Despite this being the longest book in the series, I read it quicker than all the others.

Here’s three things I really loved about it:

1. Harry and Sirius- they never had much time together but the time they did have really influenced Harry’s development, a few wise words from a sincere friend (or godfather) can go a real long way. And this scene was perhaps the most powerfully written in the series for me, we all know what happens next:





2. Dumbledore’s Army- Harry, Ron and Hermione have always taken matters into their own hands; they’ve never waited for someone to come along and save them. And here they have got so many great characters involved in their heroics, which leads me onto my next point.



3. Luna Lovegood- because the weird people are always the best people. Luna’s by far my favourite character because she is so completely herself in all her colourfulness; she’s often ignored, avoided and even ridiculed as a result but secretly she is brilliant. The world needs more Luna Lovegoods. I always thought she had far more chemistry with Harry than Ginny ever did.

*This was a reread for me*

This has always been my least favorite book and movie in the entire series and I’ve never really understood why. I didn’t know whether it was the plot, the characters OR the fact this book super long. Despite this being my least favorite I still, of course, loved it but now that I’ve reread it I’ve noticed many different things I’ve missed when I read it for the first time. This book is still amazing and I obviously will give it five stars.

Let me start off by saying this book as many can tell, is humongous and requires a lot of commitment. I know that many including myself are intimidated by this book. Can I also just say the writing also very small. Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against long books. In fact, I prefer long books over books with only 100 pages but this book was just unnecessarily too long. I’ve realized that there is a huge amount of pointless information. I know sometimes authors can’t help it but I feel like I’m reading for so long but am not getting anywhere. Now you’re probably asking why I gave it 5 stars if I think some of it was unnecessary. I am a big fan of Harry Potter and I know what I’m saying isn’t true but if I gave HP less than 5 stars it would make me (and I’m not saying this about anyone else) feel like I'm not a true fan. I know that’s not true but it’s what I think of myself.

I don’t know about anyone else but in bookstores, HP has always been in the children’s section. And I know I know HP is a supposed to be children series but honestly, I do not consider this a children’s series because well 1. I think anyone of any age can read it and 2. I cannot imagine 7 years or whatever reading an 800-page book. I don’t maybe there are children that age that do but personally I can’t imagine it.

This book made me realize something I never realized before which is…

Harry Potter is the most stuck up person ever and thinks he’s amazing. Honestly, this book made realize why Draco is so mean to him. I’m warning you right now I am going to rant so I’m sorry.

n  

***** WARNING WARNING WARNING*****
*****SPOILERS AHEAD SPOILERS AHEAD*****
*****FOR THE FIRST FIVE BOOKS*****
*****SKIP IF YOU WANT*****

n

What I hate so much is how Harry gets all the credit! He’s not that amazing and without his friends, he would have done nothing. Do you think in the first book he could have going to through that place where they had to play chess and figure out the potion without his friends? Ron figured the chess game and Hermione found out which potion. The only reason he could defeat Voldemort was because he couldn’t be touched. Also in the second book do you think he would have any idea what was down in the chamber of secrets and what was freezing all the student without Hermione. I guess in the third book he did do a Patronus, I’ll give him that. In the fourth book, he only won because someone was helping him but I’ll give him credit for escaping Voldemort but that was because of his wand and that Voldemort told him to fight him.

I get he is powerful but most of it was done with help. Without Ron and Hermione, he couldn’t have done even half the things he did. I can’t even imagine what would have happened. He needs to stop thinking he’s amazing and that he is the only person to have gone through tough times because he isn’t. I actually understand Draco’s POV in the situation now.

It pisses me off because Harry is actually so DUMB (I'll get into more detail about that in the 6th book) but manages to become famous and everyone thinks he so powerful. I'd like to see what he'd achieve without his friends.

Wow…I needed to get that out

n  

***** SPOILERS FINISHED*****
***** SPOILERS FINISHED*****
***** SPOILERS FINISHED*****

n

Overall I still think this book was great. Although it wasn’t the best book to try and finish a reading challenge. I’m glad I reread this book because I realized a lot and picked up things I missed before. I still loved this book and thought it was amazing. Also, I understand sometimes books need to be long and cutting out sections is not easy which is why books are sometimes so long.

