Genre: Fantasy
Series: Harry Potter #6
Page Count: 652
Publication Year: 2005
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Summary: Harry walks the memories of others and uncovers secrets.
I did not like the movie when I first saw it. Then I forgot the book and this movie became my second favorite of the series. Now I remember why the book’s so much better.
There’s not a lot of action in this one but it still clipped right along and gave me plenty of personal and quiet moments to chew on. It’s the classic calm before the storm and it’s done well.
The first chapters are not from Harry’s perspective, but they’re still interesting and add some realism. I do wonder why Snape lives in a veritable hovel though. Surely he can afford a decent couch.
Speaking of horrible living conditions…Harry picks up the narration at the Dursleys, where he’s waiting for Dumbledore’s arrival. The best part about Dumbledore’s interaction with the Dursleys—aside from his unflappable demeanor—is his proclamation that Dudley has been mistreated more than Harry, which is something I hope is referenced in the last book.
Once Harry returns to school there isn’t much in the way of classes. It’s more about his meetings with Dumbledore, spying on Malfoy, new and evolving relationships, and Quidditch.
Voldemort gets a lot of backstory and one thing they mention is all the inbreeding his ancestors did to keep themselves “pure.” And now I can’t get the thought out of my head of him being crazy and unstable because of the inbreeding, and that almost makes me pity him.
I think Harry’s obsession with Malfoy is realistic. When there’s someone you dislike/mistrust, everything they do is suspicious, and it turns out he was right. But it is annoying that Hermione and Ron ignore and dismiss everything. Those three have been friends for years; you’d think they’d give Harry the benefit of the doubt. And his hatred of Snape, which only has Dumbledore’s word to gainsay it, is understandable. The guy’s done nothing but hate on Harry (he did give a backhanded compliment by saying Gryffindor would lose Quidditch because Harry wasn’t there). But Snape’s a jerk and I’m not sure his last minute redemption’s gonna cut it for me.
What I don’t get is Harry’s sudden love for Ginny. There are a couple vague hints that he likes her but then it’s just full-on googly eyes. I heard a theory that she slipped him a love potion and I could definitely see that being true. But on the other hand, she said in the last book that her obsession with Harry was over, so it doesn’t really make sense why she’d change now. What would make her more likable to me is if I saw why “she was too popular for her own good” and heard her jokes. She’s never made it out of the background enough for me to get to know her, for good or ill.
I don’t really get Ron and Hermione’s romance either. Not only is there a disparity in magical skills, but they always seem at odds or are recently reconciled; it’s hardly endearing.
I’m always surprised that I’m never bored when Quidditch comes to the forefront. Normally I don’t care a fig about sports (with the possible exception of the Olympics) so I appreciate not being indifferent about it.
This ending has an intense fight, misery over Dumbledore’s death, his funeral, and Harry’s grim determination to continue his quest. The movie doesn’t capture any of that and it’s such a shame.
I’ve mentioned the series’ theme of injustice and I have to say that Dumbledore being weakened because of a fake Horcrux—and his subsequent death—is pretty harsh. Harry losing his wise mentor like that is so unfair. Poor kid.
My biggest question concerns the potions book. Hermione has been at the top of the class the entire time so if she’s found success in the official potions books all these years, how come she’s suddenly failing? But more importantly, if Snape’s so good at altering recipes, why doesn’t he publish his own book? Or why has no one bothered to update the recipes? Unless these books are intentionally misleading, I don’t see why Hermione doesn’t also succeed.
A problem with books that have magic that can do almost anything is that magic could/should solve most problems. For example, when Harry wants to eavesdrop on Malfoy on the train, was there really no other way to hear his words? There’s no magical equivalent of a bug or some listening spell? I understand wanting to be direct and not messing around with loads of planning, but they’re wizards! Use magic! Or during the finale, when Harry can’t move, why doesn’t he try to do a spell without speaking, as they’ve been learning this year? Surely not every spell requires you to wave your wand around. Actually, when Harry suggests using magic to summon the Horcrux across the lake, I thought that was surprisingly smart. But goodness knows there are plenty of other times when magic could’ve been used and it’s not. I’m not surprised Rowling doesn’t fully use the magic, I’m just a little disappointed.
The dialogue and description are still good. I noticed a few words that are above the average kid’s vocabulary and that just shows how the books aged with the original audience, which is a nice touch.
Overall, it’s a fun ride. To the last book!
Check out my rating here.
Read my HP reviews from the beginning or check out how salty I am about the last book.