Harry Potter Reread: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

I'm still super behind on my reread, but I finally finished Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I wasn't really looking forward to reading this one because of what happens. But in case you have no idea what I'm talking about, you can find the post explaining the reread here. I will also let you know that there will very likely be spoilers, so if you haven't read (or even seen) Half Blood Prince and don't want things ruined, leave now. But if you don't care about spoilers, or just forget what the book's about, here's the synopsis.

It is the middle of the summer, but there is an unseasonal mist pressing against the windowpanes. Harry Potter is waiting nervously in his bedroom at the Dursleys' house in Privet Drive for a visit from Professor Dumbledore himself. One of the last times he saw the Headmaster was in a fierce one-to-one duel with Lord Voldemort, and Harry can't quite believe that Professor Dumbledore will actually appear at the Dursleys' of all places. Why is the Professor coming to visit him now? What is it that cannot wait until Harry returns to Hogwarts in a few weeks' time? Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts has already got off to an unusual start, as the worlds of Muggle and magic start to intertwine...
J.K. Rowling charts Harry Potter's latest adventures in his sixth year at Hogwarts with consummate skill and in breathtaking fashion.

 Like I said, I wasn't super excited to read this one. I just couldn't seem to look past Dumbledore's death. Rereading it though, I realized we learn a lot about Voldemort and his past and what Harry needs to do. I like that Dumbledore gives Harry permission to tell Ron and Hermione what they learn in their "lessons". It shows that he trusts them and that they really do help Harry.

It sucks when Ron and Hermione are mad at each other because of Lavender. It just makes you want to shake some sense into them and tell them to hurry up and get together. I do however love the part where Harry and Ginny finally get together. Though on a side note, it's sad because I realized Harry didn't get to play in what would be the last Quidditch game for him at Hogwarts.

When you first read this book, Snape killing Dumbledore after he says "Severus, please" is absolutely heartbreaking and you hate Snape and think how could Dumbledore have ever trusted him?, he's evil, etc. But rereading it, and thinking about it, you realize Voldemort sent Malfoy to kill him. He didn't want Malfoy to become a murderer at 16. He was dying anyways. And as a Legilimens, Dumbledore was expressing all of this to Snape while he was standing there. His "Severus, please" was "please kill me so it doesn't have to be Malfoy". Which in itself is another level of heartbreaking.

It's sad that Bill gets attacked by Fenrir, but it makes me a little happier knowing that made Lupin realize that he and Tonks should be together.

The end just makes me really sad, when Harry says goodbye and breaks up with Ginny (even though "it's for some stupid noble reason isn't it?" is kind of funny) and when Ron and Hermione decide to go with him and not go back to Hogwarts. It really show just how good friends they are and how much they want to help Harry.

Overall this is just a super depressing book, probably #2 most depressing in the series (I think Deathly Hallows wins that). But it is an interesting one. You get to learn so much and see all the little details that have been woven in coming together.

This review is very late, but better late than never. So, stay tuned for the final reread (hopefully before the end of this month...) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.