So basically in 15 days, the last Harry Potter movie comes out! This is exciting and happy, but also sad, because it means my favorite book series really is done. I cannot express how much I love Harry Potter in one post, so I've decided that the next 15 days will be a tribute to the wonderful books themselves and what I love about them. I'm gonna try to post every day about this because i LOVE Harry Potter and I want to give it one last shout out (though I will never stop reading the books!).I'm reading the series again for the 11th time and today I just finished the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (I'm trying to finish the whole series before the movie comes out). It is so cool being able to read the whole story, and if you are an HPN (Harry Potter Nerd), which I am, then you can notice the little foreshadowings that Rowling puts in the book. Also, the book is hilarious in some parts.
For those who can’t remember or haven’t read the book or even seen the movie (why are you my friend if you haven’t done any of those things?), here’s a quick recap: Eleven year-old Harry Potter, whose parents died trying to protect him from the super evil wizard Lord Voldemort, and who also somehow survived the killing curse that Lord Voldemort put upon him as a child, has grown up with his “muggle” (non-magic) aunt, uncle, and cousin, who treat him like dirt all the time. Harry finds out he is a wizard and enters the magical world. He goes to school at Hogwarts and makes friends with Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, with Albus Dumbledore as the school’s headmaster. Harry makes enemies and learns lots of magic stuff. He and his friends find out bits and pieces about the Sorcerer’s Stone, and in the end try to save it from getting into the hands of Lord Voldemort. He succeeds but Voldemort’s “spirit” or whatever you want to call it is still out there and is going to keep trying to find its way to a body or a way to come back to life fully so that he can take over the wizarding world.
Now some funny lines from the book...
"Exactly why Dudley wanted a racing bike was a mystery to Harry, as Dudley was very fat and hated exercise--unless of course it involved punching somebody."
"Dudley thought for a moment. It looked like hard work."
"...it didn't work anyway. Meant ter turn him into a pig, but I suppose he was so much like a pig anyway there wasn't much left ter do." -Hagrid, talking about Dudley
"It was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs. Norris a good kick."
"Neville had never been on a broomstick in his life, because his grandmother had never let him near one. Privately, Harry felt she had good reason, because Neville managed to have an extraordinary number of accidents even with both feet on the ground."
"I hope you're pleased with yourselves. We could have all been killed--or worse, expelled." -Hermione
"Hermione was refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus."
"There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them."
(Harry, talking about Snape) "What's wrong with his leg?
(Ron) "Dunno, but I hope it's really hurting him."
"Neville was trying to remember what he'd forgotten..."
(Ron) "You could ask your parents if they know who Flamel is. It'd be safe to ask them."
(Hermione) "Very safe, as they're both dentists."
"...[Hermione] was dashing back, an enormous old book in her arms.
'I never thought to look in here!' she whispered excitedly. 'I got this out of the library weeks ago for a bit of light reading.'
'Light?' said Ron."
"'So you mean the Stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape?' said Hermione in alarm.
'It'll be gone by next Tuesday,' said Ron."
(funniest line ever..to me anyways) "'So light a fire!' Harry choked.
'Yes--of course--but there's no wood!' Hermione cried, wringing her hands.
'HAVE YOU GONE MAD?' Ron bellowed. 'ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?'
'Oh right!' said Hermione."
"What happened down in the dungeons...is a complete secret, so, naturally, the whole school knows. I believe your friends Misters Fred and George Weasley were responsible for trying to send you a toilet seat....Madam Pomfrey, however, thought it might not be very hygenic, and confiscated it." -Dumbledore
"They had hoped that Goyle, who was almost as stupid as he was mean, might be thrown out, but he had passed, too. It was a shame, but as Ron said, you couldn't have everything in life." (Ron always seems to be the funny one)
And some notable, inspiring quotes...
"However, this mirror will give us neither knowledge or truth. Men have wasted away before it, entranced by what they have seen, or been driven mad, not know if what it shows is real or even possible....It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."
"The truth...it is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with great caution." -Dumbledore
"If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign...to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever." (that is just written so beautifully) –Dumbledore
“There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” –Dumbledore (he says all the wise quotes apparently)
And these little foreshadowings...
"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it." -Ron, talking about Hermione (not necessarily a foreshadowing but its funny because they start out hating each other and then end up falling in love)
Harry has a dream about Professor Quirell's turban talking to him and telling him he should be in Slytherin, which is a foreshadowing for the end of the book, because Voldemort is actually being hidden by Quirell's turban.
"He's a funny man, Dumbledore. I think he sort of wanted to give me a chance. I reckon he had a pretty good idea we were going to try, and instead of stopping us, he just taught us enought to help. It's almost like he thought I had the right to face Voldemort if I could..." (totally makes sense once read the end of the 5th book!) –Harry
There is more for all of those, I know, but I didn’t get to underline them as I went in the book so I was just skimming through finding all of these. I’ll be better with the second one. (And sorry it was so long!)
I will always hold the first book dear to my heart, because it is the book that started it all. It always puts a smile on face reading about all the different magical things introduced, like Gringotts Bank, broomsticks, wands, Diagon Alley, etc. It’s the shortest book out of all the seven, but it is so special because it is the first one. No one, especially J.K. Rowling knew how huge this book series would become. I love it SO much.
MTV is doing this thing where they’re finding the ultimate Harry Potter character. Cool right? To vote just go here:
And I’ll end with this..the trailer from the first movie. J
(images from here)
