"Because I want to." - Me

Sorry to all of you that we're looking forward to another Harry-Potter-quote-titled blog, but I'm going to be selfish today. Because everyone has their own opinions, and I am determined to show mine.

So there I was, innocently reading the best series there ever was: the Harry Potter series. A classmate walks up and asks, "Harry Potter? Have you never read them before?" To which my response is, "Yes, of course I have." Then, their dreaded response to my response:

"Then why would you read them again?" 

There are many responses to this response to my response. And I have carefully crafted a list, so if and when you are ever in this situation, you know how to handle it. So here it is: my brilliant list.

1) The mafia is forcing me to.

2) I'm going to Harry Potter World for Spring Break so I'm preparing.

3) I'm looking for a newfound loophole.

4) The fates are forcing me to.

5) I have glass bones and paper skin. Selling Harry Potter books is the only thing that gets me through. (Props to you if you understand the reference)

6) The magic never dies, so why should the joy I get from reading die?

And of course, the title of this blog is my preferred response

7) Because I want to.

Sleep tight, fellow Potterheads! Don't let the nargles bite!

"Immerse yourself in the world of the spectacular Harry Potter film series..." - 'Harry Potter Film Wizardry'

As you all have probably guessed, I love reading. I can get into almost any type of book, and I almost always would rather be reading. I especially love going to the library to look around for my next amazing book find. 

So there I was, at the library looking for something to read. I was in the music section for a little while, and afterwards, I decided to go to the movie section to see what I would find to read. And then there it was, on display.
Harry Potter Film Wizardry: From the Creative Team Behind the Celebrated Movie Series

This magical (pun intended) book shows everything you would ever want to know about the Harry Potter movies. Stories from the cast, pictures of props and sets, special effects, and everything behind the scenes was packed into this book, put on a library book shelf, and presented, by fate, to me. So I checked it out and I read it. And I love it!
The book goes along with the movies as they are in order, and shows behind the scenes stuff in the order they appear in the movie. With some exceptions of course. One of the first pages is about Privet Drive and has a pop out Hogwarts letter and envelope.

The letter looks almost like it did in the movie!
As I read through the pages, I developed some favorite parts of this book.
I loved the page on Diagon Alley, because I feel that it would be one of my favorite places to be if I were in the wizarding world.

I loved reading about the cast's reactions to the set of Diagon Alley, and it was interesting to read the Borgin and Burkes pamphlet that is stapled onto the page.
The next page after that had a really cool picture of Hogwarts castle.

Another one of my favorite pages was about the giant chessboard in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Yes, they really did build all of those giant pieces.

And then the page about the Burrow. It was interesting to see how the scene where the Burrow was burnt down was put together. And they really did build a real burrow, then burn it down. "It took six months to build and six minutes to burn down," is a quote about this event from the book.

And if course I fell in love with the Dobby page. Because who doesn't like Dobby, let's be real.

It was really neat to read my next favorite page: Hogsmeade Villiage. The concept art (the first picture) is amazing. The set builders really brought the Villiage to life!

And next is one of my favorite pictures / artifacts. JK Rowling's hand written Black Family tree. Something from the very beginning. 

And of course ... The Marauder's Map

And last but so so SO not least. Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. You will learn as these blogs go on that Draco is my favorite human character and Tom is my celebrity husband. He just doesn't know it. (I'm really not a stalker)

I loved this book, and I hope to get one for myself! Christmas or my birthday or Flag Day or any other holiday. Hint hint mom and dad!! See you next blog!

"They ship me with chicken," - Rupert Grint

Hi fellow Potterheads! As I may or may not have mentioned last week, I am an active member in the Harry Potter fandom. I read the books, watch the movies and read fan fictions on a regular basis. But part of being a Potterhead is having opinions on what JK Rowling wrote for us. Some of us choose to make up couples that would have made more sense to us. There are many of these, and we call them ships (short for “relationships.”) I am going to present you with a few, and tell my opinions on them so you will get to know them better, and hopefully, start to form your own opinions. So here they are!

Romione (Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger): One of my favorite ships in the series, Ron and Hermione. They seem like the perfect couple to me! I like that Hermione chose Ron, who has been accused of being a comic relief character, instead of Harry Potter, the obvious hero in the series. He loved her no matter what, even when he thought that she was in love with Harry near the end of the story, and the fact that they were together in the end anyways is a perfect ending to their relationship in my opinion.

Hinny (Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley): And this ship is one of my least favorite ships in the entire series, including the odd Bellatrix Lestrange and Voldemort ship. They just seem so awkward in the movies, that the ship was kind of ruined for me. If Bonnie Wright (the actress who played Ginny) had acted the part better, I probably would’ve shipped them together. In the books, I believe that Ginny is portrayed completely differently, and Hinny could potentially have been one of my favorite ships. However, in the movies, I ship…

Drarry (Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter): Some people think it strange, but Drarry has to be one of my favorite ships, even though it never happened in the books or the movies. For some reason, I could just see it happening. Maybe fan fictions have swayed my opinion a little bit, but I just think it could work out if the situation presented itself.

