So I'm about half way through and its still not as good as the early ones but marginally better than the last two (particularly Order of the Phoenix). It just lacks that sense of wonderment and mystery reflecting, I suppose, Harry's experience of the magical world.

But the most important revelation so far (and this is potentially a spoiler alert, sort of): Harry was born in 1980!! That's really very interesting. It means we can now date all the events in the stories more accurately. For example, Harry started at Hogwarts in 1991 and the opening scene of Halfblood Prince (the story of Harry's sixth year at Hogwarts) which featured a new Muggle Prime Minister must have taken place in 1997. Well there was a new Prime Minister in 1997: Tony Blair.

The events of the last book must have taken place in 1998, a year after the first book was published. How does this affect Rowling's status? Does she become more chronicler than inventor?

But how will it end? I'm betting on: "Harry woke up in his cupboard under the stairs at 4 Privet Drive and found that it had all been a dream."