Showing posts with label Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Show all posts

Sunday, July 31, 2016

The Eighth Epic Story: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Happy birthday Harry Potter and J.K. Rowling! The day has finally come and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is out! For those who cannot attend the live show, they can read the play script about what happens 19 years after the Battle of Hogwarts. This is an extension of the epilogue found in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

I cannot wait to dive into this book. I scheduled this post to go up at midnight on July 31st. If you are reading this around midnight on July 31st, I am in line to get my book at Harvard Book Store.

Harvard Square located in Cambridge turned into Hogwarts Square for the release of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Starbucks sold Butterbeer Frappucinos and Grendel's Den sold wizard drinks such as Polyjuice Potion. A recap of my adventures will be posted sometime next weekend as part of the Marauders feature.


For those who don't know about the eighth book, check out more information below.

Title: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Author: J.K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Publisher: Arthur A. Levine Books (US), Little Brown UK
Publication date: July 31, 2016
Pages: 320

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, a new play by Jack Thorne, is the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. It will receive its world premiere in London’s West End on 30th July 2016

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband, and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes darkness comes from unexpected places.


Are you excited about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child? Did you attend a midnight release party? How did you celebrate Harry's and Rowling's birthday? Let me know in the comments below.

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling



Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I are celebrating Pottermas 2015 with one more post for the month! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is an epic fast-paced, high energy book with lots twists and turns. Although the book is the end of the series, Harry Potter still lives on forever. It is not the end.

WARNING 
For those who haven't read the Harry Potter series, all book discussions WILL HAVE spoilers. If you do not want to read spoilers, please do not read ahead.

There are two themes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The Trio continues Dumbledore's quest to hunt for Horcruxes. Later, the Trio also look for the Hallows. However, Harry can't master death and defeat Voldemort with the Hallows until all the Horcruxes are destroyed. I find it interesting how each Horcrux is destroyed by a different person. The locating of the Horcruxes and the Hallows are crucial to defeating Voldemort.

Image from Pinterest.com

Horcruxes destroyed by a different person

1. Tom Riddle's diary destroyed by Harry
2. Marvolo Gaunt's ring destroyed by Dumbledore
3. Slytherin's locket destroyed by Ron
4. Hufflepuff's cup destroyed by Hermione
5. Ravenclaw's diadem destroyed by Crabbe's fiendfyre
6. Harry Potter "destroyed" by Voldemort
7. Nagini destroyed by Neville

It is interesting how Dumbledore leaves a few items in his will to the Trio. He predicts that Ron will need some guidance hence the deluminator. Hermione loves to read and The Tales of Beedle and the Bard is the key to figuring out how to master death, why Voldemort is trying to hunt down wand makers and it also helps the Trio defeat Voldemort forever. Harry, on the other hand, is given the first snitch he caught as a Quidditch match. Because of flesh memories, when Harry puts his lips on the snitch, it reveals the message, "I open at the close." Just like Ignotus Peverell, who possessed the Cloak of Invisibility, Harry greets Death like old friends when he is at the brink of death. The sword of Gryffindor is impregnated with the basilisk venom and Dumbledore knows that the sword will help the Trio destroy the Horcruxes.

Image from Pinterest.com
It is curious that Harry owns one of the Hallows since the first book. The Cloak of Invisibility is not an ordinary invisibility cloak. It's the cloak Death gave Ignotus. It was Ignotus that greeted Death like an old friend. His brother Antioch died when someone killed him for the Elder Wand and Cadmus died after committing suicide to be with his loved one.

Speaking of the Peverell family, it is interesting how Voldemort is a descendant of Cadamus and Harry Potter is a descendant of Ignotus. The resurrection stone ring has been passed down through the line of Gaunts and the invisibility cloak has been passed down through the line of Potters. That means Voldemort and Harry are distantly related. Mind-blowing, isn't it?

Harry uses all three Hallows in order to master death and to ultimately defeat Voldemort. Harry obtains the resurrection stone when he puts the snitch in his mouth which opened at the close. He obtains the Elder Wand from Draco after he disarms Draco. At that time Draco obtains the Elder Wand when disarming Dumbledore. And, as said before, Harry inherits the invisibility cloak through his father's side with the help of Dumbledore.

Ollivander talks about how the wand chooses the wizard ever since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and still mentions it in in DH. Has J.K. Rowling been hinting about the Elder Wand since the beginning? I love how everything comes full circle! Rowling is a simply brilliant!


Of course when Hermione and Ron have good advice, Harry doesn't listen. When Hermione mentions that Harry shouldn't go to Godric's Hollow because that's a place where Voldemort and the Death Eaters are expecting him to go. Hermione is right since there's a trap set for Harry. Also, Ron mentions to Hermione and Harry not to mention the name Voldemort because he feels like the name is a jinx which he is correct. Right when Harry says Voldemort, the Snatchers find the Trio in the Forest of Dean.

It took Hermione and Ron seven years to actually admit to each other that they fancy each other. Hermione is so upset that Ron leaves her and Harry to find the Horcruxes. She pretty much bawled her eyes out for a week after Ron left and then attacked Ron when he comes back to camp. And they finally share their first kiss when Ron mentions something about saving house elves. About time! I have been waiting for this to happen ages ago.


GIF form Thoughtcatalog.com
When Voldemort asks Narcissa Malfoy to check on Harry Potter and to see if he is dead. Narcissa doesn't care what happens with Voldemort as long as Draco is okay. This love for her child becomes very important in DH since she saves Harry. I am pretty sure Harry did not bank on someone making sure he is dead for sure. Narcissa plays an important role in defeating Voldemort by announcing Harry Potter is dead. If Narcissa mentioned Harry is alive, how would the Elder Wand react? Yes, Harry is the Master of Death but this is before Nagini is killed and one cannot truly defeat Voldemort until all the Horcruxes are destroyed. It is very fortunate Narcissa tells Voldemort and the Death Eaters that Harry Potter is dead. Narcissa's love for Draco is very similar to Lily's love for Harry. A mother's love is the ultimate protection.

The epilogue is a little off putting for me. I felt like it was a bit rushed and the names could have been better. Maybe this whole entire time, J.K. Rowling was setting up the series not to officially end. Maybe she was opening doors to a sequel. Of course now everyone knows about Harry Potter and the Cursed Child but I find it interesting that J.K. Rowling never said anything about the end to Harry Potter. Look at how the fandom has grown. There are films, prequel spin-off films, a sequel play, multiple Wizarding Worlds of Harry Potter, Pottermore and etc. The Harry Potter fandom will never die! It will live on forever!

What is your favorite part of DH? Do you think DH is a good conclusion to the Harry Potter series? What do you think about the epilogue?


Some of my favorite quotes



GIF from mooriin-blog.tumblr.com
Image from Pinterest.com
Pottermas 2015 is officially done for the year but definitely check out Pottermas 2016 next year.  If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15.