Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 31
Chapter 31: The Battle of Hogwarts
Fred.
Sorry, can we just take a moment here for Fred Weasley?
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Sigh.
Ok. So. Harry figured out where the diadem was, which I so called. Rachel, however, correctly predicted where Ron and Hermione were, and I have to admit, I did not see that one coming. It’s pretty excellent to see Ron get to do something awesome. Basilisk fangs!
Oh, and of course, Ron and Hermione finally smooch. Awwwwwww. (I note that Hermione kissed him after Ron suggested that they try to save the house-elves, but they never actually got around to saving the house-elves. Hope they don’t forget.)
Crabbe dies, and I can’t really feel too broken up about it. Malfoy now owes Harry big time.
Neville rushing by with Professor Sprout to lob Mandrakes at the intruders is a nice image, as is Grawp marauding through the grounds. I have a bad feeling about Lupin, though. This is sort of our Helms Deep battle, isn’t it? Tonks, Neville’s grandmother, Mrs. Weasley and Percy, and even Aberforth pitching in. And where has Ginny gone off to?
Really though. Fred. Poor George.
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Poor Fred. First george’s ear, hedwig, then fred. That one was brutal.
I cried so hard for Fred. Poor Fred. Poor George. Poor Weasleys.
I’m stunned that you figured out where the diadem was. I haven’t gone back to check, but wasn’t it just a minor throwaway detail when it appeared before? How many times have you read this series? Well done.
As we ate dinner before this chapter, we talked about which of the Weasleys was most likely to be killed. I couldn’t decide whether it would be worse for one of them to die or both of them. (I didn’t really think it would be either of them, actually — I thought it would be Percy, whose return I actually found extremely touching.) Well-written scene, with all the brothers, by the way.
How many times have you read this series?
Uh, too many times?
I actually just re-read book 6, so it was fairly fresh in my mind.
Oh, in response to Lisa’s comment: I also (independently) arrived at the conclusion of where the Horcrux was. I was sure it wasn’t in the Chamber of Secrets, but I was guessing it was in a place we already knew about. When I thought about the Hiding Room, I bet that one of the things Rowling had offhandedly listed when Harry went in in Book 6 was some sort of tiara, so I went back and checked, and there it was.
Also, I guessed that Voldemort would have hidden it on the trip he came to Hogwarts asking for a job, so I knew it had to be somewhere quick, and not something complicated.
i would never had believed fred weasley had died if i hadnt read the book for myself evertday ,almost everyday i read the parts where they talk about his death. from now on its going to be had to watch the movies and know at the same time fred is going to die. by the way can any of you tell them apart and which twin was it the asked that girl out in goblet of fire