Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince arrives at midnight tomorrow night. I have just completed my re-read of the first five books and thought I’d share my thoughts in anticipation of my weekend readathon. But in deference to anyone who has not caught up on the series yet, I’ll do it on the other side of a jump.

• The half-blood prince: I think it’s going to be Salazar Slytherin, although it could be Godric Gryffindor.
• I think we will meet Dumbledore’s brother in this book after hearing about him in the last two.
• In the first book, we learn that Dumbledore is noted for having defeated a Dark wizard in the mid-’40s. I think Grindelwald will tie into Tom Riddle’s interest in the dark arts.
• This is the book where Dumbledore will die. The fantasy format practically dictates that the master must die in order for the pupil to rise to his full abilities in order to vanquish the villain.
• We will move closer to the happily-ever-after relationships of Ron-Hermione and Harry-Ginny.

Jo Rowling is an impressive woman. I stand in awe of her ability and her creativity.