Harry Potter Series, Book 6Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

	Author:	J. K. Rowling
	Genre:	Children's Book Fantasy, Magic
	Publisher:	Scholastic
	Year Published:	2005

I reserved the Half Blood Prince (HBP) at National Book Store months ago. It was available on the 16th but since I was lazy to go out this weekend, I only got my copy last Monday, 18th. I paid something below PHP800 and got a PHP100 certificate as well. Not sure if the book price went down or I got a discount for being a "Laking National" cardholder and paying PHP500 in advance to reserve the book. I wouldn't be reading it at once if my computer hadn't conked out. I'm thankful I had a book to read or else I'd be having SIMS2 withdrawal symptoms.

Last Monday, my friend texted to me that:

• it was an easier read than Order of the Phoenix (OOP)
  
• she wasn't too devastated by the love teams ... she's with the Harry/Hermione ship, so that's a clue
  
• along with OOP, this isn't one of her favorites

OOP wasn't my favorite because Harry was an angry person for the most part of it, and it annoyed me that Goblet of Fire (GoF) didn't end with the kind of Harry I saw in the first chapter of OOP. There was no consistency. Now that I've finished HBP, I still think that emotion-wise, OOP's Harry is a bit out of place compared to the Harries in the other series.

My friend was right in saying that it is easier to read HBP compared to OOP. As I read the first chapter, I was delighted that the cadence in HBP is the same as in the first four books. When I got to the Spinner's End chapter though, I had to laugh. The theme was something out of fan fiction.

It's a fact that J.K. Rowling visits sites dedicated to Harry Potter. I am not sure though if she includes fan fiction in her prowling of the web. Either she has read too much fan fiction that it influenced her, or she hasn't read fan fiction and rather, it is I who has read too much of it that the real thing sounds familiar. Anyway, I'm guessing Draco fans will have a feast with this book. Who knows, the bits of fan-fiction moments in this book are intended and is Rowling's tribute to her fans.

Little bits:

• I find it amusing that following the trend of no Defense Against the Dark Arts (DADA) professor lasting for more than a year in Hogwarts, Snape, who finally gets the post, does something that will not make it possible for him to return to Hogwarts in the near future
  
• Harry and Ginny do become a couple but break up in the end because it will be dangerous for Ginny to be linked with Harry ... I'm wondering how things will be in the last book. Ron and Hermione haven't become an item yet, but it's getting there. It's a strong ship. The book shoots down the Harry/Hermione ship, and if Harry hadn't broken up with Ginny, the Draco/Ginny ship would have sunk too.
  
• I think Dumbledore dying is a must if Harry must learn to stand by himself in the final battle. Dumbledore's been his security blanket for so long.
  
• Slughorn's taking over the helm of Slytherin has made it possible for Slytherins to look less notorious.

Another read and this book may actually become one of my favorites, along with Sorcerer's Stone and Prisoner of Azkaban.