Its Potter-mania again !

[Spoiler Alert - This blog reveals important parts of the Half-Blood Prince]

Well, then - its happened...

The first major death - as in really, really major death - in the Harry Potter series has happened ; and dear old Dumbledore is the one who's been bumped off by J.K.Rowling in her latest episode of what is turning out to be a wildly famous and popular chain of books.
I'm sure Rowling would not, in her wildest dreams, have imagined that the series would get to a point where the first TEN MILLION copies printed would be pre-sold before the launch date !!!!!

The world hasn't seen a literary phenomenon quite like this in a long, long time. Books come and books go, but the magical web weaved by the unruly-haired orphan wizard boy who grows to do battle with darkest wizard of all, has captured the imagination of young and old alike - transcending barriers of age, caste, society - you name it.


Back to the story - it picks up where we left off in the fifth novel, and grows progressively darker, with the magical community in a state of open warfare with Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Young Harry, though still at school, learns more and more about Voldemort's past, and delves deeper into the mesh that surrounds the ominous prophecy of book five, which marks him as the one destined to match and maybe, just maybe, vanquish Voldemort.

On this perilous journey, there are spells and jinxes to be learnt as usual, feminine adulation and love winding its way into his heart, changes in staff at school to be endured and wondered about, and as ever, the whispers of evil along the winding corridors of Hogwarts.

Indeed, the build-up to the climax is deftly spun by Rowling, with the last few chapters unfolding the horrific climax where the greasy-haired and ill-trusted Professor Snape apparently (mark my words - "apparently"), kills off Dumbledore with that foulest curse of all - Avada Kedavra. The world is rife with speculation today about the intentions of Snape, and whether he did it out of compulsion, or to hide his actual loyalty to Dumbledore by performing the greatest sacrifice, or whether he truly has become a turncoat and gone over to the evil side.

It is a tribute to Rowling's ingenuity and mastery of narration that, despite so treacherous an act of murder, committed openly, the world is still divided over the true nature of Snape - whether he is evil, or whether, as so many millions of hearts want to believe, he really does have a core of gold.

One does indeed wonder - what lies ahead for Harry Potter, now deprived of the last shield of protection against the Dark Lord ? What does Destiny hold in store for the young wizard who carries the onerous burden on his shoulders, of being the magical world's last hope against a deadly, remorseless foe ?

And what lies in store for literary records - which have been toppling over like nine-pins, under the relentless onslaught of kids, parents and adults at bookstores, lapping up the latest Harry Potter offerings faster than you can blink your eyes ?


Magic, indeed !