Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

We're in the homestretch now as the saga of Harry Potter and his predestined battle against Voldemort and his forces begins to manifest. However, compared to the predecessor novel, The Order of the Phoenix, which was intensely emotional and dark, The Half-Blood Prince is infinitely lighter (in both story and book size) and returns back to the crazy school days of stressful subjects, Quidditch, the ins and outs of young love, self-discovery and the early stages of real adulting. 

The Dark Lord has returned. Only after the Ministry of Magic witnessed Voldemort return the previous school year, do they realize that Harry Potter was in fact telling to the truth. To add to this madness a long held prophecy has been revealed that a 'chosen one,' will rise to end Voldemort. Many people believe that this 'chosen one,' is Harry himself. As for Harry who has once again suffered an irreplaceable loss, he has finally accepted who and what he is and prepares himself for Voldemort and their final battle. 

Until then...he still has school, sports, friends and foes keeping him busy. Dumbledore also tasks Harry with assisting him in finding the rest of Voldemort's horcruxes. To do so they must go back in time and watch Tom Riddle's descent into evil and madness. Harry believes that his rival, Draco Malfoy is also on his own descent into Voldemort's plan and Harry won't stand by and watch. With the help a special potions book whose owner is simply known as The Half-Blood Prince, Harry begins to dabble with dark magic that slowly begins to consume him and his mind. 

• I love how much simpler this story was and funny too!

• Humor and drama are both very balanced in this one. 

• It's a shame that Ginny and Harry's relationship was so rushed and that Ginny herself was severely underplayed.

• The flashback scenes about Riddle's life were really well done. 

• Tom Felton in this film was amazing!

• Narcissa Malfoy was the one character everyone was anxious to see. In the books she makes a brief appearance in the beginning of The Goblet of Fire, but wasn't shown in the movie. So there was a great deal of anticipation to how her character would be written. 

• Even though the movies really did Ron an injustice throughout the series, he really did shine in this one.

• Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was everything I had hoped it to be. Crazy, colorful, extra and all out fun. The art department really outdid themselves with that scene.

•  The burning of the Burrow which led to the duel with Fenrir Greyback is one of the most intense scenes in the whole series.

• While I've never been a big fan of Dumbledore, Dumbledore's Farewell will always be heartbreaking.

The Half-Blood Prince is really the calm before the storm or the Last Supper of sorts. Those last few minutes of normalcy and happiness before the cruelty and ugliness of war takes over. It's also Harry's final stages of preparation for his battle with Voldemort. For the last six years Hogwarts has not just been his education and home, it has been his training ground both as a student and a boy who must prepare himself to be a wizard and man before his graduation.