Has your view of our favorite 3 changed?

[SiriusBlck111]

I had a question for you all. Have you changed your view of your old favortie charcter because of book 5? I know this has proably come up befire so you can delate this thread if so. My view has changed alot because of OoTP, Hermonie is now my favortie of the 3 because know i start to realize how helpful she is to the gang and all her qualties to me come out very strongley in book 5. Ron to me is now my least favortie(i still like him very much though) out of the 3. And harry is now my 2nd best. So please tell me if your views have shifted?

Thnaks,
Sirius.

[Moonlight]

I like Harry a lot less now. I hate the way he won't listen to reason and takes out his anger on those closest to him, and the fact that sometimes he sees himself above his peers.

I like Hermione a lot more, she's growing up to be very mature and kind hearted. I've always liked her, but now I think she's a very soothing character with the most sense in the three.

My opinion of Ron has stayed the same. Becoming a prefect hasn't gotten to his head and he remains as unaffected as before. I think he has a bit of an inferiority complex though.

[FreyaCrescent]

Originally posted by Moonlight (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=462348#post462348))
I like Harry a lot less now. I hate the way he won't listen to reason and takes out his anger on those closest to him, and the fact that sometimes he sees himself above his peers.

I like Hermione a lot more, she's growing up to be very mature and kind hearted. I've always liked her, but now I think she's a very soothing character with the most sense in the three.

My opinion of Ron has stayed the same. Becoming a prefect hasn't gotten to his head and he remains as unaffected as before. I think he has a bit of an inferiority complex though.

Couldn't have put it better myself.
I used to find Hermione kind of annoying, but since the latest book she's definitely grown on me... same with Ron, really. Percy was never a favourite of mine, but after reading OotP.... grrrrr...

I also like Snape a lot more, since we found out much more about his past in Book 5 - I always liked him, but it's nice to get a deeper insight into his school life and some of his childhood. We need more information! MORE I SAY!

[PhoenixUK]

Yeah, I kind of feel sorry for Snape too. I personally didn't like the fact that Harry was so ANGRY!!! in OOTP but you've got to understand it - he's the subject of a disinformation campaign by the Daily Prophet, finds out his father was a Draco Malfoy, loses his beloved Quidditch and then loses his godfather.

I like Hermione and Ron a lot more now - I think that they have both matured and mellowed out somewhat, making them more likeable characters.

[Wakkachuta]

I like Hermione a lot more now, too. She's really matured. I like Ginny and Neville heaps, also. I never really took much notice of Neville before, but now he's one of my favourites! I like the way Harry's changed as well. His reactions to everything that's happened to him is realistic. Can you imagine him still being the wide-eyed little kid he was in first year after everything that's happened? I know I can't. Although, I'll admit he shouldn't take his anger out on Ron and Hermione so much, it's not fair on them, so it's good that he sometimes shows, or atleast feels, remorse for his actions.

[JLupin]

Hermione seems to be the one with the most sense and helps Harry a lot, and that's good. I liked the fact that Harry was really angry in this book, it was a change and was very understandable. I think Ron was still a bit childish and doesn't really get the drift sometimes, but that can be amusing.
I do like all 3 equally, but I realise now how much Hermione is honest, clever and right most of the time, and how Harry and Ron kind of.. brush her off.

[Haeton]

My opinions of the characters for the most part have not changed. Harry is still only 15 years old and he has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Also for those who have forgotten, Snape has definitely earned the dislike of Harry from the begining. I noticed as I watched the movie the other day how they make Snape a lot nicer then the books portray him. The books all place emphasis on the look of loathing he saves only for Harry every time he sees him. This starts in book one. Don't forget how unfairly he treats both Neville and Harry. Did Neville's parents mistreat Snape also. Also Harry pearing into the pensieve is exactly what most 15 year old boys would do. Hermione has always been a strong character and I expect her to continue as such. Ron I was a bit disappointed in. He really was a sideline character in this book. Ginny and Neville have really come out though. I do hope they continue to develop.

[The Golden Snitch]

You can all say that Harry's angry and stuff like that but who can really blame him? He hasnt exactly had the easiest life. His forehead hurts every two minutes, his parents are dead, nobody tells him anything, he's having problems with the girl he likes and he's going through puberty, nobody can blame him.

My like for Harry has pretty much stayed the same but my love for 4 characters went through the roof during this book. Sirius because of his death and what he did before he died in running to save Harry and his friends. Hermoine, I've always liked her but it wasnt untill this book that she could be one of my favourites, I can't explain it but she just seems awesome in this book. Ron was still the comical loyal friend as always but it was put to the extreme with Voldemort's return, but he was still there with Harry and demanded that he come along to the ministry of magic. Finally, everybodies favourite greasy haired professor. We finally see the reasoning behind his hatred for Harry and I find it somewhat justified and he was the first to run to the Order to tell them that Sirius might be in trouble.

[Picko]

I like Harry more because he appears more realistic now.

Hermione continues to grow on me and she's my favourite character.

I like Ron more but that's not saying much, his actions in GoF have made him my least favourite character.

[Slytherin]

it pretty much stayed the same for me,

ron's still my favorite, don't ask me why, i just like him more than harry or hermione...

harry's in second place, though he was a little arrogant sometimes, thinking he should be a prefect and all...

and than we have hermione, never really liked her... i think she can be a little annoying at times...

[MagiCils]

My liking for Harry has grown, he has really become three dimensional, and he certainly isn't a child character anymore. I always liked Hermione best, and I thought Ron improved considerably too.

The only character who has worsened for me is Hagrid; never liked him, but he gets more annoying by the page in OOTP!

[Maiden_of_Rohan]

I've always related most to Hermione and I still think she's great. Every group has to have a voice of reason and Hermione fits the bill. My view of her really didn't change.

My view of Ron didn't really change much either. He was more in the backround in OotP than in any other book. I know he was busy with other things that Harry wasn't involved in(Prefect duties and Qudditch), but I needed to see more of him for my opinion to change.

Harry, on the other hand, had a huge shift. I really didn't like him in this book. He was far too demanding and angry. I know he's got a lot going on and it's not easy being 15(been there, done that), but he really needs to learn to control his emotions. It was not fair of him to treat Hermione and Ron like he did. They didn't do anything to him. Harry needs to learn how to deal with his emotions and other people before he leaves Hogwarts and heads out into the real world.

[desecre_demorte]

Ron has really started to grow on me. He's just kind of funny...I thought it was great down in Hogsmeade when he was thinking about trying to get a firewhiskey and Hermione just growls:

"You're-a-prefect!"

That was perfect. He reminds me of me in alot of ways :)

Cheers,
Desecre Demorte

[marspeach]

Harry used to be my favorite, then Ron, then Hermione last. I never really cared for Hermione that much. In book three that started to change, but I never really liked her as much as I do now until OotP. She's now my favorite, closely followed by Harry,(then Neville, Ginny, Lupin, and McGonagall) and Ron last. I don't really consider Ron that much of a favorite anymore. He's only up there because he's part of the trio. Comic relief can only get you so far in my book. I'm hoping Ron will mature a lot more and hopefully play a bigger role in the next books.

[RedCape]

Being the youngest in a large family AND having red hair, the younger Weasley's have always been favorites of mine. Glad to see Ginny's character being developed more. Ron wasn't in the book as much (since we follow Harry's POV), but that shows growth for him. He was doing his own things a bit more and not just standing on the sidelines watching Harry compete in things.

I certainly wasn't like Harry as a kid with the weight of the world on my shoulders, but can relate to feeling different from everyone else, so liked him for that all along. I can't relate to his anger, but can understand it. Just hope he gets it under control soon.

Always liked Neville, so pleased to also see him finally taking off.

Always liked Hermoine because she has a good heart. Like her character development in OotP also.

Oh, and my favorite characters in all the books are Fred and George! That hasn't changed.

Summary:

Harry -- about the same.
Ron -- about the same.
Hermoine - like more.

Ginny -- like more.
Neville -- like more.

Fred and George -- they are the greatest

[Quasi_EviL]

I never really had too much of an opinion of Hermione until maybe the end of the third book. But she's actually a really great character, and I think that Harry and Ron take advantage of her intelligence. I mean, where would they be without her?

I think I liked Harry more in the fifth book just because he had more to say than in the first four. In the other books, you might notice that it's not usually him talking, but Ron, Hermione, other characters. You got to see a lot more of his emotions, and not just his thoughts on things going on around him.

Ron remains irrevocably the same. When will he grow up?

[M a r v o l o]

My liking of Harry has dramatically increased after reading OoTP. I love how he's not as conformed to how a "proper student" or "behaved child" should act, like he was more so in the previous 4 books. He thinks for himself and acts out how he feels, not that I'm saying it's a good thing, obviously, but it's refreshing and entertaining to see Harry say something like "You're not going to cry again, are you?" to Cho versus previous books when all he would say is "Er - uh - h-hi." I liked how he spoke is mind and didn't keep his anger bottled up.

Honestly, I used to hate Hermione. I thought she was a know-it-all brat who took pleasure in bossing Ron and Harry around. But now, I think shes funny, witty, and charming. She's very good at getting herself and others out of sticky situations and she's always willing to help anyone and everyone. All in all, she's a great and developed character.

I've always liked Ron. He was my first favorite character in the series (he's not anymore, but he's still in my top 5.) He's extremely entertaining and has an uncanny ability to be able to think of hilarious (and not necessarily as cruel as Malfoy's) insults at the drop of a hat. The only downside I see of him is that he's very hot-tempered and can be naive at times.

[syphon]

i dislike harry alot more now cos he was so arragant in book 5 its untrue, whinging about not being a prefect. i just wanted to go into the book myself and hit him. on is still my favourite though, he just an alround great character.

[Jerkwater]

My liking of the characters hasn't changed much. They've all grown, which is to be expected, but I still like them all in about the same ratios as I did before OotP. It's the DYNAMIC between that has changed (in my opinion). Whereas before, it was the three of them as a team, doing what they had to do, now it seems like Ron and Hermione are always acting as Harry's buffer. Calming him when he's upset, cheering him up when he is depressed, allowing him to take his frustrations out on them...

Anyone who was ever part of a three-person clique when they were a teenager knows how it works. One person is always left out, to a degree (three's a crowd). I'll be interested to see how this plays out in future books.

[pegoheart144]

Originally posted by Slytherin (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=462756#post462756))
harry's in second place, though he was a little arrogant sometimes, thinking he should be a prefect and all...

Harry wasn't the only one who thought he should have been made Prefect. Most of the Weasleys and the others at "Order" Headquarters thought he should be Prefect. Dumbledore even mentions it when he's giving his explanations.

[Liselle]

yup I think that Hermionie has real strength of character...to be honest Harry has always just bugged me but for no real reason and after the OOTP I think that ROn is a bit of a sap, he really needs to grow a spine and not have Hermionie or Harry fighting all his battles....also standing up to Harry a bit and not being a deferential would be good. I wonder is it a case of history repeating itself Ron and Harry, Peter and James?

[ChaliceInnana]

I think they are all developing nicely.

I, personally, enjoy bi+chy Harry. Every single little pi$$sy outburst he had was something he needed to get out. On the other hand, he can't do this for next 2 books. Eventually, it will start to grate.

I love Hermione, she's my girl, but when did she turn into the governess? I hope she's allowed to have a bit more fun. Her patronus is an otter. They are very playful animals. The girl needs some wackiness. To heck with Ron and Harry, she needs to date one of the twins.

I love Ron. I do. It is my hope that someday, he will become a man. Right now, he is the Weasley most likely to be cannon fodder.

Bascially, I still love the little monkeys.

