Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Wow! Harry Potter books, you keep getting longer and longer. I'm not sure if I can handle you!! I'm a slow detailed reader so these books are taking me forever to read. 

I just finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  It took me so long to read that the person I borrowed it from didn't even know it was theirs when I returned it.  That's pretty bad but oh well...I conquered it. All 870 pages! 

On to the good stuff... 

• Fave Scene: During Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the Minister of Magic appoints a new teacher at Hogwart's. Even just appointing her interferes more with the school than the Ministry is supposed to. Not to mention she's a terrible woman. Once the Weasley twins, Ron's older mischievous brothers, have had enough of her they plan a trick that causes a real boom in the halls of Hogwart's.

• Fave Character: Neville Longbottom, a boy in the same year as Harry and his friends, started to become one of the gang in this book.  Neville takes pitiful to a new level, he preforms terribly in all of his lessons, he hides in fear of Professor Snape, and perpetually receives a beating from Malfoy and his gang.  In this book, Neville comes face to face with the witch who sent his parents to the insane ward of the wizard hospital.  He meets her when Harry and the gang find themselves in a trap full of dark wizards, Neville fights for Harry the entire time despite a bloodied broken nose.  Neville never knows his spells correctly but he tries so bloody hard.  I love that he shows loyalty to his parents and courage for his friends even though he knows his own skills are against him.

Image found at coolspotters

• Fave Magical Creature: Thestrals! These magical flying horse-like creatures have been in every book so far but are just now being mentioned.  It's the first time some of the characters have the right eyes to see them.  That's all I'll say about these mysterious creatures except that I love how Rowling carried their story from the first book to this one without us even knowing they existed until now.  The Thestrals came into the story line more in HP:5 to help in a time of crisis in such a creative way. 

• J.K. Rowling = literary genius