"Yer a Wizard Harry!"

[Night Fury]

I also love the movies! One would come out every Christmas from when I was about 11 so my parents used to take me to see the movies at the cinema. I remember that my school teacher had initially read us Harry Potter in class (when I was about 7 or 8 so before the movies), and I loved it so much that I asked my parents for the books and they were like "harry potter? what's that? sounds silly to me!"

Well. Guess who was reading the books one by one as well that year? Yep. The two of them would also be sat reading them non-stop as well.

My mum always has been so proud that I always liked Snape. She still tells people now "Tara always knew that Snape was a good person you know because she knew that Dumbledore trusted him so he must have been good." I can't even remember that. I don't think I thought he was a good character but that he had a lot of secrets. And she got me a Snape's wand replica for my last birthday. I left it in the UK accidentally though and I wish I'd picked it up

[Electroshock Therapy]

Sorry to hear about your wand.

I don't think I ever guessed what would happen with Snape. But I'm glad he turned out to be complex.

[noxious.sunshine]

Of course I have!

Millions of times. I can finish book 7 in 2 days easily.

[Shorty]

Love. Finally finished reading the series last year after I abandoned it due to Harry's horrible attitude in Order of the Phoenix many years ago. It will probably be a while before I go through the series again. I marathon the films at several intervals throughout the year, and they are my go-to films for cueing sadness.

Psychotic took me to the Harry Potter studios in London last October on Halloween and it was the most magical thing of all time!

[Night Fury]

Took the sorting quiz on Pottermore again as I lost my old login details and I've now been sorted into Ravenclaw. I feel conflicted!

[Bubba]

God they're such a major snooze fest.

Don't your family all sleep in one room?!

*raucous laughter from the Slytherins*

I did recently buy a new set of all the books because i abused my old copies to death.

For a well-organised book, death is but the next great adventure

"STILL WAITING ON THAT WATER, HARRY!"

Sorry but Seamus tried to turn it into wine yesterday. He actually managed a weak tea before...

Have you read the books though Noxy?

A book is not something to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Words are not etched on the pages, to be perused by an invader. A book is is a complex and many-layered thing.

*Citation needed*

And she got me a Snape's wand replica for my last birthday. I left it in the UK accidentally though and I wish I'd picked it up

The wand chooses the country, Miss Fury. I think we can expect terrible things from you, Miss Fury. TERRIBLE yes... but terrible.

Sorry to hear about your wand.

Miss Fury's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Electroshock Therapy to the hospital wing in a matchbox.

I can finish book 7 in 2 days easily.

Don't read book seven, whatever you do!
Limericks forever you'll speak, it's true
Though it's better than book 4
which you'll read for evermore
Tricky when you're desperate for a pooh

I've now been sorted into Ravenclaw. I feel conflicted!

Yes, you were particularly difficult to place. But I stand by what I said last year: Your flatulence levels are off the chart.

[Freya]

etc etc


I read the first one to my niece a year ago or well part of it. But I need to read the whole series again soon. I am a bit of a potterhead.

[SquallsMist]

Love. Finally finished reading the series last year after I abandoned it due to Harry's horrible attitude in Order of the Phoenix many years ago.

I almost did the same. It was nice to realise that Rowling was just really good at writing about a bastard of a teenage boy (as all teenage boys are bastards, at some point).

[Electroshock Therapy]

To be fair, there was a big plot reason as to why he's angry and horrible all the time. I really like Order of the Phoenix despite (and probably because) it being so darn depressing! It was a real kick in the face after the relatively lighter books previously.

[noxious.sunshine]

Order of Phoenix wasn't nearly as depressing as Half Blood Prince.

I still cry reading it.

[Bubba]

Order of Phoenix wasn't nearly as depressing as Half Blood Prince.

I still cry reading it.

The Half-Blood Prince definitely has the saddest moment in all of the Harry Potter books.

Marcus Belby revealing to the Slug Club that he is not on speaking terms with his Uncle really tugs at the heartstrings.

[Electroshock Therapy]

Potential spoilers for newcomers, beware. I tried making details vague, but still. Just in case, read with caution.

I think Half-Blood Prince's ending was pretty "eh" in comparison. It's still sad, but after the shock of Cedric and Sirius, Half-Blood Prince was pretty predictable and formulaic. Draco's story had the most impact on me because that was actually developed.

But in Order of the Phoenix, Hogwarts turns into a dark and dreary place. Everything good is immediately squashed and made worse. Horrible things start happening but the world is stubbornly ignoring them to keep their imaginary utopia. Harry is angry and depressed all the time, with good reason. He is also in shock from the death of Cedric and it haunts him throughout the whole book. I mean, crap! Cedric's death has the most emotional impact on me because it really messes Harry up! And then the next closest person Harry has to family dies. And throughout all of this, Harry is shunned and hated by the whole wizarding world. It's the most lonely book of them all. Even though they were on the run in Deathly Hallows, at least the trio had friends to help them. In Order of the Phoenix, they barely had anyone on their side.

Compare that to Half-Blood Prince. All the worst stuff happens at the end. There are sprinklings of news of death and destruction, and there a few attempted assassinations in school, but Hogwarts is generally happier than the previous year. But yes, while the ending is tragic (even if predictable), Order of the Phoenix seems tragic throughout the whole book. It's one long book of depression that almost never lets up, and its ending does nothing to help it either. The last couple books are dark and violent, but I think Order of the Phoenix is the most adult book of them all.

[Shauna]

I think what gives OotP its truly dark feeling is because it's the turning point book. Although in GoF we have Cedric's death and the return of Voldemort, it's not all that dark overall. But OotP throws us in to, as you say, a dark and dreary Hogwarts. A place that's usually great and fun is not that at all. So there's a crazy shift between GoF and OotP.

The shift from OotP to HBP doesn't have that kind of whiplash transition. HBP is just continuing that trend, although it is significantly more light-hearted in its tone, despite it dealing with some particularly dark themes. It's also just a bridge book, which solely exists to pretty much set up DH, so maybe that has something to do with it.

[Electroshock Therapy]

I tend to have at least two Harry Potter dreams a month. Half of them include me trying to fly a broomstick. At first, I can do it. But the more I try, the less I can fly until I can't even leave the ground anymore. That kinda sucks. Oh well. I tend to enjoy those dreams anyway.

[Jinx]

Oh man, Harry Potter dreams are the best. I usually date one of the boys. :3