[Cish_hp92]

Originally posted by Slytherin (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=462756#post462756))
it pretty much stayed the same for me,

ron's still my favorite, don't ask me why, i just like him more than harry or hermione...

harry's in second place, though he was a little arrogant sometimes, thinking he should be a prefect and all...

and than we have hermione, never really liked her... i think she can be a little annoying at times...


precisely......even i wonder y i like ron more than h and h.........

harry has perfect reason 2 be arrogant.......u cant also deny that it might be heriditary(kiddin.......)

hermoine's not necessarily annoying in this bk, but she was quite a pillar of strength. i like her now........earlier, she used 2 remind me of one of my skoolfrens(nerdy)

[familiar]

I like them all even more. I liked Harry more because he was starting to act his age. He's starting to form his own opinions and take control of his actions. He is also just about the only person at Hogwarts to stand up to Umbridge. His outbursts toward Hermione and Ron are completely understandable and I like how they just let him rant and then discretely correct him later. He has no parents or other adults he can talk to or get guidance from (he couldn't write to Sirius because the letter might get intercepted, but Ron and Hermione could write to their parents) and the stress he is under is unbelievable.

I like Hermine more because she is starting to understand the value of experience in conjunction with learning - I was shocked she suggested the DADA club. She was very pro-active in setting up the DADA, and getting an interview with Rita Skeeter in the Quibbler. She also gave Harry advice on Cho, although it was always after the fact, I think it helped Harry, and Ron for that matter.

I liked Ron better because he was off doing his own thing and following his own dream of being on the Quidditch team. He worked very hard practicing, and I think made a very mature decision to quit the team. Even though Angelina wouldn't let him quit. I mean he didn't wander around the common room ranting about how Quidditch was unfair and this didn't work for him and that wasn't what he expected. He kept it to himself, took a long walk (or flight) and worked it out on his own.

One character I liked less was Arthur Weasley, but only because I think he should take more interest in Harry's welfare from the point of view of a father. I think he and Harry, and Ron should get together and have a long talk about guy stuff (girls probably, but there's probably other things). Harry doesn't really have anyone to talk to about this and Sirius seemed too pre-occupied to even consider it, well, and now he's gone. Other than that, I like Arthur a lot.

I could go on, but this is long enough

[MagicianGirl]

I still like Harry the best. He proved that no matter how much adversity comes his way he can handle it somehow. He matures a lot on this book

Ron, he's great in this book. He is slowly being separated from Harry's shadow.

Hermione I think she's still the same as ever.

[rayrayjohanna]

I like Hermione much better after this book. She has always been clever (yes, and bossy) but I found her to be WISE. She allows people to have dignity. When Harry goes off on her once, she busts him on it. When he says "sorry" she says "that's quite all right" and goes quietly on with whatever.

She is far more intuitive about people and creatures than any of the others. I see her being Minister of Magic someday, once Dumbledore has convinced the wizarding world to be more inclusive of other magical creatures. Not just house elf rights (SPEW), but giants, centaurs, goblins, etc. She has the ability to take in the whole situation, the big picture.

Ron fills the roll of sidekick, but I don't see much more character development with him. He is SO clueless about so much. His theories are always wrong. I'm still surprised that he was made a prefect. Other than Dumbledore wanting to give him a chance to shine, he had no inclination toward the postion, nor did he take it seriously. I can't believe there weren't other Griffindor 5th years who were more suitable.

Harry is tired of being singled out all the time. His anger is justified. He would back down once his friends reminded him that they were on his side. I agree with him when he falls apart and says "why me".

All three of them have integrity and character. They are growing up. Hermione's wisdom is what sets her apart, her ability to see the big picture. Harry is becoming more aware of it, but slowly. Ron lives day to day. So my appreciation for Hermione increased greatly with this book. I still enjoy Harry who is brave to a fault. And Ron still doesn't have a well developed character as far as I'm concerned.

I am thrilled that Neville has come into his own. He has always been brave, but he is getting his confidence now. I bet he did just fine on his potions OWL, simply because Snape was not there to terrorize him.

Ginny is a major character now. She is the liason to the rest of the student body. She can help the boys navigate the interpersonal relationships. And she is brave also, and very smart. Did anyone suspect she would go for a Quiddich postion? Or her sense of humor? Hem hem.

[Oo bUMbLE bEE oO]

I don't think I ever knew anyone who liked Harry best. But yes, his temper does annoy me a little cause he seems too angry all the time. I mean, i know he has his right to crack by now but why to his friends.

Hmm it seems strange to me why Harry, Ron, and Hermione are so close. Cause when you think about it, they don't really have that much in common. It seems their friendship is built on them being so used to each other more than it is togetherness. Lol, dunno if any of you got that.

Hermione definitely has become much more mature and is still helpful as ever.

Omgosh, I love Ginny though! Her personality really developed. She's smart, she's a good Quidditch player, and she's got the Fred/George streak about her. Very aweseome! :clappy:

[Billy Towne]

An interesting question! Actually I never really had one favorite character.
Since book two I have been interested in Snape but that is rather because he is mysterious and one never knows whether he is good or bad.
Harry was a nice kind of boy but I always considered him a little bit too sweet and even a bit shallow. Nevertheless he developped in book four. Now in book five he really got some depth. I like that a lot! The only thing that bothered me was his treatment of Dumbledore. It nearly broke my heart to read how he destroyed all those things and how Dumbledore reacted.
Anyway, I can't say whom I like best but I have to admitt that I don't really like Ron. I don't know why - it's just a feeling...

<center><img src="http://pages.prodigy.net/hpdevo/quiz/ginny.jpg"><br><a href="http://pages.prodigy.net/hpdevo/quiz"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="1">Which HP Kid Are You?</font></a></center>

[TheShadow]

I hated how Harry was so angry in Book 5. I liked Hermione alot more in this book and I also liked McGonagall a lot more. But Fred and George are still my favourites!

