January 17, 2017: 2017 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge: Read a book that you've read before. At 17 discs, this is the longest audiobook I've ever listened to -- also evidenced by the 7 weeks it took me to finish (accelerated, finally, by a road trip)! It felt long, yet the barrage of information at the end was dizzying and brought many more threads together. As always, JKR is incredible at plotting. 
 Because of Jim Dale's stellar performance, I realized how many monologues there were in this book: Hagrid, Voldemort, Dumbledore, and even Barty Crouch all get to pour their hearts out and/or rally the troops with long speeches. 
 Two things were explained in this book that had always seemed illogical to me: Harry being left with the Dursleys instead of raised by any number of kindlier wizards (Dumbledore used an old magic to protect Harry from Voldemort if he was with his relations), and the use of candles and old-fashioned stuff at Hogwarts (really? you have magic but use torchlight? yes -- Muggle things like electricity do not work in Hogwarts, per Hermione. Honestly, haven't any of you read "Hogwarts: A History"?) 
 Voldemort rising again -- and the Ministry refusing to believe it -- is one of the biggest plot points in the series, opening a schism between the wizarding government and those who side with Harry and Dumbledore. Dumbledore's stance on trust, second chances, inclusion, and unity is clarified with many mentions, culminating in his impassioned plea to Fudge not to choose ignorance. The resonance with our current political split is enormous. 
 "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals." 
 "Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time." 
 "You are blinded (...) by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be!" 
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 July 9, 2007: It was slightly more of a struggle to finish this installment of Harry. It's not that I didn't like it; I just didn't feel that consuming need to KEEP READING like I have with the other books. I was very confused at the end of Book 3, but this one resolved some of it, and left me eager for Book 5...because yeah, holy smokes, I don't think I even breathed during [SPOILER ALERT] the climatic scene involving Harry and the return of You-Know-Who. Very scary stuff.