What Did You Think of The Harry Potter Epilogue? [Spoilers]

At first I liked the epilogue, but the more I have thought about it, the less I think she should have included it. There's just so much she left out...was there a general amnesty for former Death Eaters, and that's why Draco was not in Azkhaban? What happened to Harry's oft-repeated ambition to become an auror? Did Harry, Ron, and Hermione ever finish up their educations at Hogwarts?

I was sad to see Snape get short shrift overall. I actually guessed what would turn out to be his connection to Harry's parents...I would have liked him to live, though.

I did enjoy the book overall. It was still a good yarn. But the more I reflect on it, the more problems I find with it (plot holes). Maybe you should start a thread about that. :-)

plot holes .. hey, that's a good suggestion. let me read it one more time, and take a few notes so i don't miss anything that bugs me about the plot.

I didn't like the epilogue either. First... How in the living world did Neville get the Griffindor sword? did I miss something? One moment that goblin griphook had stolen it, the next moment neville killed the snake with it?!

Anyway.. I have the same complaints as Adrienne.

I also hated the names of the children. That was lame. I didn't like it that Ron and Hermione got together (way too different), or that Harry and Ginny did (it's just random). I still say Hermione and Harry would have made a better match.

I also didn't like it that she basically killed any chances for another book. Who will want to read the book if it involves grown-up Harry (whether as the main character or as a teacher or whatnot)? Or who will want to know what happened in those 19 years, which is sure to be boring?

What happened to xenophilus? was Lupin's baby a werewolf?

I want more. :(

The epilogue wasn't particularly good, but then it wasn't particularly bad either. My reference standard for a bad epilogue is Stephen Baxter's Titan, where the ending really doesn't fit at all.

The sunny epilogue was a jarring departure from the dark tone of the book. And yes, the dead character count for me was far more than two--I was furious that she killed off Lupin and Tonks, and not only that she killed them, but that their deaths merited only a toss-off sentence and didn't serve any real purpose.

The chapters detailing Snape's memory and showing Harry with Dumbledore felt too hasty to me, as if she realized she was at the end of the book and had to cram an awful lot of information in a short space to make the climax explainable. Even with them, I wasn't sure why Harry allowing himself to be killed would only kill the bit of Voldemort inside him and allow the rest of him to return.

Yes, what happened to all the Slytherins who took off before the climactic battle? To the surviving Death Eaters? Who's the headmaster in the epilogue? Is Harry an Auror? Does George still run the joke shop?

And did I mention how thoroughly pissed I am that she killed Lupin?

The epilog was there specifically to prevent anyone writing another book. She's dead set against it. That being true, it was okay. Not quite enough explanation re Draco, but otherwise she set the main characters down 19 years later, which she wasn't really interested in writing about, so the cursory feel is understandable.

Considering that this is a children's series, I think the ending was the proper ending.

I also have a better view of the ending if it is considered the ending of the entire series rather than just the final (and darker) novel. Years back, when we began reading the series, the most memorable parts were the fascinating things which happened at Hogwarts. Going off to school was a major part of how each book began (but missing from the final one). Showing this happy episode of going off to school brought it full circle.

I do wish they had answered more of those questions. The book ends during a school year which Harry and others missed the bulk of. Did they just return to school, get credit for life skills (killing Voldemort) or make up the year? There's many questions, but at least the key ones are answered as we know who wound up with who, and know that the Wizard world has returned to normal.

If we are to complain about the book, I'd be more likley to complain about the first 400 pages as opposed to the brief epilog. So much of it felt pointless and dragged out.

First, regarding killing "two of the main characters", J.K. never said such a thing.

What she did say was that, when writing the book, she ended up killing two characters that she had not killed in her original plotting of the book. And, she gave one a reprieve. She also never said that they were main characters.

That said, the epilogue was a bit lame, and really didn't fit with the tenor of the rest of the book. But it probably did fit with the whole series.

doubt it is the last book.