[Undómiel]

Well, this book gave me a lot of reasons to re-think my feelings about the main characters...
Harry, for example, some people disliked the fact that he was angrier in this book, some people confounded that with arrogance, but I guess I can understand the poor boy. He is only 15, and he is not Jesus Christ, he is allowed to get revolted with his fate – which is not a happy one (and, come to think of it, even Jesus only suffered in the last days of his life; Harry has been suffering for 15 years...). His behavior in this book made him more human, more real, JKR prevented me to start thinking he was just the typical annoying hero. Harry has feelings, weaknesses, and he deals with them, learn with them, while he grows. This is great.

Hermione, what can I say. She has always been my favorite character and that didn´t change a bit. I like her even more now. She is maturing in a very nice way, she is not much preoccupied now with her being always right, she is more caring now about other people´s feelings, about understanding the others. She is growing in wisdom, not only in knowledge, and she is getting more and more crucial to the story. She in not only a fountain of information for the main character, but also of support, and most important of equilibrium. I don’t know where Harry would be without her.

Ron. By the end of the fourth book, I was kind of disappointed with Ron. He was acting a like a git a bit, jealous, greedy, bitter. But he made it up in this book. In OotP he is so much better, so sweet, so understanding. He is learning to be patient, who would have guessed? He is a much stronger and mature character now. A real fountain of support. How could I gave doubted his loyalty for Harry in the past? (I almost started to believe those theories that said he would betray Harry in the future, now that´s over for me). Go Ron! My love for him id reassured in this book.

... hum... loooong and useless post...... Well, as for the other characters: Neville is revealing himself all I expected him to be. Ginny now FINALLY deserves my respect, now I like her very much. Snape has my compassion, but the bitterness in his soul will be a future source of trouble, I´m afraid.

That´s all...

[I <3 Ron]

My favorite character has always been Ron (hence the name), since their very first ride on the Hogwarts Express. My love for him has just developed through out the books. But this one did dissapoint me, he was in it a lot less, and while everyone seemed to be maturing, he was the same old Ron. I do hope now that he has these new responsibilites he'll live up to his brothers and shine through. Harry, I was so mad at his reactions to seeing Ron and Hermione when he first got to Grimmuald Place, but it was undertstandable, the poor kid. Hermione's character got A LOT better for me, she always just seemed to be there for her intellegence, but now she's seeming to clue H&R about the female species, and she's getting past her no-rule-breaking stage.

Other than the main three, McGonagall is definitely the third funniest character (next to Fred and George). Unfortunately I liked Sirius's character much more this book, he seemed to be trying to be a father figure while still befriending Harry, so sad when he died :'( . Ok I'm done :D

[Elektra]

Hermione has always been my favorite character, and I came to love her even more in this book. Everyone seems to regard Ron as the comic-relief, but honestly some of the best laughs I've come across in the books were from something Hermione said ("But Hagrid, you live in a wooden house!")

Harry was a lot less likeable in this book, but then again he had to be. I mean, he's a teenager. He's becoming a man. He has to go through that awkward, angry stage to get to the fully mature one. And judging from his conversation with Luna and his attitude on the train home, I think he'll be a lot less angry and awkward and rude now in the next book. We'll start to see Harry Potter the man instead of Harry Potter the boy. If we had to experience Harry Potter the teenager to get to that, sobeit.

Ron did seem (even more) eclipsed by Hermione in this book. I think this is for a couple good reasons, though. First, Harry has always regarded Ron as his best friend, even though Hermione has perhaps been a better friend to him. I think Harry's relationship with Hermione (whether it blossoms into True Love or not) is going to be really important in the coming war, and so Rowling has to make Harry (and thus the readers) see her value instead of automatically subjugating it to Ron's. Also, I think Ron is going to sacrifice his life for his friends in the end, and so Rowling is setting us up by weaning us off our high regard for Ron a little, just like she did with Sirius in this book when she had him acting so immature towards Harry.

I originally noticed Neville as an actual character in Book 3; I started to really like him in Book 4; and in Book 5 I absolutely fell in love with him. I didn't cry when Sirius died. I did when the Trio met the Longbottoms at St. Mungo's. This kid's got real potential, and I'm going to enjoy watching him develop it just as much as I'm going to enjoy watching Harry achieve his destiny.

And I can respect Ginny now. I still don't see her ending up with Harry (like Ron obviously wants her to), but I genuinely like her and hope to see more of her.

Elektra

[harp230]

Originally posted by Billy Towne (original post (http://www.cosforums.com/showthread.php?postid=463154#post463154))
Harry was a nice kind of boy but I always considered him a little bit too sweet and even a bit shallow. Nevertheless he developped in book four. Now in book five he really got some depth. I like that a lot! The only thing that bothered me was his treatment of Dumbledore. It nearly broke my heart to read how he destroyed all those things and how Dumbledore reacted.


I agree that Harry, in previous books , was a bit too nice. He did not seem to be a believable character. The anger that came out in this book was aggrivating, but it made him seem like more of a realistic person. I did like the fact of what he daid/did to Dumbledore for the fact that it really capps off his attitude. I was horrible and just plain mean. I don't want to say it was justified, buit Dumbledore did accept it. That scene just showed so much emotion. For there reasons, I do like Harry as a character more. Not because he did the right thing, but just a more human thing.

Ginny was just cool in this book. What else is there to say? Same for Hermoine .

I will though reserve judgement on Ron until the next book. He was awfully absent in this book. If it was just in tyhe run of things, than i am disappointed. If it was for a plot reason and something has occured over the course of events than I am very intersted to see where his character is going. He does need to do a lot of developing, so far it seems to not be occuring. I hope to see more evolution in his character in the next book.

[M a r v o l o]

I thought we were just talking about Harry, Ron, and Hermione... But it seems we're also talking about Neville and Ginny too, soo...

Neville, I never liked. He always annoyed me. A lot of people think that he's cute because he's shy and timid, but I just find that trait irritating. Granted, I do like him more in OoTP because he is more bold and daring, going along for the ride to the Department of Mysteries. So I guess overall I have gone from "strongly disliking him" to just disliking him.

Like Neville, I used to dislike Ginny too. But since book 4, and especially book 5, she is much more forward, notciably so with Harry. I'm glad she doesn't like him anymore... She finally realized she had to chance. In my mind, Harry's too good for her.

