OoP - It's all about the twists

[darrin_burnett]

No: HPFGUIDX 70647

I'm a simple guy. 

My favorite part about reading these books for the first time is the twists, the 
feeling that I might pick up some of the clues, but not all of them, and might not 
hit the right conclusion.

The first time I read PS, not fully realizing that I was reading an adult book kids 
liked, rather than the reverse, I thought Snape was the bad guy. 

The first time I read CoS, I'd kinda figured out Tom Riddle might not be all that 
peachy, but had no clue about him being V-Mort and CERTAINLY didn't get 
Ginny.

The first time I read PoA, I'd nailed that Lupin was a werewolf, had an inkling 
there might be more to Sirius, but literally dropped my book in surprise when 
Scabbers was revealed.

The first time I read GoF, I got nothing. Moody as Crouch? Totally blindsided. 
Snape as a reformed DE? Yeah, I probably should have gotten in, but nope. 
Cedric dying? Not a clue.

The first time I read OoP, I spotted the foreshadowing of Sirius' death and 
realized that Sirius being tortured was fake. I'd already had an inkling that 
Neville would be important, so, while the revelation about the prophecy was a 
bit surprising, it wasn't shocking. Ditto for Abused!Snape, which only surprised 
me in James and Sirius' complete domination of him.

Simply put, from a simple guy who still reads these things for recreation above 
all, it didn't twist enough.

I'll read it many times, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it more with retellings, as I pick up 
more details and debate them. On that level, it will be better than PS and CoS 
for me, simply because it's bigger.

But not PoA. PoA remains my favorite.

But for that first time? Nope, can't compare to the other four.

Darrin