I thought of it as fanservice, letting the fans who grew up with the series know what happened to the characters later and answering the questions most pressing for them. Stylistically/aesthetically, no, I don't think it really fit. Thematically, yeah, I think it did fit.

I thought the death of Lupin and Tonks was excessive and pointless. Many of the other deaths - like Dobby and Mad Eye - actually served the plot. Tonks and Lupin dying didn't accomplish anything.

I also caught the bit about Longbottom with the sword. I think this was just something JKR's poor editor missed.

As in the previous 2 books, there was a whole lot of nothing in the middle pages. Fortunately, it was much less in this book than say book five, where you could literally skip over 250 pages and miss nothing.

In particular, the whole bit with Ron running off was dumb. It served absolutely no purpose what-so-ever. My guess is that JKR decided that Ron *must* have a gift from Dumbledor since Harry and Hermione did. Thus she gives him the deluminator ... and THEN figures out why it's so important that Ron have it.

I thought Ginny was treated rather poorly in the end, with everyone telling her to stay safe - ergo she ends up contributing little to the story.

And yes - chalk up another vote for "the epilogue was dumb." First, I think the whole idea of "marrying your high school sweetheart" is just absurd and shouldn't be perpetuated or encouraged. Sure, Ron and Hermione give it a go for a couple years, but then clearly go their separate ways. There's really nothing that should hold those two characters together once the whole battle against Voldemort is over. Harry and Ginny I can accept more.

As for naming the kids - Harry's kids make sense. Ron and Hermione's have stupid names. I understand she was going for another R and H name, but she chose the worst two imaginable.

A couple of the other commenters pointed out that the epilogue really doesn't answer a whole lot of important questions. I agree completely with that. There are at least a dozen open questions that need answering. JKR should have either shouldn't have bothered, or been more thorough.

Personally, I'm sad to see Snape go. I had sort of guessed Snape's story ages ago and would have liked to have seen him continue on as headmaster of hogwarts. At very least, I think that Snape is a natural character for a spin-off! OK, maybe Snape can't teach at Hogwarts anymore, but maybe we could have a TV show staring Alan Rickman like "Snape, PI" or "Snape - Hunter of Deatheaters" or some such.

I think Ridger has it right: JKR was trying to make sure that no one, ever, could make a sequel or spin-off from the HP series. She killed off all the interesting sub-characters, like Lupin and Snape, and explained away what everyone else is doing. She broke up the twins so that route is closed as well. About the only thing left at this point is "The travels of Victor Crum" or "The wacky world of Luna Lovegood."

Did you think this series (especially this particular book in the series) was a retelling of the legend of King Arthur? What other literary or historical themes did you spot running through the last book, or through the entire series? (I thought I also saw parallels to fascism in the book -- but maybe that's just me?) Did you think this last book was a children's book, or an adult's book?

And I continue ... (Ok, I've been meaning to talk about some of these things, but haven't found very many who have finished the book yet).

I didn't think the story was a retelling of any other character. Almost all fantastic heroic characters have some kind of distinguishing events surrounding their birth. There was some similarities with the sword being in the lake, which I thought was a bit unimaginative on JKRs part, but I really thought the series as a whole was pretty original.

Overall, I expected it to be more of a tragedy that it turned out to be. It really followed the traditional tragic form, spending exactly half of the story building up the character, (3 and half books) only to have his greatest triumph (the tri-wizard cup) snatched away from him and turn into a complete disaster. In book 5 and 6 things got worse and worse for the hero, with his entire world unraveling.

It was almost like Hamlet or King Leer in that regard.

I didn't exactly notice any parallels with fascism, but fascism tends to be widely misunderstood. Technically I believe fascism means government in lock-step with business, putting industry and productivity over the interests of the citizenry. If you mean comparisons to Hitler's Germany - Nazism - then yes, there is some of that. The whole notion of racial purity is a very strong theme in the book, as well as racism in general. For example, the house elves plight as slaves mirrors slavery in the real world. The treatment of goblins and centaurs as second class individuals resembles the treatment of some of the conquered peoples of the British Empire in the 19th and early 20th century.

