All Things Potter

I am a fan of the Harry Potter series.  I was a slow convert, but once I was 60 pages into the first book--I was hooked.

My conversion began when West Point nephew was about a 4th grader and called me a "muggle."  It dawned on me that a whole generation of students were going to making allusions to literature about which I knew nothing!  I went home and jumped into the first book. There was no turning back.

L was the only other Easy Streeter to read the books, and I think she only got through the first four.  The Mr. might not have been into the books, but he bought me a boxed set of the first four for Christmas one year.  (The books have the most beautiful covers.)  When the movies came out, I went to most of the movies by myself.  I think the Mr. sat through one with me, and then looked at me after it was over like "What the heck was that all about?"  *sigh*

I went to the bookstore at midnight on two different occasions to purchase the latest release.  Yep, I was with the little kids dressed as wizards or Harry Potter, standing in line for the book.  (Although, there were plenty of college kids, high school kids, and adults enjoying these books, too.)

After years of teaching kids who hated to read and faked every book report they ever gave, it was amazing to see such a huge group of kids who were reading again!  JK Rowling can almost single-handedly take credit for making reading "cool" again.  And since then you can add in the Twilight, Percy Jackson, Eragon, and Hunger Game series. And a generation of Language Arts teachers are incredibly grateful!

Thanks to Harry Potter, "He Who Shall Not Be Named" became a way to refer to some person whose very name made us too angry or repulsed to say aloud.  Rowling also gave me several of my favorite quotes:

*"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

*"It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

*"If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."  (My favorite!)

I was so sad to finish the last book.  This was one series that I didn't want to end.  And yet, it was a most satisfying conclusion.  And the message throughout was always the same-- love is always the answer.  Period.

Last fall, I went to see the "beginning of the end" of the movies with an adorable, freckled 3rd grader and his mother.  And yesterday and today, he and his mother (a former student) have been enjoying a marathon of all the movies leading up to the end.  Two of my favorite people are at one of my favorite theaters.  (What a combination!)  This theater delivers food and drink, including wine, to your seats.  Heaven!!  Tonight at midnight, they will watch the final movie.  I would love to see this now 4th grader's reaction to the final installment.  I'm sure we'll be talking!

And me? I'm moving L.  She is really pushing it!  It is supposed to be 100+ degrees.  She is moving from the 2nd floor of one apartment in U town to a 3rd floor apartment in the Big City two hours away.  Yikes!  L, it is a good thing that I love you more than Harry Potter!  And that is saying something.  And I'm pretty sure that I will still be using this sacrifice in the future.  You sooooo owe me!  I'll be reminding you!

Harry is going to have to wait until next week.  I guess I'll live.  And maybe the theater won't be so crowded by then!  (That's the only upside that I can think of!)