Capital Summertime Ball 2024

[Kelly]

THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS THREAD. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED DEATHLY HALLOWS AND DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED. There, that should do it.

Well...

I adored every word. If I had to pick one genuine highlight, it wouldn't be when Harry overthrew Voldie, or his conversation with Mr Dumbledore. It has to be the whole 'Snape' thing. It was fantastic. I was slightly annoyed with Dumbledore, when I realised it had all been laid out from the start, for Harry to die, and I hate the fact that, even though Dumbledore knew Harry'd survive, he still made him believe that he was going to die. The fact that Mr Albus (I can't call him by his first name alone, for some weird reason) was dying before Snape killed him came as a massive relief to me. I never wanted Snape to be evil, I believed that he would protect Harry until the end, which he did, honourably. The reason behind it, however, struck me as a total surprise. He loved her. He actually loved Lily. Their friendship was gorgeous, and I'd have loved them to have stayed friends, but Snape had to ruin it, didn't he? Although, I suppose I can take comfort in the fact that Lily knows Snape protected Harry. Hopefully, she'll take him under her wing in the afterlife.

The ending was amazing, in every concievable way. There was humour, slight sadness, and I loved the fact that almost everyone turned out to be happy. The children were a fantastic touch, and I can't wait to see that shown on the big screen.

Speaking of the big screen, I really hope I'm not the only one that imagined the characters as they are in the movies. Everything Harry did, I saw and heard as Dan Radcliffe. Same goes for Rupert Grint and, unfortunately, Emma Watson. You know when Harry was in Privet Drive, and he threw that newspaper at the wall? I imagined it being played out at the cinema, and I found it to be an extremely appealing thought. Then there was the seven Harry's and all the nakedness of him throughout the book. Christ, I can't wait for the movie!

Now, onto the sad parts. I cried at all of the following points.

---Harry saying goodbye to Dursley. It was beautiful, the way Dursley told Harry that he 'didn't think he was a waste of space' was, like Harry said, he was telling him he loved him and thanking him for saving his life.

---HEDWIG! NOOO! She'd never done anything bad in her whole life, why should she be killed off?! I'm a bit of an animal lover, so I empathised with Harry when he had to blow up her remains. I cry like I've lost part of my family when we have to bury a pet, so I can't imagine what it'd be like to have to blow them up.

---Poor Mad-Eye. All he's ever done was protect people, he never let evil get the better of him. Even when he was taken captive by the hottest baddy in the universe Barty Crouch Jr, he fought on. His funeral only took up a paragraph, and only his eye was buried, but I cried like a bugger at that.

---Ron left! Things are getting heated and Harry needs him the most, so he buggers off. I actually shouted at the book. Then, they found Lily and James' graves, and Harry needed him there again, but he still wasn't there. That hurt the most, knowing that Harry and Hermoine needed him and he was far away. I actually texted Grace then. That's how sad I felt at the time. When he came back, I think I cheered. :oops:

Jumping further into the book, 'cause if I recounted all the time's I cried, we'd be here forever.

---I can't believe she killed Fred. Fred! She'd already blown off George's ear, which was bad enough, but then she killed him. He was a twin, and we all knew he shared a special bond with George. A bond that's now broken forever. YOU ARE A bobobobobobobo, ROWLING. I HATE YOU SO VERY VERY MUCH.

---I didn't actually cry when Tonks and Lupin died. I felt so sad for their son, but I knew that Harry'd look after him, like Sirius had Harry. I wept buckets though, at Colin. Little Colin Creevy. The boy that had been petrified by the Basilisk, the boy that had looked up to Harry his entire wizarding life. Again, I HATE JK ROWLING.

---I'll admit it now, I did cry for Snape. Goyle too, but that was more feeling sorry for him that grief. Snape though, that was...weird. He was a complete and utter bobobobobobobo in the last book, but I still loved him. He was, and always will be, one of my favourite characters.

---Then, there's Dobby. All he ever wanted to do was serve Harry. He was a free elf, but he always came back to Harry. I just hope Dumbledore takes him under his wing in the afterlife. I can't say anymore about the lovely little thing, because I will actually cry again.

That's it. I'm not talking about what made me cry anymore, 'cause it'll ruin what has been a fantastic ending to an amazing story. I've been reading the books since I was seven, and they're definitely part of my childhood.

[Mike]

Well, at least i don't have to read it now, thanks Kelly

Please tell me that you haven't continuously read it since you got it, not slept etc. Grace finished it in 6 1/2 hours cos she is sad like that...

[Grace]

Basically what Kelly said before her spoiler.

I cried a lot for Snape. I knew he was good all along, I knew it. It was so sweet but heart breaking that he was in love with Lily, and that truly explains why he could barely look at Harry. I can't wait to see how Alan Rickman portrays him, I was imagining it in my head as I was reading, and I think he'll pull it off so well.

[Mike]

Can i just ask was Lily Harry's Mum?

[Grace]

Yeah. But he looks like his dad, except for having his mum's eyes.

[Mike]

Aaah right.

[Lucinda]

Wow Kelly you cried a lot. I didn't cry once. I did feel sad at some of those points but I didn't cry. It's rare for a book to make me cry and I don't think Harry Potter ever has done.