#mystrangereading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"Youth can not know how age thinks and feels, but old men are guilty if they forget what it is to be young."

I absolutely love how Dumbledore gets a talk with Harry at the conclusion of each book and summarizes the main conflict and theme of the novel.

The fifth installment of this series is so masterful. We finally get a broader picture of the wizarding community and realize that not everyone is so quick to believe that Voldemort is back. We see the aftermath of Cedric's death and Voldemort's rise and watch as Harry grows more and more angry at everyone's denial and disbelief.

Things that make this book so incredible:

"The fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength."

This book tugs at my heart so much. It's so sad, so devastating, worth so much more than the four stars I HAVE to give it. While I know that all of this terrible treatment of Harry is indicative of where the story leads, I can't help but think of how much abuse is so blatant within the pages of this book. How Dumbledore allows Dolores Umbridge to walk the halls of his school for so long, I will never know. How he allows Snape to bully and demean the students he doesn't deem worthy, I will never understand. How he allows Harry to walk through so much of his confusion alone, I will never forgive him. I like Dumbledore, I don't believe he deserves the amount of hate he gets, I think he fights for all the right things, just goes about them in the wrong ways.

This book is simply a letter on why sometimes: adults need to learn from children.

Molly Weasley is the only adult in Harry's life who always had his best interest at heart. The only adult who thinks of him first, the only one who keeps things from him for the simple reason that he's still so young. Every other adult either wants to treat him as though he's James or keep him out of the loop to "protect him" when all they're really doing is alienating him. Even his friends, the people he relies on most, don't ever give him the respect he deserves for suffering all that he does.

This book breaks my heart because Harry deserves better for a lot of things, but mostly for always being the last to know information when it's HIS life on the line.

But now I'm going to stop ranting and tell you what I love. I love how Voldemort and Harry's connection is explained and expanded on. I think it's one of the coolest things that has ever been written into a book, and it makes me giddy to read the last 100 pages or so of this book. Every time. Without fail.

I love that we see Harry grow up right in front of our eyes (because the adults in his life force him to). I love that we watch him become a leader, a teacher, a person who stands up for the truth even when no one is there to stand by his side. I love that he doesn't back down, that he's so patient with every single person that asks him for his story. I love that he's willing to walk through his grief as many times as it's necessary to finally get someone to believe him. I love that he never gives up.

I love that this book is so long (even if I complain about it the entire time) because every single plot point touched on leads so perfectly into the next two books. It's the center for the true theme of the book that love triumphs over evil every time, no matter what, without fail. Loss is inevitable, but love carries those people with you forever. I love that this book truly begins that story for Harry. That he takes it on so selflessly.

I love that this is where Neville Longbottom's arc begins. He's unmatched in his perseverance, and he's the highlight of this book. We are only as strong as the people who teach us to be ourselves, and I'm so glad that Neville has Harry. I'm so glad that Harry has Lupin. And I'm so glad they all have Professor McGonagall.

Among the last 3 books in the Harry Potter series, this is the one that I respect the most. It's not without its fault. But naming the faults will not advance anything,especially for people who are fans.

Albus Dumbledore really gets a lot of focus. He does the kind of things that really bring a lump to the throat. Because of him, I've never really regretted rereading this book oh so many times.

Harry's Godfather also gets his time to shine. Books 3 and 5 showcase his ability and motivation clearly. I never thought rereading book 6 would be a good idea, so reading Harry Potter probably ends here as far as Goodreads is concerned.

n  n    ❝Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.❞n  n

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ¾

I feel like I'm going to get attacked for only rating a Harry Potter book 3.75 stars but Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is probably my LEAST favorite of the series thus far. It went by so slow and I felt like too much went on but at the same time nothing really happened. This book could've easily been made at least 200 pages shorter if J.K. Rowling got rid of all the pointless details and chapters that added nothing significant to the storyline. The movie was never really one of my favorites either and that was probably the primary reason it took me more than a month to get through Order of the Phoenix.

