If You Could Change One Thing . . . *SPOILERS!*

[Boing]

I thought since people have such strong opinions over their likes and dislikes so far from HBP, let's have a thread about the one thing you could change if you had the power to do it.

Was there something that really bothered you about the book?

Was there something that really upset you or angered you?

Was there something that just felt like it didn't belong?

Or is there something you would just like to have happened differently?

Remember - just pick one thing! Tell us what you would want to change, why, and what you would change it to!

[LovingHarryPotter]

If I could change one thing it would be that Harry had the guts to tell Ginny his feelings long before he did. Like he said he would have had more time with her. I also wish he didnt break up with her. Even though he could cause her danger i dont think she cares. She has loved him since she met him.

[Tonks]

Wellll .. I wish Dumbledore hadn't diedd... ;) But i realize that it was necessary so i'm not going to use that as the one thing I would change..

There's really a lot of things I'd want to change, like maybe Ron and Hermione not fighting for as long as they did.. but I'm not going to choose any of those either just because they seem too major and I know they'll definitely effect the next book so there had to be a reason that stuff happened like that..

I think I'd change that Madam Rosmerta wasn't under the Imperius Curse. That sounds really random, but I really hate the idea of someone, especially her, being so easily controlled by the Death Eaters. Also, that led to Katie Bell being cursed and I really like Katie Bell so that annoyed me.. and of course she's the one who tried to help Harry and Dumbledore get back to Hogwarts as soon as they could - :rolleyes:

[Nimue]

You're right about Rosemerta, that was just wrong.

But if there was one thing I would change about the story it would be Dumbledore and Snape. When I read the first (2?) chapters of HBP this is what I htought would happen--and I still think it should have:

Snape--makes Unbreakable Vow
Harcruxe curse water is better explained as having to be drunk (rather than thrown on the flour or what-have-you).
Malfoy--tries to kill Harry.
Snape--breaks the Unbreakable Vow and dies in order to save Harry, and finally proves his true goodness; leaving Harry with a debt of gratitude, but also guilt.
Harry and Dumbledore--go after the rest of the Harcruxes? (I am unsure of an exact ending, but something similar at least)

[Finnegan]

I have to admit there was one thing in the book that seemed especially pointless to me - Harry's mission to get Slughorn's memory of telling Tom Riddle about Horcruxes from him. If it turned out that Dumbledore already knew that Voldemort was using Horcruxes, why on earth would they bother about Slughorn? The only additional information they got from it was that Slughorn was the one who told Riddle about them, and Riddle was disposed to use seven of them - things which, I think, Dumbledore had already guessed. So what was that mission doing there? Possibly it was there for Harry to prove himself, and all that - but all the same, it seemed utterly pointless and very disappointing to me - so that's what I would have changed.

[Alz]

The slug club for me ...
I can see why she introduced it - but it was just a non event - used to try and explain how Slughorn got Riddle in a position where Riddle could ask him the question - but apart from that what was the point of the Slug Club?

[kashlie]

I'd have made it longer. Fill in a few of the gaps with a bit more back story (like the Dementors breeding, and give Harry a bit more time mourning, and with Ginny, silly stuff, really).

I would have preferred a longer, drawn out story than one that seemed rushed and all over the place (and in some places, pointless)

[Fortescue]

I thought since people have such strong opinions over their likes and dislikes so far from HBP, let's have a thread about the one thing you could change if you had the power to do it.

Was there something that really bothered you about the book?
Dumbledore's death!

Was there something that really upset you or angered you?
Dumbledore's death!

Was there something that just felt like it didn't belong?
Dumbledore's death!

Or is there something you would just like to have happened differently?
Snape's death!!

Remember - just pick one thing! Tell us what you would want to change, why, and what you would change it to!


Oh, sorry, you said one thing :o

Well, of course then, I'd have to say, I wish Dumbledore hadn't died, I thought it was pointless and basically used for shock value, and I think it worked because I am completely shocked and disgusted about it!!! I wish Harry would have blown Snape to smithereens, but there's always hope for book seven!!! :p

[Snuffles]

Sirius's death!!! :(!!
That was the saddest part of the series EVER!
I really wish that Harry could have just used his senses and rode on his broomsticks to catch Malfoy and Snape at the end of HBP.!!! :evil:
Dumbledore... well. it's sad that he's gone and dead, but i think this was a necessary part of the series.. He was getting old and Harry did need to learn how to stand up on his own.
:( I wish Harry could have asked Ginny out from the start!!!

