mischief managed

OK.
Half-blood Prince.

It's my favourite book of the series, no doubt about that. It was the book in which such catastrophic and dark things happened that it brought my appreciation of Harry Potter to a new level. It made me feel things while reading, that I'd never felt before (i have never felt more hatred for a character i.e. Snape. It vindicated Draco in a way as well..even Harry acknowledged that he wouldn't have killed Dumbledore, cos his wand was already lowered. I'm telling you, Draco's a good person on the inside!). And it pushed my imagination, helped along by the wonderful delicious details that Rowling provides of place, time, reactions, everything.

Alright, so it's a lot more adult. The bits with the snogging (Lavender Brown, you annoy me so. "wonwon" was classic though. and you know what! i STILL felt uncomfortable about Ginny hooking up with Harry. It just doesn't work for me), and the hormones, my god the flying hormones. Haha, but it's only natural, this progression! It was so endearing..like watching your own best mates get burned by love, and aaw i felt as sorry for Hermione as I did while reading the book.

Harry, Ron and Hermione didn't get enough 3ofthem time though..that's my only bone to pick, really. The film didn't trace the deterioration and the subsequent re-energising of their friendship. Their rapport didn't come through. They're preparing for great tumult in the next 2 movies, and this didn't set up the united front properly.

This version of the pensieve is exactly what I imagined it to be like. And the cave from which Dumbledore and Harry retrieved the horcrux- it looked so familiar as well! From my imagination! haha

The kids who played young Voldemort gave me the creeps.

Yes, I recognise the bits that were left out. Some of my favourite chapters were gone! "Occlumency" for instance..and that whole episode where Harry goes into Snape's memories and sees him getting bullied by James Potter. Man I wish they'd film that scene. The entire portion about the House of Gaunt was missing as well..I was quite looking forward to seeing what Voldy's mum looked like- Merope, and Morfin..those vile creatures. They didn't explain why Snape's the half-blood prince either, oops. ok, BIG OOPS.

I'm glad they kept Felix Felicis in the plot. Well I guess they had to eh. But that is the one potion that has always stuck with me. Liquid Luck. I love the idea of it. That one potion right there encompasses all the magic that the Potterverse stands for, to me. Especially because Ron thought Harry had slipped him some before the quidditch match, and went on to perform spectacularly. Placebo effect hahhaha :D It makes you think no? what IS magic then? I'm not gonna pull a House and rationalise this. I just wished they actually made it look like molten gold like it was described, and not some clear liquid -_-

The Cave scene and Dumbledore's death were the hardest things to watch. It got me right where it hurt :( all the same emotions I had when I read HBP the first time round came back. It was exactly like how it was described in the books, so I'm grateful to David Yates for that.

That moment where the students and teachers pointed their wands to the sky was poignant enough. Including the funeral would've been overkill, though it was beautifully described in the book.

I think I liked it so much because the film managed to elicit the same reactions from me as I had when I read the book, and that is a measure of the success of a print-to-screen adaptation for me. I was contented with the film; not pleased, just contented. It was magic, in a largely subdued but effective way. Any moments of lightheartedness were shortlived, but I think that owes itself to the subject matter and the gravity of the events taking place. This is the calm before the storm, and you feel it alright.