Harry Lives Again!

Happy Sunday!

Hi there! So, I had this week’s post all planned out and ready to go… But then Thursday happened. Now, unless you live under a rock, I would presume you have heard this beautiful news. A NEW WIZARDING WORLD SERIES!! We’re going home, friends! The Harry Potter gods are smiling down upon us! If you don’t have any idea what I’m talking about, here’s the scoop. On Thursday, Warner Brothers announced that JK Rowling’s book, Fantastic Beast and Where to Find Them, will be turned into a film series. So, it’s like a new Harry Potter movies without Harry. Not only were we graced with this wonderful news, BUT (make sure you’re sitting down) Jo Rowling is penning the script herself! I repeat, JK Rowling is writing the actual script, the one read by the actors, her words read aloud on screen. Life is beautiful!

As you can obviously tell I am a massive Harry Potter fan. Harry has been in my life for as long as I can remember. The first movie I ever saw in theaters was Philosopher’s Stone, and I’m pretty sure I have been Hermione Grange for Halloween since I was born—Okay, maybe not that long. Harry, Ron, and Hermione have been there for me my whole life; they’re my best friends. So, as I went to the theater, in my Hogwarts robes, for the final time, I was completely devastated. What will I do now that Harry is gone?! It may be melodramatic, but part of my life ended when those end credits appeared. But here we are, about to embark again to the Wizarding World.

So, I’m just going to put this out there now—I didn't read the books till 2007. I was a die hard movie fan. Please don’t hate me! I hated reading as a kid, and those massive books scared. Plus, I was so young when the franchise started. Then I read them, I loved them, and now I regret not reading them sooner. I didn't really get to experience the magic until it was over, seeing as Deathly Hallows came out that same year. I have since repented, and as of today, I've read through the series twice and Deathly Hallows about four times. 

Okay, let’s start from the beginning. I was about six when Philosopher’s Stone came out in theaters. Because I was so young, I can’t remember much about my first Potter experience. But I’m sure I thought it was total awesome and that Daniel Radcliffe was so cute (I clearly, I had good taste as a six year old).

Aw, look at how cute they are! 

I can’t remember much of my early Harry Potter years.  I do remember one night my dad bought a new DVD player and a copy of Chamber of Secrets. My sister and I stayed up all night watching it. We would reenact the Dueling Club scene all the time— we may or may not still reenact the Dueling Club scene. She was Malfoy and I was Harry; it was kinda awesome. Then when Prisoner of Azkaban came out, we would memorize Fred and George’s line. Our favorite part was when they give Harry the Marauder’s Map; we had that scene down perfectly. I guess this is where my passion for acting started. I would study how Emma acted as Hermione, and then copy it. I loved memorizing the lines and performing the movie with the actors in my living room. I watched the Goblet of Fire bonus features religiously. I always love watching the behind the scenes footage to see how the film was made, what the actors did on set, how much fun they had. I wanted so badly to be at Leavesden’s with them. They looked so cool, and I would dream of the day when I got to be on a film set.

In school my partner in crime, Briannah, was also a massive fan. One day, out of the blue, she started saying the word “pickle” over and over very quickly. When I questioned her about said pickle ranting she replied with the term MuggleCast. Hence forth, a new nerd obsession began! For those who don’t know, MuggleCast is a fan made podcast where a fan panel discusses the Harry Potter books and movies. It’s probably the best podcast ever. (For those wondering, the pickle thing came from one of the host’s obsession with pickles; it became a running joke.) I discovered MuggleCast right after the Half-Blood Prince film came out. I listened to all 160 episodes within a matter a weeks. The show was hilarious and it quenched my thirst for someone to talk to about Potter. MuggleCast became a big part of my life, and it made me ventured into this crazy place called a fandom. It was beautiful and wonderful and magical. The hosts were my best friends, I relied on MuggleNet.com to deliver my HP news every day, and the fandom made me love Harry Potter even more than I did before. (And this fandom also created A Very Potter Musical. It’s pretty much everything I love: Harry Potter, singing, dancing, Darren Criss, rolled into one. If you haven’t seen A Very Potter Musical or A Very Potter Squeal, go now and watch it. Your life will be improved greatly. God bless, StarKid.)

Next came Pottermore. I remember everyone went CRAZY when Pottermore was announced. I got up at five in the morning just to get a spot in the beta. To have more of Jo’s writing was something we all craved since Deathly Hallows, and now we got it. *cough cough* Even though an encyclopedia would be better. *cough cough*. "The fandom lives," everyone shouted! What makes Jo so wonderful is that she has a back story for everything. She has all this information hidden away, taunting us, never to be seen. But here was our chance to get to know our favorite characters even better than before. I got sorted into Slytherin, which upon seeing this was very disappointed, and then I realized I am very much a Slytherin. Obviously, I’m not evil and won't try to take over the world, but pretty much everything else related to Slytherin House is me. So, there goes Jo, psychoanalyzing people, knowing more things about me then I do. Briannah got sorted into Hufflepuff. I literally witnessed her go through the five stages of grieve upon finding out. Clearly, she’s a Hufflepuff. This is what Harry Potter does to people. 

Last year I had the fantastic privilege of going to Warner Brother’s The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour. Long story short, I cried. I literally cried. Like mascara everywhere crying. (Remember I'm a heartless Slytherin.) It was beautiful. I fulfilled by girlhood dream of going to the set and being a part of the magic. I got to walk into the Great Hall, Dumbledore’s office, and down Diagon Alley. I touched Daniel Radcliffe’s costume! I saw Hogwarts! I never wanted to leave. To any HP fan that hasn't been there, it’s amazing and you need to go. It was best experience of my life, and nothing will trump that as the best day ever. 

Click here to read my post about my fantastic day at the Harry Potter Studio Tour!

It’s so hard to put into word what Harry Potter has meant to me over the years. He has been there through every change in my life. I can only remember when major life events took place by which book/movie came out. Harry and his friends mean the world to me. They have shaped who I am as a person. Not only have Harry, Ron, and Hermione changed me for the better, but also Dan, Rupert, and Emma. I aspire to be like them. Emma is my role model. She has so much respect for herself, and that’s important for young girls to see. Yes, she’s stunning and fashionable, but she’s smart and is furthering her education by going to Uni. Daniel has a fantastic career. He is an extremely hard worker, and creates beautiful work. Rupert has an ice cream van and a hover craft. Like he’s the coolest person ever. They are all so respectable and well-rounded; I have so much admiration for them. They have proved that being a child star doesn't have to make you crazy. But, I won’t get into my love for my real life trio just yet. That post will come later, don’t worry.

So here are again. We are about to embark on a new journey with new friends. I guess I’ll have to dust off my robes for the next premiere. Ah, there’s something I never thought I would say again! I am so excited to be going back into our wonderful world of magic. Like our Queen Jo said, “The stories we love best do live in us forever, so whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”


Leave a comment below and tell me about your favorite Harry Potter experience, what Harry means to you, or what you’re most excited for in Fantastic Beasts.

Keep up to date with all the happenings of Fantastic Beasts via Hypable.com. http://www.hypable.com/2013/09/12/new-harry-potter-movies-fantastic-beasts-jk-rowling/

Yes, my dog is a proud Gryffindor! She is just too cute!

Photo Credit: harrypotter.wikia.com, wikipedia.org, kids.britannica.com, thinkingofrob.com, blog.complete.me, twitter.com