30 Day Harry Potter Challenge 3

Hey y'all! I've got another One Day Tumblr Challenge for you. I know I've done Harry Potter challenges in the past, but this one asked a lot of questions that I haven't seen in other challenges, and they were really cool and more in-depth and I just couldn't help myself. If you'd like to see the other Harry Potter challenges I've done, you can click the links below:

30 Day Harry Potter Challenge

30 Day Harry Potter Challenge 2

Before I get started, I'd just like to issue one of these:

These questions ask about some spoilery things, so if you haven't read the books or seen the movies, 

A) WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS?! and 

B) Don't read any more of this. Just go pick up a Harry Potter book and read it.

Now, let's get right into the questions!

01. Top 3 favorite characters & why

3- Ron Weasley

Ron is just such an awesome and loyal friend to Harry. Honestly, where would Harry be if he didn't have Ron by his side constantly? I love Ron.

2- Hermione Granger

I've always really identified with Hermione, and I've always loved her. She was my favorite character for quite a while, but eventually got overtaken. She's so talented and intelligent and hard-working, and is such a great example for how epic girls can be. 

1- Fred and George Weasley

Let's be honest here, these two are my favorite literary characters ever. Sure, they're the funny ones, and their funny moments are some of my favorite moments in the entire series, but they're so much more than just the comic relief. Fred and George are constantly loyal to Harry- sometimes more than his own best friends. They're always the first characters to support Harry and stand up against anyone who doubts him. And we can't forget that absolutely epic exit from Hogwarts in OOTP. Plus, they're incredibly talented wizards and they started their own business when they were 16/17. There's just no way to trump these two.

02. Did it take a while before you got into the series, or did you immediately fall in love?

It took me a while to actually begin reading them, but once I started reading them, I was hooked. I wasn't allowed to read them when I was younger because some people at church told my parents that there was devil worship in the books. (Thanks, liars!) If I'd been allowed to, I probably would have started reading them when I was like 8. But I actually ended up starting them in fifth grade and I sped through the first 5 (the only ones that were out) and waited impatiently for book 6. 

03. Favorite villain & why

OK, I have two answers for this one. In terms of "the villain I loved to hate," definitely this one:

I mean, everyone hates Umbridge. Most people even wanted her to die more than they wanted Voldemort to die. I was really mad when she didn't die. She was just such a terrible person for seemingly no reason, and she was packaged in this tiny, pink-covered, cat-obsessed package. It's the creepiest form of evil, if you ask me. Plus, she gave us countless entertaining scenes and moments when you just want to smack her.

As far as the villain I like like the most/ find most interesting, definitely:

Yes, it's very cliche to say that Voldemort is my favorite villain, but he's the entire reason that I love book 6. He has such an interesting and complicated back story and it explains so much about him and why he can't love. It's just so intricate and interesting and it actually helps to understand him, and I really appreciate that.

04. I know you love them all, but list all of the books in order from favorite to least favorite:

I actually already did a ranking of the books, so I won't give an explanation of my rankings, but I will leave the link to that post here if you want to check it out. 

7- Chamber of Secrets
6- Sorcerer's Stone
 5- Order of the Phoenix
4- Goblet of Fire
3- Prisoner of Azkaban
2- Deathly Hallows
1- Half-Blood Prince

05. Which one of the deaths did you have the hardest time with

Just seeing this is making me cry. Fred's my favorite character and I still haven't accepted/dealt with his death. I refuse. No. 

06. One of your favorite quotes

“You haven't got a letter on yours," George observed. "I suppose she thinks you don't forget your name. But we're not stupid-we know we're called Gred and Forge.”
(Sorcerer's Stone)

07. Favorite movie

Ooh, this one is actually really tough, because I haven't perfected my movie rankings like I have with my book rankings. Maybe this one?

08. Anything you’d change in the epilogue

Honestly, I would have made it significantly longer. What's going on in everyone else's lives almost 20 years later? I care about way more than just Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny. What about George? Neville is only mentioned in passing. What about Molly and Arthur? How are they? Luna? 

09. What would be your favorite class at Hogwarts

I've always thought that Potions would be a super cool class. I know Snape is a bit of a jerk to students, but Maybe once Slughorn took over, it'd be fun. I just always thought it would be cool to mix things together. I was always concocting drinks as a kid.

10. The cloak, the wand, or the stone

This depends on the scenario. If we're assuming that I'm a witch in the wizarding world and I was presented with this choice, I'd choose the invisibility cloak, no question. However, if I was presented that choice just as a normal human being as I am now, I'd choose the wand so that I could do magic. 

11. Is there a character you didn’t like in the books, but loved in the movies or vice-versa?

Well, I don't think there were any characters where my opinions were that different. If I liked them in the books, I was likely to also like them in the movie. However, one slightly-annoying character became even more annoying in the movies...

