Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them Teaser Trailer

Do you remember how J.K. Rowling mentioned there will be a spin-off movie trilogy to Harry Potter? Yes, the one with Newt Scamander in New York City. Well a few days ago on December 15, 2015, the teaser trailer was released and boy was everyone excited about it. I think I watched it like 5 times.

I am super excited to see the film. I noticed a few things that connect with previous Harry Potter films. The Lumos Maxima opening definitely reminded me of Alfonso Cuarón's opening to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. The logo for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is just stunning! The S being creature like is perfect and I love the barbed spikes on the letters. And when it starts glowing blue, it reminds me of the patronuses in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film. Check out Pottermore for more information regarding the creation of the logo. The Congress room in the trailer is very reminiscent of the court rooms seen in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix films. And did anyone notice how the Hedwig Theme is inserted into the trailer? So subtle and cleverly done!

If you haven't seen the teaser trailer yet, definitely see it NOW! What are your thoughts about the trailer? Are you excited to see Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I are on the fifth book! Crazy how we are almost done with the re-read! Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is my least favorite book out of the series but I still enjoy reading it. However, my favorite character of all time is Luna Lovegood and we first meet her in this installment! I love how whimsical and eccentric she is. Although different and sort of weird compared to others, Luna is a free spirit who believes what she believes in and doesn't care what other people think of her. She is strong and I admire her.

WARNING 
For those who haven't read the Harry Potter series, all book discussions WILL HAVE spoilers. If you do not want to read spoilers, please do not read ahead.

Harry's summer is miserable since everyone is not answering his questions. Sirius and Mr. Weasley tells Harry not to leave Pivet Drive and for good reasons. Just when Vernon Dursley is about to boot Harry out of the house because the dementors are coming after Harry, Petunia lets Harry stay at Pivet Drive. The protection charm by having Harry stay at the house during the summers protects Harry from Voldemort. The same blood that runs in Lily's veins that kept Harry safe and alive also runs in Petunia's veins. Harry is safe until he comes of age.

It's interesting how readers find out that Umbridge sends those vile dementors to Little Whinging to get rid of Harry Potter. The Ministry thinks Harry is making up stories about Voldemort. They do not want to believe that Voldemort has risen once again. It is easier to be in denial than to accept reality. Because of everyone not fully trusting Harry and then leaving him in the dark, Harry grows to become more irritated than usual. He wants answers and no one is giving them to him. However, Harry must learn to control his temper and not to interfere with the Ministry directly. But with Umbridge around, I don't blame him for acting out once in awhile. It's freaking Umbridge! Sometimes I feel like she is worst than Voldemort. Because Harry doesn't know how to behave, he gets into a lot of trouble. I know part of it has to do with the PTSD from the graveyard scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and the aftermath. No one really helped Harry process what happened. Too bad J.K Rowling didn't delved more into PTSD and how Harry deals with it.

I understand that Harry is frustrated and that is at the age where they want to know everything and don't want to be ordered around but he lacked some common sense in this book. How many times did people tell him not to do something and he did it anyways? When others tell him to close his mind, he neglects Occlumency and decides to go a little further to see what is behind the door at the Department of Mysteries. His refusal to close his mind let him right into a trap. Sirius was never in trouble. Hermione even mentioned that Voldemort is trying to lure Harry into a trap but of course Harry didn't listen. Hermione and Neville tells him not to pick up the prophecy orb. What does Harry do? Of course he picks up the prophecy. Harry doesn't think in this book. He just does things without thinking about the consequences.

Image from harrypotterconfessions.tumblr.com

Harry could have avoided checking with Kreacher to see if Sirius is okay before going to the Ministry of Magic. Remember that package Sirius gives to Harry before Harry went back to Hogwarts? Yes, the one with the mirror. Harry could have used that mirror to contact Sirius whenever he wanted without sending an owl to Sirius or waiting until he had access to a fireplace.

Remember when the centaurs talk about Mars being bright in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? Well Firenze mentions about Mars again. Mars is a bringer of battle which is very accurate since a war is brewing in the wizarding world. The Battle of the Department of Mysteries is the first major conflict of the Second Wizarding War and is crucial since Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge finally believes that Voldemort is back!

It is interesting how Dumbledore tells everyone that everyone must stand together and be united. The Sorting Hat also warned everyone during this time of danger to stick together as a team. This is crucial to the Battle of Hogwarts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. In order to beat Voldemort, everyone must be on the same side or they will be defeated.

I know most Potterheads know about the locket that can't be open that was found at 12 Grimmauld Place. The Horcrux was under the Trio's noses before they even knew what the Horcruxes are. When I saw the initials RAB it was so obviously that the locket in the Noble House of Black was obtained by Regulus Black.

What did you think of OotP? Do you have a favorite part? What do you think of Umbridge?

Some of my favorite quotes are:

Image from Tumblr.com

Image from Rgsfilmclub.wordpress.com

Don't forget to check the blog on Saturday, December 19th for the Harry Potter Spells Book Tag. If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15.

Ranking Harry Potter Books and Films

Today, Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I are ranking Harry Potter books and films! I've read the Harry Potter books countless of times and watched the movies over and over again. In terms of ranking the books and the movies, it didn't take me a long time to rank my favorites but I spent weeks thinking about the order of the rankings for the rest of them.

WARNING 
For those who haven't read the Harry Potter series, all book discussions WILL HAVE spoilers. If you do not want to read spoilers, please do not read ahead. This includes movie spoilers as well. 

B O O K S

Image from hellogiggles.com

1. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a wonderful book and is an important one. Not only do we learn more about Voldemort's past as Tom Marvolo Riddle, but we learn about the Horcruxes. