Badgers' Take on the Harry Potter Books
With the first issue of the Wizarding Times comes the usual Badgers' Take article. "What's the Badgers' Take article?" you might ask. The article aims to let the voices of Badgers be heard and for other HOLers to get to know them more. For our first issue, I asked the Huffies about the very reason we are here in this online community. The Harry Potter books. Here are my questions to them:
What is your favourite Harry Potter book? Why is it your favourite? Is it because of a quote in there? Or is it the plot? Tell me more about your choice....
And here are some of their replies.
Prof. Tarma Amelia Black, Professor: My favourite of the Harry Potter books are Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. (The words I use are correct, because I was only allowed to vote for one, but I have two, so it is a paradox sentence.) I voted for HP7 because while Book 1 promises a world of delight and joy and MAGIC and all is well finally for the little boy who grew up in a Muggle household, Books 2-6 show that the wizard world is just as screwed up as the Muggle world, and Book 7 sort of helps to tidy things up. And the little boy, who I really didn't like much in Books 2-6, finally grows up and accepts responsibility for his actions, and that of the world in which he has chosen to be, and does what he can to balance things out.
All that in addition to it just being a very, very good tale! It being the best tale of the series is also a reason I chose it.
Violeta Lost, Fifth Year: It's always been The Prisoner of Azkaban! Why? Because it was brilliant! It had lots of twists, many new things (like hippogriffs, Time-Turner, the Knight Bus, dementors), and too much information about Harry's past, about the Marauders. Also: Sirius Black and Remus Lupin!! For me, it was the one book that made the difference. It went from a children's book series to a darker kind. It was the beginning of a darker kind of movies too. I know we talk about the books, but I had to say about the movie also, as books and movies are linked in our HP minds.
Star Andromeda Black, Fourth Year: My favourite Harry Potter book is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. This was the first book where Sirius is introduced. I also like that Harry is learning more about his parents and their friends. We also learn a lot more about the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts. I love this book because of the plot. But I do have a favourite quote from the book: "Besides, the world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters. We've all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on. That's who we really are." ~Sirius Black. This is my favourite book, and it was also my favourite movie. It also helps that my favourite actor plays Sirius Black in the movie.
Patricia Cleary, First Year: I was just talking about this over on the main HOL Forum! But I love to talk about it and I also love polls, so here we go. Order of the Phoenix is my favourite for a huge variety of reasons, but to sum it up, its scope is the reason. It's the longest book — it covers so much ground, it introduces lots of new characters and concepts, it reflects the heightened fear of the era it was written and published in, I love the concept of Dumbledore's Army and students fighting back against substandard education.... I could go on forever, but I think the plot is the answer. There should be an emoticon like this one '8D' for a happy face with glasses, but I'll use this one* because I just love OotP that much.
* 
Lamia Brickley, First Year: I enjoyed the third book most. At least that book was my favourite when I was little. I'm currently reading the whole series again, because I have read every book just once and barely remember anything that is not or different in the films.... The third book, however, was awesome. Sirius Black appears, which is one of my favourite characters. The students are allowed to Hogsmeade, which is great. The Maurauder's Map is introduced. There are many twists and many new aspects introduced in this book.
William Heartbeak, First Year: The last book for me definitely. I am a person who wants to see a proper ending to any movie, TV series, or book, and Deathly Hallows gives me the ending that I think is appropriate and fitting. Also, the last book is the only book where the Trio does not spend the majority of their time in Hogwarts, which is refreshing. The fact that they actually wander out to hunt for the Horcruxes really shows that they have grown up and finally arrived at the test they have been wanted to take on.
Jay Black, First Year: Most definitely Prisoner of Azkaban, for a couple of reasons. Sirius and Remus are introduced, and they are my favourite characters in the series. I absolutely love the plot of this book. I love the grand reveal in the Shrieking Shack, Harry hasn't turned into the Angry Harry of Goblet of Fire (I'm sorry to say that I itch to give him a little slap at times in this book, although that gets less profound with rereads), and I love, love, love the Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons. Oh, and one of my favourite quotes of the entire series is the response when Snape tries to read the Marauder's Map. I laugh out loud every single time I read it. :D
All in all, Badgers seem to like the third book the most, with 57% of them voting for it. It looks like they enjoy the plot, the new characters and new information that the book offered. Next to the third book is the last book that told the ending to the loved series, and received 29% of the vote. Coming third place is the fifth book, chosen by 14% of the Badgers. While no one voted for the rest of the books, surely all of them hold a special place in our hearts. We love the journey and the story as a whole, after all. And those are the Badgers' takes on the Harry Potter books, exposed.