Day 13/14, 2,689 pages read

Had to do a blog for today and yesterday. I had no time to do one last night since I was a day behind and had to catch up and read well into the night. Order of the Phoenix has got to be my second favorite out of the series. It's really the first time we get to glimpse at a wizard duel, and it is the most exciting scene in the book when they are at the ministry.

There wasn't a lot that I remember from the book since I didn't write too many notes on this one because I just wanted to get it done, but I love the whole chapter where Dumbledore explains to Harry how he and Voldemort are connected. It ties a whole bunch of loose ends together, and it gives Harry a better idea of what he is going to have to do, but we see more of that in six.

Ron and Hermione Analysis:

Page 404, Hermione kisses Ron on the cheek, and he "touched the spot on his face where Hermione had kissed him, looking puzzled, as though he was not quite sure what had just happeneed." Well, uh, Ron, Hermione just KISSED you as she wished you good luck before your first quidditch match. She didn't kiss Harry on the cheek, just you. how difficult is that to understand?

RANT WARNING!!!!!!
Cho Chang, you are the epitome of a stupid, flirtatious, teenage girl. You're popular and pretty and you expect that to get you everywhere in life. You couldn't go to the meeting in the Hog's Head on your own, you had to bring a stupid friend along with you because you have to be surrounded by friends to feel good about yourself. I know your kind Cho Chang. Not everything is about you. Your date with Harry was even more annoying than the scenes with Lavender in six.
"I've been meaning to ask you for ages.... Did Cedric-did he m-m-mention me at all before he died?"
What do you think the world is Cho? Because it is not a fairytale. You think Cedric died some valiant death like a knight and yelled out your name as Voldemort killed him? What the hell is wrong with you girl?! You know how things work in the wizarding world. How else would Voldemort had killed him other than the killing curse, which you know kills someone instantly. Cedric didn't have time to even think about you before he died. What probably went through his mind was "Holy shit did that bundle just say to that man to 'kill the spare?'". His spirit that showed up to Harry in the priori incantatem didn't even mention you. He thought about his parents. Go ahead and cry some more. Oh, and Zach, when the book says that Harry got back to the common room half an hour later, he says that Cho kissed him and then cried on him, not that they made out for thirty minutes. Sheesh girl, pull yourself together. It isn't true when they say that women look more beautiful when they cry. YOU ANNOY ME!!!!!!!!

Let me apologize for that now. I understand if you skimmed over that. It was a lot Cho bashing. Onto the goods. Let me just say, FRED AND GEORGE WEASLEY YOU ARE SO AWESOME! I love the whole 'Career Advice' chapter, where the twins hand it to Umbridge. She deserved every last bit of it. It was probably the only time Jo shines a positive light on Peeves. I love imagining Peeves flying beside Umbride and blowing raspberries whenever she talked. Jo was always a brilliant writer, but I love her style of comedic revenge. Also dealing with Umbridge, it makes me smile and laugh heartily whenever I read the chapter where Harry's interview with Rita gets published. Sprout gives twenty points to Gryffindor, Flitwick gives him some candy, and Professor Trelawney, who hates Umbridge and has been subjected to her terrible cruelty, actually predicts that Harry won't in fact die a sudden horrific death, but live to a ripe old age, become Minster of Magic, and have twelve children. I laugh out loud at this every time.

Let me just say that working with children has showed me a lot about myself, and it shows me a lot about the characters of other people. When Umbridge grabs a hold of Marietta and vigorously shakes her, when the girl isn't saying what Umbridge wants her to say, that proved to me right there, that she was in fact a very horrible woman. She had done things before to make herself seem evil and terrible, but behaving violently like that with a teenager, it furthered my hatred for her. She later on tries to punish Fred and George with whips, but they, as I mentioned before, stuck it to her good. Once more she shows how truly vile and evil she is when she is about to use the Cruciatas Curse on Harry so that he will tell her what she wants to know. I wish that Jo made a scene where she dies at the hands of a half-breed, but then again I'd like to think that Kingsley just kicks her out of the ministry all together because she deserves to live a life without privilege.

So Sirius died...and I didn't cry. I really thought that I would this time, but in truth I have never once cried over Sirius, and for those who know me, I am a crybaby. I think seeing that memory of Snape's told me so much about Sirius' character, and I guess I wasn't that fond of him. I know that he says that he wished he hadn't had James do those things because he was bored, but I don't like bullies. Sirius is lovable, and he is just what Harry needed in his life, and I am thankful for him. I do miss his presence in the books, but something about his death never got me emotionally stirred. Not really sure why, but what can you do.

One time where I had a good cry in the book was the scene in St. Mungo's with Neville. I kept thinking about how bitter it must be to have parents, but not be able to tell them anything and get an answer back. Just the fact that he keeps his mother's gum wrappers because she gives them to him makes me tear up. Poor Neville deserves every bit of the heroic scene he gets in seven, and I have decided that Neville is now my favorite character in the books.

That concludes five for me, and now I am off to read almost half way into six tonight. I hope that I reach the bird scene with Ron and Hermione hehe. Cheers!