On top of that, I wasn't a big fan of Harry in this book. I understand that he went through a whole lot after the events of Goblet of Fire but he was moody and a jerk to everyone around him 98% of the time and although I can empathize with him, it became too over the top for me and I got tired of it real fast. He just kept snapping and going off on all the wrong people and it got really annoying. All the constant CAPITALIZED yelling didn't help too much either.

Even though Order of the Phoenix was my least favorite movie and book, I LOVED the concept of Dumbledore's Army. I just loved seeing all the students in action and actually putting everything they learned into good use. We finally get to meet Luna Lovegood, one of my favorite Harry Potter characters of all time, and I was so ecstatic every time her name was mentioned.

As for Umbridge, she was also the ultimate villain in this book. She was the woman you LOVED to HATE and I felt the movie nailed this portrayal so perfectly. If J.K. Rowling's goal was to make you want to rip your own hair to shreds, she succeeded that and more.

Overall, I felt the book was unnecessarily long but the movie itself was not much better. Where the book felt too slow, the film adaptation felt too rushed leaving out key details. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will probably always be my least favorite book and movie in the series, but the worst Harry Potter book is still a whole league better than a lot of other books.

English (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix) / Italiano

«The hottest day of the summer so far was drawing to a close and a drowsy silence lay over the large, square houses of Privet Drive. Cars that were usually gleaming stood dusty in their drives and lawns that were once emerald green lay parched and yellowing; the use of hosepipes had been banned due to drought. Deprived of their usual car-washing and lawn-mowing pursuits, the inhabitants of Privet Drive had retreated into the shade of their cool houses, windows thrown wide in the hope of tempting in a nonexistent breeze. The only person left outdoors was a teenage boy who was lying flat on his back in a flower bed outside number four»

The "big number 5", the longest novel of Harry Potter series, begins... "HolyMadonna, how big is this book?" my daughter says, without fear for the number of pages, she looked more excited for the opening of this new adventure. And it starts with a bang, with two dementors attacking Harry and his cousin Dudley in a muggles area, out in the open. The rules of the usual Rowling's game have definitely changed. . The axiom "before we'll be between the welcoming arms of Hogwarts, and after many things will happen" no longer exists. The previous chapter of the series, also, started in the spirit of this new trend: you're not safe anywhere. Everything is more complicated for Harry Potter, it is difficult even to sleep by now.

«There is a room in the Department of Mysteries that is kept locked at all times. It contains a force that is at once more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than the forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious of the many subjects for study that reside there»

Let's talk frankly, the entire novel revolves around this room and what's on it, and there are numerous signs and things said that make me think that we will be back on the argument in the future. In fact, despite a series of revelations came about this room at the end of the novel, an air of mystery remains.

And sadness remains too. So much sadness.

Vote: 9

«Il giorno più caldo dell'estate – almeno fino a quel momento – volgeva al termine e un silenzio sonnacchioso gravava sulle grandi case quadrate di Privet Drive. Le automobili di solito scintillanti sostavano impolverate nei vialetti e i prati un tempo verde smeraldo si stendevano incartapecoriti e giallognoli, perché l'irrigazione era stata proibita a causa della siccità. In mancanza delle loro consuete occupazioni – lavare l'auto e falciare il prato – gli abitanti di Privet Drive si erano rintanati nella penombra delle loro case fresche, con le finestre spalancate nella speranza di indurre una brezza inesistente a entrare. La sola persona rimasta all'aperto era un adolescente che giaceva lungo disteso sulla schiena in un'aiuola fuori dal numero quattro»

Comincia il "big 5" di Harry Potter, il volume più lungo della serie. "O Madonnamia quanto è gigante", dice mia figlia quando lo vede, per nulla spaventata dalla mole, anzi eccitata da questa nuova avventura che sta per iniziare. E comincia col botto, con due dissennatori che aggrediscono Harry e il cugino Dudlley in piena terra babbana, alla luce del sole. Sono definitivamente cambiate le regole del gioco della Rowling al quale eravamo abituati in precedenza, ossia prima si arriva tra le accoglienti mura di Hogwarts e poi succedono tante cose. Non più. Già il capitolo precedente della saga era iniziato all'insegna del nuovo trend potteriano: non si è più al sicuro da nessuna parte. Per Harry è tutto sempre più complicato, gli riesce difficile perfino dormire in santa pace.