[JephReeta]

How can you not like them all? They complement eachother and like I heard JK Rowling say in an interview (I think it was the one on the COS DVD), they're getting better at knowing what each of them brings to the table and what each can contribute to the problem at hand. All three together are a complete and competent team. However, I do like Harry the best as the book is about him after all. And about him being angry all the time, JK Rowling just knows how to write people. I'm a completely happy and cheerful person but I remember feeling cheated and unfairly treated and mad at the world sometimes when I was about fifteen. Everyone goes through it. Harry will get over it.

[potterfreak24]

Alright..my explinations are not as long as some of yours are...but here we go:

Harry: Well the books are about him....of course he's my favorite. :) That one was easy.

Hermione: I was a lot like her..not as bossy, but I see a lot of myself in her.

Ron: Wanted to smack him up side teh head in book 1....still do after book 5. Also want to know why he's always missing from major plot points in almost all the books.

Neville: HOLY COW!!!! Neville Rocks! :) I might have to change my screen name to I Love Neville or something. :)

Ginny: Finally she can talk to Harry without blushing. :) I'm really starting to love this girl. :)

[Céleste]

Yes, Harry was indeed very irritable. However, how could he not have been? He had headches and pains almost permanently. It would not have been realistic to have him cheery all the time.

Harry has proven that he still cares about others:

First, he couldn’t believe how his father had treated Snape, even though he dislikes Snape. Second, even though he was mourning his godfather, he still had time to feel bad for Luna, whose things had been stolen from other students. At one of the worst times of his life, he took the time to think of her and offer his help. He even almost had a moment with his aunt Petunia ;)

I found Harry to be extremely brave in this book, even when it should have been time to give up. He went after Bellatrix, though when Lupin had told that Sirius was "gone" :sigh:

Harry stood up to Dumbledore. When he has time to think about it, he will forgive him. However, it shows that Harry is no longer a little boy. And now Dumbledore truly knows this.

I think Hermione is smarter than ever. She was greatly needed in this book. She knew what Voldemort was up to (but Harry wouldn't listen), she thought of DA, she got rid of Umbridge.

Ron kept me laughing in an otherwise dark story, so I can’t say that I dislike him. I think it was fitting that he'd end up with a giddy spell in the end.

Now Neville is great. He has gotten so much better! He *knows* he's not as good as some, yet he is just as ready as the others to go out and do it.

[Mutant for Hire]

I know I'm in the minority but my opinion of Hermione dropped. Intellectually she is developing very well. Emotionally she's no better than she was in the first book. She shows occasional signs of actually being considerate but on average she's still as inconsiderate in her treatment of others as she was in her first year. If anything I think she's gotten worse.

The way that she attacked school Quidditch in front of three people who were painfully expelled from their House team was not in my opinion a display of tact and consideration. And her loftily saying that her happiness didn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability was very arrogant and condescending towards her audiance. She didn't even care that she was offending her audiance.

Her treatment of Ron and Viktor bothered me. It's clear that Viktor is still interested and from the look of things she's not trying very hard to discourage him. Likewise with Ron, it's clear the guy is working up the nerve to ask her out, but she hasn't shown any signs of giving encouragement or discouragement. That is not what I consider to be very considerate or mature behavior.

Then there is her behavior with the House Elves. Not only did she fail to ask the House Elves what they wanted, but she didn't even bother to ask their permission or their blessing to do what she did. And she assumed that if their opinion differed from hers, it was because they were brainwashed or enchanted. That is the height of arrogance. Hermione really needs a serious dose of humility sometime soon, along with a lesson in why one should be more considerate of other people's feelings.

Ron earned my respect. He had a bad time with the whole Keeper thing. In the end he could have just walked away from the team, whatever the captain wanted or not, but in the end he perservered, despite a campaign of humiliation and he prevailed in the end. He showed more personal growth and development in book five than just about anyone except Neville. He was also scoring points for being perceptive about what Harry was going through, more so than Hermione. He was more perceptive than Hermione about the House Elves.

Harry has my respect for not going totally insane this year. Hopefully he has learned some hard lessons in his own weaknesses and will make an effort to correct them. He didn't particularly impress me but he could have done far worse under the circumstances. Essentialyl the adults around him put him in an impossible position.

I'm glad to see that Neville is making progress at last, and I'm glad that Ginny was getting more of an appearance. As for Luna, well, she was amusing but she needs a lot more work to be taken seriously as a character.

[inoLIKEmonkeys]

I think in this book draco is starting to make the transition from just being a really mean predudiced idiot, to actually taking sides in the war against the dark lord. At times he just seems pure evil, like him joining the inquisital squad and joining forces with umbridge, and at other times he simply seems childish, like docking points from griffendor just to make the trio mad. there has been a lot of speculation about harry and draco teaming up to defeat an evil power, but pretty soon im gonna wonder weather we can pull draco back from the dark side

[I <3 Ron]

True about Draco, I thought it would be really cool if he joined the light side. I highly doubt it now, he'll probably join Voldie mainly to get back at Harry, I don't think that will be any good for Harry's list of problems. He definitely has gone from mean to evil.

Off Subject: Yay I'm a second year :D

[firebolt2000]

No, my opinion hasn't changed as to which character is my favorite. It is always really close with the trio, but I honestly like Harry the best. I think Harry has definitely shown his emotions more and I thought JK described them so well. Hermione has definitely shown a lot more bravery and has shown that she is such a great friend and a really good person at heart.

[cordeliablack13]

I have to admit that I really am not a big fans of Harry's at the moment. He was so rude and so self-centered. I remember what it was like to be 15 (and I'm sure he'll grow out of it). Granted, I never had adventures like his, but he would have never made it past the first year if it hadn't been for Hermione and Ron, not to mention all the other characters. Maybe as he gets older, he will realise everything that people have done for him.

Hermione has always been my favourite out of the 3. She really reminds me of myself in some ways. She is the voice of intelligence and reason.

