I started reading this series over 10 years ago, and for some reason after the fifth book I just stopped. My literary interests were diverse, still are, and I needed to give Harry Potter a short rest. Five years later I've come back to finish the story. This book, number 6, is one of my favorite, probably second to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. A lot going on in this book and some big changes at the end. Of course everyone in the world knows the end of the story by now, even me, although I've still to read the final book. I'll look forward to doing that soon. I know most Harry Potter enthusiasts have reread these books several times--maybe someday I will too.

Blog Review: https://passthefeels.wordpress.com/20...

The Half Blood Prince is yet another incredible installment in the Harry Potter series, but you all knew that already. It may be my favourite so far, in fact yes I believe it is, even though the emotions are so real right now. (I know I said Order was my favourite so far, but this one has overtaken it)

I once again, loved every minute of reading this. It was perfect, and also had me lol'ing throughout the whole thing..eh, mostly. not the end.

The school and classes scenes were also amazing, that's weirdly one of the things I love most about these books. Hogwarts just being Hogwarts.

If I'm being honest, weirdly again, the Quidditch scenes sometimes become a little tedious to me sometimes, but I even loved those in this book, they were just so funny. Thankyou Liquid Luck. (that was amazing, hahaha)

The Apparition lessons were also a great laugh!

J.K. Rowling is brilliant in everything she does; the humour, suspense, mystery... I mean, she even had me guessing and confused even though I've seen the movies a billion times.

I loved getting to delve deeper into the motives and life of Voldemort, it was just so interesting to learn about his past, and what makes him such a complex character. As well as seeing the relationships, or lack of, with him and other people.

The love aspect of this book, oh the loveeee, was so cute to read about. I mean, between Ron and Hermione, and Harry and Ginny, how could it not be good? You could really see them growing up throughout this novel, which I also enjoyed.

The relationship between Harry and Dumbledore grew even more in this book (which made the ending that much harder) I've always loved reading about the dynamic between those two. Such a bond.

Malfoy, well he was such an interesting character in this one, right from the moment when he stepped on Harry's nose *wince*, that was intense. It was so cool to be able to read about the mystery behind this guy, and try to figure him out a bit more. Draco has always fascinated me, which is probably half to do with Tom Felton, let's be real.

Snape, uhm, I'm still kinda confused where I stand in regards to if I like or don't like him, at the moment it's a bit of both. I guess the Deathly Hallows will help me out, but I do really enjoy reading about Snape, even if he makes some...questionable decisions.

Can't forget to mention Slughorn! He was a great addition to the story, I really enjoyed his character, and all that he brought to the novel.

Once again, the friendship between Ron/Harry/Hermione warmed my little heart, and also tore at it a bit over the course of the novel *cough* thanks Lavender *cough*. But they never fail to make me smile. I feel like even though there was still a bit of it, the angst levels were much lower in this one, haha.

Also, how can you not love Fred and George? I adore those two, they're like me in twin boy form.

All-in-All, this was yet another solid addition to this amazing series, and it's just incredible how much more I'm getting out of the books than the movies, I really didn't expect to learn this much. Admittedly, I didn't even truly know what a Horcrux was until this book...oops.

Can't believe it's time for the final journey...

I could revisit this world over and over!!

Mel

Recordaba este como el libro más decepcionante de toda la saga, y aunque con la relectura (y sabiendo lo que se) me parece mucho más emocionante, aún sigue siendo de los que menos me gustan.
Es cierto que las partes de Dumbledore son increíbles, lo mismo que el inicio y el desenlace del libro (las últimas 100 páginas son de no poder detenerte ni a respirar).
Tiene cosas geniales como la poción de la suerte o todos los detalles del pasado de Voldemort, pero aún así, se vuelve repetitivo y tiene poca chicha en muchos aspectos. Harry pasa toooodo el libro obsesionado con Malfoy y Snape de una manera que saca de quicio no solo a Ron y Hermione sino también a los lectores, la huella de Sirius apenas se hace notar, todo el misterio de Tonks y la importancia que se le da no deja de parecerme ridícula y desde luego ver de nuevo a Ron y Hermione peleados/amigados cada 5 minutos me aburre inmensamente (lo hemos visto ya en varios libros anteriores de manera idéntica). Hay muchos de estos elementos que se deben a que nuestros protagonistas son simples adolescentes, pero no deja de resultarme escaso el efecto que tienen en ellos las muertes, las desapariciones.. creo que el ambiente oscuro está mejor conseguido en el quinto libro, y sin duda, me ha faltado mucho más de la orden del Fénix.
De todas maneras ese final te deja con ANSIA VIVA, y recuerdo el séptimo libro como uno de mis preferidos, así que el hype está ahora alto de nuevo.

