Random Harry Potter musings

With the last Harry Potter movie coming out on Friday (well, Thursday afternoon, because I know a TON of people going then), and my trying to "catch up" by watching all of the movies again before I see the last one (I only have 2 left!), the franchise has been on my mind a lot lately. Here are some Potter-related thoughts that have been on my mind:

• Saturday, I walked past a woman in the Sam's Club parking lot who was standing outside her car while her radio blasted... she was listening to a Harry Potter book on tape. I considered standing there long enough to figure out which book, but didn't want to be creepy.

• For some reason, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite book, but favorite movie. However, I actually liked the book when I listened to it on tape last year... I think my dislike stems from the fact I was writing a teenage Snape fanfiction when the 5th book came out, and I was SO MAD at what a jerk he was in the book, versus the character I had developed. Silly JK Rowling doing something different than me ;-)

Found this depiction of James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and
Lily during their Hogwarts days while I was writing the
fanfiction. Sadly, I do not know the name of the original artist.

• I don't have plans to see the last movie, yet. I keep thinking I should ask so-and-so or another so-and-so, but I haven't actually done it. I do, however, have Friday off from work, so I might just kip on over to my local, run-down theater in the middle of the day just because I can. I kind of like that idea... this does not mean that I probably won't be asking people at the last minute if they happen to have an extra ticket to a midnight showing. DO any of you, my friends, have an extra ticket who would be willing to sell it to me and let me come with you?

• I have this wonderful memory of seeing OOTP with my brother, Aaron, who hadn't read any of the books. He did, however, want to punch Prof. Umbridge in the face during the "I will not tell lies" scene, which supported my belief that the wonderful Imelda Staunton did a brilliant job of portraying the character as the villain she is!

• I still think of my brother David whenever I read the Sorting Hat song in the first book.

• I wanted to dress up as Snape to see the last movie. That probably won't happen... so I'll need to find another excuse :-D (Kristen, I still want to do a live-action Puppet Pals song!)

•  Lucius Malfoy is sooo deliciously evil in those first 5 books/movies... and then it is so fun to see him humbled and realize his true priorities in those last two. Jason Isaacs is pure genius!

• Does anyone else feel just the slightest bit gypped that we didn't get a "year 7" of Harry at Hogwarts? Don't get me wrong, I think that last book is fantastic in many ways, and I cannot WAIT to see the final battle in this last movie, but as I re-listened to all of the books on tape earlier this year, I was reminded of how quirky and fun Hogwarts school is and how in love with it I am. We never get to know what the N.E.W.T.S (Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests) are. We don't know who the Head Boy and Head Girl were going to be (my guess is Justin Finch-Fletchley from Hufflepuff and Hermione). Someday I'll be able to let go of this, but not quite yet.

• Along with the "what about year 7?" question, I've always wondered what happened to the kids who didn't have to take the O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S when they cancelled all end-of-year tests in The Chamber of Secrets. Did the scores really not matter? Or did those tests go ahead as planned, but the regular "less important to the future" tests were cancelled? 

You'd think I'd be embarrassed that I think about all of these things (and so very many others) so much, but I am not. We all have our quirks -- stuff we fill our minds with. This just happens to be one of mine.

I am so excited for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2! I am trying very, very hard not read reviews or look at too many photos ahead of time (I don't want to see them looking middle-aged until the end of the film, thank you very much). I want to be surprised and drink in as much as I can because after this, the movie franchise will be over and I don't know if I'm ready.

This is going to be a looooong week!