I should do a proper review of the books but it never felt justified because the series is so well known. What I have enjoyed on this re-read is what I thought were slow or tedious parts (eg: Grawp) are now quick and over within a chapter. Order of the Phoenix is a great trip, packed with all the best parts of Harry Potter (dislikable characters, lighthearted moments and magic). This was the first book I read before watching the movie and I enjoy that view I have of St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries or the battle in the depths of the Ministry of Magic.

One item that has stood out on this re-read is my opinion of some characters. Going in to this further would derail this short review but I was a few years removed from the loss of someone close to me when I first read this book. I grieved with Harry during the Through the Veil moment and I understood that frustration and guilt that followed.

A character I idolized originally now seems reckless and disobedient. Yet, I expect we would all feel the way Snuffles did if we were told to stay home and feel like we were not helping the cause. Perhaps my opinion on Sirius didn't sour but I am able to look at his actions with a different perspective I did originally. That raw emotion has been washed away and now see who he was, what he did, and how he behaved in a more mature light. Perhaps that idolization is replaced with frustration because I'm not sure I would have acted differently in such a position.

And maybe after this brief internal analysis Sirius is still my favorite but I can understand his faults and see the justifications for his actions.

Well! Enough of that, on to Half Blood Prince...

PS: Bumped the rating from 4 to 5 because it really is an amazing story.