Response to Silly Expectations

I never read the series growing up because my parents were religious and the magic was considered to be a bad thing. I guess the fact that witches and wizards were also in these books didn't help their chances, as my family and their friends believed that reading this sort of thing as a child would influence our behavior in some way. Even though Lord of the Rings is supposed to be based on Christian beliefs, my parents responded to those books the same way.

Other than book 7, this is my second time reading through the series. I never read book 7 because I only read the series for the first time last year and ran out of time. So... except for the events which will take place in book 7, I am aware of my own "silly expectations" for the series. I love rereading the books and seeing how Rowling foreshadows events. I also love how it is so easy to think the wrong thing about a character, like Sirius. The first time I read book 3, I had already watched many of the movies so I knew he was a "good guy." I didn't remember any details because it had been so long since I watched it and as I read the novel, I kept wondering how in the WORLD Rowling was ever going to make me believe he was a good guy. As I read the scene in the Shrieking Shack, I still had my doubts and was HIGHLY disappointed with Lupin for falling for his "lies." I discovered I was wrong towards the end of the book, but didn't like that I had been tricked so badly.

Another character which I have trouble with is Snape. As many people seem to really like him, I am positive he redeems himself in one way or another in book 7, but his habitual bullying and rudeness is irritating and I never understand why Dumbledore finds him to be trustworthy.

One of the things I appreciate the most about Rowling's characters is that she definitely gives them depth. Even the horrible Dursleys have more that one side. There are people they are trying to impress (Aunt Marge, the neighbors) and they seem to cower before these people. Draco Malfoy also fits into this category. He is a bully at school and has a bunch of little minions who do whatever he wants, but we catch a glimpse of what his home life is like in his interactions with his father at Borgin and Burkes. We are able to see, for the first time, why Draco is so prejudiced and entitled. Though is is still a very unlikeable character, he has more than one side. He, too, has a story of how he became the way he did, just like Harry.