Reminder that all of my Harry Potter reviews contain unmarked spoilers, and lots of ’em. If you’re one of the two people on Goodreads who hasn’t read this series, this review is not for you. So, my dear underside-of-a-rock-residing friends:



https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...

This review will be interesting, because this book was far (far, far) from perfect, and yet I am utterly determined to give it 5 stars. (Which I have only given to the first book in this series.)



God, how do you talk about this book? It’s really amazing. It is really hard for me to feel anything while reading a book or generally living my life. For example, I felt nothing when Sirius died. Nothing throughout most of this series, actually. And nothing in this book, because nothing happened and everyone survived and everything is sunshiney and joyful!



Ugh. I tried. The last hundred-ish pages of this book really tore me apart. Okay, even that’s not true. I’ll just come out and say it: I’m really f*cking sad that Dumbledore died. I love him so much. He’s high up in my top 5 characters. (Do I even have a top 5?) I’m devastated, which makes me even more upset, because I have a life to live today and can’t just lay around and wallow in fictional pain.



I’m going to move on in the hopes that I just. Forget. Because I don’t like this at ALL.



Here, we see Harry Potter - who, I think few will argue, has been a fairly mediocre character up to this point - become AMAZING. He’s motivated solely by his need to work against injustice and evil. He realizes his parents’ legacy within himself. He denounces the sucking up of others. He works hard in school! He is a good friend even when his two BFFS are being childish to one another plus refusing to believe him. In short, he’s really, really, five-star-level great here. Gorgeous character development in 650 pages.



I didn’t think I liked Ginny much, because I didn’t remember this book well...like, at all. But she is so great! So funny. I wish there was more of her in this book.



Also, I’ll fight anyone who says Dumbledore is ~the real villain~ of this series. He’s really not. (Cough, Snape is, cough.) AND YOU'RE NOT EDGY, PEOPLE WHO HATE DUMBLEDORE BUT LOVE SNAPE. YOU'RE JUST DUMB. I fell deeply in love with the guy. (Dumbledore, not Snape. BLEH.) AND I F*CKING MISS HIM. Goddamn it. Trying to forget didn’t last very long. Anyway.



I missed Hermione and Neville. Hermione was absolutely not well-represented here at all. Maybe it’s a good thing she’s not a Ravenclaw (#RavenclawPride) because she works fully against logic throughout this book. And when she’s not she just, like, refuses to believe Harry.



Ron is soooooooooo annoying! Is he anyone’s favorite character? He’s like, Fred or George if one of them was totally childish and attention-starved and mean. In fact, Ronald is a pretty impressive character for the number of gross character traits he embodies despite being supposed to be a good character. Mean, immature, rude, jealous, definition of an inferiority complex. Bleh.



Harry and Ginny I’m totally for, BUT THE OTHER RELATIONSHIPS IN THIS BOOK ARE SO BORING. Can we do Hermione and Fred instead? Ron and Luna would be cute. Or, God forbid, some LGBT representation? WE KNOW YOU’RE A SUPPORTER, JOANNE. Don’t even get me started on Lupin and Tonks.



Speaking of supposedly-good characters’ downfalls: I’m no longer a Hagrid fan. It started with the last book and came fully around here. Like, at a certain point, the man needs a character trait. Liking weird animals, making bad food, and being humongous don’t count. Harry and Hermione’s constant stubbornness is annoying. Plus makes the plot repetitive once in a while. Also, Tonks. You know what, I guess I AM going to get started on Lupin and Tonks! She was a hilarious badass in the last book, totally depressed and weak in this one. I know I sound like a total emotionless asshole here, but that’s who I am, and she’s annoying in this book. AND IT’S TOTALLY FINE BECAUSE SHE’S JUST BEING A SPINELESS IDIOT OVER SOME DUMB SHABBY MAN. Kill me, please. Then I can see my beloved Dumbledore again.



Too much Snape. (Cannot WAIT to write the rant on him.) Too much Draco. (Why do people romanticize that little weirdo so much? I guess I get the temptation, but he’s a bully at best and a spineless traitor at worst.) I hate Kreacher and I hate Dobby...I hated Winky, too...I might hate house elves. If that makes me racist against a species of fictional character, SO BE IT, I GUESS.