«Nell'Ufficio Misteri c'è una stanza che viene tenuta sempre chiusa. Contiene una forza al tempo stesso più meravigliosa e più terribile della morte, dell'intelligenza umana e della natura. E forse il più misterioso fra i molti soggetti che vengono studiati laggiù»

Parliamoci francamente, l'intero romanzo ruota attorno a questa stanza e a quello che contiene, e ci sono molteplici indizi e mezze frasi dette che mi fanno pensare che si ritornerà a parlare di essa, tentando di chiarirne l'essenza misteriosa, che però permane nonostante tutta una serie di rivelazioni a fine romanzo.

E permane tristezza. Tanta tristezza.

Voto: 9

I DID IT! 5 DOWN 2 TO GO! I loved this one even though it was so sad at the end. So many new nuggets of info.

***Please note that this review may contain spoilers for the overall series, not just this book.***

This seems to be the most divisive Harry Potter book, with many people not enjoying the length, the slow start, the angst, the amount of time it takes to get back to Hogwarts etc. I think people have every right to not enjoy these things of course, but I do find it amusing that the things that seem to irritate some readers so much are the things I especially love. I love that Harry is traumatised (he should be), bitter, angry, and depressed. That he is furious with his friends, with Dumbledore, with the unfairness of the world. He has every right to be, and frankly I would be concerned if he responded to the conclusion of the previous book by spending a joyful summer skipping around Privet Drive. You watch someone be murdered, come face to face with the man who killed your parents and has tried tried to kill you multiple times, see "echoes" of your dead parents -- not to mention the whole Moody/Barty Crouch JR incident --- depression and PTDS feels inevitable. Harry might exist in a world of fantasy and magic, but J.K. Rowling makes sure to keep it grounded in emotional realism.

The slowness of Harry's time in Privet Drive works so well to me because it captures perfectly the anguish of waiting and the suffocating yet mundane weight of it. I can still remember how my heart plummeted when Harry is expelled. That was the light at the end of the tunnel snatched away. And even when he got it back it wasn't really the same.

I love the time spent with Sirius in his miserable yet intriguing house. The insights into the more 'ordinary' aspects of wizard life always fascinate me. Housekeeping, house elves, the portraits -- day to day stuff with a magical twist. Harry's hearing at the Ministry of Magic contrasts all of this with a jolt. The ministry itself is grand, imposing, with a fountain that makes me roll my eyes at the arrogance of many (most) wizards that it so cleverly highlights, representing this false ideal of wizarding superiority that feels a little too in-line with Voldemort's view on the world to be entirely comfortable.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sweeps in and makes everything OK, as expected, but the difference in his treatment of Harry, the way he avoids him, is like having expected solid ground suddenly vanish. Even knowing the reason, it still hurts my feelings! I feel affronted on Harry's behalf and let down by Dumbledore, for ignoring Harry when he needs him most. Dumbledore's calm, assured manner during the hearing contrasts beautifully with Fudge's blustery, blundering one. Fudge demands respect he hasn't earned, which sadly seems to reflect the vast majority of public figures whose opinions I encounter each day via the news. He's full of his own self-importance and self-image, too focused (I think) on rank, or fame, or symbolic power or some dangerous combination of all three, and threatened by Dumbledore because he doesn't need those things to be brilliant. Dumbledore is Dumbledore, with or without titles or seats on 'important' councils such as the Wizengamot. He has an entirely different and undeniable kind of power, one that will always remain unattainable to Fudge and men like him.
  
This was the first time I remember feeling sad that it was time to return to Hogwarts, I suppose because this was the first time Harry really had something he was leaving behind. Number 12 Grimmauld Place is a thoroughly unpleasant house, but it provides Harry with the chance to spend some real time with Sirius. Knowing how the book ends, I think I valued that more than Harry was able to.
I also enjoy how much more Fred, George and Ginny feature, and how dynamic all three are. As a general rule I don't find pranks that funny as they don't gel that well with my sense of humour, but for Fred and George I make an exception. Their pranks transcend into an art form and I can't help but admire them for it.

Umbridge. Ugh -- I really hate her. She is maddening and smug and I despise her with an intensity that is probably unreasonable. Is she worse than Voldemort? No, not really I suppose. But at least Voldemort is honest about who and what he is. He isn't a villain pretending to be a hero. Umbridge is everything I hate about Fudge magnified many times over. Her simpering and self-aggrandising manner may not be worse than being a mass murderer, but it is much more irritating.

To balance the misery of Dolores Jane Umbridge however, we get more Neville Longbottom, more Sirius, more Dobby, more Weasley's and the introduction of the wonderful Luna Lovegood. Harry's romance with Cho is awkward, rather sweet and never quite works. I've always enjoyed it, the way they genuinely like each other but aren't really well suited. Harry's reliance on Hermione to explain everything Cho is thinking is quite funny, but also shows in such a simple way why it won't really work. I don't think relationships should require an emotional interpreter! I know a lot of people feel like Cho was underwritten, but I always thought that was kind of the point. So often when you have a crush on someone, you don't really know them. I do like Cho, and to be frank, I think the biggest issue between her and Harry (other than Cedric) is that Harry is too immature for her at this point in time. She is grieving and he is not equipped to deal with that. In fairness, he's distracted with his own trauma. I just looked on the Harry Potter wiki character thing, and apparently the form Cho's boggart takes is Lord Voldemort, which is actually really sad but also endears her to me even more. I know that is a common fear for wizards, but I imagine she links it with Cedric's death.


I love the Thestrals and don't really care too much about the argument that Harry should have been able to see them earlier, or at least at the end previous book. I get it, and understand the inconsistencies but I'm willing to accept J.K. Rowling's explanations about it all.
https://harrypotter.fandom.com/wiki/T...
I spent quite a long time reading through this wiki entry and found it interesting. I could spend hours reading these articles, so I make a point to limit myself and only venture into them if I am looking for specific information!

The chapters focused on the DA meetings are amongst my favourite, in part because they are fun and also because there is something nice about following along as the characters take initiative and rebel in a practical, useful way. I've seen people express that Harry should have become a teacher because he enjoyed leading these meetings. I'm not sure I agree -- enjoying something doesn't mean you have to make it your career. Also, I thought he enjoyed them less for the teaching and more for the way he got to be hands on with Defense Against the Dark Arts --- something that seems to me makes him very well suited to being an Auror. Wizards seem to live long lives (if not killed). Perhaps he might enjoy teaching after retiring from being an Auror ---- he would have more practical skills and knowledge to pass on if he wanted to. (I've just realised it is a tad ridiculous to be speculating on Harry's retirement plans during a review of a book that takes place when he is a teenager!).

Harry (understandably) dreads his Occlumency lessons, but as a reader I look forward to them. I am very drawn to this branch of magic. Knowing how it is going to play out makes it easy to feel frustrated with Harry for not trying hard enough, but I know that the feeling is slightly misplaced. I think Dumbledore is right when he later claims the fault lies with him rather than Harry. If Harry had been informed, knew why it was so desperately important, he would have cared more and made more of an effort.
When Harry ventures into Snape's memories (snooping in a way that is really a great violation of privacy, akin to reading a deeply personal journal without permission) he is confronted with a version of his father he was unprepared for. James and Sirius are young, attractive, talented jerks who think far too highly of themselves. Remus is uncomfortable with their behaviour but makes no move to rein it in. James treats Snape abysmally -- he might be nice overall, but here he is a bully, and this shakes Harry deeply. In a way it throws him off even more than the events of the previous book. Disillusionment, especially when it applies to a revered, dead parent is difficult to process.

His need to talk to Sirius about this is, for me at least, one of the most heart-wrenching aspects of the book. Not just because Sirius is the person he turns to but because Umbridge's power to censor people and control who they speak to is such a violation of human rights. The scheme to get Harry into Umbridge's office is great fun, and then we get the the last proper conversation between Harry and his godfather (at least, last proper conversation while they are both alive). When I was younger I never quite bought into Sirius's explanation for James behaviour, but I think I understand it know. James was young and stupid but he eventually grew up. It doesn't excuse the bullying, but people can change. I think we do them a disservice if we assume that they can't.
During this reread of the series, I've noticed more than ever how young characters like Sirius and Lupin really are. Adults, yes, but so young really. According to this: [image error]
Sirius was only 36 years when he was killed. He lived through one war, only to be killed near the beginning of another. This kind of thing was (and is) a reality for so many people, and it is deeply sad but also an important thing to highlight.

Sirius's death does feel cruel. When I was very young, each time I would watch The Lion King I would hope that this time Mufasa would live, because I hadn't quite grasped how movies work. I feel that way about Sirius dying, despite knowing better, even though I have outgrown that mindset. I just hope it won't happen and hate when it does. It hits me as hard every time. I find his death scene oddly beautiful, with the veil and everything, but I also can't even write about it without wanting to cry. I took his fictional death as hard as I would have if he had been a real person I actually knew. There is a lot of Gary Oldman in my minds version of Sirius Black, because he was so excellent in the films and is such a brilliant actor that he of course made a permanent mark on the character, but parts of my "original" Sirius still bleed though. I don't really know how to describe the differences, but it's sort of like when you have a dream about someone and then wake up and remember that they don't quite look like that.

Sirius's death is also a good reminder that, for all his power, Dumbledore can't fix everything. He can't save Sirius, he can't keep Harry from experiencing that grief, he can't stop a war.

The battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort is riveting. Voldemort taking over Harry's body works better in the book than it does in the film. It's a scene that is powerful in the book, but I've never felt like they got it right in the movie. It feels overdone and briefly makes me cringe when it happens on screen, but it feels seamless in the novel. Fawkes' part in the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort is incredible. I couldn't help thinking of Fawkes as Dumbledore's Dæmon, even though that is a concept that belongs to Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. I think Fawkes is the the most beautiful character in the series and probably my favourite. His bond with Dumbledore seems like this sacred thing that is far more significant than the more everyday magic of the Wizarding World.

This turned into a longer review than I typically write, and I think I have spent most of it blathering away to myself about my Harry Potter opinions, but I guess Goodreads is the ideal place to post a book related ramble! I feel a bit like that woman in Mean Girls who says, "I just have a lot of feelings". I could write more, but I think it's best that I don't. Editing has never being my strong suit, so I think all of this, which will mostly remain as I first wrote it, is more than enough. I have years worth of thoughts and theories about these books, and I also read them prior to online discussions being as much of a thing, so it's quite odd to try and sum up all that I feel about it.

One final thing I want to add--- I appreciated the balance Stephen Fry struck between making Umbridge appropriately annoying while not taking it so far that it ruined the audio experience. He really is a brilliant reader and I have a great deal of admiration for him.


Updated 2023:
Seventh time listening!

4th read: April 2020 (Physical & Stephen Fry Audiobook)
★★★★★
read for the 24 hour harry potter readathon

3rd read: July 2018 (Stephen Fry Audiobook)
★★★★★

2nd read: August-October 2017 (Physical)
★★★★★

It’s settled. The fifth Harry Potter book has worked a miracle. I actually like the Harry Potter series. You hear that? I actually like it.

The first three books were silly children’s books with the occasional really good part. Enjoyable, but hardly remarkable. The fourth was an excruciatingly boring book that was saved by its amazing ending. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, on the other hand, is a great fantasy novel.

The atmosphere is finally a lot darker, the story is a lot more coherent, and several new characters, organisations, places and scenes add a lot of complexity.

One of the most important aspects is the expansion of Severus Snape’s character. One particular flashback made me understand all his actions (though not quite like him, at least not yet) and hate Harry’s sorry excuse for a father more than any literary character ever.

The wildly interesting Order of the Phoenix is (obviously) introduced, several of Sirius’ ancestors show up in various forms (including the absodamnlutely amazing Phineas Nigellus Black), Dumbledore is truly shining in this instalment and the final scenes in the Department of Mysteries top the whole thing off greatly.

All in all, the second half of the series has placed itself on a much higher level than the first, and I am fully immersed in it for the first time.

Seriously, don't read this review if you haven't read the books.

The biggest compliment I can think to give an 870 page book is that I wish it had been longer. I wish this had been longer.

This book has always been my favorite in the series. Up until it, Harry’s story had been filled with light. Sure, there were some tough parts earlier on, and while it's true that some darkness crept into the ending of the previous installment, for the most part, that was a pretty happy book compared to this. Ron got over his jealousy, the school eventually got behind Harry as a Champion, and good still triumphed over evil. Our hero surmounted impossible odds in the Triwizard Tournament and then managed to escape Voldemort, yet again, and warn the wizarding world of his return.

And then BAM!

The beginning of this book hits you in the face. Where you expect Harry to be in the know, he’s in the dark, where you expect The Daily Prophet to be filled with stories about the ministry pursuing Voldemort, there’s only silence, where you expect excitement about returning to Hogwarts there is only frustration and angst. And you know what? You get it, you frigging get it, man.

Because you were with Harry when he faced Voldemort and his Death Eaters alone, you stood beside him as the shades of his parents appeared from the tip of his enemy’s wand and helped save his life. And when he made it back to safety, you were just as dumbfounded as he was when the minister of magic refused to believe him, refused to believe Dumbledore.

So how dare they? How dare they let him rot, alone, in a house full of people who hate and ridicule him, while the murderer of his parents begins to rebuild his army? How dare they feed him snippets like “We can’t tell you anything about what we’ve been doing, and we’ve been doing A LOT. But don’t worry, we’ll see you soon, we just can’t tell you when”? As if he hasn’t been through enough. If anyone has the right to know what’s going on, it’s Harry. Doesn’t anyone KNOW him like we do? Or do they just think that they know what’s best for him better than he does?

And that’s part of the genius of this installment. This book grows up. Where the previous four could be labeled as children’s stories, this one cannot. There are so many hard lessons and difficult themes in this, ones that a child’s mind cannot fully grasp. Gone are the heroes, gone are the happy endings. This book teaches you that adults aren’t the perfect protectors you thought they were. Sirius isn’t infallible. James Potter isn’t infallible. Albus frigging Dumbledore isn’t infallible. None of them are. None of them are even fully good. And come to find out, those you thought were fully evil might not be either. This book introduces you to shades of grey, and each revelation seems to hit you harder than the last.

Normally, I hate angst. This is mostly because I find the vast majority of what I see these days to be a sorry excuse to lengthen a story or a shoddy attempt to distract a reader from glaring issues. Trying to cover up weak characterization? Add some angst! Want to hide those holes in your plot? Add some angst!

The only type of angst I can stand is believable angst. Rowling delivers on this. And that’s one of the many reasons that I love this book. There are a lot of other reasons, Fred and George’s badassery, Ginny Weasley finding her voice and becoming a character in her own right, the undiluted rage that coursed through my body every time I read a scene that included Delores Umbridge, the incredible courage and honesty of Hermione Granger, the loyalty of Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom coming into his own, the failed Occlumency lessons (I WILL ALWAYS HATE SNAPE) and the way the entire school ended up doing exactly what the sorting hat suggested at the beginning of the year and banded together as one against the ministry’s interference.

I even loved the ending. YES, I SAID IT! And do you know why? Because life isn’t sunshine and roses and you don’t always get to say goodbye to those you love. You don’t get the sense that Sirius’s death was a righteous one. You don’t get resolution. He didn’t make some grand sacrifice to save the lives of many others. He died taunting the bad guys, smiling at them, egging them on as though he was still that ego-inflated teenager you glimpsed through the pensieve. And then you find out that it was all for nothing. That there were so many ways that it could have been avoided. How do you deal with that? The best you can, I guess.

So while I don’t necessarily "enjoy" this book as much as I do the others, it remains my favorite in the series for the reasons I listed above.

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