12. Least favorite character

I mean... it's pretty much the same thing. Ginny is probably my least favorite. Almost her entire purpose is to marry Harry and have his babies.

13. Favorite location from the movies?

I mean, Hogwarts is actually the coolest place ever. I'd love to go to school there and live there and then eventually be a professor there. Yes please!

14. If you could work at any place in Hogsmeade which would it be?

Hmmm... either Honeyduke's or Zonko's. I'd probably have to say Zonko's, just because it's a joke shop and that makes it super cool. So Zonko's!

15. Top 3 favorite scenes from the series

You're kidding, right? I have to pick 3 scenes from an entire 7 book, 8 movie, who-knows-how-many-hours series? Yeah right. Nice try.

16. If you could ask your favorite character one thing what would it be?

I don't even know... Maybe what it's like to own a business at such a young age? Or what it's like to be a twin?

17. What would your Patronus be?

I'm not sure this would definitely be my patronus, but I'd like to believe that it would be. I love horses, and I really love that they symbolize independence (among other things).

18. What book have you read the most?

Definitely Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. At this point, reading it is just pure nostalgia. It's the only book I've ever been able to get at a midnight release, and it was also the first that I got the day it came out. I fell completely in love with it. I've read the other books a lot too, but they don't compare to this one.

19. If you had to date a character who would it be?

I mean, it's not like you'd have to twist my arm to get me to date Fred Weasley. I'd jump at the chance to date him! If only my favorite fictional characters were real...

20. What would a boggart turn into in front of you?

I'm actually very uncomfortable with the fact that I can see this picture right now as I type. I hated searching for it, I hated saving it, and I hate that it's looking at me. I'm terrified of ostriches. TERRIFIED. And emus, but let's not get into that. I'm also afraid of all other types of birds, as well as spiders and clowns. But above all, ostriches. And then emus. And then like peacocks and turkeys and chickens. Those 5 are the scariest birds. That's why I eat so much chicken... to kill as many of them as possible.

21. Favorite magical creature

This one is a toughie... because I don't want to consider house elves, ghosts, or centaurs as creatures because they're intelligent beings, but at the same time, hippogriffs freak me out because of the whole scared of birds thing, and I don't really care for thestrals. And obviously I don't like owls... I guess I find boggarts really interesting... OK, that's what I'm going with- boggarts. I'd hate to come across one, because it would turn into an ostrich, but I think they're really interesting.

22. Have you ever been to a midnight showing of a movie?

Yes! I was planning on going to the midnight showing of Half-Blood Prince, but I ended up going to visit my grandparents that week, and I wasn't old enough to drive (well, I had a permit, but w/e) and neither of my grandparents would have stayed awake that late, so I didn't get to go until the next day. HOWEVER, I did get to go see Deathly Hallows part 1 & 2 at midnight, which was really cool. For part 2, our movie theater did a really cool double-feature where they played pt. 1 at like 10ish and then at midnight, they played pt. 2. So fun.

Deathly Hallows Pt. 2 Premiere!

23. Favorite Dursley

That scene where he's actually nice to Harry makes me tear up every time. It's not like Dudley turns into an incredibly nice person, but for once, he actually accepts Harry, and none of his other relatives ever really did that. Not even Petunia, who was clearly working under orders from Dumbledore.

24. Who is your favorite professor at Hogwarts

Ugh I'm so torn about this one, because on one hand I want to say:

But on the other hand, I also love:

They're both so incredible. McGonagall is so sassy and such a great professor and constantly there for Harry, but on the other hand, Lupin is also the best DADA prof. ever, and becomes a kind of father figure in Harry's life. I just love both of them. Don't make me choose!

25. Which character do you think they did the best job casting for the movies

All other arguments are invalid. 

26. Does it bother you that the movies differ from the books

Sometimes, yes. Sometimes, no. Do I wish that the movies were exactly like the books and that nothing was left out? YES. But I can also understand some of the changes made. Obviously, they had to cut down Order of the Phoenix because it's a HUGE book. But I didn't agree with some of the stuff they cut out. A lot of the amazing parts in OOTP are when the professors are absolute jerks to Umbridge and we only got a very tiny snippet of that. Also, 90% of the Weasley twins' humor was cut out of the movies. So in general, yes, it bothers me when the movies differ from the books, but only when I think the change isn't justified. 

27. What movie have you watched the most

I'm not positive on this one, but I just have to assume it's POA because it's my favorite.

28. Have you ever been to the WWoHP, if not do you plan on it?

YEP. Sr. year of high school, spring break. Best day of my life. I'm also going again next June!

29. What would be the first thing you’d buy at the Twins’ joke shop?

EVERYTHING. ALL THE THINGS.

30. 5 parts of the Deathly Hallows movies (1&2) that you’re looking forward to the most

Well, clearly this was made before the last 2 movies came out... The one thing I remember really wanting to make it into the movie was the George "holy" joke. And hallelujah, it did!

So that's it for the 30 Day Harry Potter Challenge #3! I hope you loved it as much as I did. Third time's the charm, right?

I've also created a Facebook page for my blog, so if you want to check that out and like it, you can click HERE. I'll try to keep that pretty up-to-date with new posts and such.

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Ranking the Harry Potter Books & Their Covers- Video!

Hey, y'all! So, after I posted my Harry Potter discussion post, I ended up actually recording a video talking about my rankings of the Harry Potter books and their covers, so I wanted to make just a quick post containing the video so that y'all can check it out! 

Check out the Facebook page for From Kristen's Brain... HERE

Harry Potter Series Discussion [Summer Reading Challenge]

Hey, y'all! I'm here with another summer reading challenge post! I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series, and I've posted discussions about each of the books individually. Here are the links to all seven posts:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Now, I'm here to discuss the series as a whole, including my opinions about the entire series, my rankings of the books, rankings of the covers, and some of my favorite things in the series.

In my Cassie Clare series discussions, I talked about the overall premise of the series, and my opinions on it, but as I said in my individual posts, it's Harry Potter. If you don't know the premise of the series, then you need to stop wasting time reading this and go pick up the books and devour them. Therefore, this discussion is going to be very spoilery if you (somehow) haven't read the books or seen the movies. Also, as far as my opinion, I LOVE IT. This series was my childhood, my present, and my future. I love everything about it, and it will always be my favorite series. It's beautiful.

Ranking The Books

#7: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I hate to say that I have a least favorite, simply because this entire series is absolutely beautiful and perfect. However, if I were to name the one book I least enjoyed reading and had the least urge to re-read, it would be Chamber of Secrets. I think this is more due to how amazing the other books are than to something being wrong with this one. I don't think there's anything specific that makes this one lower, it's just not as good as the others. 

Favorite moment: When Fred and George parade Harry down the hall, joking about him being the heir of Slytherin. Leave it to those two to be not only completely loyal, but to make you laugh while doing so. 

Rating: Overall, continuing the 10 star system, I'd give it 9.4 stars out of 10.

#6: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Yes, I understand that this was the book that started it all, and how dare I put it so far down on the list, but the plot just isn't quite as interesting or intricate as the other books. And overall, it just seemed way too short to me. We didn't get to the scene where they go after the sorcerer's stone until the last 40 pages of the book! The detail and intricacy that we get in later books just isn't there yet.  do think that the plot of COS is better and more intricate than Sorcerer's Stone. However, Sorcerer's Stone has some of my absolute favorite moments and quotes in the entire series, while Chamber of Secrets doesn't. That's why Sorcerer's Stone gets higher.

Favorite moment: Literally any time a Weasley twin says or does anything.

Rating: I'd have to give it 9.5 stars out of 10.

#5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

While #6 & #7 are fairly equal for me, Order of the Phoenix is a distinct step up in terms of how much I like it. I don't agree with the people who think the book dragged, but while the stuff in the middle was important, I didn't find it quite as exciting. Umbridge was perfectly evil, the DA was really cool, and the scene where Mr. Weasley got attacked was exciting. Everything else that takes place throughout the school year just isn't as exciting or interesting for me, and as far as ending, Voldemort-fighting sequences go, the battle at the Ministry just isn't my favorite.

Favorite moment: Probably either the Mr. Weasley/ snake bit, or when Harry and Hermione take Umbridge out into the forest. 

Rating: I'd have to go with 9.6 stars out of 10 on this one.

#4: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I enjoyed this book much more on this read-through than I ever have before. In the past, books 4&5 have always been fairly even for me in terms of my favorites. But this time through, Goblet of Fire came out significantly on top. It's one of the most action-packed and fast-paced Harry Potter books by far. The Tri-Wizard Tournament keeps everything exciting and interesting. And the scene in the graveyard is one of the most important moments in the series. Overall, I really enjoy this book.

Favorite moment: I don't really know. Maybe the scene in the graveyard? I like the graveyard scene through the ending.

Rating: I'd probably have to give Goblet of Fire 9.8 stars out of 10.

#3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

While I also love the 4 books ranked lower than this one, my top 3 books are very distinct and definitely a couple steps up from the other four. Prisoner of Azkaban is where we first meet Sirius and Lupin, two of the best characters in the series (in my opinion). The last 150ish pages of this book are some of my favorite moments in the entire series. And we also get the most epic and exciting quidditch game ever in this book. And this is when we first get the Marauder's Map. I just love how much we learn and discover in this book and all of the characters we meet. 

Favorite moment: As I said, everything from the Whomping Willow onward. So perfect.

Rating: I'd have to give it 10 stars out of 10.

