I'm a fan of the Harry Potter series, let me say that at the outset. 
 Those perspicacious and persevering review police among you will note I changed my rating of HPDH from 5 to 4. 
 This happened after a dangerously near-death overdose of LOTR dvds, and subsequent (why-oh-why can I not accept the movie as it is without having to go back afterwards and bury myself in the book?!?!) bleary-eyed-and-blinking-through of how many squillion pages of Tolkien's prose, whereby I'm forced to admit: 
 there are too many similiarities between LOTR and HPDH (and to be honest, much of the whole of the HP series) for me to ignore any longer. 
 Gandalf flying from Saruman's Tower on the back of the eagle = Sirius flying from the Tower on the back of Buckbeak; 
 The ring (oh the weight of it) = the locket growing heavier and influencing its wearer; and 
 Gollum = Scabbers, Gandalf = Dumbledore, Frodo = Harry (they even look the same in the movies!). 
 I won't bore you with the rest, nor comparisons to the Le Morte d'Arthur. 
 But is HPDH still worth reading? Is it still entertaining? Will I return to immerse myself Harry's world? 
 You betcha.