I miss Fred and George, and the fun people from the Order (if they existed), and Hermione and Neville aren’t here nearly enough. The price of Harry’s amazing and concise character development is WAY too many bad characters, not nearly enough of the good ones. EXCEPT DUMBLEDORE. UGHHHH. I’M SO SAD. (I think my inability to cry is making this worse. Maybe if I just creepily sobbed in front of my roommate for a few minutes I’d feel better. Damn you, my lack of emotions! Just kidding love you.)



But I want to give this book five stars more than anything. It was so compulsively readable, more than any other book since the first for me. And it’s the last book where our pals are attending Hogwarts. That makes me so sad. It’s such a gorgeous setting and I’m going to miss it so much. WHY IS THIS BOOK SO SAD?! If Deathly Hallows is any sadder I’ll be seriously impressed. And also seriously screwed.



And, okay, even though I was a harsh critic of these books...I’m really going to miss this series. I’ve been rereading it on and off (obviously) for three months, and it’s been a fun ride. This is one of the greatest settings of all time. And since I’m rereading it after 10 years, it’s like saying goodbye twice. AND I HATE ENDINGS.



Bottom line: Okay, THIS is my favorite Harry Potter book. (Anyone else’s?) Unreal character development + tragic and lovely adieu to a gorgeous setting + ability to make me feel real, deep emotion + compulsively readable? An absolute dream.

----------ORIGINAL REVIEW---------------

Ron and Hermione's will-they-won't-they is a total snoozefest. I propose Fred & Hermione and Ron & Luna instead. Also seven more books!

2024: Goodreads had lost some of my read dates of this book but that’s ok. I’ve read it too many times to count. This time around, I claimed I would get through Order of the Phoenix, which is extremely hard for me. I made it through page 250 and stopped. I asked a few friends and one poignantly noted that in many ways Umbrage is worse than Voldemort, and that made all the sense in the world. I am a teacher. I would not be in the profession if I did not thoroughly enjoy being around teenagers. Umbrage told lies and had Harry tattoo her words into his arm with his own blood. Right before this infamous detention, I stopped. I know sadly what occurs at the end and just could not bring myself to read it. So on to the Half Blood Prince, what I call the calm before the storm book.

This time around I gleaned much from an adult perspective, including the Chosen One moniker. Until Harry, Star Wars was my preferred good vs evil saga, and the original movies still hold rank in my heart. The Chosen One who can bring balance to the force, and here Harry is supposed to bring peace to the wizard of community, a tall order for a sixteen year old. Dumbledore believes in him, which makes the ending that much harder to take it. I think as a middle aged adult it’s harder for me to digest all the deaths in these books. I am fortunate (knock on wood) to have my parents in good health, but not all of my friends do at this stage. No need to be exposed to more death- I am not a young adult who needs a jolt of death to know what the real world is, I’ve been living in the real world for more than half of my life at this point. So Harry, Dumbledore’s Army, and the Order of the Phoenix march on in what is truly a book of gathering information, teenaged pangs of love, and a gathering storm of war. As usual, I finished in a day and a half, a necessity following the abhorrence that is Dolores Umbrage in book 5.


2020: School is out for the summer! The last day of school is usually a bittersweet occasion as I look back and see my kids growing up right before my eyes. With the year winding down on top of everything else in the world right now, I found myself overwhelmed and at a loss for what to read next. Then I remembered that in Retro Chapter Chicks we are reading Harry Potter this year, each at our own pace. For better or for worse, Harry and his magical world has been a part of my reading for my entire adult life. When I find myself entering a reading rut or when life gets busy, Harry has been there to offer an escape. An escape into magic is exactly what I needed even with the series growing darker as it nears its completion. Yet, Harry’s problems are not my own, so I return to Hogwarts to get away from the grim realities of life.

Harry Potter has turned sixteen and about to enter the sixth year of his magical education. After battling Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic, the Ministry believes Dumbledore once again and order has been restored in the magical world, at least on the surface. Harry is now “the chosen one,” the one destined to defeat Voldemort once and for all, and the magical world has put its faith in Harry that he can carry the day. That is quite a burden to handle for a sixteen year old who is left without a family once again, his beloved g-dfather Sirius falling in the battle at the ministry. Harry is still in school as well, beginning advanced magical study in his quest to become an auror and having been named Quidditch captain to boot. Dumbledore has told Harry to rely on his two closest friends to get through the task at hand, yet even that is a tall order with teenaged hormones raging at Hogwarts. Defeating Voldemort is as paramount as ever, so Dumbledore takes it upon himself to further Harry’s education and give him the tools to win the battle once and for all.