[Behelzebub]

How have you all read it so quickly...? There's no way I'd get through it all in 6 hours. *feels thick*

[Grace]

I used to read a hell of a lot as a young'n, and ever since I was about six I've been able to read really quickly. It comes in useful but can be annoying in exams and such when you're given 15 minutes of just reading time, and I'm done in about four.

[Kelly]

Well, at least i don't have to read it now, thanks Kelly

Please tell me that you haven't continuously read it since you got it, not slept etc. Grace finished it in 6 1/2 hours cos she is sad like that...

Oh, do read it. It's fantastic!

I read it all in one go, yeah. I only stopped to have my dinner and do the dishes. I wound up laid on the settee last night, bawling my eyes out. My family don't know that, mind.

I cried a lot for Snape. I knew he was good all along, I knew it. It was so sweet but heart breaking that he was in love with Lily, and that truly explains why he could barely look at Harry. I can't wait to see how Alan Rickman portrays him, I was imagining it in my head as I was reading, and I think he'll pull it off so well.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one that cried for him. It was properly heartbreaking. I also love the way he helped Dumbledore. That was just truly heroic.

Wow Kelly you cried a lot. I didn't cry once. I did feel sad at some of those points but I didn't cry. It's rare for a book to make me cry and I don't think Harry Potter ever has done.

No other book's ever made me cry, not even the other Harry Potter ones. That said, they must have some effect on me, 'cause I still can't read Chamber of Secrets in the dark on my own. :oops:

How have you all read it so quickly...? There's no way I'd get through it all in 6 hours. *feels thick*

I'm the same as Grace, I used to read loads of books when I was little, things like Enid Blyton etc. I'm the same in exams too, but it gives me more time to write, so I treat it as a bonus!

[Rac.]

How have you all read it so quickly...? There's no way I'd get through it all in 6 hours. *feels thick*

I'm a slow reader too, but I'm being especially slow with this book because I want to savour every page as it's the last book.

I'm only at the bit where...

Harry, Ron and Hermoine have just got the things Dumbledore left for them in his will, and Rufus Scrimgeour is trying to find out why he would give Harry the snitch.

[Lucinda]

No other book's ever made me cry, not even the other Harry Potter ones. That said, they must have some effect on me, 'cause I still can't read Chamber of Secrets in the dark on my own. :oops:

I find Chamber of Secrets scary too... the bit where Harry is hearing the Basilisk in the pipes but no one else can hear it always freaks me out. The bits of Goblet of Fire at the beginning and the end in the house and the graveyard always scare me as well. Having said that, reading a book in the dark is quite a skill

I don't read as fast as some people, it takes me longer but I take more in. I reckon it took me about 8 and a half hours. I only read it so fast because I knew it would be spoilt for me if I came online having not read it.

[Eyl9]

OHMYACTUALGOD

...I finished it!

[Mike]

Ha. Brilliant.

[Grace]

...I finished it!

Opinions?

[Eyl9]

Well..

I kind of thought the end "19 years later" was kind of pointless and disapointing. It was all really predictable. I secretly would have Liked Harry and Luna to end up together haha.

Gutted about Lupin's death And Dobby...

And I knew Snape wasn't a baddy! I'm so glad that he wasn't, I've been arguing in work for ages about how he isn't really.

But overall, I did enjoy it, I didn't want to speed read because I wouldn't have took it all in well enough. I'm going to miss reading them, just interesting now to see what the film does with the book...

[Ema]

I went into Woolies today and read the last couple of pages with a friend haha

[Kelly]

I can't wait to see how they do it on the big screen either, Elise. There was lots of nakedness in this book, and I bet none of it makes it onto the screen. :cry:

[Rac.]

Finished!!

It was so good, but I was so gutted about Lupin and Fred dying, they were my favourite characters! I actually cried when Harry was about to die as well haha.

[Kelly]

Finished!!

It was so good, but I was so gutted about Lupin and Fred dying, they were my favourite characters! I actually cried when Harry was about to die as well haha.

Did you not cry when Dobby died? I cried buckets at that.

[Rac.]

I didn't actually cry surprisingly, but I screamed at JK Rowling for killing him off. I was absolutely gutted about Lupin especially though, because he was Harrys last link to his parents, and he'd just had a child. But it made me feel a bit better after Harry spoke to them all just before he was killed. It was also a nice touch how he spoke to Dumbledore in a really peaceful place, because it made me feel better about all the characters that had died, knowing they were in a nice place.

[Eyl9]

The Lupin death was so harsh and yeah, I felt really sad at the death of Dobby, I think he had to be one of, or if not my favourite character. I was nearly crying between the whole point of Snape's past/Harry nearly dying.

[Rac.]

Yeah, after Harry went into the pensieve, I saw Snape in a totally different light. I despised him through all of the books, but doing what he did for Dumbledfore and Harry was really noble of him. It was nice how Harry made one of his sons middle names Severus, but come on, who names their kid Albus Severus Potter? That kid is going to get bullied so much!

[~bex~]

I cried absolutely loads all through the book! The points where I cried absolutely ridiculously though were after Dobby's death, when Harry was ready to die, and when Harry was telling his son about Snape! The book was sooo good though. In most of the other books there's been maybe a chapter or two that I haven't liked as much as the rest, but this book was brilliant all the way through

[Eyl9]

Haha yeah, I really didn't like that last chapter, it was useless. It reminded me of shrek when donkey's kids are all there at the end for some bizarre reason...