HP Challenge - Day 30 Harry Potter Changes Lives

I am trying to sit here and really think about how to word my thoughts on the affect that Harry Potter has had on my life over the last decade or so. I never really think of myself as an overly obsessed fan it is really just something that I enjoy. I don't camp outside of theaters days before the movie opening, I don't fly across the country to premieres of the movie and I haven't yet been to Florida to Harry Potter world. Although take note that I will one day very soon be doing that.

I think there are a couple of main things that have made an affect on my life in regards to this series. For one, just like many other people in the world it got me to read again. I for many years before the books came out always wanted to spend more time reading in general, but I was never really interested in any other books. Then the Sorcerer's Stone came along and I remembered the pure joy of my imagination. Of being transported to another place and having a connection to fictional characters like they are real, like you could actually know them in real life. Amazing how the brain can do that.

I love how it not only helped me realize the potential of books but it helped the rest of the world do the same. Learn to love their imaginations and reading again. To remember that a good story is really enjoyable and worth reading.

Secondly I really love the camaraderie that is brought on by the mere fact that a bunch of people like the same book. I have watched families come together over this book. Families that sat down together and read out loud to each other so they would all finish at the same time. I have seen friends that have conversed over the subjects found in the books. There are whole college courses that relate the world of Harry Potter to real life. We have even adapted Quidditch to be played and teams in schools to be formed. And most of all there is that feeling you get when you go to the release of the book or the movie and you stand in the cold, dressed up in Hogwarts gear talking to other people in the area that are there to share this experience with you.

I can honestly say that this series will live on for generations. The movies and the books, I already plan on reading them to my children from a young age. My hope is that they will learn the many lessons that I have from the books about good and evil, about friendship and love, about perseverance and triumph, about greatness and how to live up to your destiny even when you aren't really sure that you can. So yeah Harry Potter has influenced my life as I am sure it has for many others and I could never imagine not having it around.

HP Challenge - Day 29 Very Potter Musical

Watching it as I write this all I can say is that I love it, but being a musical theater person and Harry Potter person this is really the best of both worlds. I love that people put time and effort into things like this. My initial though upon watching the first part... hey is that the guy from Glee?

HP Challenge - Day 28 Wizard Wrock

Wizard Wrock! I want to say that I have heard of the genre but haven't actually heard any of the music. I could be totally wrong about the that though. Either way I plan on looking it up on Wikipedia and the Google machine.

So after researching it I have heard Harry and the Potters and some of their music. Check them out!

HP Challenge - Day 27 Which Hallow?

Of the three Hallows I would have to join Hermione's choice in choosing the Invisibility Cloak. I would definitely be way too tempted by the other Hallows plus I hate to admit it but I really love knowing things and to be able to eavesdrop would be awesome until it got me in loads of trouble that is.

HP Challenge - Day 26 Spells

I think today's theme should be what spell would you want to do, not what spell would you want to do without a wand. However I will answer the original question. To be practical if I could only do one spell without my wand I would do Accio, so that I could get my wand. But just for fun I think that I would want to be able to preform Stupefy. There are just some people you don't want to deal with, so getting them out of the way for a bit seems okay.

HP Challenge - Day 25 Endings

Am I satisfied with how the Harry Potter series has ended after all these years? Eh, mostly yes. I was honestly very confused the first time I read through the book. I mean King's Cross really? What was that even about. And then to go on an find out the names of those children, I was pissed. Look all I am saying is that I wish there was more written to explain what happens between King's Cross and the end of the book. No offense J.K. but your characters will not be naming my children.

HP Challenge - Day 24 Missing Movie Scene

There is no doubt that if you have read the books that you know there are scenes missing from the movies. Having just read the final book again I am realizing that I really think that they should have showed Kreacher actually liking that Harry Potter is his master and wondering how they are going to justify Kreacher's part in the war at Hogwarts. Also going back a couple of books, I really miss that there were so many rooms that the kids visited in the Ministry that we never got to see. Just saying, I wanted to see brains!