[saxpirate]

One thing?
I would make Tonks and Bill, and have Remus by himself. To me, it just didn't really make sense, it felt like she paired Remus up with the only avaible female in the book that he liked and was relatively close to his age.

[Sirius Potter Fan]

Well, from me, this is probably pretty obvious, but I was real upset that we didn't hear from Sirius! JKR said we would hear from Sirius again, and the will just doesn't count!:mad: Still Hoping. . . Still waiting. . .

[Alz]

One thing?
I would make Tonks and Bill, and have Remus by himself. To me, it just didn't really make sense, it felt like she paired Remus up with the only avaible female in the book that he liked and was relatively close to his age.
Actually I would have to endorse this one as well ..
It just seemed wrong to me - the whole Tonks/Remus thing ... looked almost clumsy the way that came out at the end.
It just spells disaster to me - as in one of them is gonna take a dive in book 7 - try and give them this little piece of happiness just before one or both are killed ...

[god is broke]

I would have somehow brought Sirius back. It has never setteled well wilth me what she did with him. I understand that Dumbledore had to die(if he really is dead) harry needs to be able to stand on his own, but give him some support, sirius was the only parental suport he had and just as you give it to him she took it away.

[Alz]

Well - we have to assume there is a great purpose to Sirius - and also him untimely demise ...
JKR pretty much dedicated a book to him - kept him around and in the background in GoF - thrust him back into the limelight in OoTP - then dispatched him ...
There is still so many question regarding Sirius and his demise - sadly has to be concluded he isnt coming back but still I think he has a part to play.

[Lovegood54]

lets see... if i could change just one thing, and only one thing.......hmmmmmm.... this is hard cause i have read it twice and i liked but i know there were a couple things that bothered me....... oh, i have one! i would have had harry go and retrive the potions book from the room of requirement, because i am almost positive that it may contain a few things that will help him out. a couple spells, some interesting potions he could brew over the summer for his fight with voldemort, and maybe some tips on occlumency so he can close his mind from voldemort. yeah, definately that.:cool:

[Glumbumble]

I think that when it was found that Hagrid had not opened the Chamber of Secrets he should have been able to perform magic again. I am sure that there would have been the possibility of some great humour with Hagrid learning and trying out new spells!

[scotcia]

I was dissapointed that the DA did not continue in HBP, I thought it would

[secret seeker]

I am astonished to see the variety of answers in this post, nearly all of them different. I agree that the slug club was utterly pointless, it just served no real purpose, and had it been left out would not have altered slughorns character, or the story at all.
For me though, if I could see one alteration, I would pick Dumbledores private lessons.
On my very first read of the book, I was so excited when Dumbledore requested that Harry be his student, I felt sure that here at last, Harry would learn spells that would really help in the fight against Voldemort, and finally find himself on a more level battlefield, and more competent at magic instead of being plain lucky and having helpful friends.
Like when he survived the graveyard incedent; was only lucky chance ( priori incantatem ) he didnt die.
And at the ministry if the order hadnt showed up, nor Dumbledore, again we would have no Harry.
I could go on and on, but you know the series has been like that. Im not slating Harry, I just hoped the lessons would finally see Harry achieve some magical prowess, some real independence, instead all we got were history lessons ( albeit fascinating & neccasry i suppose).

[Andromeda]

I know I'm not saying anything new in this thread as there are so many Sirius's lovers here (which I'm glad to notice) ;)

The major thing I anticipated from HBP was an explanation of Sirus's death, it's mistery, it's purpose... And I truly expected that he would appear in any form...So no wonder I was disappointed.
I wonder why did Jo have to kill the best character in the whole series and why - doing it - did she fail to give a valid reason? Who else more deserved some happiness than he - after being considered a murderer and a traitor and after spednig the best years of his life in such dreadful place like Azkaban? Or maybe was the death just for nothing? :mad:

I hope it's left for book 7. Altough as there is no trace of Sirius in HBP I really doubt he would appear...

[Sirus_Lee_Folks]

The one thing that annoyed me in this book was how poorly Harry was portrayed to have done in the final battle scene. Just one book prior in the Ministry his ability to jinx and attack Death Eaters was no where near as bad as it was against what seemed to be a smaller party of death eaters.