The Harry Potter 30 Days Challenge #1

It appears that today is Harry Potter all the way! (Good thing I went ahead and went for that HP font, that looks great, right?). A few days ago leannaatc @Short Story Long had this amazing idea of doing a 30 days Harry Potter challenge, I thought it was a great idea so I jumped on board. You can find the themes for each day here, and you can see her post for the first day here.

– Day 1: Your favorite book? – 

As I just said in The Harry Potter Tag, for my favorite book I have to pick Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

I really like this book because it manages to have funny moments within all the tragedy that’s going on. We also have the constant presence of Aurors in Hogwarts, which is pretty damn cool, and a lot of Tonks. We also see these teenagers grow a lot, there’s more Quidditch, with Ginny kicking ass. And that kiss! I love Ginny and Harry’s kiss in front of everyone (not at all like the movie).

I also loved that we get the distinct notion for the first time, that maybe, just maybe, Draco is not all into the bad stuff, his character is a lot more complex, and here it finally shows.

And Horace Slughorn, who I found super interesting – and it’s nice to see that not all Slytherins are indeed bad.

I loved how the storyline was immensely more complex :D. Oh, and Harry for once being better than Hermione at class was epic (even if he was kind of cheating!).

That’s it, see you tomorrow for day #2!

Harry Potter: Sorting Hat Song (1995)

Because it is still Harry Potter day, I’ll leave here one of my favorite’s Sorting Hat’s song from Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, or you know, when things start to get real and bad…

In times of old, when I was new,
And Hogwarts barely started,
The founders of our noble school
Thought never to be parted.

United by a common goal,
They had the selfsame yearning
To make the world’s best magic school
And pass along their learning.

“Together we will build and teach”
The four good friends decided.
And never did they dream that they
Might some day be divided.

For were there such friends anywhere
As Slytherin and Gryffindor?
Unless it was the second pair
Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw,

So how could it have gone so wrong?
How could such friendships fail?
Why, I was there, so I can tell
The whole sad, sorry tale.

Said Slytherin, “We’ll teach just those
Whose ancestry’s purest.”
Said Ravenclaw, “We’ll teach those whose
Intelligence is surest.”

Said Gryffindor, “We’ll teach all those
With brave deeds to their name.”
Said Hufflepuff, “I’ll teach the lot
And treat them just the same.”

These differences caused little strife
When first they came to light.
For each of the four founders had
A house in which they might

Take only those they wanted, so,
For instance, Slytherin
Took only pure-blood wizards
Of great cunning just like him.

And only those of sharpest mind
Were taught by Ravenclaw
While the bravest and the boldest
Went to daring Gryffindor.

Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest
and taught them all she knew,
Thus, the houses and their founders
Maintained friendships firm and true.

So Hogwarts worked in harmony
for several happy years,
but then discord crept among us
feeding on our faults and fears.

The Houses that, like pillars four
had once held up our school
now turned upon each other and
divided, sought to rule.

And for a while it seemed the school
must meet an early end.
what with dueling and with fighting
and the clash of friend on friend.

And at last there came a morning
when old Slytherin departed
and though the fighting then died out
he left us quite downhearted.

And never since the founders four
were whittled down to three
have the Houses been united
as they once were meant to be.

And now the Sorting Hat is here
and you all know the score:
I sort you into Houses
because that is what I’m for.

But this year I’ll go further,
listen closely to my song:
though condemned I am to split you
still I worry that it’s wrong,

Though I must fulfill my duty
and must quarter every year
still I wonder whether sorting
may not bring the end I fear.

Oh, know the perils, read the signs,
the warning history shows,
for our Hogwarts is in danger
from external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her
or we’ll crumble from within
I have told you, I have warned you…
let the Sorting now begin.

The Harry Potter Tag

Today is July 31st! Which means it is the anniversary of The Boy Who Lived – Harry Potter – as well as its amazing author, J.K. Rowling. So, it seemed fitting to do this tag today. Summer @XingSings tagged me for this (thank you so much Summer) and I thought “Hell YES!”. I also saw this tag on INTO THE BOOKCASE, and it had a couple more questions than Summer’s tag, so I decided to add them. Here we go!

1. Favorite book?

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban a close second). It’s a funny book, the romances between all of the main characters bring a lightness to some parts of the book, and because ultimately it’s not a books for kids anymore, it has a whole lot of heartbreak (yes Dumbledore and Snape, I’m looking at you two!).

                                     

2. Favorite movie?

Oh, it will have to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince again, I mean, seriously, this movie is so damn funny at times, and Rupert Grint has this amazing expression when he’s “in love”… it always makes me laugh.

3. Least favorite book?

I agree with Summer here, it will have to be Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (though the book is much better than the movie).

4. What is your least favorite film?

Again, same as the book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

5. Parts of the books/movies that make you cry?

Wow… how to pick? To be honest from book 6 onwards it was a tear fest. But Sirius going through the veil (HP5), Harry realizing that he never saw his father stag on the lake (HP3), Dumbledore dying (HP6), Snape dying (HP7), Tonks and Remus fighting because she loves him (HP6), Tonks and Remus dying (HP7), Mad Eye Moody dying (HP7), Neville at St Mungo’s hospital (HP5), Fred… (now I’m almost crying, I need to stop…).

6. If you could hook up with any character, who would it be?

Ron Weasley… (in the last couple of books… just to be clear!)

7. Favorite character?

Do you want a list?! I always loved Ron, he was always so brave and loyal (it might also be because I have a slight crush on Rupert Grint). Then I was always fascinated by Tonks and Lupin. And Hermione, obviously. Oh, and Luna, she’s just the best!

8. Who is your least favorite character?

Percy Weasley, he was so damn annoying and then he was just dumb and stupid.

9. What is your least favorite line?

There are seven books, and I read them (the last time) a couple of years ago, I don’t remember this…

10. What would your Patronus be?

I have no freaking idea… probably a raven or something like that.

11. If you could have the Resurrection Stone, the Invisibility Cloak, or the Elder Wand, which one would you choose?

Not even a contest: The Invisibility Cloak!

12. What House would you be in?

This one I know (because Pottermore already sorted me and I think it is quite right): I’m a proud Ravenclaw!

13. If you could meet any member of the cast, who would it be?

Evanna Lynch, she just seems so nice. Emma Watson because she’s fabulous. Rupert Grint (see the part above when I mentioned I have a crush on him…). I wouldn’t mind meeting Matthew Lewis though…

14. If you were on the Quidditch team, what position would you play?

Beater, no way I would be able to be a seeker, and I wouldn’t want to be a chaser or a keeper because I could get beaten by a bludger (who wants that?!).

15. Were you happy with the ending?

I was and I don’t get why so many people had a problem with it. But hey, I read Harry Potter for the first time when I was 25/26, so my reactions are not representative of the target population.

16. How much does Harry Potter mean to you?

A lot. Unlike many people it didn’t got me into reading (no, Twilight did that, actually, I read Harry Potter because I was on a Twilight high, go figure). But it made me love reading even more. It created a whole world inside my head, it made me even more tolerant and open. It also gave me the feeling of a fandom for the first time, and that is awesome.

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I tag ANYONE who wants to do this – seriously Harry Potter fans, get moving! 😀

Once again, a very happy birthday to the amazing J.K. Rowling, who created this amazing universe, and to her most favorite creation, Harry Potter himself. ❤ ❤ ❤