First of all, I have to make it very clear that I read this book only because of childhood nostalgy and because kids books are awesome.
I never like it when the main character is this clumsy and incapable of doing anything correct, but as this is the first book I've ever read and enjoyed, I think I can still make an exception and give this a very good rating.
This book is very lucky to be much older than Harry Potter, otherwise it would just seem like a very cheap copy, but because this book was in fact first published in 1974, which is around twenty years sooner than HP, I can with clear conscience call it a nice and original story.
The thing I've always loved about this book the most is Miss Hardbroom, without her it would never be this amazing. Just one question, what is it with authors making the mean teacher always teach potions???