#2: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Over the years since its release, Deathly Hallows has gone back and forth between being my favorite and being my 2nd favorite, but I think it has found its final resting place in second place. A lot of people think that the book is a little slow in the camping scenes, but I disagree. It was still exciting. This book is just an epic conclusion to the most epic book series I've ever read. This book rips out my heart every time I read it. The battle of Hogwarts has me constantly in tears. I'm surprised I'm always able to read through it due to all the tears. This book is just... perfect.

Favorite moment: The Prince's Tale. We learn all of the secrets and it's great.

Rating: It was a clear 10 stars out of 10. So, so amazing.

#1: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

This book became my favorite Harry Potter book upon my first read at its release. For quite a while after the release of book 7, this remained my favorite before they eventually started flip-flopping back and forth. I've read this one more times than any of the other books, and actually had to repair it because some of the binding was coming apart. Reading the first 3 chapters feels like going home. It's so familiar and comfortable and I absolutely love it. I think that the pensive scenes are some of the most intriguing and interesting of the entire series. I just really, really love this book. A lot. 

Favorite moment: As I said, any moments with the pensive. So great.

Rating: It was a clear 10 stars out of 10. This book is perfect.

Ranking The Covers

#7) Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

I've never really liked this cover. I'm not quite sure why... I dunno, this one just is my least favorite. I feel like I'm hating on Chamber of Secrets a lot since I put it last on both lists, but it really is my least favorite in both categories. And when I think of Chamber of Secrets, I picture the movie cover, which is a sure sign I don't like the cover. Sorry, COS!

#6) Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

I've never really been that excited about the cover, mostly because of the front. I think it's just because the way Krum and Diggory are drawn aren't really how I pictured them, so I didn't really like it. The rest of the cover is really cool though! The back is interesting, and the Goblet of Fire is cool! If some elements had been moved around, this could have been higher of my list.

#5) Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I really like this cover. I think that it fits the tone of the book perfectly. Dark, mysterious, monotone blue, this cover is really cool and interesting. When I think of Order of the Phoenix, I immediately think of this picture. Very cool.

#4) Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

I have very mixed feelings about this cover. If this list was based on just the front of the cover, this would be at #6. I'm not a fan of the front on its own at all. However, the full panorama like this is really cool and I really love it. I kinda wish the back were the front. I love the back, with harry's patronus, Sirius, the whomping willow, and the dementor. It's just really cool. But due to my very mixed feelings, this falls right in the middle.

#3) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter covers are always very intricate, and for me this one is the most intricate. We see Harry trying to get the snitch, we see an owl, flying key, Dumbledore, Fluffy, a unicorn, Harry sneaking out of bed, it's just so intricate and such an iconic cover. It's the one that started it all!

#2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

While most people think that the most iconic cover is Sorcerer's Stone, I think it's Deathly Hallows. When I think of Harry Potter, this is the cover I think of. It's just such a vivid cover and it stands out so much. We get the curtains that we saw in book one, and we see Harry finally facing off against Voldemort. It's so great.

#1) Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I couldn't find a full cover of this with the Harry Potter lettering across it, which is sad because I love the contrast of the green and purple. Anyway, I love the front, with Harry and Dumbledore looking into the pensive, with the memories swirling around them, because that's my favorite part of the book. The back, with the dark mark and Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, is also great and just as dark as the scene that it's from. I just really love this cover. Also, I think it's the only cover that has distinct images on the front and back rather than a full picture. Despite that, though, I just love the whole thing.

Favorites/Least Favorites

I'm planning to do a more in-depth "Favorite Harry Potter Characters" post, with a ranking of ALL of the most important characters, but for now, I'll just discuss the basics.

Favorite character: I've said it before, and I'll say it until the day I die. The Weasley twins are my absolute favorite characters in anything ever.

Least favorite character: Ooh, there are so many. I'd say Umbridge, but she's a really great character because she's just so unbearably evil. I'll just go with Filch for this. A bit random, yes, but he's annoying and serves very little purpose.

Favorite ship: ROMIONE. They are my OTP of life.

Least favorite ship: Neville and whoever he ended up marrying. Was it Hannah Abbott? Either way, NUNA. NUNA. NUNA.

Favorite moment: Everything. Everything. Everything.

Least favorite moment: I don't even know. Honestly. I just can't. I love it. 

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So, there you go, that's all for my Harry Potter Discussion! What are your feelings on the series? I know you have some- everyone has feelings about Harry Potter! What are your rankings? Your favorite characters? Let me know in the comments!

I've also created a Facebook page for my blog, so if you want to check that out and like it, you can click HERE. I'll try to keep that pretty up-to-date with new posts and such.

Thanks for reading this! If you like my posts, don't forget to subscribe/follow, since it lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm doing. See y'all soon!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Discussion [Summer Reading Challenge]

Hey, y'all! So, as you can see, I've finally finished my June reading challenge... 3 days into July. But at least I got it done!