Ron is a great character and I really missed him in OotP, but at the same time I was happy for him. He really seems to be finding himself. Maybe all of those things he saw in the mirror of Erised will actually come true for him! :D

Hagrid is just annoying me now. I'm not even sure why, but by the time he got into the story I could have done without him.

Dumbledore just keeps getting better and better!!!

[Amadeus]

I think they remain the same for most people.. But some people have gained hatred and dislike towards Harry after OotP, saying that he was being a brat....... My views on the trio are same for most part, but I like Harry better now that he's showing more emotions and 'human-side' of him.

[vickygirl4]

Well I've never really likes "the three" (Harry, Ron, and Hermione). After OotP, I like Hermione even less because she was always nagging Ron and Harry and giving them advice on what to do and what not to do. Her homework planners were also annoying. And I hate SPEW and the hats she made (poor house elves).

As for Harry, I like him neither more or less. He has gotten a bit grouchier, but that's understandable.

I like Ron a little more now, because he is no longer just Harry's sidekick, he's actually doing something on his own. I think it's great that he was prefect and that he led Gryffindor to win the Quidditch cup!

[Draco is Hot]

i don't like harry as much as i did probably because of his temper as most people mentioned but i kinda understand his situation and it's part of growing up.

i like hermione even more coz she's really smart spcially with the charm work for the DA. she's so clever

Ron..still the same. he's my favorite out of the trio. i was happy he became prefect...the spotlight was on him for a moment but it didn't get to his head and i liked the fact that he didn't follow Percy's advice to "sever ties with harry Potter" he's really kewl!

i love the twins more than ever!!! i've always liked them but i like them more!! i love their crazy antics and inventions. Skiving Snackboxes. puhahahahahh!!! really brilliant.

Neville!!! oh my gosh! i really like him now coz he's gotten a lot braver. good for him!

[jmk623]

I still like Harry the most, as I did before. I was a bit annoyed at first at the way he kept snapping and yelling at people at the smallest things, but the part of Sirius's death and when Harry has his emotional breakdown in Dumbledore's office broke my heart. OotP really showed the lest 'perfect' side of Harry. He's defeated Voldemort at the age 1, escaped him 4 times, he can produce a Patronus. He seemed like the picture-perfect hero. (but I loved him, the same) But now, we had a chance to see the emotional side. He's angry that everything's happened to him. I would be too, his parents, and now Sirius gone. Anyway the book made me feel that I knew Harry a bit better than before.
OotP also made me like Ron more. I started to hate Ron a bit after GoB. He was jealous of Harry and it looked like he would do anything to get the spotlight. But after he got the prefect badge and Keeper postion, he seems to have got that out of his system. Thankfully. I keept having these visions of Ron going over to Voldemort.

[trish]

Hermione has always and probably will always be my favourite character. She showed her high intellect, wit, and proved that she can be a caring person. She has contributed a lot to the trio, not to mention what she can do when the time comes to fighting Voldy.

JKR did a good job of writing Harry's character in OotP. She made Harry into a realistic 15 year old boy. I liked him pretty much the same as the previous books. He's my second fav out of the tio.

Ron used to bug me a bit before, but OotP changed that. I've grown fond of him and hopefully he'll catch up to Hermione and Harry.

I've always like Ginny, but now I like her a lot. She's grown up greatly, she also reminds me of Fred and George. The twins were simply awesome in this book.

[mercury1122]

Harry - well, Harry's the reason I read the books in the first place, but his character definitely improved throughout OotP. He's becoming more introspective, more mature, and taking on better roles of leadership. I would still like to see him gain a lot more overall competence, though, in the books to come.

Hermione - I loved learning that she has other friendships outside of Harry and Ron, especially with Ginny and Viktor. It makes her character much more 3 dimensional and gives her some mystery and a life of her own.

Ron - I hate that he's such a complete idiot when it comes to academics and anything having to do with common sense, intuition, or knowledge in general of how the world works. His naivete is becoming a major drag and he is becoming increasingly unworthy of the company he keeps. I am glad, however, that he had a few triumphs of his own in OotP. I was really scared after GoF that his jealousy would eventually lead to his betrayal of Harry. I feel much relieved to know that he is gaining some of his own accomplishments so as to alleviate some of his envy towards Harry. As much as he seems a git to me, Harry does love him very dearly, and I would hate for Ron to betray him.

[firebolt2000]

I like the way Harry changed. He was bottling up so much emotion for the longest time and it just didn't seem that realistic. I was glad he got angry. He deserved too. Imagine being in his position. Losing your parents when you are a baby and never knowing them and knowing the most evil wizard killed them and is now trying to get you, he either has to kill Voldemort or he will get killed by him, his aunt and uncle and cousin abuse him, no one is telling him anything about what is going on and his closest friends and Godfather are being strangely quiet, Voldemort is controlling his dreams and making him see things, a horribly mean teacher is after him and he is the biggest subject of dislike in the Wizarding world and Daily Prophet, the Minister pf Magic is trying to find ways to expell him, and he gets kicked off Quidditch - his favorite thing to do. Oh, and he witnessed Cedric's death and now has to deal with Cho sobbing all over the place. I think I would be just a tad frustrated if I was him.

He rapped on his friends like that because he knows they are the closest people to him and they want to help him. I also think Hermione could have been a little more understanding at that time. But my like for her did grow, Ron kind of stayed the same, and I really felt sympathetic towards Harry and my like for him definitely grew.

[sophieke]

Harry definately changed a lot. He seems more of a whinner than anything.
Hermione is cool, she is still smart, bossy, nossy and everything~
Ron is still like good old Ron, a good friend to Harry, and I am glad he got a new broomstick, and was able to get into the team~~~

[Black Dog]

i think harrys becoming a bit of a prick(talking back and not controlling his temper - i still love himto death though), rons finally doing some growing up, and hermione is becoming more of a girly girl.....

