The Half Blood Prince & I
Bought book. Stared at book for a while, dreading what new canon and plot direction it might contain. Read book. Shocked self by loving book.
R.A.B.? It's got to be Regulus Black, particularly as he's mentioned in the opening chapters of the book. The DE who turned, with no reason given - got to be.
I really enjoyed all the awkward romance in the book. I know everyone else seems to hate it, but I thought it was fairly (and sadly for myself, realistically) well done. Ron/Hermione made more progress in the book than I expected. (My own personal view was that if they had got it together before Book Seven, one of them was going to die a 'noble' death)
Remus/Tonks came out of nowhere, though. He's fairly working his way through the Blacks! All this romance must have come about after the Battle at the Dept. of Mysteries, 'cause it sure as hell never happened before then. I can accept it has happening, after all, he's a widower now. I so expected Tonks and Charlie Weasley to be the adorable, dragon-taming couple.
I was completely wrong about who the half-blood prince was. Oops.
I was right about Bill and Fleur. Wah-Hey!
I also never contemplated the whole Horcrux option of Easy Yet Immoral Ways To Immortality. [mind slightly boggles at Geothesque turn]
Filch is still around, and bugging me. Why is a Squib at Hogwarts? Why!??
I can see how this storyline would have fitted into CoS. As I was reading it, I really thought Slughorn was a re-invigorated Lockhart.
I just loved Harry and Dumbledore in this, compared to my dislike of both characters in OoTP. The sap in me just loved Harry's loyalty to Dumbledore throughout, especially at the end. He certainly redeemed himself from OoTP, even with his claim that he's going to drop out and drag his two friend with him. And frailty suited Dumbledore; made him more accessible.
Certainly, the fact that I was sort of dreading the book would have made me enjoy it more. Lower expectations and all that. Overall, the plot and the characters moved along nicely, gearing me up for the final book. Nicely done.
R.A.B.? It's got to be Regulus Black, particularly as he's mentioned in the opening chapters of the book. The DE who turned, with no reason given - got to be.
I really enjoyed all the awkward romance in the book. I know everyone else seems to hate it, but I thought it was fairly (and sadly for myself, realistically) well done. Ron/Hermione made more progress in the book than I expected. (My own personal view was that if they had got it together before Book Seven, one of them was going to die a 'noble' death)
Remus/Tonks came out of nowhere, though. He's fairly working his way through the Blacks! All this romance must have come about after the Battle at the Dept. of Mysteries, 'cause it sure as hell never happened before then. I can accept it has happening, after all, he's a widower now. I so expected Tonks and Charlie Weasley to be the adorable, dragon-taming couple.
I was completely wrong about who the half-blood prince was. Oops.
I was right about Bill and Fleur. Wah-Hey!
I also never contemplated the whole Horcrux option of Easy Yet Immoral Ways To Immortality. [mind slightly boggles at Geothesque turn]
Filch is still around, and bugging me. Why is a Squib at Hogwarts? Why!??
I can see how this storyline would have fitted into CoS. As I was reading it, I really thought Slughorn was a re-invigorated Lockhart.
I just loved Harry and Dumbledore in this, compared to my dislike of both characters in OoTP. The sap in me just loved Harry's loyalty to Dumbledore throughout, especially at the end. He certainly redeemed himself from OoTP, even with his claim that he's going to drop out and drag his two friend with him. And frailty suited Dumbledore; made him more accessible.
Certainly, the fact that I was sort of dreading the book would have made me enjoy it more. Lower expectations and all that. Overall, the plot and the characters moved along nicely, gearing me up for the final book. Nicely done.