As I said in the last posts, these Harry Potter posts will be formatted differently from the May discussion posts. I won't be writing non-spoiler sections for any of the Harry Potter books, simply because it's Harry Potter. If you haven't read the books already, go read them. At this point, there's almost no excuse for not having read the books except a lack of interest... in which case you probably wouldn't be here reading my discussion! I also will not be writing a summary of each book because, again, it's Harry Potter. If you don't know what Harry Potter is about, I'd really like to know what rock you've been hiding under because it sounds like an amazing place to get away and completely shut out all knowledge of the outside world.

Anyway, on to the discussion!

So, a little background. Of all the books, I think this was the one I read the fastest the first time through. I pre-ordered the book at a bookstore in town months before its release. However, my parents decided that we would take a vacation to Washington DC in July and that the Saturday that Deathly Hallows was released would be the day we would travel back home. I was desperate to get my hands on the book anyway- we were going to be travelling and flying all day and I felt it would be a day wasted if it wasn't spent reading this book I'd been impatiently waiting for. So, first thing in the morning, when we reached the airport, I found the closest store that sold books and bought it full price and spent the whole day reading it. I wasn't done by the end of the day and ended up finishing it the following day. My parents dragged me to the mall with them and I continued reading the whole time. I got to the scene where Fred is killed and actually started bawling in the middle of the mall. That's still my exact reaction every single time I read that scene and watch the movie.

The battle at Hogwarts through the end of the book is probably the best section of the entire Harry Potter series. I found myself constantly tearing up because of everything going on. The Prince's Tale is probably my favorite chapter in the book, and every time I read it, it's through blurry tear-filled eyes because Snape's story is just so heartbreaking. I also distinctly remember that when I finally got to the bits where Dumbledore's master plan was explained, my mouth dropped open. I was shocked but at the same time, it made perfect sense. 

I like that Deathly Hallows was a departure from the typical Harry Potter book formula. Typically, something exciting happens in the summer, Harry goes to Hogwarts, secrets begin to unravel/odd things begin to happen, and at the end of the year, Harry has to face Voldemort or some other villain. Formulaic? Yes. But it's still great. And it makes it even more exciting when the seventh book is very different. Yes, the big battle is still at the end, but that is how books work. The rest of the book is action-packed and unpredictable. 

A lot of people complain that the camping was boring and dragged, but I disagree completely. Yes, they camped for quite a while, but SO much more went on. Ron left, they got attacked by Nagini, Xenophilius Lovegood betrays them, they get taken by the snatchers, they get the sword... the list goes on and on. How is that boring? How is that dragging? I remember that after reading the series for the first time, I had no idea how they were going to pack all of the book into one movie. I tried to figure out what could be eliminated to cut down on time, but I simply couldn't think of anything specific. That's why I was so glad they made it into two movies. That way, they could flesh everything out and make it incredible.

I don't even know what else to specifically say about this book because it's all just so individually perfect and all of the elements come together to create a truly amazing book. 

So, let's talk rating. Overall, easy 5/5 stars. So great.

Favorite Quotes

Page 49: "Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."
Harry did not smile. 
"You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."
"Well, that's that plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."
"Yeah, thirteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we're got no chance," said Fred.

Page 51: Fred and George turned to each other and said together,"Wow-we're identical!"
"I dunno though, I think I', still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle.
.........
"Arthur and Fred-"
"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"
"Sorry, George-"
"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really-"

Page 74: "How do you feel, Georgie?" whispered Mrs. Weasley.
George's fingers groped for the side of his head.
"Saintlike," he murmured.
"What's wrong with him?" croaked Fred, looking terrified. "Is his mind affected?"
"Saintlike," repeated George, opening his eyes and looking up at his brother. "You see... I'm holy. Holey, Fred, geddit?"
Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever. Color flooded Fred's pale face.
"Pathetic," he told George. "Pathetic! With a whole wide world of ear-related humor before you, you go for holey?"
"Ah well," said George, grinning at his tear-soaked mother. "You'll be able to tell us apart now, anyway, Mum."
He looked around.
"Hi, Harry- you are Harry, right?"
"Yeah, I am," said Harry, moving closer to the sofa.
"Well, at least we got you back okay," said George. "Why aren't Ron and Bill huddled round my sickbed?"
"They're not back yet, George," said Mrs. Weasley. George's grin faded.

Page 81: "Well said, Harry," said Fred unexpectedly.
"Yeah, 'ear, 'ear," said George, with half a glance at Fred, the corner of whose mouth twitched.
Lupin was wearing an odd expression as he looked at Harry. It was close to pitying. 
"You think I'm a fool?" demanded Harry.
"No, I think you're like James," said Lupin, "who would have regarded it as the height of dishonor to mistrust his friends."