Wobby (Winky and Dobby): I personally think that this is the sweetest and cutest ship in the series, because it involves my favorite character, Dobby. Dobby always cared so much about Winky in the books, and while they may have been only friends, I think it would’ve been cute if they were a couple. Unfortunately, Winky wasn’t shown in any of the movies, so I couldn’t see how that aspect of the relationship would’ve worked.

Now, I believe that it is some people’s goals to make up the most ridiculous ships that they possibly can. While they may be odd, some of them can be funny. Some of them can also be disturbing. But that’s just how any fandom goes I guess.

Drapple (Draco Malfoy and a green apple): Draco has been seen eating a green apple at least three or four times in all eight movies. Some people have chosen to make it a ship. It’s ridiculous, and hilarious, and odd. I love it.

Chickron (Ron Weasley and chicken): Ron loves food, and food loves Ron.  This ship could make its own series, let’s be honest people.

And last but not least …

Hape (Hedwig and Snape): I can’t even with this ship. I think, unfortunately, this ship needs a visual (sorry).

Until next time!

"They ship me with an apple." - Tom Felton

Hi, guys! Today I'll be talking about fan fictions. As one of the most random, fun, and sometimes disgusting aspects of the Harry Potter fandom, I thought I'd write about it today.

Many Harry Potter fans have their own opinions about the series. Some of those fans want to write their own version of the story, and do it their way. fanfiction.net is a site that lets fans do just that: write the series the way they would like to have read it. 

There are many different types of fan fictions, from novel length ones to ones only a few paragraphs long, from ones originating from the books to ones originating from the movies, and ones written in different time periods. The opportunities are literally endless. 

So many people out there have written their own versions of the story. Some people ship different people together (meaning they think the characters should be together in a couple sort of way) and would like to write about it. 

Just a fair warning though: some fan fictions are insane. Some ships can be considered disgusting, and reading fan fictions about them is nearly unbearable. For example, the well known Hermione and the Sorting Hat fan fiction. I couldn't finish it. It was so gross and very very VERY inappropriate. Many of my Harry Potter loving friends think the same thing.

A few days ago, I also found a completely Potter-unrelated Jesus/Hitler fan fiction. It was a romance. Let's just say I didn't read it. 

Just remember that fan fictions are an awesome way to continue loving the Harry Potter series, but just be aware that there are a few that are very inappropriate. 

Until next time! 

"I am the character you're not supposed to like." - Alan Rickman

Hello fellow Potterheads! Today I'll be talking about house stereotypes.

Like I talked about in my last post, some people think that house sorting is wrong on the Pottermore website. Seven questions nor a hat can't possibly decide weather you're good or bad, right? In my opinion, that IS correct. Being in the Slytherin house doesn't make you a bad person. Just like being in Gryffindors doesn't make you a good person, Hufflepuffs aren't always the nicest people, and Ravenclaws aren't always the brightest of the bunch. 

I have two examples for this theory: Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew.

Severus Snape, as said by the actor who played him in all eight movies, is the character you're supposed to hate until the last book, and he was in Slytherin. But was the reason most of us hated him wasn't because he was in Slytherin. It was because he was a little twerp. He was rude to Harry, constantly torturing him because of the ways his father acted, and appeared to be on the Dark Lord's side. Until the seventh book and the eighth movie, he was one of the most horrible characters in the series. He broke the stereotype of being a Slytherin. One of the most hated characters in Slytherin was one of the most influential people in deceiving the Dark Lord.

Peter Pettigrew in particular really grinds my gears. He was in Gryffindors with him three Marauders: James, Sirius, and Remus. When they all became animagi (wizards/witches who could transform into animals at certain times) in order to comfort Remus, a werewolf, Peter became a rat. They were all very close. When James wanted to keep a secret from the Dark Lord, he used a spell that made it so only Sirius could tell the secret. At the last moment, the spell changed so that Peter could tell the secret as well. It was a huge way to give Peter James' trust. But Peter ended up betraying and telling the Dark Lord the secret, then framed Sirius for it. Sirius was in the wizard prison, Azkaban for twelve years. Peter was in Gryffindor, a house known for being brave. This was one of the most cowardly moves in the entire series. Peter clearly didn't belong in Griffindor. He didn't deserve the honor.

These are two well-known examples of characters being supposedly put in the wrong house. They didn't belong in their respective houses as shown by their actions. 

See you all next time!!

“It's the same story with a few crucial additions; the most important one is you.” - JK Rowling

Hey guys! Today I'll be talking about Pottermore, an "online, interactive reading experience unlike any other," according to JK Rowling herself. 

Pottermore is a game online, where any Potter fan can go through the same steps an eleven year old witch or wizard would take in order to go to Hogwarts. Secret information from JK Rowling is also on the site. It is the ultimate website for all Potterheads! Currently the first three books and their plots are released on the site.