I have always viewed the Half Blood Prince as the call before the storm. Fred and George’s joke shop is standing room only as all wizards look to get a few laughs to escape the grim realities of their own life. Before stepping foot in the joke shop, Harry assists Dumbledore in persuading Professor Horace Slughorn to come out of retirement to teach potions. Slughorn has the ability to transfigure into a sofa and has a penchant for candied pineapple and mulled mead, which he collects from his prized former pupils, known as The Slug Club. One of these students was none other than Harry’s mother Lily Evans, the best potioneer that Slughorn has taught. Harry is primed to be the star attraction of Slughorn’s new Slug Club; despite once being head of Slytherin house and a favorite professor of many current death eaters, Slughorn begrudgingly agrees to return to Hogwarts. His presence lightens the mood in the castle immensely, as Rowling focuses on his lessons at the expense of most others, even though other subjects are equally important. Slughorn introduces his students to love potions, legal brewing of the poly juice potion, and the golden Felix Felicis, a potion that will give the drinker good luck for an entire day. With Slughorn teaching potions instead of Snape, Harry excels in the subject for the first time in his life, propelling him toward his career as an auror.

Love plays a large role here, Voldemort overlooking it’s importance and students as well as peripheral characters enjoying varying degrees of romance. Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour are engaged to be married, much to chagrin of all the Weasleys. Ron and Hermoine’s feelings for each change daily; knowing how things end up, it is both comical and frustrating to witness how both of them date other people just to aggravate each other. And knowing how things end up, I still much prefer Hermoine and Crumb and Ron with perhaps someone who has not been introduced yet. From book one it was obvious that Ginny and Harry would end up together, and this story arc is in full effect here. Harry, however, does not have much time to act on his feelings as he is too busy trying to save the world. Ginny notes that that is what she loves about him although additional tender moments would have furthered the storyline. The volatile nature of teenaged love shows that nothing is set in stone, setting the stage for a grand finish later.

In addition to the love and learning, Dumbledore takes Harry on a trip down pensieve memory lane to try to find out as much about Voldemort as possible prior to doing battle. Other than the memories, Voldemort does not make an appearance in the book. He is biding his time, waiting for Dumbledore’s army to make the first move. Rowling would rather treat her readers to teenage life - dating, studying for NEWTs, apparition lessons, quidditch- than the impending fight against evil. Careful readers know that Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin, and we meet his mother, uncle, and grandfather here. They indeed place importance on the purity of blood and hold true to Slytherin’s heirlooms; Voldemort himself inherited the penchant to place the upmost importance on trophies linking him to the past. Being raised in an orphanage, he lost the ability to love at a young age and entered Hogwarts a broken person. Although he and Harry both view Hogwarts as their true home after growing up without parents, it is there were their paths diverge, as Dumbledore has reminded Harry that choices are more valued than abilities. Harry with the unlimited propensity to love all creatures is on display here to the point where he even feels sorry for a youthful Lord Voldemort. It is love which carries this book that Voldemort has overlooked in his quest toward wizard world domination. It is the same love that Harry and his friends will undoubtedly use to defeat the dark lord.

Series changing revelations occur as the book draws to an end, both whose repercussions will be felt in the series’ final installment. Harry Potter provided me with an escape once again. Even though I knew what was coming, I could not resist the urge to read the last four hundred pages in one long day of reading. For me nothing replaces the feeling of immersing myself in a book rather than taking the time to savor it. I have my summer reading list planned out in earnest and it includes one last trip to Harry’s magical world. For the few days I spend reading it, Harry will provide me with a respite relief from the world around me, which is the best I can ask of from a book.

5 + stars all time favorite
✨

n  ❝I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you. ❞ n

”I am not worried, Harry,” said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. “I am with you.”
…
It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew—and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents—that there was all the difference in the world.

At this point, you’ve either read the Harry Potter series, or you’ve deliberately chosen not to read them. Either way, there’s not much to say here.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has a bit more of a leisurely pace than the others in the series, perhaps because a substantial portion of the story is told in flashbacks. Still, some of my favorite scenes in the whole series are in this book. The Unbreakable Vow. Ron on love potion. Jealous Harry. Harry on Felix Felicis. Luna providing Quidditch commentary. Harry finally getting the girl. Everything that happens between The Cave and the Flight of the Prince. There's a lot of set up for the last book in this one, but it's still an entertaining read.

The author may have let people down later in her life; people sometimes suck more than you realize at first. But the Harry Potter series is an achievement that will outlast her and all of us. If somehow you've stubbornly refused to read it, you are really missing out.

کتاب شش و فیلم شش برام حس بزرگ‌شدن داره. حس اینکه هری مرحله‌ی جدی‌تری از زندگیش رو با اعتماد دامبلدور شروع می‌کنه. یاد می‌گیره که با سوگواری چطور کنار بیاد و چطور برای روزهای سخت کتاب هفتم آماده بشه. نکته‌ی دیگه‌ای که از این داستان دوست دارم نزدیک شدن ناخودآگاه هری به اسنیپه. اسنیپی که از پیچیده‌ترین و زیباترین شخصیت‌های کتابه و حتی حقش این بود که بیشتر از این هم بهش پرداخته بشه

از تفاوت فیلم و کتاب باید بگم که قسمت‌هایی از فیلم واقعا مسخره به نظر میاد چون هیچ‌چیز توضیح داده نشده. در عوض در کتاب دقیقاً واضحه که هر قدم چطور و به چه دلیل برداشته شده

۱۴۰۱/۱۰/۷

three or four
three or four
three or four

i have no idea but i do know that j.k.rowling should be banned from writing from this day forward. STOP. HURTING. MY. FAVS.

RTC
3.5 stars!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

i just have two things to say

1) why are these books so HUGE ???? halp
2) i'm convinced this is gonna be the best from the series so, much pressure

TAKE THAT, PRAG

Note: The author of this book is extremely transphobic and she uses her platform to attack trans people. Please try to buy this book used or rent it from the library so that less money is going directly into her pocket. Please also consider donating to a nonprofit that supports trans people. Here is a link to one of them: https://transponder.community/get-inv.... TransPonder provides support for trans people, they have a directory of trans inclusive health care providers, and they provide inclusivity trainings to businesses.

Times read: 4

One of the best books in this series. It does a great job of combining fun humor with action and heartbreak. My favorite movie is also based off of this book so of course this one will always hold a special place in my heart (although the movie should've included the Room of Requirement subplot because without that, there's a scene in Deathly Hallows Part 2 that doesn't make sense-).

The funeral in this book hits harder every time I read. The specific character's death isn't what makes me sad - it's everyone else's reactions, especially Hagrid's. The character (though controversial) meant a lot to so many of the characters and this series wouldn't be the same without him.

If you're in the middle of reading this series for the first time, keep reading until you get to this one so that you can experience the highs and lows of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts. You'll find out about so much stuff that the movie left out and this book is way more fast paced than some of the previous installments.

