Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince picks up right where Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix left off. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), devastated over the loss of his godfather Sirius Black, and Dumbledore (Micahel Gambon), who just had an epic battle with Voldemort within the Ministry of Magic, face the media. All the lies and coverups within the Ministry have vanished with one universal realization: the greatest dark wizard of all time has returned. That doleful and ominous idea drives the movie forth for the next hour and twenty minutes, leaving our beloved characters with nothing more than devastation and heartbreak at the movie‘s end.

Anyone following the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince news for the past year knows that things have been rocky. Die-hard fans winced as reviews flooded in after the preliminary screenings (particularly one in Chicago), preaching mostly disappointment and negativity. Following the screenings, the November 21, 2008 release date was pushed back to July 17, 2009 and then eventually changed to July 15. With all the speculation and the date changes, fans around the globe have been, understandably, apprehensive.