. Hagrid brings Harry to the Dursley's house as a baby, on Sirius's motorcycle. But that means nothing to you in the first book...or the second book. But in the third book, Sirius is a main character.

JK Rowling is great at planting little things like that in the books, that later become a big deal, or make more sense later on.

And that is one of the reasons that I feel that she is not really done with the series. In the seventh book, she plants too many little things that you get the feeling will later become huge.
Like the fact that she makes Harry drop The Resurrection Stone in the forest. She did that purposely. If that wasn't going to play a role later on, she would have had it been destroyed, or have had Harry keep it or something. Or the way Harry's kids don't like Draco's kids. You just get the feeling that all of that is foreshadowing something that will happen in another book.
I don't know. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just a crazed fan who doesn't want to believe that the series is over. But I feel that she just dropped too many little hints in the Deathly Hallows.

Rex wrote: they easily learn everything,

Hmm I'd have to disagree with you. There is one instance where they learned something easily and that was during the whole D.A. Meetings. Hell in PoA the only thing Harry learns easily is mostly details, about Sirius. Atleast from what I can remember.

the adults all act like well incompetents and often the great mystery that they have such a hard time finding turns out to be common knowledge(like who Flemel was in the first book, the underwater breathing thing and so on).

Breathing Underwater wasn't exactly Common Knowledge though. The Bubble Charm thing, yes that might have been if Harry or Hermione were in the proper year. But they actually searched as much of the Library as possible. Not exactly common knowledge if most books dealing with Water don't have anything on about breathing under it.

Though I suppose the Flamel thing I could understand. However the rest of the books don't exactly have that great mystery thats common knowledge. None of the details in Prisoner of Azkaban were. At best everyone believed Sirius killed all those people.

And the her world is pretty crappy. Very very surface description on it's mechanics(I mean at least tell us how the hell do they chose a minister of magic?)

The magic, atleast from how I view it, was almost always in the background of things. It was just sort of there. But I sorta figured it was obvioush ow the Minister of Magic got their posistion. Not once did they mention voting, but it is sort of alluded to. The MoM is an appointed posistion by some committee. To those not only qualified by this Committee but also has favorable opinion within the Wizarding Community.

Hmm I'd have to disagree with you. There is one instance where they learned something easily and that was during the whole D.A. Meetings. Hell in PoA the only thing Harry learns easily is mostly details, about Sirius. Atleast from what I can remember.

No I didn't mean so much the magic part but most of the time they seem to be getting the important clues right on schedule. I mean I get it. Heroes have to be in the right place in the right time but to me it seems like Rowling is overdoing it. I have the feeling that instead of letting the story develop she already has an ending and she is trying to fit everything into it. Kinda like starting from the finish

Breathing Underwater wasn't exactly Common Knowledge though. The Bubble Charm thing, yes that might have been if Harry or Hermione were in the proper year.Breathing Underwater wasn't exactly Common Knowledge though. The Bubble Charm thing, yes that might have been if Harry or Hermione were in the proper year. But they actually searched as much of the Library as possible. Not exactly common knowledge if most books dealing with Water don't have anything on about breathing under it.

Yup. That's the one. It seems completely incredible to me that after all this research they couldn't find it. Even if they weren't allowed to ask their professors.

Though I suppose the Flamel thing I could understand. However the rest of the books don't exactly have that great mystery thats common knowledge. None of the details in Prisoner of Azkaban were. At best everyone believed Sirius killed all those people.

Yup. That's the part that really irked. The man invented the freaking Philosophers Stone and they couldn't find any information on him? That was just silly
You are probably right although I am too lazy to get into the other books at the moment

The magic, atleast from how I view it, was almost always in the background of things. It was just sort of there. But I sorta figured it was obvioush ow the Minister of Magic got their posistion. Not once did they mention voting, but it is sort of alluded to. The MoM is an appointed posistion by some committee. To those not only qualified by this Committee but also has favorable opinion within the Wizarding Community.

It's exactly this vagueness that sort annoys me. The bad thing is that Rowling did wonderful foundations for a fantasy world which makes me want to learn more about it. But she stays at the foudations. Hints at things but doesn't deliver. Of course part of my frustration is probably in part because I find the world much more fascinating that main characters like Harry or that prat Ron