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On July 16th, 2005 millions of fans all settled down to enjoy the newest installment in J.K. Rowling’s best-selling series. Young and old followed with great anticipation the boy-wizard’s next and possibly best adventure yet in Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince. The sixth book in the series, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, picks up right where the previous novel, Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix, left off with our hero and his peers in the midst of a civil war of sorts amongst the wizarding community.

With this book many people (including myself) applauded Harry’s positive change of attitude. After suffering through hundreds of pages of moody, bitter, fifteen year-old Harry in Order of The Phoenix, book six brings back the Harry we all know and love; he’s just grown up a bit. Along with quidditch games (fans were happy to see Harry made captain of the Gryffindor team), house rivalries, daunting potions finals, and naturally, the occasional afternoon spent in detention, Harry had more on his mind than ever before. For the first time ever Harry begins to take private lessons from Dumbledore, the Hogwarts headmaster. Luckily for us Rowling uses this to answer many of the questions posed by earlier books.

These lessons aren’t what Harry first expects, however. As Harry begins to learn more and more about his nemesis Voldemort’s past, he comes to a realization, or you might call it a decision, that would determine the rest of Harry’s life.

“He understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew --- and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride,  and so did my parents --- that there was all the difference in the world,” writes Rowling.

His new found knowledge of Voldemort’s life sends Harry and Dumbledore on a quest that forces Harry to be stronger than he’s ever been. And thought it ends in tragedy--the death of someone very close to Harry--it is inspiring to notice the maturity with which Harry faces it all. In conparision with Harry’s reaction to the death of his godfather Sirius which occurred in Order of The Phoenix, Harry shows extraordinary courage and strength and understanding in this novel.

The essence of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, as well as the other Harry Potter novels, is the relationships of Harry and his friends. Half-Blood Prince makes the reader smile with delight to see Harry, Hermione, and Ron’s sacrifices, quibbles, support, arguments, and love for each other. This famous threesome grows even stronger over the course of this novel as the three of them begin to accept the times that they live in and struggle hold onto each other.

“We’ll be there, Harry,” said Ron.

“What?”

“At your aunt and uncle’s house,” said Ron. “And then we’ll go with you wherever you’re going.”

“No---“ said Harry quickly; he had not counted on this, he had meant them to understand that he was undertaking this most dangerous journey alone.

“You said to us once before,” said Hermione quietly, “that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We’ve had time, haven’t we?”

“We’re with you whatever happens,” said Ron.  

One of the most appealing qualities of all of J.K. Rowling’s books is her ability to create real, identifiable characters. Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince gives us strong characters and a compelling plot, qualities which any piece of good fiction will possess. Love, sacrifice, and bravery boldly characterize this novel, making Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince an inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable read.

 

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