[Platypus]

Originally Posted by SamIAm

Also, just 'cause this stood up and slapped me: Hermione caused her parents to think they were other people, forget Hermione existed, and sent them off to Australia, then a couple of chapters later, she says she's never performed a memory charm?

I had not noticed this, but I've seen this comment elsewhere. I suppose the most reasonable explanation is that she performed a different type of spell on her parents (a Confundus charm?), but didn't actually modify their memories which might be more of a permanent thing. Personally, I was wondering how she was going to get all the way to Australia to remove the spell, and then how on earth was she going to explain to her parents how they ended up there. Presumably, they left their dental practice behind and started another one, so how are they going to just pick up again?

What I truly didn't get was where this jealousy of Harry in regard to the fair Hermione came from? When did Ron ever think Harry was hot for Hermione?

I don't think Harry being hot for Hermione was Ron's real issue. I think the real concern was that Hermione would CHOOSE Harry over Ron (had already done so). Similarly, the concern was that his mother preferred Harry as a son. So the jealousy of Harry had nothing to do, really, with how Harry might feel, but rather how everyone else viewed Ron in comparison to Harry. On a side note, I am somewhat glad that the Harry/Hermione ship was pretty much shot down in canon at least in HBP - had it not been, I think this book would have been much more difficult for the Harmonians to handle. I mean, when your ship is basically tied up with a Horcrux which needs to be STABBED TO DEATH by Ron, and then you have Harry telling Ron that he thought it was OBVIOUS that Harry and Hermione had a brother-sister thing going on... that would have been pretty harsh medicine for a hardcore shipper who had not already received a dose of canon reality in HBP.

I assume it was Lucius JKR spared in the end. It's not a bad call if it was. Slimy, reprehensible people don't always get their due IRL either.

(So who were the two added to the role call of the dead? Fred and Tonks would be my guess.)

Possibly. If it's true that JKR had that Epilogue written for years, then Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Draco and Neville were always going to survive. I think the dictates of the story demanded that Snape was always going to die, so I don't think that changed.

I think Dean Thomas might have received a reprieve - he was sort of there for no real reason in a couple of scenes. Perhaps he was supposed to die at the Malfoys, but Rowling changed her mind and decided not to do it.

As far as additions to the role call of the dead, Fred might be one, but I just knew in my heart of hearts that at least one Weasley was going to have to die, and having it be one of the twins packs the most punch outside of it being Ron. (The most punch for Harry, anyway - and he needed those punches in order to be able, I think, to make his penultimate sacrifice, because he just couldn't abide anyone else he cared about dying instead of him). So I'm going to say Fred was always planned, but I'm really unsure of how Colin Creevey ended up as one of the random dead from out of nowhere. That one REALLY seemed gratuitous. And I have to wonder about Crabbe as well.

Albus Severus? Harry and Ginny so need to have their asses kicked for that one.

Not least because it has inspired the new slashy ASS ship (Albus Severus/Scorpius).