Since pretty much everyone I know has read these books, I figure reviewing them is pretty pointless. But with the new book coming out in a couple of days, I have to go through them beginning to end. To make the reviews more entertaining, I will be doing them in a variety of unexpected formats. For this review, I will be writing as a power ballad.

(Intro: Piano and strings)

You were always by my side
You will always be my guide
But the road I'm on
Goes on and on
And I've left you beHIIIIIND!

(Big crunchy electric guitar)

(DUMBLEDORE!)
I will never forget the strength you showed!
(DUMBLEDORE!)
I will never forget the debt you're owed!
(DUMBLEDORE!)
And when I face the final hour
(DUMBLEDORE!)
I will call on all your power!

(Guitar solo)

There's no way back again
But if I can find a friend
To see me though
And remember you
I'll make it to the EEEENNNND!

(DUMBLEDORE!)
When I finally catch that snake in the grass
(DUMBLEDORE!)
You will be able to rest at last!
(DUMBLEDORE!)
You know he never will escape
(DUMBLEDORE!)
I'm comin' for you SNAAAAAAAAPE!!!!

(Guitar solo)

(Guitar solo with children's choir singing "Run, Snape, Run!")

(Guitar solo with fireworks)

(Drums explode)

EDITOR'S NOTE: Yes, I know, it's horrible. I'm not proud....

ENGLISH (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) / ITALIANO

«It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind»

Due to numerous attacks of Death Eaters, the new Minister for Magic Rufus Scrimgeour, duly appointed, decides to meet the muggle British Prime Minister... It's the first time that the Muggle world and the magic one come bluntly face to face. J.K. Rowling chooses that the first chapter of this novel is the right time for this interaction, highlighting the dramatic situation and the necessary cooperation to stem the enemy of all: Lord Voldemort.

The bedtime reading for my daughter became less lighthearted and more serious by now. Luckily, for some difficult questions Dumbledore bails me out every time:

«It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more»

We're almost there, the end of the journey is close. Unfortunately, it will never be the same.

Vote: 9

«Era quasi mezzanotte e il Primo Ministro stava seduto da solo nel suo ufficio, a leggere una lunga relazione che gli scivolava via dalla mente senza lasciare la minima traccia»

A seguito dei numerosi attacchi dei mangiamorte, Il nuovo Ministro della Magia Rufus Scrimgeour, fresco di nomina, decide di incontrare il Primo Ministro britannico babbano... E' la prima volta che il mondo babbano e quello magico si trovano ad interloquire senza mezzi termini. J.K. Rowling decide che il primo capitolo è il momento giusto per questa interazione, a sottolineare la drammaticità della situazione e la necessaria collaborazione allo scopo di arginare il nemico di tutti: Voldemort.

Oramai la lettura serale per mia figlia si è fatta decisamente meno spensierata e più impegnata. Per fortuna, per alcune questioni spinose c'è sempre Silente a togliermi le castagne dal fuoco:

«È l'ignoto che temiamo, quando guardiamo la morte e il buio, nient'altro»

Ci siamo quasi, la fine del viaggio è vicina. Purtroppo per noi, però, non sarà più come prima.

Voto: 9

I know so many of you have this book as one of your favorites and I get it. This is where everything gets a more grown up take. Harry Potter feels like a solid human now and if I had read these when I was a teen, god I would have gone ballistic over all the dating and the good old British SNOGGING in this book.

  

And even though I have a lot of highlights from this book, this was definitely not one of my favorites due to how repetitive it felt at times. I understand JK might have tried to misdirect readers so they wouldn't see the obvious which was my first theory as soon as Dumbledore's rotting hand showed up:

1 Dumbledore was already dying.

2 Dumbledore premeditated (because if any characters in this series would do this, it would be him lol) and planned his own death and made sure to ask Snape to be the one to do it.

3 Having Snape kill him would make sure that he would give the order more time to find a way to end Voldemort and Snape would remain a faithful servant to the Dark Lord.

4 Dumbledore fought everyone and their mother over how much he trusted Snape because HE KNEW Snape would do anything to avenge Lily's death.

You gotta appreciate all the work she put into this twist, I obviously was able to see all of this straight away because I have read over a thousand books in my life and I am an adult. But I can imagine how incredible this must have felt as a teen/kid. It makes me so excited to read these with my children when I have them.