Page 138: "When I get married," said Fred, tugging at the collar of his own robes, "I won't be bothering with any of this nonsense. You can all wear what you like, and I'll put a full Body-Bind Curse on Mum until it's all over."

Page 209: Ron glanced at Hermione, then said, "What if purebloods and half-bloods swear a Muggle-born's part of their family? I'll tell everyone Hermione's my cousin-"
Hermione covered Ron's hand with hers and squeezed it.
"Thank you, Ron, but I couldn't let you-"
"You won't have a choice," said Ron fiercely, gripping her hand back. "I'll teach you my family tree so you can answer questions on it."

Page 378: Harry crammed the broken locket into his pocket, knelt down beside Ron, and placed a hand cautiously on his shoulder. He took it as a good sign that Ron did not throw it off.
"After you left," he said in a low voice, grateful for the fact that Ron's face was hidden, "she cried for a week. Probably longer, only she didn't want me to see. There were loads of nights when we never even spoke to each other. With you gone..."
He could not finish; it was only now that Ron was here again that Harry fully realized how much his absence had cost them.
"She's like my sister," he went on. "I love her like a sister and I reckon she feels the same way about me. It's always been like that. I thought you knew."

Page 474: "Dobby has no mater!" squealed the elf. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

Page 514: "Yes- yes- a boy," said Lupin again, who seemed dazed by his own happiness. He strode around the table and hugged Harry; the scene in the basement of Grimmauld Place might never have happened.
"You'll be godfather?" he said as he released Harry.
"M-me?" stammered Harry.
"You, yes, of course- Dora quite agrees, no one better-"
"I- yeah- blimey-"

Page 602: "Piertotum- oh, for heaven's sake, Filch, not now-"
The aged caretaker had just come hobbling into view, shouting, "Students out of bed! Students in the corridors!"
"They're supposed to be, you blithering idiot!" shouted McGonagall. "Now go and do something constructive! Find Peeves!"
"P-Peeves?" stammered Filch as though he had never heard the name before.
"Yes, Peeves, you fool, Peeves! Haven't you been complaining about him for a quarter of a century? Go and fetch him, at once!"

Page 605: "I was a fool!" Percy roared, so loudly that Lupin nearly dropped his photograph. "I was an idiot, I was a pompous prat, I was a- a-"
"Ministry-loving, family-disowning, power-hungry moron," said Fred.
Percy swallowed.
"Yes, I was!"
"Well, you can't say fairer than that," said Fred, holding out his hand to Percy.
Mrs. Weasley burst into tears. She ran forward, pushed Fred aside, and pulled Percy into a strangling hug, while he patted her on the back, his eyes on his father."

Page 625: "The house-elves, they'll all be down in the kitchen, won't they?"
"You mean we ought to get them fighting?" asked Harry.
"No," said Ron seriously, "I mean we should tell them to get out. We don't want any more Dobbies, do we? We can't order them to die for us-"
There was a clatter as the basilisk fangs cascaded out of Hermione's arms. Running at Ron, she flung them around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth. Ron threw away the fangs and broomstick he was holding and responded with such enthusiasm that he lifted Hermione off her feet.

Page 678: "Hide them all, then," he croaked. "Keep her- them- safe. Please?
"And what will you give me in return, Severus?"
"In- in return?" Snape gaped at Dumbledore, and Harry expected him to protest, but after a long moment, he said, "Anything."

Page 682: Snape raised his eyebrows and his tone was sardonic as he asked, "Are you intending to let him kill you?"
"Certainly not. You must kill me."
"There was a long silence, broken only by an odd clicking noise. Fawkes the phoenix was gnawing a bit of cuttlebone.
"Would you like me to do it now?" asked Snape, his voice heavy with irony. "Or would you like a few moments to compose an epitaph?"

Page 688: Now Harry was flying alongside Snape on a broomstick through a clear dark night: He was accompanied by other hooded Death Eaters, and ahead were Lupin and a Harry who was really George... A Death Eater moved ahead of Snape and raised his wand, pointing it directly at Lupin's back-
"Sectumsempra!" shouted Snape.
But the spell, intended for the Death Eater's wand hand, missed and hit George instead-

Page 722: "Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love."

Page 743: "So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does... I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

Page 747: But Harry had eyes only for the man who stood in the largest portrait directly behind the headmaster's chair. Tears were sliding down from behind the half-moon spectacles into the long silver beard, and the pride and the gratitude emanating from him filled Harry with the same balm as phoenix song.


So, there you go, that's all for this summer reading post! I hope you enjoyed it, because I definitely enjoyed making it. I could talk about Harry Potter ceaselessly for the rest of my life and never get bored. If you have questions, ask in the comments! Now that I've finally finished my June reading challenge, I'll be moving along to my July challenge: re-reading the Pendragon series!