My favorite quotes/moments from the book:
-"'Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?'
'I will,' said Snape.
A thin tongue of brilliant flame issued from the wand and wound its way around their hands like a red-hot wire.
'And will you, to the best of your ability, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?'
'I will,' said Snape.
A second tongue of flame shot from the wand and interlinked with the first, making a fine, glowing chain.
'And, should it prove necessary... if it seems Draco will fail...' whispered Narcissa (Snape's hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw away), 'will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?'
There was a moment's silence. Bellatrix watched, her wand upon their clasped hands, her eyes wide.
'I will,' said Snape.
Bellatrix's astounded face glowed red in the blaze of a third tongue of flame, which shot from the wand, twisted with the others, and bound itself thickly around their clasped hands, like a rope, like a fiery snake."
-"'Judging by your look of stunned disbelief, Harry did not warn you that I was coming,' said Dumbledore pleasantly. 'However, let us assume that you have invited me warmly into your house.'"
-"'I would assume that you were going to offer me refreshment,' Dumbledore said to Uncle Vernon, 'but the evidence so far suggests that that would be optimistic to the point of foolishness.'"
-"The Dursleys, after quick, scared looks at one another, tried to ignore their glasses completely, a difficult feat, as they were nudging them gently on the sides of their heads. Harry could not suppress a suspicion that Dumbledore was rather enjoying himself."
-"'You are the rightful owner of number twelve, Grimmauld Place and of Kreacher.'
'Do I - do I have to keep him with me?' Harry asked, aghast as Kreacher thrashed around at his feet.
'Not if you don't want to,' said Dumbledore. 'If I might make a suggestion, you could send him to Hogwarts to work in the kitchen there. In that way, the other house-elves could keep an eye on him.'"
-"'Hagrid will be delighted,' said Dumbledore, smiling. 'He was thrilled to see Buckbeak again. Incidentally, we have decided, in the interests of Buckbeak's safety, to rechristen him 'Witherwings' for the time being, though I doubt that the Ministry would ever guess he is the hippogriff they once sentenced to death."
-"'You have not asked me, for instance, what is my favorite flavor of jam, to check that I am indeed Professor Dumbledore and not an impostor.'
'I didn't...' Harry began, not entirely sure whether he was being reprimanded or not.
'For future reference, Harry, it is raspberry... although of course, if I were a Death Eater, I would have been sure to research my own jam preferences before impersonating myself.'"
-"And without warning, Dumbledore swooped, plunging the tip of his wand into the seat of the overstuffed armchair, which yelled, 'Ouch!'
'Good evening, Horace,' said Dumbledore, straightening up again.
Harry's jaw dropped. Where a split second before there had been an armchair, there now crouched an enormously fat, bald, old man who was massaging his lower belly..."
-"...he was a big pal of your father's at school. The whole Black family had been in my House, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor! Shame - he was a talented boy. I got his brother, Regulus, when he came along, but I'd have liked the set."
-"All ex-students, all signed. You'll notice Barnabas Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet, he's always interested to hear my take on there day's news. And Ambrosius Flume, of Honeydukes - a hamper every birthday, and all because I was able to give him an introduction to Ciceron Harkiss, who gave him his first job! And at the back - you'll see her if you just crane your neck - that's Gwenog Jones, who of course captains the Holyhead Harpies... People are always astonished to hear I'm on first-name terms with the Harpies, and free tickets whenever I want them!"
-"I hope you will forgive me for mentioning it, Harry, but I am pleased and a little proud at how well you seem to be coping after everything that happened at the Ministry. Permit me to say that I think Sirius would have been proud of you."
-"'It was cruel,' said Dumbledore softly, 'that you and Sirius had such a short time together. A brutal ending to what should have been a long and happy relationship.'"
-"'It's just hard,' Harry said finally, in a low voice, 'to realize he won't write to me again.'"
-"'...I reazlied I can't shut myself away or - or crack up. Siris wouldn't have wanted that, would he? And anyway, life's too short... Look at Madam Bones, look at Emmeline Vance... It could be me next, couldn't it? But if it is,' he said fiercely, now looking straight into Dumbledore's blue eyes gleaming in the wandlight, 'I'll make sure I take as many Death Eaters with me as I can, and Voldemort too if I can manage it.'
'Spoken both like your mother and father's son and Sirius's true godson!'"
-"Don't count your owls before they are delivered..."
-"'Arthur, is that you?'
'Yes,' came Mr. Weasley's weary voice. 'But I would say that even if I were a Death Eater, dear. Ask the question!'
'Oh, honestly...'
'Molly!'
'All right, all right... What is your dearest ambition?'
'To find out how airplanes stay up.'"
-"'What do you like me to call you when we're alone together?'
Even by the dim light of the lantern Harry could tell that Mrs. Weasley had turned bright red; he himself felt suddenly warm around the ears and neck, and hastily gulped soup, clattering his spoon as loudly as he could against the bowl.
'Mollywobbles,' whispered a mortified Mrs. Weasley into the crack at the edge of the door.
