RE: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Harry!!!! I love Harry Potter!!!
and I love that you correctly use "penultimate" - I'm embarrassed to confess that despite a degree in English teaching, I only recently realized it means second-to-ultimate.

As an adult, I discovered Harry Potter, and the first book was my favorite by far. The books kept getting longer and longer after that - 700 pages?

How many authors create such memorable and beloved characters as to inspire those book parties...