Released in July 2011 as trail run for the first million fans to sign up, Pottermore took the Harry Potter world by storm. When the website opened for the rest of the work in April of 2012, most Harry Potter fans rushed to their computers to sign up, including me.
Pottermore has been somewhat controversial among the Harry Potter fandom, however. Some say that the sorting hat quiz is unreliable, and that you can't base someone's house sorting on a mere seven questions. Some people were mad when they got the house they did when they answered the seven questions honestly, and they signed up again and again, until they got the house they wanted. I personally got Ravenclaw the first time I quizzed, and didn't feel the need to quiz again. I love the Ravenclaw house, and I feel that it suits me well.
Fans have also said that the site is disappointing, and that they expected much more. I don't know my personal opinion on that because I rarely make it on the site myself, but while I was there, I thought it was pretty fun. I liked playing the actual game and making potions and practicing spells, but my favorite part was reading and learning more about the world of Harry Potter from JK Rowling. She had all of this information about the wizarding world that she had never put in the books, and she was releasing it on the site. I loved that.
While I know that I'm a busy person, and I know that Pottermore shouldn't be my main priority, I really wish I had more time to spend on it. Until next time!

"It is impossible to live without failing, unless you live so cautiously that you may as well not have lived at all, in which caseyou have failed by default." - JK Rowling

As you probably could have guessed, Harry Potter is one of my many passions. I am in love with the characters, the plot, the setting, and the author. All of these things have shaped my life in a way I never expected they would, but in a way I am very grateful for. Although the stories of Harry Potter are extraordinary, there is another that is as equally extraordinary. That is the one of JK Rowling (given name Joanne Rowling), the amazing author of the Harry Potter series.
JK Rowling, born to an aircraft engineer and a stay at home mom in 1965, is one of the most influential people in my life. She faced many obstacles in her life, just as many of us have. She was born into poverty, and remained there until Harry Potter was published. But even as a girl, she knew her passion: writing. She wrote often as she grew older. One day in 1990, when she was 25, the idea of a small boy going to a school of wizardy popped into her head. Before she knew it, all of the characters and situations they would get into started forming. AS soon as she got home that day, she began writing.
While JK Rowling was writing the first book in the Harry Potter series, her mother passed away, without ever knowing that her daughter would grow to be one of the most famous authors of all time. JK says that her loss gave her a lot of inspiration for the series.
After her mother's death, Rowling was married in 1992, and she had her first daughter in 1993. After their daughter's birth, both JK and her husband were thrilled. She was happy in life, until her marriage began falling apart. Her husband was becoming abusive and going after her and her daughter. JK immediately got a restraining order and divorced her husband, taking their daughter with her.
JK Rowling has said that her daughter is the person that pulled her through this difficult time. She would have given up on her life and on Harry Potter if it hadn't been for her daughter. In fact, she continued writing because she knew that if she could get the books published, that she could support her daughter.
In 1995, the manuscript for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was finished, after being written on a manual typewriter and being edited for more than five years. Twelve different publishing companies read the manuscript, and rejected it. Finally, at the thirteenth publishing house, Bloomsbury, Harry Potter was given the green light to be published (along with £1500 in advance.) Is has said that the eight-year-old daughter of a Bloomsbury chairman was given the first chapter to read as a tester, and once she was done, she demanded the next chapter. Even though the book was to be published, the president of Bloomsbury advised JK to get a day job, because she "had little future in children's books." She was also forced to use a pen name (JK Rowling) becuase the publisher thought the book would sell better if it appeared that a man had written it. But in 1997, when the book was put on shelves, Rowling was given a £8000 grant, which enabled her to continue writing. Withing the first year, the book had won Children's Book of the Year, and Scholastic Inc. paid $105,000 for publishing rights in the US. Everyone all around the world went crazy for the Harry Potter books. the series ended with seven incredible books.
The book was a huge success. And JK Rowling was a huge success. The books were made into movies, which were just as big of a success as the books, and JK Rowling will never have to suffer again.
She is my absolute idol. she pulled off this major feat. She made this intricate book series with thousands of opportunities for loopholes. I personally have never found one. The plot is rock solid. Nobody seems to realize how complicated it must be to come up with such an elaborate plot. Most every fan has tried to look for some kind of loophole I'm sure, and no one has come up with a legitimate claim to one. She is magnificent to be able to come up with such an amazing plot line, entertaining and creative characters, and the most beautiful imagery I've ever known.
JK Rowling is a brilliant, kind, caring, and successful woman, and I am proud to call her my idol.

"Harry Potter ... the boy who lived." - Albus Dumbledore

Harry Potter is a phenomenon all around the world. It has changed people's lives with its powerful morals about love, war, happiness, and friendship. People's lives have changed because of their passion for the books and movies. But most importantly, it has helped people believe in magic again. 

Many people think that believing in magic is childish and immature, but for those of us who do know that it isn't. This blog is for the people that believe in house elves and hippogriffs and witches and wizards. The people who believe that love is the most powerful force in the world, and friendship will overpower all else. 

I will blog about all things Harry Potter, from house sorting, to magical creatures, and even to the infamous Twilight vs Harry Potter debate. There are infinite aspects to Harry Potter, and I'm here to talk about them. As someone who has been obsessed with the Harry Potter books and movies since a very young age, I feel I will do very well with blogging about them. Harry Potter has touched me on a very personal level, so I can't wait to share my thoughts, feelings, and loves with you all.