'Correct,' said Mr. Weasley. 'Now you can let me in.'"
-"A young woman was standing in the doorway, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that the room seemed to have become strangely airless. She was tall and willowy with long blonde hair and appeared to emanate a faint, silvery glow. To complete this vision of perfection, she was carrying a heavily laden breakfast tray."
-"'You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again.'
'Oh... is she here too?' Harry croaked.
'No, no, silly boy,' said Fleur with a tinkling laugh, 'I mean next summer, when we - but do you not know?'
Her great blue eyes widened and she looked reproachfully at Mrs. Weasley, who said, 'We hadn't got around to telling him yet.'
Fleur turned back to Harry, swinging her silvery sheet of hair so that it whipped Mrs. Weasley across the face.
'Bill and I are going to be married!'"
-"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right..."
-"Then there was a loud bang and Hermione vanished behind a puff of black smoke.
'Hermione!' shouted Harry and Ron; the breakfast tray slid to the floor with a crash.
Hermione emerged, coughing, out of the smoke, clutching the telescope and sporting a brilliantly purplle black eye.
'I squeezed it and it - it punched me!' she gasped.
And sure enough, they now saw a tiny fist on a long spring protruding from the end of the telescope."
-"He spent most of his days playing two-a-side Quidditch in the Weasleys' orchard (he and Hermione against Ron and Ginny; Hermione was dreadful and Ginny good, so they were reasonably well matched) and his evenings eating triple helpings of everything Mrs. Weasley put in front of him."
-"And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it - well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after the Death Eaters; Sirius's brother, Regulus, only managed a few days as far as I can remember."
-"'Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus?' asked Bill, who was being plied with wine by Fleur. 'The man who ran-'
'-the ice cream place in Diagon Alley?' Harry interrupted, with an unpleasant, hollow sensation in the pit of his stomach. 'He used to give me free ice creams. What's happened to him?'
'Dragged off, by the look of his place.'"
-"WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT
YOU-KNOW-WHO?
YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT
U-NO-POO -
THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION
THAT'S GRIPPING THE NATION!"
-"There were bins full of trick wands, the cheapest merely turning into rubber chickens or pairs of briefs when waved, the most expensive beating the unwary user around the head and neck, and boxes of quills, which came in Self-Inking, Spell-Checking, and Smart-Answer varieties."
-"'Patented Daydream Charms...'
Hermione had managed to squeeze through to a large display near the counter and was reading the information on the back of a box bearing a highly colored picture of a handsome youth and a swooning girl who were standing on the deck of a pirate ship.
'One simple incantation and you will enter a top-quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable (side effects include vacant expression and minor drooling). Not for sale to under-sixteens. You know,' said Hermione, looking up at Harry, 'that really is extraordinary magic!'
'For that Hermione,' said a voice behind them, 'you can have one for free.'
A beaming Fred stood before them, wearing a set of magenta robes that clashed magnificently with his flaming hair."
-"'And our Decoy Detonators are just walking off the shelves, look,' said Fred, pointing at a number of weird-looking black horn-type objects that were indeed attempting to scurry out of sight. 'You just drop one surreptitiously and it'll run off and make a nice loud noise out of sight, giving you a diversion if you need one.'"
-"She was pointing at a number of round balls of fluff in shades of pink and purple, all rolling around the bottom of a cage and emitting high-pitched squeaks.
'Pigmy Puffs,' said George. 'Miniature puff skeins, we can't breed them fast enough.'
-"'That's three Galleons, nine Sickles, and a Knut,' said Fred, examining the many boxes in Ron's arms. 'Cough up.'
'I'm your brother!'
'And that's our stuff you're nicking. Three Galleons, nine Sickles. I'll knock off the Knut.'"
-"...Bill and I 'ave almost decided on only two bridesmaids, Ginny and Gabrielle will look very sweet togezzer."
-"...their departure the following morning was smoother than usual. The Ministry cars glided up to the front of the Burrow to find them waiting, trunks packed; Hermione's cat, Crookshanks. safely enclosed in his traveling basket; and Hedwig; Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon; and Ginny's new purple Pygmy Puff, Arnold, in cages.
'Au revoir, 'Arry,' said Fleur throatily, kissing him good-bye. Ron hurried forward, looking hopeful, but Ginny stuck out her foot and Ron fell, sprawling in the dust at Fleur's feet."
-"...indicating Neville's bottom, which was sticking out from under the seat again as he groped around for Trevor, and Luna, who was now wearing her free Spectrespecs, which gave her the look of a demented, multicolored owl.
'They're friends of mine,' said Harry coldly."
-"Zabini, who was interrogated after McLaggen, turned out to have a famously beautiful witch for a mother (from what Harry could make out, she had been married seven times, each of her husbands dying mysteriously and leaving her mounds of gold)."
-"You want to be careful, Blaise! I saw this young lady perform the most marvelous Bat-Bogey Hex as I was passing her carriage! I wouldn't cross her!"