I've also created a Facebook page for my blog, so if you want to check that out and like it, you can click HERE. I'll try to keep that pretty up-to-date with new posts and such.

Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, don't forget to subscribe/follow, since it lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm doing. See y'all in a few days!

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Discussion [Summer Reading Challenge]

Hey, y'all! So, as you can see, I'm behind on my June challenge. Raise your hand if you're surprised! No hands, right? I figured. Anyway, the whole point of this was to re-read my favorite series and enjoy myself. I'm still mad at myself for spilling into July, but I'll be making up for it this weekend (hopefully).

As I said in the last posts, these Harry Potter posts will be formatted differently from the May discussion posts. I won't be writing non-spoiler sections for any of the Harry Potter books, simply because it's Harry Potter. If you haven't read the books already, go read them. At this point, there's almost no excuse for not having read the books except a lack of interest... in which case you probably wouldn't be here reading my discussion! I also will not be writing a summary of each book because, again, it's Harry Potter. If you don't know what Harry Potter is about, I'd really like to know what rock you've been hiding under because it sounds like an amazing place to get away and completely shut out all knowledge of the outside world.

Anyway, on to the discussion!

So, a little background. This was the first book of the series that I read at its release. This physical book is probably the one that is most special to me, because it's the only one I was able to get at its midnight release party (I would've done the same with book 7, but there were some circumstances out of my control, which I'll explain in that post). The release party wasn't extremely exciting- they had a Bertie Bott's station where if you ate a random bean you got a metal Harry Potter bookmark. I ended up getting a gross one, but I used that bookmark for forever and I still have it somewhere even though it broke. I also got a stuffed Hedwig, but I'm not sure where exactly that came from. And while the party wasn't exactly exciting, the ability to get it at midnight was very exciting. I'm also pretty sure (but not certain) that of all the books I own, this is the one I've had the longest. Nine years is quite a while.

On to the book. When I started this book, I instantly felt at home. I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but I've read Half-Blood Prince more times than any of the other books in the series. So, beginning this book was both extremely familiar and extremely comfortable. And that was kinda the general feeling throughout the whole thing for me. I know that both Goblet of Fire and Order of the Phoenix are longer than HBP, but nonetheless, I flew through HBP. Normally, 600+ pages seems like a marathon even if you really enjoy a book, but the entire thing felt like a walk in the park. 

The best moments of the book, for me, are the ventures that Harry and Dumbledore take into the Pensive. Voldemort's back-story is incredibly interesting, and I always loved getting to learn more about his past. I especially love the first memory- where Ogden visits the Gaunts. I'm not sure why, but I've always thought that memory was particularly interesting. 

The one thing that makes me really sad about this book is the lack of the Weasley twins. Throughout the series, up to this point, they have been very prevalent and now that they're not in it very much, I'm definitely missing them. Sure, we get to see their joke shop in all of its wonderfully perfect glory, but that's part of a chapter, and then they're gone for the majority of the book. This is one of my favorite Harry Potter books, and yet my favorite characters aren't in it. I'm not sure how that contradiction managed to happen!

Harry, Ron, and Hermione also learn a couple of the coolest wizard skills (in my opinion) in this book. First off, they learn to do magic without speaking, which is both cool and really helpful. They also learn to apparate, which is something I really wish I could do.

Also, horcruxes! I'm not the only one who thought they were horribly described in the movie, right? It's been a while since I've seen it (not one of my HP faves) but I remember that they didn't go into a ton of detail about horcruxes and I was wondering how anyone who hadn't read the book could be able to understand the movie. Anyway, the revelation that Voldemort has split his soul into several pieces is absolutely terrifying and interesting at the same time. 

And then, of course, we have one of the saddest deaths in the entire series. What really got me more than the actual death was the other characters' reactions to his death. Hagrid's false sense of hope was the one that I think really got to me. It's just the most definitive statement that Harry has to do this himself. He's been depending on Dumbledore to lead the way, but now it's all on Harry.

I know I haven't really said a lot about this book, but I honestly don't know what else to say about it but that I love it. I LOVE IT.

So, let's talk rating. Easy 5/5 stars. So great. Wonderful.

Favorite Quotes

Page 51: Uncle Vernon shouted, "Will you get these ruddy things off us?"
Harry looked around; all three of the Dursleys were cowering with their arms over their head as their glasses bounced up and down on their skulls, their contents flying everywhere.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Dumblefore politely, and he raised his wand again. All three glasses vanished. "But it would have been better manners to drink it, you know."

Page 55: "You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you."