While reading book 1, I thought it was very odd that one of the central themes was death and immortality. That's a very "adult" theme for a children's book. Perhaps that's one of the reasons why the books had such a large adult following from very early on.

The writing style in the first book seems more consistent with a children's book (simpler words and sentences for example), but by the third book we're definitely reading closer to the adult level with an adult tone.

Did I miss anything? :-)

I was somewhat disappointed in the epilogue, too. It was pretty obvious from the past few books that Ron and Hermione were going to pair off, as were Ginny and Harry. But I wanted to know what else happened to them, what their professions were. I, too, wondered what became of the rest of the Death Eaters, and also what happened to Luna Lovegood. It didn't really answer any questions, although it lightened the tone of a pretty intense book. I'm sad that it's all over now, but I thought the real ending, prior to the epilogue, was good and fitting.

I didn't like the epilogue either. First... How in the living world did Neville get the Griffindor sword? did I miss something? One moment that goblin griphook had stolen it, the next moment neville killed the snake with it?!

Neville got the sword for having the courage to run up and take on Voldemort himself, even struggling to perform a spell while binded and lit on fucking FIRE — when he got loose of the binding and fire, he pulled it from the hat as Harry first did. The sword of Gryffindor always appears for individuals performing extraordinary acts of bravery. Seemed obvious to me, as well as the implication that the Goblins that forged the sword had more liberal ideas of ownership than goblins in general.

Here's my list of questions, disappointments, and suggestions.

• Should've been a proper reuniting scene between Harry and Ginny.
• After all that, who married Draco and actually had a child with him? Also, after all that, he'd be a classic case for suicidal tendencies.
• Where were the Dudley and his parents ever taken, and how did they come out of it at the end?
• Would've been nice to see if SPEW had gone anywhere after the house elves melee'd the Death Eaters
• Did the Sorting Hat survive?
• Wedding scenes for Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny, with family feuds and scuffles, would've been nice.
• Should've been a scene with the next head of the Ministry of Magic and England's Prime Minister
• A whole book could probably be dedicated to Hagrid's further exploits trying to be n ambassador with Grawp between wizards and giants, and Hagrid with Firenze as ambassadors between wizards and centaurs.
• If Trelawny could spit out another ominous prophecy, say, about one of the new kids and all, could foreshadow yet another series spin-off.
• The Weasley's might have had a humorous fight about Mrs. Weasley's profanity in the final battle scene.
• Funeral scenes, Needed some frickin' funeral scenes.

I guess I'm in the rare "loved it" category - including most of the issues that have been raised here.

Yes, the deaths of Tonks and Lupin were pointless. That's fine. That's what happens in a war sometimes. Some people die heroically, some people die pointlessly, lots of people die. (In case you missed it, Colin Creevy fits in this category, too.)

Snape had to die. He had Harry's back the whole time, even if Harry didn't know it, and for the story to work Harry had to take care of Voldemort himself.

As far as the rest of the ending goes, I don't know how else she could have done it. The tone that she set with the climax was more or less along the lines of that old quote about the only thing worse than a battle won being a battle lost. A party wouldn't have fit, but a funeral wouldn't either. Moving on is really all that could happen, I think.

All that being said, of course, I wouldn't have minded seeing another couple of hundred pages of text in there.

If you mean comparisons to Hitler's Germany - Nazism - then yes, there is some of that.

Yes! that's another complaint. She spent all that time talking about the injustices of elves and goblins and stuff, and at the end nothing happens! that's just plain wrong. They continue being slaves/inferior, and you could even say that JKR actually meant for us to think the goblins were inferior and didn't deserve wands.

