Finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the night of August 22 and as I have said, it resolved some questions and created new ones.
Its one of the saddest book that I have read, owing to the fact that I have been with Harry since Year 1. I have been involved to most of his challenges as an underage wizard to his battles with Voldermort and the ones who ridicule him.
But although sad, there are a lot of kigil moments on the book, particularly Harry's struggle on wanting to court Ginny vs. Ron being his friend, and the most kakigil daw, although very short compared to Harry and Cho's courting, was when Harry kissed Ginny in the common room after they won a Quidditch match.
Reading this part made me reminisce of my high school and college days. It will be years before I will have a girlfriend, my one and only Love, and I've experienced a lot of heartbreaks in between. And reading the Harry-Ginny scene made me feel that I have missed a lot during my high school and college days, what those things are, I don't know, but it feels like there is a hole on my being somehow.
Some of my notes while reading the book:
8/16/2008
Started reading a few days ago and here are some of the mysteries that needs to be unraveled:
Who is the half-blood prince?
How and why did Dumbledore injured his hands?
What is Draco's mission and what was he doing in Knockturn Alley?
One funny scene that I have encountered was when Dumblebore himself went to Privet Drive to fetch Harry and bring him to the Burrow. The funny scene there was when Dumbledore brought our a wine bottle and some glasses and offered wine to everybody, even to the three Durley's while they were seated on a sofa. What's very unusually about this was that the wine glasses were hovering above the heads of the Durleys, bumping on their heads persistently because they did not want to take the drinks.
Even a few chapters before Siver and Opals, Harry is already noticing Ginny. There was a mention of a pleasant aroma that Harry smelled when Ginny appeared while they were eating on the Gryffindor table, same aroma that he had smelled while in Slughorns class and they were near a love potion. Is there a deeper meaning to this?
8/17/2008
I am on the Felix Felicis chapter and it seems that I am finally seeing the eventual love matching of the characters. While on Herbology, Hermione was mentioning the upcoming Slug Club party. As usual, Ron reacted negatively saying that why doesn't she try hooking up with McLaggen, they could be King and Queen Slug. When Hermione mentioned that they are allowed to bring guest and that he was thinking of inviting Ron, being seated with them became uncomfortable for Harry as he is seeing how Hermione is turning red into admitting that she was planning to invite Ron, and Ron's meek reaction when confronted with the admission.
Harry contemplated on what will happen to him in the event that Ron and Hermione will become lovers. What if they broke up, will it be like what happened to Harry and Cho, not even able to look each other. But what if they did not broke up, will it mean that Harry will be the odd man out?
Harry also cannot understand his feelings when he saw Dean and Ginny kissing, is it something of significance, of importance?
8/18/2008
Why the change in Tonks personality? She became suddenly very serious from being funny on HP and the OP.
I like the exchange between Harry and Scrimgeour while he cornered Harry when he was at the Burrows.
Scrimgeour came with Percy to the Burrow while the Weasleys including Harry and Fleur were having a Christmas morning breakfast, with pretense that Percy wanted badly to visit the Weasleys. S had taken Harry to the garden and while viewing a gnome trying to extricate a worm from a rhododendron.
What Scrimgeour basically wants is to show that Harry is working side by side with the Ministry, and Harry's reply was that he does not want to be used.
Their exchange was very icy and involving, that I am finding myself cheering for Harry and hating the Minister more.
8/21/2008
I had some things clarified last night while reading, like the missing memory of Slughorn while with Tom Riddle, what happened to Dumbledore's hand, the real feelings of Harry towards Ginny, how does Malfoy disappear not showing even on the Marauder's Map, and what are Horcruxes and why is it important for Harry to know them in his battle with Voldermort.
Still haven't had an inkling on who the Half-Blood prince is, although from the looks of it, he uses Dark Magic as evidence by the Sectumsempra that Harry used on Malfoy during their duel in the bathroom.
And what was Draco doing, what was his mission, what did he do in the Room of Requirement?
Why is Tonks so messed up, was she in love with Sirius?
8/22/2008
I am a few page shy in finishing HBP, Dumbledore is dead, betrayed by Snape, and most of them are now in the hospital wing, Bill being cared for since he was attacked and bitten by the werewolf Greyback, the others were on separate beds, resting.
It is becoming clear why Tonks was in such a gloomy mood. It was not Sirius that she's mourning but a love that is unrequitted by Lupin. I am still on the part were Fleur snatch the ointment from Mrs. Weasley and applying it to Bill.
Some questions answered, more questions introduced:
It was Malfoy who tried to sneak in the cursed jewel that made Katie sick and the posioned mead that Ron drank. He put Rosmerta under the Imperius curse to be able to achieve this. He was also able to fix the Vanishing cabinet that the Death Eaters used to enter Hogwarts.
Who was R.A.B from the letter that Harry got on the locket that Harry and Dumbledore got from a cabe, that was obviously not Voldemort's Horcrux. The letter was actually intended for Voldemort, and it said he might be dead when Voldemort reads it but he found the true Horcrux, and when Voldemort meets his match, he might be mortal again.
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