-"'He saw me hex Zacharias Smith,' said Ginny. 'You remember that idiot from Hufflepuff who was in the D.A.? He kept on and on asking about what happened at the Ministry and in the end he annoyed me so much I hexed him...'"
-"...she waved her wand; an immense silvery four-legged creature erupted from it and streaked off into the darkness.
'Was that a Patronus?' asked Harry, who had seen Dumbledore send messages like this."
-"'I would rather die than betray his trust.'
'That's not saying much, seeing as you're already dead,' Ron observed.
'Once again, you show all the sensitivity of a blunt axe,' said Nearly Headless Nick..."
-"'My grandmother thinks Charms is a soft option,' mumbled Neville.
'Take Charms,' said Professor McGonagall, 'and I shall drop Augusta a line reminding her that just because she failed her Charms O.W.L., the subject is not necessarily worthless.'"
-"'Yes,' said Harry stiffly.
'Yes, sir.'
'There's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor.'"
-"Dear Harry, I would like to start our private lessons this Saturday. Kindly come along to my office at 8 P.M. I hope you are enjoying your first day back at school.
Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
P.S. I enjoy Acid Pops."
-"They chose the one nearest a gold-colored cauldron that was emitting one of the most seductive scents Harry had ever inhaled: Somehow it reminded him simultaneously of treacle tart, the woody smell of a broomstick handle, and something flowery he thought he might have found at the Burrow."
-"Good lord, it's clear you've inherited your mother's talent. She was a dab hand at Potions, Lily was! Here you are, then, here you are - one bottle of Felix Felicis, as promised, and use it well!"
-"...he caught a sudden waft of that flowery smell he had picked up in Slughorn's dungeon. He looked around and saw that Ginny had joined them."
-" Hissy, hissy, little snake,
Slither on the floor,
You be good to Morfin,
Or he'll nail you to the door. "
-"Any Dark object would have been found, I know for a fact Crabbe had a shrunken head confiscated."
-"...Harry watched Ginny Weasley playing with Arnold the Pigmy Puff for a while..."
-"Harry had already attempted a few of the Prince's self-invented spells. There had been a hex that caused toenails to grow alarmingly fast (he had tried this on Crabbe in the corridor, with very entertaining results); a jinx that glued the tongue to the roof of the mouth (which he had twice used, to general applause, on an unsuspecting Argus Filch); and, perhaps most useful of all, Muffliato, a spell that filled the ears of anyone nearby with an unidentifiable buzzing, so that lengthy conversations could be held in class without being overheard."
-"POinting his wand at nothing in particular, he gave it an upward flick and said Levicorpus! inside his head.
'Aaaaaaaargh!'
There was a flash of light and the room was full of voices: Everyone had woken up as Ron had let out a yell. Harry sent Advanced Potion-Making flying in panic; Ron was dangling upside down in midair as though an invisible hook had hoisted him up by the ankle."
-"'There is no way they'd let me be a Death Eater!' said Ron indignantly, a bit of sausage flying off the fork he was now brandishing at Hermione and hitting Ernie Macmillan on the head."
-"There is a fund at Hogwarts for those who require assistance to buy books and robes."
-"Amidst all the yelling and clapping Harry could distinctly hear the roar of Luna Lovegood's famous lion-topped hat."
-"A tall, skinny blond boy with an upturned nose was standing there, talking into the magical megaphone that had once been Lee Jordan's; Harry recognized Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff player whom he heartily disliked."
-"...Ginny sped right on past them until, with an almighty crash, she collided with the commentator's podium. As the crowd shrieked and laughed, the Gryffindor team landed beside the wreckage of wood under which Zacharias was feebly stirring; Harry heard saying blithely to an irate Professor McGonagall, 'Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry.'"
-"As he was ducking toward the drinks table, he walked straight into Ginny, Arnold the Pygmy Puff riding on her shoulder and Crookshanks mewing hopefully at her heels."
-"She was sitting on the teacher's desk, alone except for a small right of twittering yellow birds circling her head, which she had clearly just conjured out of midair."
-" 'Oppugno!' came shriek from the doorway.
Harry spun around to see Hermione pointing her wand at Ron, her expression wild; The little flock of birds was speeding like a hail of fat golden bullets toward Ron, who yelped and covered his face with his hands, but the birds attacked, pecking and clawing at every bit of flesh they could reach."
-"'Or d'you think she overheard you being rude about Filch? I've always thought there might be something going on between them...'
'Oh, ha ha...'
Enjoying the fact that they could speak normally again, they made their way along the deserted, lamp-lit corridors back to the common room, arguing about whether or not Filch and Madam Pince were secretly in love with each other."
-"They had just embarked upon the immensely difficult topic of human Transfiguration; working in front of mirrors, they were supposed to be changing the color of their own eyebrows. Hermione laughed unkindly at Ron's disastrous first attempt, during which he somehow managed to give himself a spectacular handlebar mustache..."
-"'A bit lonely without the D.A. Ginny's been nice, though. She stopped two boys in our Transfiguration class calling me 'Loony' the other day-'"
-And many more that I can't fit here!

Always a 5 star