I’ve now reread all of J. K. Rowling’s Harry Potter novels in preparation for the upcoming release of Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth book in the series and the longest. In this story, with the threat of Voldemort looming, Harry Potter continues his education at Hogwarts amongst friends Ron and Hermoine and encounters new characters including Luna Lovegood and Professor Umbridge.

Harry’s fifth year at Hogwarts turns out to be the most hellish yet. Not only does the fifth year find Harry confronted by the pressure of his upcoming O.W.L. examinations, but it also finds Hogwarts tightly monitored by the Ministry of Magic. Harry also has new romantic feelings and a new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor to contend with.

I found OOTP to be a very quick read despite its length. When I read it for the first time, I had seen the movies of the first four novels already. This was the first I was able to read with a fresh perspective and I really enjoyed it. The second time around, I was able to read it with equal measure as the others. Having read it twice, I find that I like it just slightly less than Goblet of Fire.

One of the greatest aspects of this novel is the ongoing suspense. There is hardly a dull moment at Hogwarts as Harry becomes even more adventurous and rebellious as he encounters even more trials than ever before. But it is the climax and conclusion of the book that is so brilliantly exciting. I can’t wait to see that part in particular on the big screen. Overall, OOTP is probably my third favorite novel of the series after Half-Blood Prince and Goblet of Fire.