[Ginny15]

I absolutely loved Hermione and Ron in this one. I thought they were the best friends possible, they treated Harry exactly as they should of. They let him take out his frustration and anger on them (but did not let him step all over them.) Ron seemed to really mature, he will never get angry again at Harry like he did in GOF.
I actually liked Harry's change, he reminded me of me. People complain that he was to angry in OOTP, but I loved it. He played the role of an angry fifteen year old perfectly. I felt like I could relate so much to Harry, more then in any other book.
I also loved Ginny in this book, she was a real character with a great personality. I can't wait for more of her in the next book.

[Bee]

Harry was always my favourite of the three (he's the main character!) and Ron has always been my least favourite. Hermione always nearly tied with Harry. Nothing changed.

[vagos]

Hermione was my favourite,but now it's Ron..and after ootp im not ron+hermione shipper any more...

[big_cho_fan]

Ever sine book 5 I like Hermoine a lot more, I think her charecter really grew up and changed for the better. Harry I'm beginning to dislike a bit, I don't like his ever growing temper. I really hate percy, It's like he joined the dark side. I kind of feel sorry for Snape but not enough to justify the things he puts harry through.

[vagos]

i dont think harry's temper is bad.he just shouts a bit,but not much.i dont understand why people talk about it so much..

[WeasleyIsOurKing]

I still like Harry just as much. I feel his... emotional outbursts were realistic and well-deserved. Look at the life he's had so far! He finally let out all those bottled-up emotions. In sixth and seventh books, I think that he'll learn to control them more, which will probably be to his advantage. Harry is still my favorite character.

I like Ron next best (hence my username). He's funny, he's Harry's best friend.... it's hard to explain, but I like him a lot! Hermione has really come into her own, too. She's still got that know-it-all attitude (kind of like myself), and she's still smarter than everyone in her year, but she helped Harry out a lot when it came to Cho - poor Harry, how bad would things have gone without Hermione's help?

[Crystalle]

I dont actually have a favourite out of the three because all three of them are classic in their own special ways. in book 5 i really did feel sorry for ron when he had the whole 'weasley is our king' thing being thrown at him by the slythgerins but on the other hand that was nothing compared to what harry had to go through with umbridge. i was raging at umbridge at some points in the book and it definatly made me sympathise with harry and feel for him much more then i ever have in any of the other books, he really does suffer in book 5 and you can tell at thew end by how mad he is with dumbledore

[SiriusPig]

The person that I like more now since POA is fred and george.

The other person is sirius even though he dies in the fifth book I still like him even more.

[GryffindorSeeker]

Not really. A lot of people started to not like Harry because of his temper in the fifth book, I was annoyed with him, too, but still, he had to crack sometime, and it's better sooner than later, right?

[miss_lupin86]

I don't think that my opinion has changed of the trio because although it niggled at me slightly the way that harry was acting in the 5th book, it is perfectly understandable the way he is feeling. i think that its any wonder hes not turned out even worse. Overall though his heart is in the right place and as a trio they are strong.

i think the 5th book did highlight that they are growing up and it was fun to watch that :D

[DarkLordNev]

I like
Harry: Every one says that he was to snappy in this book. Well he had his reason. He has been through more than people twice his age. Having survived the Dark Lord more times than his mom and dad and Frank and Alice Longbottom.
Neville: Always liked him
Ron: Harry's true friend
The Twins: They always Rocked
Ginny: I like her a little better I don't want her to get with harry though
Hermione: Never liked her to much of a nag. And follows rules a little to much. Ron and Harry could have been the next Fred and George. Only if they had let the troll have a little fun with her. :evil:

[tarnole]

The first time I read OotP, I was upset by Harry's anger. I talked with my husband about the anger and frustration that was oozing from Harry's very being, and he explained somewhat about being a 15 year old boy. The second read through, Harry made more sense to me, and the anger seemed to slip back to be more background noise than central focus.

I didn't really change my opinions of Hermione and Ron. I am very impressed by the growth in Ginny and Neville.

Cheers, K

[Pegasus]

Ginny seemed a little more real to me, and I was able to see her as more than Ron's baby sister who has a crush on Harry. I love how Rowling is able to develop her characters as they grow and change. It would have seemed a little "flat" if 15-year-old Harry never showed any anger or grief or any other extreme emotion.

[Lupin_Lady]

I like Hermione more after POA, it showed her as human.
I like Ron more after OOTP, he showed true loyalty to Harry by going on the thestrals. No way known would I have got on one.

Harry will always have a soft spot in my heat.

[Guardian Angel]

Ron has always been my most favourite character and after reading the OotP, I have only started to love him more.

But... it was different for Hermione and Harry... She started to annoy me in book 5, and I can't even say why... maybe she acted too bossy, more than usual. Maybe she became more arrogant or something, but I just didn't like her as I did before. Harry's having his I-am-gonna-yell-at-you-even-if-you-have-nothing-to-do-with-it phase, which bothered me... but I could understand, so I guess my view on Harry stayed pretty much the same. Missunerstood hero, eh? I guess so.

I love McGonagall in book 5. Ooh, I highly enjoyed how she acted towards Umbridge and everything. Really, Minerva rocked in the last book!

Also... I started to like Snape after reading Order. Maybe I simply felt sorry for him in 'Snape's worst memory' or maybe I was glad that he helped Sirius... dunno, but I know I think better of him now than I did before.

[Claireyellen]

I know Harry had his reasons but he did annoy me in book 5 with his anger. Yeah he should be angry and I understand it but he really started to annoy me after a while. I really liked the bit where Ginny had a slight go at him when he was complaining that none of them know what it's like to be possessed (or something like that, don't have the book to hand) and Ginny refered back to CoS.