Neville got the sword for having the courage to run up and take on Voldemort himself, even struggling to perform a spell while binded and lit on fucking FIRE

Oh, so it just disappears from wherever it is and appears in the sorting hat? I had always thought that Dumbledore somehow knew the sword was in the hat, but that Harry was the first person to actually get it out.

Yes, the deaths of Tonks and Lupin were pointless. That's fine. That's what happens in a war sometimes.

I agree. I know this is a fantasy book and all, but we need at least SOME realism. Tonks' and Lupin's death provided that, showing that harry's friends didn't have some sort of immortality that nobody else had.

Speaking of that... whatever happened to the wand? did he just go through life unchallenged even though every bloody wizard in the world knew he had it? also, when Harry was talking to voldermort, he said that love had been protecting everyone in the school because he had been willing to die for them. What, does that mean that they're all immortal now? did he effectively end all war, by protecting everyone except the death eaters? I didn't like that part... I think that was a bit too much fantasy.

As far as Snape, I was somewhat wishing he'd go to Askaban or something. I didn't quite like that he was a good guy, and especially that he was doing all that because he had been in love with Lily. However, that's a very minor complaint and I don't mind that much. And of course, the whole wand thing and explanation and stuff wouldn't have worked without him.

By the way, even though I'm complaining a lot (complaining is easy lol) I DID really love the book. I think this was my favorite. Lots of action and excitement throughout the book, and lots of explanations. I didn't think there was "useless pages" or anything. It was great.

I think the book is a triumph and a terrific ending to the series. JKR was right to place most of the action outside Hogwarts. She was also right to finally let us see Dumbledore's fallible side.

The Epilogue contains some sly in-jokes directed at fandom, I think she has more than earned the right to wink at the supergeeks and the fanfic authors. But the Epilogue also follows Harry's statement, in renouncing the Elder Wand, that he had enough trouble to last him a lifetime. Harry was at bottom an ordinary boy who never got a chance to be ordinarily happy; the Epilogue grants him that at last.

Is the Epilogue meant to forestall requests for a sequel? Maybe. But then how do you explain the existence of Teddy Lupin? An orphan? Parents killed by Voldemort? Godson of a powerful wizard?

Did you think this series (especially this particular book in the series) was a retelling of the legend of King Arthur?

Eh? What? Oh, you mean a snake gets killed at the end.

I thought the epilogue was OK - it gives a happy ending, without having to explain what happened to everybody.

The one thing I was disappointed about what that Malfoy wasn't rehabilitated. I thought it would have fitted in with the rather Christian themes of love: a bit of redemption and forgiveness for fictional characters doesn't do any harm.

Now we're into spoilers etc., I'll point to my first impressions, just after I had finished.

I think I need to read it again, to see how bad the deus ex machina ending was. I like the idea of wands having a more active role, but that should have been a thread running through all of the books, not just chucked in so Harry could appeal to the elf that keeps the Wand Ownership Ledger at the end.

Bob

Why the heck did they have to spend so long sitting around and whinging in deserted forests?

I didn't have a problem with the sword's appearance in the hat, because this had already happened in Chamber of Secrets. It's magic, after all, and I think the scene where Neville, once a useless little wimp way back in the first book, stands face to face with the Dark Lord himself and tells him where to stick it is once of the highlights of the book. That said, I really would have liked to know what happened to the sword after everything was over - did Hogwarts continue to hang onto it despite the murkiness of their claims to ownership, or (as I would have preferred) was it returned to the goblins with the appropriate "thanks for the loan"?

I also didn't mind the abruptness of Lupin and Tonk's deaths. As someone already said, it's a war, and sometimes people die without warning. The death that had me feeling a little choked-up was actually Colin Creevey, because it was just so pointless - which is the point, of course.

Other bits I loved - Harry's parting scene with the Dursleys was exceedingly well done, and the death of Dobby was suitably tragic and the first one that really felt painful for this book (Mad-Eye's had been a little too abrupt).

