Lovely Little Shelf

As I go through this re-read I keep getting more and more nervous about the things that I know are going to happen.  I know it sounds weird, but I’m experiencing more suspense this time through because I know what’s coming and it all just makes me cringe.  Knowing how this was all going to pan out made me a little reluctant to even get started, but I was glad I did.  Even with the sad stuff, there is a lot of good stuff that happens here too.  Here are some of the thoughts I had as I went through:

• I love the teenager-ness of this book.  Harry was impulsive and angry and moody and lovey and it was all just so… teenager of him.  I think that the angst here was real and well done.
• Finding out that Aunt Petunia has a little bit of a heart was kinda nice, huh?
• The Order.  Sirius’s house.  Mrs. Weasley trying to protect Harry from knowing what’s up.  I love how this book starts.  There are all these allusions to what is going on but the reader (and Harry) is kept completely in the dark.  I think that that led to a lot of the suspense in this book.
• Effing Fudge.
• Effing Umbridge.  She seriously makes my blood boil.  Grr.
• Snape teaching Harry how to block his mind, for whatever reason, was one of my favorite parts of this book.  I guess knowing how Snape turns out in the end and seeing him interact here with Harry is interesting.  I also felt genuinely sorry for him when Harry went in the Pensive, but I thought that it was an important scene.  Harry learning more about his dad and finding out that he was just as human as Harry made a big difference in Harry’s character I think.  Important lesson.
• My absolute favorite part of this book:  I frigging love Dumbledore’s Army and the little coins.  I even read it out loud to Shaun in the car because I was so excited.  Love. It.
• I also loved Fred and George and their swamp.  As you know, I have a thing for the Weasleys, and this scene just kind of made me beam.  Again, eff you Umbridge.
• I don’t even really want to talk about the scene with the Death Eaters.  Too sad.  I will say this: watching the kids (especially Neville) hold their own for awhile was pretty great.  Seeing Sirius die?  Too sad for words.  Stupid Beatrix LeStrange.  Stupid Voldemort.
• This is when we first find out that Harry will either destroy or be destroyed.  Just this prophesy and knowing that more death is coming, that this thing isn’t over is kind of gut wrenching.
• Come to think of it, that last whole bit with Dumbledore was kind of one of the more gut wrenching parts of the series.  I feel like at this point in the series, Dumbledore sees Harry as old enough to know what’s up but not really old enough to do much about it.  It puts him and Harry in kind of vulnerable positions.  His explanations and his admitting that he kind of screwed up were all kind of hard to read.
• The fact that the reason Harry is alive and blessed and where is his now is because of how much is mom loved him?  That makes this new mama weak at the knees.  Lily, I love you.

So that’s that.  On my first trip through Harry Potter, number six was my favorite.  I love the action and the plot and the whole bit… but I’m absolutely dreading reading it.  Dumbledore, I hope you make it this time.  Eek.