Actually, Hagrid as CoMC served many purposes. Maybe you should read through the books again...

As for my favorite... I liked all of them, though GoF tops my list and CoS ends it.

 

Order of the phoenix in all it's paper eating glory.

Why? Once Hermione lights a fire under Harry's butt to get the DA going, this is the first and only time i could see him going after Voldemort. Especially if you compare him to his peers. and then HBP fucked that up.

 

Prisoner of Azkaban is currently my favourite (though it is changing all the time).

As far as first-time read went, it's in the lead by far.

Not only does Harry display his potential to be an exceptionally powerful wizard in it, but the plot is so carefully woven, the air of mystery and imminent danger sustained throughout the book, the revelation scene kept you on the edge of your seat, and the writing style close to perfection.

Not only that, but I also long for the days where Sirius Black was taken seriously; in POA he is considered one of the most powerful wizards in the world, possibly able to take on Dumbledore...by the time we're at OotP, he is thought of first and foremost a practical joker, not to be taken seriously. I liked the dangerous and dark man better - so much so that, like many, after reading POA Sirius was my favourite character.

 

Ehh....SS or PS for me. Most exciting book, because your first introduced to the magical world. Most surprised, and was the only book that I was greatly disapointed when it ended, probably because I was pretty young when I read it.

 

Nobody's mentioned CoS yet, but CoS and PoA are my favorites. CoS because I first saw the movie and him talking to the snake was badass, and could've (should've) led to a more independent Harry instead of just being an emo bitch for most of the rest of the series. In CoS and PoA he does amazing things most adult wizards couldn't do (kills the basilisk and Riddle's horcrux, defends himself and Sirius from all those Dementors) but then of course he's turned into a whiny bitch who can't do ANYTHING without Hermione's help.

They also cemented my hatred for Ron, because while he at least had some purpose in the first book he does nothing in these two. The only reason he didn't get memory charmed was blind luck and he didn't help Harry and Hermione at all with saving Sirius.

My biggest problem with GoF is that nobody realizes Harry is famous anymore. He's the savior of the wizarding world, voted most handsome by Witch Weekly, blah blah blah but no girls ask him to the dance? I know it's supposed to be the guy's job and all, but you'd think there'd at least be some groupies who would ask him.

 

Several girls do ask him to the dance; he turns them all down.

 

Who asked him, somebody in his year or a first year or something?

 

I liked Prisoner of Azkaban the most, for the same reason as has been stated many times: He was portrayed as a competent human being. From a fanfiction reader's standpoint, OotP was not too bad, as it opened the world up for the conflict against Voldemort, but Harry went into all that idiotic angst and shit.

As for Harry being asked to the ball, in my book it is on page 389, chapter 22 The Unexpected Task. He was asked out by three girls, a third-year, a second-year, and a fifth-year.

 

PoA is definitely my favorite of the Harry Potter series. Coming in at a close second is OotP. Both books have the darker atmosphere that drove me to try and recreate it in fanfiction, not to mention OotP makes a great diving board for fanfiction. IMO, these books have the best characterizations of Harry - competent, but still a kid. And that's the thing many fanfiction authors miss their mark on.

Dunno about you, but I've started liking fanfiction more than the books.

 

Well, appearently, you can't like COS here, because that's the start of all the H/G shipping, really.

Book 4 did it for me. Such a concise story, a riveting buildup, and a huge climax. I think it was the best.

 

I like 'em all really. Except SS/PS and HBP of course.

CoS - Same as Xiph0.

PoA - Well written, dementors, dementors, patronii, any questions?

GoF - This book is heavily underestimated. There is so much going on in the background of this fic that can be brought to light - Voldemort torturing Bertha Jorkins, the Tri-Wizard Tournament's planning, Mad-Eye Moody being subdued, Igor Karkaroff, Veritaserum, more info on Azkaban and the wizarding world in general, etc.

OoTP - the only hint of a darker world, as well as a taste of HP politics, and of course, an ounce of dark!Harry.

 

The order for me goes as follows POA, OOTP, GOF, COS, PS/SS, HBP with POA being the best and HBP being the worst.

I like POA & OOTP for all the reasons stated above but especially for the dark atmosphere that was in the two books. HBP was the worst because of how totally pathetic and wimpy Harry was. PS/SS was a bit boring, but it did introduce the magical world so it isn't as bad as HBP. COS wasn't bad, but I enjoyed GOF more.