  

You know I am not interested in the good guys. I want the multi-layered characters. I want Snape, I want Tom, I want Dumbledore. I want the cunning and conniving characters who aren't inherently good and who follow their own nature. (And yes, Dumbledore is one of those, you can't change my mind)

Snape is now one of my favorite characters of all time and so is Tom Riddle. He is so fucking creepy and well written so I love him too.

YOU CAN ALL JUDGE ME IF YOU WANT BUT

  

I didn't cry when Dumbledore died. Honestly, I never saw him as a mentor nor a father figure to Harry. Lupin, Sirius, and even Mr. Weasley have been more of a father figure to him than Dumbledore ever was. Dumbledore just had a weird fascination with Harry because he knew he was important and he knew he was smart enough to scheme his life away and play with fate, roll dices on who he could be. Control the twists and turns of his life. Dumbledore was interested in Harry the same way he was interested in Tom. And exactly for the same reasons.

It was never about the greater good. It was about power to control their future and their narrative. The "greater good" was just a bonus lol You know how he talks about Slughorn wanting to collect students like trophy? Pfff. Dumbledore is the real MASTER at that.

Overall, this is not a book I'd see myself rereading, but I can appreciate how much it made me LOVE SNAPE EVEN MORE. (We have already had the Snape conversation in my Order of The Phoenix review, leave me alone)

But he gets even more bonus points for sparing Draco. For protecting Draco. For not allowing Draco to carry Dumbledore's death on his back for the rest of his life.

  

Snape did what no one else in this universe would EVER HAVE THE BALLS TO DO. That is why he is a fucking awesome weirdo creepy lovely man.

”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.

J.K. Rowling uses the word “clambered” a lot. Like, a ridiculous amount.

I've never heard an American use this word one time in my life, so I can only assume it's a British habit, to use “clambered” excessively to describe going over an object, or else Ms. Rowling never learned the words “crawled” or “climbed” as a child.

She also has the most horrible habit, as a writer, of mentioning minutiae that no one gives a shit about anymore, but then leaves out some very important details. I have the perfect example to use from this book: when Draco Malfoy tries to use one of the Unforgivable Curses on Harry, at Hogwarts no less, Harry's not the least bit interested to tell anyone, but when he turns a corner, we get to read a entire page about Peeves the Poltergeist throwing chalk at him. . . again. Yes, Harry, make sure and go tell staff that Peeves is throwing chalk at you, but leave off that boring business of the student trying to kill you in the bathroom. Such inconsistencies annoy me.

Also, after rereading some 3,350 pages of Harry Potter so far this year, I can't help but wonder. . . how are we to keep suspending our disbelief that the adult wizarding world times their actions to coincide perfectly with the school year at Hogwarts? I mean, how can every evildoer in the wizarding world be inspired to perform their misdeeds right as the school year comes to a close in June? Couldn't she just one time have made some bad shit happen in February? This is a writing habit that has just been way too tidy for me.

And yet. . . here I was. . . rereading book 6 aloud to my middle child in our living room as my son was in the background, moving his belongings back into the house for summer when I got to this part:

“Sir, you haven't told us what's in this one,” said Ernie Macmillan, pointing at a small black cauldron standing on Slughorn's desk. The potion within was splashing about merrily; it was the color of molten gold, and large drops were leaping like goldfish above the surface, though not a particle had spilled.

My son stop moving, set down the box that had been in his hands, then came and sat down on the couch and said, “Felix Felicis.” My daughter and I nodded our heads in approval and Hermione Granger contributed, “It's liquid luck.”

Next thing you know, my littlest child poked her head around the corner and revealed that she'd been listening as well. My middle child blew up in anger at her, throwing a pair of dirty socks at her head, but her little sister prevailed and came into the center of the living room and declared as she sat down on the carpet, “I just want to listen to the story.”

Imagine me now, feeling the bliss, reading my favorite Harry Potter book to all three of my kids at once, in the center of my living room, on a beautiful spring day. And that right there is the magic, folks. It's not that I'm the world's most engaging narrator. It's not that J.K. Rowling writes novels like Graham Greene. J.K. Rowling's magic is in her storytelling.

Storytelling is not writing, and not all writers are storytellers, but good writing that contains excellent storytelling takes the reading experience to the sublime.

We clambered to the climax of this story together and now we are poised to take on the last novel together, next week.

When I asked my middle child how many stars out of five for this one, she answered: ONE THOUSAND.