Bits I hated - I've already mentioned the interminable forest camping, that very nearly had me giving up on the whole thing. And all the open questions people have already mentioned hold for me too - the Epilogue was awful, and didn't answer any of them. I was actually expecting Draco Malfoy to somehow play a more direct part in the ending as one of the good guys, because I had felt from a number of books ago that one of the necessary factors in the end needed to be Harry losing his prejudice against Slytherin House. And most annoying of all - Harry should be DEAD! Mein Gott, but that whole Matrix bit to somehow bring him back has to be one of the biggest cop-outs.

As always, The Guardian's digested read gives the best summary of the plot.

Bob

Oh yes, and I was pissed when Hedwig was killed and almost instantly forgotten. I've felt that Hedwig got a rough deal through all the series - never got the appreciation she deserves.

In terms of analogies, there seems to be an idea about that Grindelwald is supposed to represent Hitler (believer in a chosen race, defeated in 1945, etc.). Without wanting to take that too seriously, there is a bit of Nazi symbolism floating about, whether deliberately on Rowling's part or simply because the Nazis have become a sort of universal ideal of evil I wouldn't know. Krum's reaction to seeing Lovegood wearing the symbol of the Deathly Hallows because he knows it as a symbol used by Grindelwald is reminiscent of the change in meaning for the swastika, originally a fertility symbol, then used as a variation on the Christian cross, since its adoption by the Nazis. Also, I've long wondered if there's a connection between the Pureblood-fanatic Voldemort's own Muggle ancestry and the (probably an) urban myth that Adolf Hitler had a Jewish grandfather.

Do you think the epilogue is the 'final chapter' that Rowling wrote years ago and kept locked in her drawer? It might explain why the tone is a little jarring...

I did feel a little short-changed by Snape's rather pointless death - but then, his heroism was a little selfish, so maybe he didn't deserve a true hero's exit.

The epilogue was awful. Leave school, get married, have kids, then take them to school just as your parents did and their parents as well... Doesn't anything ever change in this world? It was the most depressing thing I could have imagined and with time, it's becoming the most horrifying memory of the book.

Maybe that's what some people want though? After a big war, just make things the way they used to be, make sure they'll never change. Stick within the same circle you've known since you were eleven years old and keep the outside world away. Horrible...

And as for Lupin and Tonks, I could have accepted their deaths, but the fact that Rowling made sure they had a baby before killing them both off is a bit sadistic. Snape was great though. Just one last look at those eyes before dying.

I've actually been planning my own fan fiction epilogue, of sorts. It's a bit odd: The viewpoint character would be Minerva McGonagall, and the focus on rebuilding Hogwarts and the relations between the magical species and wizards. News articles may appear as well, with discussions of trials of Death Eaters and sympathizers, and possibly reparations for Muggle-born wizards.

I have too much free time, don't I?

She spent all that time talking about the injustices of elves and goblins and stuff, and at the end nothing happens!

And so, you see, those who say she closed off all avenues for another novel are wrong ...

I can see it now: "Luna Lovegood and the Rise of SPEW."

I feel sorry for the poor goblin Griphook. He is probably an outcast from his race because he helped Harry break into Gringotts bank (a serious crime for goblins, I am sure), he thinks he has finally gotten the Sword of Godric Griffindor back for the goblins, and then the sword disappears and ends up back in the sorting hat for Neville to pull it out.

P.S. I think the epilogue was necessary for the story, it gives some needed closure, and it emphasizes that life is a circle. I really wouldn't have expected a laundry list of what happened to every single character.

hinschelwood(@24)

Maybe that's what some people want though? After a big war, just make things the way they used to be, make sure they'll never change.

Yes, that is what people want. That explains the Fifties. Which were inevitably followed by the Sixties...

