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This is, without a doubt, my favorite Harry Potter novel. It has been my favorite ever since it came out, and it has only improved on rereading. I adore it; I adore the sense of adventure that spills over every page, the expansion of Rowling's magical universe, and the subtle changes that mark the book's passage from children's fiction to more mature young adult.

When I was younger I especially adored the book because it introduced me to other magic societies and international schools of wizardry. While Rowling certainly doesn't mention a magic school anywhere near me, she opens up for the possibility. She expands her universe of wonder; she pushes the boundaries, and somehow everything seem closer. More relatable. Magic stops being a distinctly British thing and becomes an international phenomen. Something that could perhaps happen to a girl in Denmark as well.

At least that's what I thought then.

Rowling's novels are good, but they can at times feel very constricted. There are very few actual environments described; you have the village of Hogsmeade with all its colors and wonders (matching up to Diagon Alley), you have the muggle life with the Dursley family � always dreary, boring and painful, and you have Hogwarts of course, buzzing with energy, magic sparks and new adventures. At times you have a glimpse of London mixed with a visit at the Weasley's, an occasional tale from the dark prison of Azkaban, but that's really it.

Until this book. Not only does it introduce new schools and new environments � it also takes us to graveyards of horror and Rowling finally mixes her two spheres (the muggle world and the wizarding worlds) in a glorious game of Quidditch. You get to see the union of these two, very different, worlds, and you finally understand how they aren't as separate as one would think; how they depend on each other, gravitate towards each other, and hide each other. Constantly.

It's beautiful. And well worth the wait.