Harry Potter Readalong, Order of the Phoenix IV: "When you say 'Sirius,' are you talking about Stubby Boardman?"

Let's get one thing clear right from the start on this. McGonagall gets hit by four Stunning spells to the chest. They bring her inside. Do you go back to the common room and say "She's not exactly young, is she?"

FUCK NO. You RUN YOUR ASS DOWN TO THE INFIRMARY and you pound on the door WHILE SOBBING and you find the fuck out whether she is alive and what you can do and how you can help if at all but WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU EVERY STUDENT IN GRYFFINDOR EXCEPT MAYBE LAVENDER THIS IS REALLY THE FIRST TIME I'VE LIKED YOU. DAMNIT GRYFFINDOR.

 

 Ginny. Luna. Neville. Good Lord, I love them.

"Ginny?" Harry asked fearfully. "What happened?"

But Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle.

"Anyway, one of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face, but..." 

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" roared Neville, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised. "DON'D GIB ID DO DEM, HARRY!"

 I love this book. I love it a ton, and I'm glad at least some have grown to dislike it less when it's read more closely. Yes, Harry's annoying in it. Yes, it's understandable when you pause two seconds and think about it. Neville's parents, the twins' exit, Umbridge, Luna Lovegood, Amelia Bones and her corporeal Patronus line, Bellatrix Lestrange fighting, Snape's memories, Dumbledore's Army, Madam Puddifoot's teashop, Harry's interview with Rita Skeeter, Dumbledore's exit, any interaction McGonagall has with Umbridge, THERE IS SO MUCH IN THIS BOOK THAT IS THE BEST.

And I will admit it. This readalong made me cry when Sirius showed up at the Department of Mysteries, which has never ever happened before. Because he left 12 Grimmauld Place the second he heard that Harry was in danger. And that makes me like him the tiniest bit. So, good job, readalong.

I want Neville to marry Ginny. And Harry to maybe marry no one. And I want there to be more Harry Potter books because while we might critique parts of them and have logic issues with minutiae, we are spending SIX. MONTHS. re-reading them, and I will do that for NOTHING else on this planet. J.K. Rowling's writing came into this world over 15 years ago, which is a ridiculously short amount of time considering how beloved she is around the entire world. Harry Potter is lovely and wonderful and brings people together and I am so very grateful it exists.