I agree, the epilogue does not sound right. But I think that, after a youth of crazy things and near-death adventures, seeing the characters finally leading a peaceful, normal life, was probably not just a gift to the fans, but to the characters themselves - who, in the end, accompanied JKR for a good part of her life.

I can understand why people dislike it, and I didn't think it was perfect myself, but I liked it. It left me smiling and had a very nice the-circle-has-closed feel to it. And I nearly burst into tears when Harry told young Albus that Snape had been probably the bravest man he ever knew. No kidding, Harry.

And come on, these are children's books. Not to mention that Rowling has no intention to write any more HP stories and therefore preferred to establish things this way, closing the door to a whole bunch of sequel ideas. I hope she sticks to this plan (though I wouldn't say no to an "encyclopedia" of some sort).

The epilogue didn't bother me, but I didn't love it either. It brought the series full circle and ended on a tone similar to the start of book 1. It would have been nice to know what their professions were, but that isn't so important, is it? I mean, in all of the books, family and love have been major themes, and careers have only been mentioned a few times in comparison. Plus, including all of the aftermath, what they did after school, etc. would have been almost another book (we are talking about 19 years, here), and she didn't want to do that. Although, I'd have been happier if Harry and Ginny only had the one son named Albus Severus. Having Lily and James as well was just a bit too corny for me.

Rowling has apparently spoken of producing an HP encylopedia, I suspect in part to answer some of the unanswered questions.

As an aside , am I alone in being a bit down when finishing the book, knowing that there was not going to be another ?

yes, matt, i also felt down after finishing the book because there now is nothing to look forward to.

I thought the book was masterfully written. The written prose kept pace with the events of what Harry, Ron, and Hermione were experiencing. The camping in the woods section was drawn out, but it helped me to feel what the main characters were going through trying to figure out what horcruxes and hallows were and what they could do with them. I also felt like I was in an old "Flash Gordon" serial with cliff hangers, especially when Harry, Ron, and Hermione were caught in the ministry, Mr. Luvgood's house, and the Malfoy's house. I was not sure how they were going to get out of each successive mess.

I too saw many parallel's with Nazi Germany and World War II such as the classification of individuals based on the number of grandparents with magical blood. I thought that the book accurately portrayed the fear that people felt when they were betrayed as "Mudblood". I liked the resistance movement where radio broadcasts were used to inform everyone about what was happening to Harry and other things in the Magical world. This definitely had parallels to the communication of the British and French in the later phases of WW II. And Neville's role in the resistance within Hogwarts was just great.

One can look no further than the current war to see that many deaths are senseless and JK Rowling did not sugar coat that part of the struggle. I was most sad when Dobby died and could feel how that event finally moved Harry to act.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book as did my family. One can criticize aspects of the series, but I personally could not imagine writing an epic like HP and keeping my story straight. It is amazing when so many people are reading the same book at the same time. I can't think of another cultural phenomenon quite like it.

When Mrs. Weasley shouted to Bellatrix, "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" I immediately felt that that line was ripped out of "Aliens" (towards the end, Ripley shouting at the creature when it went after Newt).

I was also upset about the names of Harry & Ginny's children. Understandably they named their children after James and Lily, but why couldn't Ginny name their second son Fred? Fred Albus. Or even Albus Fred. But they chose Severus Snape over Fred?!! Didn't seem right. I know I would choose my blood relatives over Snape :)

I like Aerik's idea: The Weasley's might have had a humorous fight about Mrs. Weasley's profanity in the final battle scene.

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm not sure the epilogue completely closed the doors on further books... It seems like a new generation of Weasleys, Potters, Malfoys, and a Lupin, plus a 19 year gap of who knows who else had children (Neville and Luna? Cho and Krum? Goyle and...? Hagrid and...?? I'd just love to see Hagrid's children attend Hogwarts.) Future books could include, not only their adventures, but sharing stories about their parents lives since Voldemort died, discovering the thruths behind other stories in "The Tales of Beedle the Bard", plus the many other suggestions previously mentioned in these posts.

