Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince

Neutral Review

Harry Potter is back and the plot gets thicker and darker. The story started with the meeting between the muggle's Prime Minister and Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic. It showed that the situation has gone for the worst since Voldemort began to rise and the Death-Eaters were more bolder than before. The sixth book as expected, became more mysterious and filled with suspicions from start to the end. Gone were the fun and the newfound fascinations of the world of wizardry.

There was, as expected the new substitute teacher for Defence Against Dark Arts - but he's not a new teacher. But then again, he did substitute for Remus Lupin for a period of time. The quidditch matches were getting lesser - though its fun to see how Harry managed to put up a good team since he was the new Gryffindor's quidditch captain.

As for the question of who is the half-blood prince, he is not Voldemort. Though when Harry found the scribbled and worn textbook of the Advanced Potion Making with notes of dangerous non-verbal spells, all I could think was "Oh please, not another Voldemort's enchanted book". Not forgetting relationships and the game of jealousy between Ron and Hermione which in my opinion they took too long to admit to each other that they do have feelings for each other. As for Harry, all I could say is good riddance on Harry's infatuation towards Cho Chang. The new relationship that he had was much more satisfying. With who? Read it yourself.

Through this book the transformation of Tom Riddle to Voldemort was described, on how the genius Riddle become so obsessed in finding greater power and turn for the worst. And of course on why no teacher has managed to teach the Defence Against Dark Arts for more than a year. The position was cursed.

Death. There were death involving someone very close to Harry and I'm not going to spoil the story for those who want but haven't read the book. It ends with Harry telling Ron and Hermione that he won't be coming back for the next year in Hogwarts. He's continuing his final mission to hunt the Dark Lord himself, by destroying Voldemort's horcruxes before the final confrontation. Harry Potter fans would know that its either Voldemort or Harry that is going to be dead.

Emotional Review

I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S DEAD!!!!!!

First its Sirius, then its him. Who else is going to be next? Harry? Please NO!!!!! (though it is rumoured that there is the possibility of Harry getting killed in the end). Seems everyone near Harry was getting killed in the process of hunting the evil sucker Voldemort. When I read the word 'Avada Kedavra' seems like instead of Harry, it was myself who was being casted the body binding spell on and could only look, again, someone so very dear to him getting killed.

So I cried, so I became emotional, so what? So I did the next thing that came to my mind, I called Edda. And yes, like me she is one of the fans. Her reading style, she skips the pages and head straight for the end. She told me that she looked at the page of the death in the train on her way back home and couldn't help but say "Alaaaa kenape mati!!!" out loud. And she was traveling alone. Knowing her for so long throughout secondary and matriculation, I know she did just that. We spent on the phone for near half an hour until duty calls (Yes, I have to work today for an exhibition and Edda works on Sunday). Though I don't know how wrong I could be but I do believe that the one who cast the Avada Kedavra was acting out his part in the mission even though it seems so darn cruel and unsuspected.

Harry have to give up everything for the final mission, and it is clear that his childhood has ended. Truth is he became much more serious on the pursuit of the Dark Lord since Sirius died. He's carrying much heavier burden than before with no one to trust. Ron and Hermione were too precious for Harry to involve them into, and so does his new girlfriend. I will wait with bated breath til the final book is out. Just hope that J.K. Rowling won't take too long to get it done like the interval between the Goblet of Fire and the Order of Phoenix. Its too torturing and mind killing.