Ron has always been my most favourite character and after reading the OotP, I have only started to love him more - Guardian Angel

Yeah me too, I love Ron. that hasn't changed from PS - OotP

[Cindy]

Although the trio aren't my favourite characters in the book, my view of them has not changed after reading OotP. I've always thought Harry should let out the stress in him. If I was to go through everything Harry went through, I'd be having emotional breakdowns all the time. I do have the emotional range of a teaspoon, like what Hermione said about Ron. :D So I think the behaviour of Harry is acceptable. Trust me, I've been through very very bad times before, and am still going through them, although not as bad as poor Harry. :( Hermione has always been one of my most-liked characters, and we get to know more about her in OotP. Although Ron has been chosen to be a prefect, he clearly isn't being a good prefect and taking his responsibility very well. Perhaps JKR wanted him to pair up with Hermione so she made Ron a prefect and he's the best choice when compared to the other Gryffindor boys after all. :huh:

Anyway, I hope to see more character developement of the trio, especially Ron, in the next two books. I also hope none of the trio dies, as they have such strong friendship and would surely miss each other if either one dies.

[Perdita]

I don't find that I like a character more or less after reading the latest book. What I do find is that there is more that is worth admiring or learning from, and this applies to all the characters.

From Harry, I have grown to understand his mentality a lot more after reading OOTP. He seems more real to me now, more multi-dimensional, whereas he appeared too "nice" in the previous books. Here, I actually watch how he had to battle with himself, his conscience and his reasoning throughout the book. It was a very exhausting process, but worthwhile.

From Hermione, I've come to admire her more and more. She does not approach solving a problem using the best strategy sometimes, but she does act with good intentions all the time, and that is commendable. So often, one can avoid doing what's right becuase of the fear of how others might criticize or discourage your cause. Hermione doesn't let these things get in her way, not when she believes in what she's doing, and believes that she's right (which I think she is).

For Ron, I have also come to understand how complex his mind can be. The movies might try to dumb down his characterization, and on the surface, Ron's character does seem to have been diminished quite a bit in OOTP. I, for one, think that this is merely a smoke-screen. Ron is actually very perceptive, and very calculating. He wouldn't be such a master at chess if the didn't have these two skills. He is much more complex than his peers give him credit for, and this makes me eager to find out what he does in the future books.

[harripottrfreek]

With every book I love Ron even more...he is my favorite of the three

Hermione kind of annoyed me a bit with her crying, but then I was like okay whatever your still cool...except about SPEW

uh HARRY ... I like him a lot less now, but I understand him a lot more now...so hes dropped but hes still up there...

[jacEjen]

Ron is still my favorite of the three. Followed closely by Hemione and the Harry. I love how the books let the characters change and grow up. Harry has a lot of issues that he needs to work through and I think that is what the last two books are going to focus on.

[RemusLupinFan]

I like all three of them the same as I did in the beginning. They're growing up, becoming more complex characters, and they are bound to go through many obstacles that becoming a teenager presents. I look forward to seeing how they develop further in the next two books.

[Avior]

After book five, Harry became my absolute favourite character

[jen15poms]

Well, my favorite character has always been Hermione. OotP just reconfirmed all of the reasons why she is my favorite. However, I gained a lot of respect for Neville. He is the character that I most want to see succeed and become a "hero" in future books. He deserves glory just as much as Harry does. I can see them becoming a great team while fighting against LV and his DEs.

[xSwE3TViEtGrLx]

my favorite character was harry but while i was reading the fifth book, iono but hermione is now my favorite charatcer. i mean, without her, helping ron and harry, they wouldnt go this far you know?

[Lanya Celebrian]

Well, book 5 was the first book I read... And I had absolutely no clue who or what the characters were. I didn't think Harry would act so...stupid so I was confused at first. Well, I used to just like Draco, but he's not my fav. character any more because of the four mischief-makers that make their appearance in book 5. They're so awesome XD

[sirius'swife]

actually, strange as it may be, harry's one of the characters im least affected by. i know he's the main character and the eye through which we see the world but im still v. neutral abt harry
while hermoine and i share the same birth date- i found her greatly annoying in ootp. i mean she was like a junior version of mrs weasley. in gof, i was impressed by the care she shows regarding the elves but more and more it seems like she is more interested in the idea of her leading a house-elf rebellion. at first i just thought, ok so u dont like hermoine, drop it. but then i read something that jk says abt hermoine is taken with the idea of leading the elves into a glorious rebellion and has become blind to the fact that you cant help ppl who dont want to be helped. i also didnt like the way she treats luna in the book. if you dont like someone, ignore them. i didnt see luna forcing herself on hermoine. i was really disappointed by hermoine in ootp cuz i liked her in gof. i think she really needs to stop being so narrow-minded
i like ron. ive always liked him and will continue to do so. and to those who like to bring up the gof incident- let me just say that in gof, a few months ago, at the end of their third year, ron with a broken leg stood in front of harry and challenged what they then believed to be a deranged yet powerful voldemort supporter- it kind of makes u wonder how much of the fight harry and ron had had to do with ron's sinking feeling of inadequacy as opposed to him being jealous of harry. and harry didnt exactly behave like a saint either.
what i like abt ron is that he is a real and normal character. he isnt brilliant like hermoine or the centre of the plot like harry and yet he manages to hold his own. but the best thing abt him is that what/who he cant understand- he leaves well alone. he is loyal and brave. and will follow harry to the ends of the world. certainly to the end of this war.
this is, of course, just my opinion. feel free to tear it up

[Freak of nature]

No, my views hasn't changed. I like Snape,Lucius and Voldemort as much as I did when I started the series. And I hate Ron as much as I did at the beginning.

[Sweetie]

I never liked Harry or Ron much. Boys are icky. Just kidding. But honestly, I think Ron is kind of stupid. Not in a bad way, but just not very bright. Harry just doesn't seem like anything special to me. No outstanding personality traits or anything. Hermione has improved greatly, though. I especially like "SPEW" - it shows dedication ;)

And I've always loved Snape as a character. Not the most pleasant guy out there, but he's certainly deep! As he said in OotP, people have layers :)

[adamgnome]

Harry - Holy **** he still won't stop having a Snape/Slytherine problem. o-o

Hermione - I love the way she threatened Rita Seeker (hehehe), and I really like the fact she says Voldemort's name now. :cool:

Ron - He still won't say Voldemort! @_@ But him winning Quidditch was cool! :evil: