Well... this one is touching and would make quite a few folks cry, but let's carry on regardless after the break.
Snape kills Dumbledore. We knew it would come. We also knew that the Draco writings would come out as well, which aside from the always good artwork (this being yet another one I would half want a print of)... is unfortunately the only thing of note in the Moment. There are few other things, a few actions, Dumbledore's hair waiving, but nothing else. Given, I don't know what we could collect, say another slytherin hair from Draco or say a tuft of Dumbledore's beard hair, but this was oddly enough appropriately scant in collection, and may signal that the next one, his funeral, will be similarly scant on collection, and may feature little if anything to do at all to reflect the somber tone.
That brings me to Malfoy. Oh Malfoy, my have you grown. I'd like to say that my own general sentiments regarding Malfoy were akin to Rowling's a sort of "there is good in him... deep, deep down, but he was raised to be an arse." She did sort of summarize and fill in his character arc as I had thought that Draco was constantly getting some help from Snape, though this version makes so much more sense. Furthermore, I have to say... it's everything I expected and more. The full bio, giving a bit of his story, fleshing out that he did believe Harry when he said it, and the desire for more power, acknowledgement, glory, it was fantastic. Personally I was more excited to see that word of Rowling said his lessons, learning that killing people, the way he was taught was not for him, stuck. I don't want to spoil it too much though, so details will continue to be scarce here.
Aside from Draco's bio, Rowling's insights were interesting, and the bit of concern/acknowledgement of the fascination and leather pants-ification of Draco is a good thing to hear. While I know that it's a sort of popular thing, goodness knows I have myself thought of Draco as good, or had inklings of good, being more of a Dr. Horrible than a true villain, it's a refreshing statement not to hear that he had the "secret heart of gold" and that he rather learned his lessons and over came who he was taught to be. I do wish almost precisely for these reasons that Pottermore gives us the Epilogue in a moment, so that we may discover a little more about his son Scorpio, who would be raised to be a better man than his father, and Harry's children. Really, it was refreshing as well as educational about his character, and I'm quite glad we got this information on him, even if it could be gleaned mostly from the books, the recap of his story, and hints at his future make a good deal of sense, and I'm quite glad to have him as an example of a sort of reformed Slytherin.
So what are your thoughts? Did you like it? Did you not? Is Draco the "goffic dream boi" of people's dreams or the slowly reformed bigot, learning the impact of his actions?
Not sure how they can be injected into the story line on Pottermore, but here was an opportunity to say something about horcruxes or at least that Harry had possession of the first he had actively pursued. Thinking more on that, I wonder if at some point being able to collect or have as a read about the various horcruxes?
ReplyDeleteThe locket plays key into the next book. They could have made a teaser entry or something ... the reason they were out and the reason they were injured was due to that locket.
I'd say yesterday was something to say about horcruxes. Actually, could have started talking about them as early as Chamber of Secrets. The problem is, they most likely will be held to the next book release, and we will be unlikely to collect the horcruxes for a myriad of reasons (can't collect katie's necklace, we can't collect harry's monster book of monsters or advanced potions... we do seem to be prohibited from taking things the characters need, though this didn't apply back in Sorcerer's/Philosopher's stone when we were taking keys and solving puzzles.
DeleteIt was in this book that we learn of horcruxes, and such knowledge directly leads into the quest of the final book. Granted, the first horcrux encountered was in the Chamber of Secrets, but we didn't know it then. It was here, in this book that we learn of what it was and how it plays a role in things to come.
ReplyDeleteAs for The Monster Book of Monsters, that was given to us and is in the books section of our trunks.
Not even getting on the "why only so few chapters" band wagon, I remain that a significant opportunity to inject a "Read About" about horcruxes was missed and/or a cliff-hanger entry that leads into what will be the next (and final) book.