Shadow Wrought's Journal: Thoughts on the Half-Blood Prince *SPOILERS*

***SPOILERS FOLLOW***

I know Half-Blood Prince came out a awhile ago, but since some might still be starting on the series with the advent of Deathly Hallows, I felt the warning appropriate.

I've read all of the Harry Potter series, and have re-read each book with each new release since Goblet of Fire. Throughout the entire series I have never come across a section that I thought JK Rowling could have done a better job with until this morning. The first time through Half-Blood Prince I think you're so overwhelmed by Dumbledore's death that everything else tends to be forgotten.

This time around though I read the part of Harry and Dumbledore's time in the cave with greater care. Harry forcing Dumbledore to continue drinking the potion is incredibly powerful, but I really think that it should have inluded more of Harry's thoughts as he was forcing Dumbledore to drink. As it was, the entire thing is done with dialogue, and without any insight into Harry's thoughts.

Surely he must have been feeling something while forcing the potion into Dumbledore. Some sort of closed, numb duty; knowing that he had to hurt his mentor and guide to help him. It flows quickly, by design I'm sure, but I think Rowling could have made that scene even more powerful. I had to stop reading when the Dark Mark appeared, unfortunately, but will certainly finish the book tonight. Taking it at a slower pace this time around since I am already prepared for Dumbledore's death and don't need to push through to the end.

Perhaps Rowling's greatest talent as a writer is making you absolutely need to know what's going to happen next. That feeling when you're reading the books for the first time that you'll put it down after, "just one more chapter." As I think of it, that pull could have necessitated understating Harry's emotions in the cave, but I'd be surprised if she hadn't given it some thought.