HP Challenge - Day 23 Movie/Book Tears

So this is kind of a dumb question I think just because you basically would not have a heart if there was no part of the movies or books that didn't make you cry or tear up even a little bit. I remember clearly the night that I finished reading the Goblet of Fire. I remember very much that it was very late in the night and the whole house was asleep and I had to keep down the sobs when Cedric was gone. And every time I watch that movie and Voldemort steps on Cedric's face and then when Cedric's dad yells out when he sees his son's body. It is all too much for me. then to follow up with the death's of Sirius and Dumbledore in the following two books. And not to mention the final book, it is not uncommon for me to throw the book across the room when a character dies, be upset for a little bit of time and then run over to retrieve the book and continue reading. So to answer this question very much yes the movies and the books make me cry or tear up.

HP Challenge - Day 22 Harry Potter vs. Twilight

If you have read any of my previous posts or even talked to me you will know the answer to this question already. For me it is Harry Potter to the end. A lot of people might think that I am choosing HP or Twilight because I have never given Twilight a chance, which is totally wrong. I have read the books and watched the movies for Twilight. Even though I enjoyed the base value of Twilight it was hard for me to get into the story enough to even think about reading the books again. And I tend to only re-watch the movies when I am in the mood for a laugh. So overall, wizards, dragons, magic and long life will always be way cooler that strength and living forever, when you really think about it how boring would immortality be?

HP Challenge - Day 21 Character Resurrection

Over the years we have seen many of the beloved characters die so being able to bring one back would be great power but a very hard decision. I think that overall I would bring back either Sirius Black or Lily Potter. I just feel like Harry needs some kind of family, and though the Weasley's have always been a family to him it is never quite the same as him having even his Godfather there. Someone to remind him of his past and of his parents. Though I imagine there are enough Weasley's that in the end as much as he misses his original family he is pretty happy with his lot in life.

HP Challange - Day 20 Cast Member

The cast member that I would meet would have to be either Alan Rickman because he is just so damn awesome, or Daniel Radcliffe because then i might be able to see his new Broadway show.  They are both very talented actors and from the interviews that I have seen with either one of them they seem like a lot of fun to talk to, especially when Daniel Radcliffe sang the elements song on television.

A Little Help From Our Friends

Today really seemed to be all about friends at church. Or at least that was what I was suppose to learn about today in church because that is what I took away from all the different lessons.

In Relief Society today there was mention of sometimes how the spirit can speak with our friends through us. What an amazing thing to be able to help out someone special in your life. I think that is what just happened to me, after being reminded of this fact and having a great spiritual day at church today I came home and just wanted to rest. As I laid here on the couch watching terrible TV shows and contemplating a nap, I was told to get up and get my scriptures and read them. 

I am never really the person who knows what to look up and study so I just try to pick up where I left off. Currently I am still working my way through the Book of Mormon. Slowly but surely I will get through it. But apparently this is exactly where I was suppose to read because while reading through I found a verse that I was prompted to send to all my friends. I can't be sure at this time if it was something they needed to hear or something that I just needed to share but I feel really confident that it will help them. I absolutely love days when I can feel the spirit helping me help someone else, even if i don't understand what is happening or how it might help them.

HP Challange - Day 19 Books vs. Films

The age old question which are better the books or the films. Honestly I enjoy both very much. I love the story of the books and I love the humor of the films. I often think that what allows me to enjoy them both is that I can treat them as two separate things. The movies are based on the books true, but they are their own thing. They can't have exact word for word from the book and I think as long as you have that understanding of what they are you can really just enjoy them. The books do have more details and depth but sometimes I just want to watch the story unfold and not necessarily read an imagine it, but sometimes I feel the opposite way.

HP Challenge - Day 18 Least Favorite Book

No doubt about it Order of the Phoenix was my least favorite. Don't get me wrong I still really enjoy the book, but of all the books it is the one where the majority of the book is just Bella complaining and being depressed. Oh wait that is Twilight series, but in OOTP Harry does quite a bit of whining himself. Granted it is not as to the scale of being in Bella's head but it makes you want to reach into the pages and slap Harry because if you do he might realize there are reasons that Dumbledore does what he does, even if it turns out not to be the best course of action in the end.

HP Challenge - Day 17 Deathly Hallows Review

With the first part of the movie out already and knowing that it was really good, I am excited for the second part of the Deathly Hallows movie. I am not necessarily excited for this to be over with. It has been a part of all of our lives for so long. And watching Hogwarts burn I think many people are going to be brought to tears. I have high hopes for this last movie which can turn out to be a bad thing when you head to the movie theater, but I think this will be so epic, and based on the fact that it is directed by David Yates and so was the last couple, which were pretty darn good, I will continue to believe that is will knock my socks off.