Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I’d been counting down the days to the release of this sixth book in the Harry Potter series, immersing myself in fan sites discussing the possible identities of the half-blood Prince, the barman in the Hog’s Head and the person “close to Harry” who was supposed to die. With Hogwarts Headmaster Aldus Dumbledore’s help, Harry learns about the family of the evil Voldemort (who killed his parents), why love is meaningless for him and the secret that explains his seeming immortality. I had forgotten about the impending death until it occurred at the trademark Harry Potter climax ending. Once I’d finished the book and it had sunk in, I screamed, “Why did she do that!? I’ve never reacted like that to any book or to the death of any character. Rowling has created characters we have grown to love, and it hurts to have one wrenched away. This second-to-last book in the series wasn’t my favorite, but it is in third place for now.