Literary Sensation

Published as the sixth of a seven-book series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was greatly anticipated by readers worldwide. Rowling's novels continue to attract vast numbers of fans, young and old alike, and thus each text's publication is a cultural event in itself. Midnight book launches as well as enormous speculation regarding plot turns accompanied this book's debut. Criminal allegations were even made in cases of content leaks and premature book distributions. The frenzy over Harry Potter's future only grows with his sixth year at Hogwarts, and especially so as a key figure dies in this second-to-last book. Anticipation for the final book rises to new heights as readers grasp the cliff-hanger surrounding book six: Does Snape betray Dumbledore's trust in him?

The War on Terror

Politically, the sixth book in the series takes place in a divisive and chaotic fictional environment. The Ministry of...