So, ONE THOUSAND stars out of five.

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!

Another wonderful installment in this fantastic series!
J.K. Rowling's writing style continues to blow me away. The way she writes is just so easy to read and always makes me feel super "comfortable" in the world she created. And what a wonderful world that is! My love for each character grows bigger and bigger with every book. Their development is very well done - it's realistic and believable.

This book explores a lot of Lord Voldemort's past, which was great, because you learn so many things that make this character even more interesting. The way these flashback scenes were integrated was so well done and perfectly fit into the story. I also found the overall concept of the Half-Blood Prince very nice.
My most favorite thing about this book has to be Draco's arc and storyline, though. He is one of my top fictional characters ever created, and to see him playing such a huge role made me incredibly happy.

There is just one little thing I've got to complain about: Harry's and Ginny's devoloping relationship. I just don't see it?? I don't know, I just feel like Harry's feelings came out of nowhere. For a while I was even wondering if Ginny slipped some Love Potion into one of his drinks...
Ron and Hermione on the other hand...

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.

FUCK ME MY CHEST HURTS AND MY SOUL IS CRUSHED, WHY DO I KEEP REREADING THESE BOOKS? IT'S ALL FUN AND GAMES UNTIL THIS BOOK, AND THEN IT'S A QUICK DESCENT INTO HEARTACHE AND MIND NUMBING PAIN.





RIP

What stands out in book 6:

* The introduction of the Horcrux.
* Molly Weasley asking Arthur Weasley about his "dearest ambition." Rowling has always been great at revealing little intriguing bits about her characters at a time, and Arthur’s answer "to find out how airplanes stay up" reminds us about his obsession with Muggles.
* Harry's private lessons with Dumbledore, and more time spent with the fascinating and dangerous pensieve, arguably one of Rowling’s most ingenious inventions.
* Fred and George Weasley’s Joke Shop, and the slogan: "Why Are You Worrying About You-Know-Who? You Should Be Worrying About U-NO-POO--the Constipation Sensation That's Gripping the Nation!"
* Luna's Quidditch commentary. Rowling created scores of Luna Lovegood fans with hilarious and bizarre commentary from the most unlikely Quidditch commentator.
* The effects of Felix Felicis.
* We get a fascinating view of the history of Tom Riddle.
* The major question of the book: Whose side is Snape really on?

Amazon Review:
The long-awaited, eagerly anticipated, arguably over-hyped Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has arrived, and the question on the minds of kids, adults, fans, and skeptics alike is, "Is it worth the hype?" The answer, luckily, is simple: yep. A magnificent spectacle more than worth the price of admission, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will blow you away. However, given that so much has gone into protecting the secrets of the book (including armored trucks and injunctions), don't expect any spoilers in this review. It's much more fun not knowing what's coming--and in the case of Rowling's delicious sixth book, you don't want to know. Just sit tight, despite the earth-shattering revelations that will have your head in your hands as you hope the words will rearrange themselves into a different story. But take one warning to heart: do not open Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince until you have first found a secluded spot, safe from curious eyes, where you can tuck in for a good long read. Because once you start, you won't stop until you reach the very last page.
A darker book than any in the series thus far with a level of sophistication belying its genre, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince moves the series into murkier waters and marks the arrival of Rowling onto the adult literary scene. While she has long been praised for her cleverness and wit, the strength of Book 6 lies in her subtle development of key characters, as well as her carefully nuanced depiction of a community at war. In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, no one and nothing is safe, including preconceived notions of good and evil and of right and wrong. With each book in her increasingly remarkable series, fans have nervously watched J.K. Rowling raise the stakes; gone are the simple delights of butterbeer and enchanted candy, and days when the worst ailment could be cured by a bite of chocolate. A series that began as a colorful lark full of magic and discovery has become a dark and deadly war zone. But this should not come as a shock to loyal readers. Rowling readied fans with Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by killing off popular characters and engaging the young students in battle. Still, there is an unexpected bleakness from the start of Book 6 that casts a mean shadow over Quidditch games, silly flirtations, and mountains of homework. Ready or not, the tremendous ending of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince will leave stunned fans wondering what great and terrible events await in Book 7 if this sinister darkness is meant to light the way.

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
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2023: Jak co reread, to mój ulubieniec.

2021: Wiedziałam czego się spodziewać, a zakończenie i tak złamało mi serce.