During a haze of self-quarantine and social distancing, I decided to launch a Harry Potter movie rewatch.

I haven’t rewatched the Harry Potter movies since I originally saw them in theaters (I know, I know). That is, except for the few times I would catch snippets of replays on what used to be ABC Family when they would do their Harry Potter marathons.

I figured while at home during quarantine would be the best time to start from the beginning and revisit these beloved movies. Rather unexpectedly, some of the Harry Potter movies didn’t age the way I thought they would, while ones I wasn’t a fan of at first exceeded my expectations.

What remained consistent, however, from when I originally saw it in theaters back in 2009 to watching it just a few days ago, is that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is by and far the very best Harry Potter movie there is.

From writing to directing to the performances, to the storyline, and to everything that had been building up five movies previous coalesces in such a beautiful way in this sixth installment, Half-Blood Prince blew me away even more than it had the first time I watched it. I will gladly defend this as the best Harry Potter movie, though I can’t say the same for the book; Order of the Phoenix still holds that crown.

Before I dive in, I want to emphasize that I fully separate the spirit of the books from that of the movies; for me, and how I think it should be for every fan, these are separate entities and should not be compared. Any comparison between book and movie is, and always has been, a futile exercise in diminishing what the movies do so well in their own right.

The general consensus from critics and fans alike seems to be that the Alfonso Cuaron directed third installment, Prisoner of Azkaban, is the best of the bunch. This is likely because Cuaron brought an auteur director’s touch to the movie and elevated the series from the storybook visualizations brought to us in Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets by director Christopher Columbus.

With Prisoner of Azkaban, the Harry Potter movie franchise officially became cinema. From there, new directors took over various installments, until the series found it’s perfect match of director David Yates (relative newcomer before becoming the go-to Harry Potter director) and screenwriter Steve Kloves (standby writer for all the movies except one).

And this pairing began with Half-Blood Prince. The script does a magnificent balancing act of the hormone-fueled teenage drama of these young wizards we’ve been following for years finally getting struck in the heart, for better or worse, mixed with the harrowing doom and gloom on the horizon.

I also believe this is the first and only Harry Potter movie to never utilize the traditional John Williams score of the series. It’s in this sense that this installment feels like its very own standalone movie, while still being connected to larger storylines. It is also, for me, the most wholly cinematic of the series.

Prisoner of Azkaban is gorgeously shot and creates a Hogwarts cloaked in a Halloween spookiness. Half-Blood Prince scales the creep-factor back, but still gives us the most beautifully rendered version of Hogwarts ever committed to screen. What’s so poignant about this, is that this is also the final “normal” school year for Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

Half-Blood Prince allows us to really soak in the realization that this is the “final” year, and that’s why including all the teenage drama is so important. These are teenagers still trying to navigate life, while Voldemort rises back to power and Death Eaters continue their ominous encroachment.

There’s a final line delivered by Harry that really ties this together, as he, Hermione, and Ron reflect on year seven being unlike anything they’ve faced before. He says, “I never realized how beautiful this place was.”

Beyond the larger tapestry of what makes Half-Blood Prince so good, there are the smaller details as well. The bathroom wand dual between Draco Malfoy and Harry is awe-inspiring, shocking, and expertly photographed and choreographed. Harry drinking the liquid luck and basically becoming drunk is weird and hilarious. Anything involving Professor Slughorn, wonderfully portrayed by Jim Broadbent, is quirky and whimsical.

And above all is the scene of Dumbledore and Harry going after the Horcrux, which is the most haunting and frightening scene of the entire film series, and it encapsulates the bonded relationship the two share that is so tenderly highlighted in this sequel.

Half-Blood Prince also contains my favorite scene in all of the Harry Potter movies, and it might not be one you’re expecting. Ron has just been swooped up by Lavender Brown, even though his feelings for Hermione are not only very real but also reciprocated by her. In a huff of exasperated disappointment and anger, Hermione sets off to be alone. Harry meets up with her, and they sit quietly in a remote staircase inside Hogwarts.

During this quiet and resolute moment, birds circle overhead with an affectionate score playing while Harry consoles a tearful Hermione under golden light pouring in. The way this moment captures woeful teenage longing coincides with the realization that soon, none of this will matter; the teenagers will have to become adults to face the real challenges ahead.

The scene brings to mind the final line spoken in the Half-Blood Prince I mentioned earlier. It’s why I cherish this installment the most of any. Especially in the uncertain times we’re living in now, it’s important to look for beauty where we can.