Page 116: Set against the dull, poster-muffled shop fronts around them, Fred and George's windows hit the eye like a firework display.
.........
The right-hand window was covered with a gigantic poster, purple like those of the Ministry, but emblazoned with flashing yellow letters: 
WHY ARE YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOU-KNOW-WHO?
YOU SHOULD BE WORRYING ABOUT U-NO-POO
THE CONSTIPATION SENSATION THAT'S 
GRIPPING THE NATION
Harry started to laugh. He heard a weak sort of moan beside him and looked around to see Mrs. Weasley gazing, dumbfounded, at the poster. Her lips moved silently, mouthing the name "U-No-Poo."
"They'll be murdered in their beds!" she whispered.

Page 120: "Harry, you help yourself to anything you want, all right? No charge."
"I can't do that!" said Harry, who had already pulled out his money bag to pay for the Decoy Detonators.
"You don't pay here," said Fred firmly, waving away Harry's gold.
"But-"
"You gave us our start-up loan, we haven't forgotten," said George sternly. "Take whatever you like, and just remember to tell people where you got it, if they ask."

Page 180: "Do you remember me telling you we are practicing nonverbal spells, Potter?"
"Yes" said Harry stiffly.
"Yes, sir."
"there's no need to call me 'sir,' Professor."

Page 282: "We're allowed to bring guests," said Hermione, who for some reason had turned a bright, boiling scarlet," and I was going to ask you to come, but if you think it's that stupid, then I won't bother!
.........
"You were going to ask me?" asked Ron, in a completely different voice.
"Yes," said Hermione angrily."But obviously if you'd rather I hooked up with McLaggen..."
There was a puse while Harry continued to pound the resilient pod with a trowel.
"No, I wouldn't," said Ron, in a very quiet voice.

Page 298: "Ginny, where're you going?" yelled Harry, who had found himself trapped in the midst of a mass midair hug with the rest of the team, but 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 wood under which Zacharias was feebly stirring; Harry heard Ginny saying blithely to an irate Professor McGonagall," Forgot to brake, Professor, sorry."

Page 326: Ron turned a little pink, but did not look displeased as he turned back to the sprouts. "Mind your own business."
"What a snappy retort," said Fred. "I really don't know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was... how did it happen?"
"What d'you mean?"
"Did she have an accident or something?"
"What?"
"Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage? Careful, now!"
Mrs. Weasley entered the room just in time to see Ron throw the sprout knife at Fred, who had turned it into a paper airplane with one lazy flick of his wand.

Page 335: "But you are normal!" said Harry fiercely. "You've just got a-a problem-" 
Lupin burst out laughing. "Sometimes you remind me a lot of James. He called it my 'furry little problem' in company. Many people were under the impression that I owned a badly behaved rabbit."

Page 357: "he accused me of being 'Dumbledore's man through and through."
"How very rude of him."
"I told him I was."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. Behind Harry, Fawkes the phoenix let out a low, soft, musical cry. To Harry's intense embarrassment, he suddenly realized that Dumbledore's bright blue eyes looked rather watery, and stared hastily at his own knees. When Dumbledore spoke, however, his voice was quite steady.
"I am very touched, Harry."

Page 385: Harry spun on the spot, lost balance, and nearly fell over. He was not the only one. The whole Hall was suddenly full of staggering people; Neville was flat on his back; Ernie Macmillan, on the other hand, had done a kind of pirouetting leap into his hoop and looked momentarily thrilled, until he caught sight of Dean Thomas roaring with laughter at him.

Page 402: "Er-my-nee," croaked Ron unexpectedly from between them.

Page 449: "I love you, Hermione," said Ron, sinking back in his chair, rubbing his eyes wearily. Hermione turned faintly pink, but merely said, "Don't let Lavender hear you saying that."

Page 459: "Er- well- ghosts are transparent-" he said.
"Oh, very good," interrupted Snape, his lip curling. "Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. 'Ghosts are transparent.'"
.........
"Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we're trying to tell them apart!" said Ron. "When we come face-to-face with one down a dark alley, we're going to be having a shufti  to see if it's solid, aren't we, we're not going to be asking, 'Excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?'"
There was a ripple of laughter, instantly quelled by the look Snape gave the class.
"Another ten points from Gryffindor,' said Snape. "I would expect nothing more sophisticated from you, Ronald Weasley, the boy so solid he cannot Apparate half an inch across the room."

Page 578: "I am not worried, Harry," said Dumbledore, his voice a little stronger despite the freezing water. "I am with you."


So, there you go, that's all for this summer reading post! I hope you enjoyed it, because I definitely enjoyed making it. I could talk about Harry Potter ceaselessly for the rest of my life and never get bored. If you have questions, ask in the comments! As you can tell, I'm a bit behind again (what a big surprise) but I'll be getting the rest of the posts out ASAP!

I've also created a Facebook page for my blog, so if you want to check that out and like it, you can click HERE. I'll try to keep that pretty up-to-date with new posts and such.

Thanks for reading! If you like my posts, don't forget to subscribe/follow, since it lets me know that you're enjoying what I'm doing. See y'all in a few days!