Criticism welcomed.

I was completely satisfied with the entire book (missed the typo!). The part that so many people complain about - Harry and Hermione on the run - reminded me of the frustration Ulysses experienced in several episodes of The Odyssey. Fate seemed to keep him from accomplishing anything at all. It seems appropriate for Harry (and the readers) to experience this kind of frustration.

I didn't like the epilogue at first, but after thinking about it, I realized that Harry was now living the life he had longed for all along.

I liked the epilogue (and the whole book). I was very upset she killed off Hedwig--that seemed unnecessary! I was also the most upset that Fred got killed off, but I understand she felt some of our favorite characters had to die. I thought of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe during the forest scene when Harry sacrificed himself (the scene where Aslan sacrificed himself to the witch).

I felt that at heart, this is a children's series, and the ending of the book reflected that. Children's books ought to have a happy ending!!!

A friend sent me a link to this interview with Rowling. She goes into more detail about the epilogue and what happens to some of the characters, if you're a fan and wanted more in the epilogue, read this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19959323/

Plus, more good news for die-hard fans... Rowling says she's "probably" to write an encyclopedia with lots of detail about many of the characters:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19935372/

seven books.. take from them what you will.. what is missing is the concern that the influence of the Harry Potter series might have students being bounced from their classes for being caught with a wand in their backpacks..

I went through the entire series via audio book after Deathly Hallows was published... I have no patience when it comes to waiting for the next installment to be published. I enjoyed the series very much. The only detail that confounded me was how they were able to create a polyjuice potion to impersonate Bellatrix Lestrange. Did I miss something?

Chalk up another "hated it" vote.
I liked that she made the kids more adult in this book, but, other than turning Neville into Rambo, I'm thoroughly pissed.

Personally, I feel she threw all the characters names into a hat and started picking names to kill/ maim. Why the heck did she kill the owl?! It would have served a purpose if Harry grieved or something, but no, she's totally forgotten in 20 pages.

I also feel that Tonks' and Lupin's relationships were rushed, as if from the beginning she planned on killing them, and got as much life out of them as she could. They're deaths were pointless. Boo JKR for parent killing.

Ron's running away did seem pointless, and for a while I thought I was reading "Harry Potter and the World's Longest Camping Trip."

I also hated the theme of bringing back as many insulary characters as possible.

I am glad however that she finally ended the tension between Ron and Hermione. About FRICKIN time, but I don't think they would have lasted 19 years. I personally think her personality would have been balanced better had she married one of the twins, but JKR has proven that we can't always get what we want.

Which brings me to another point: why the twins? Maiming George I understand, but killing Fred I think was just bloodlust. Or the fact the only people truly mourning were his family. You would think a man in his 20s who's rich and semi famous would at least have a girl on the side, right? I refuse to believe she intended them to be asexual or homosexual. I'm also upset that George wasn't mentioned at all in the epilogue.

Another thing I'm upset about is Mrs. Weasley killing Bellatrix. She tortured and killed Neville's parents, and JKR doesn't even have the decency to let him kill her. It would have been predictable, but would have been better.

The ending felt rushed into the climax, a very unpleasant situation for all readers. It also seemed that she decided on a whim to rewrite all the characters personalities at the end of the series.

Next point: funeral scenes. Where the hell were the funerals? Dumbledore had one, but for some reason the plethora of other good people she killed at the end aren't worthing of a proper grieving time for the readers.

The epilogue was ambiguosly campy and it felt like I was reading a 10 year old's fanfic. The kids names were awful and there were plenty of things in it that I hated. There were too many unanswered questions. I also felt Harry was portayed as a soccer mom, and there were too many subtle bits in the end for there not to be another book. It left me feeling empty and $40 dollars poorer.

Thank you, JKR, for giving me a renewed love of reading, and spitting all over it.