Summer at Hogwarts - Order of the Phoenix

Hello fellow Summer term students. We've officially transitioned from the innocent boy who lived to a full on war with the final pages of Order of the Phoenix. 

I have a few very vivid memories of the first time I read these books. One is when I first picked up Sorcerers Stone fell in love with the first chapter on my bed when I was 12. Another very vivid memory is reading Order right after it came out at my brothers Little League game and having Sirius die right somewhere in the 7th inning and not wanting to finish the book at the game. This, of course isn't important to anyone but myself but it speaks to something more within the series in that these books create memories. Great memories of reading for hours and loving every second of it. 

I mention this because I'm not a huge fan of Order. I enjoyed it the first few times I read it, being around the age Harry is in the book and understanding his teenage angst. However the past few times I've sat down with Order of the Phoenix I've had a hard time getting over Harry's self absorbed, misdirected anger. This time was no different and I found I was gritting my teeth at every mini outburst, as well as cringing whenever Umbridge was present. Of course, this is Umbridge's purpose. If we didn't all hate her she'd have done nothing for the story. In some ways I hate her more that I ever have hated Voldemort. There is something in Voldy that can be pitied but Umbridge is just so uppity and pretentious.  

Overall I was most surprised with all the little things that Order has to offer. Ron playing Quidditch, Fred and George being Fred and George, Kretcher, Neville growing up, and some of the first looks at the Pensieve stand out as some of my favorite things. 

I'm really looking forward to Half Blood Prince, as it is consistently one of my favorites.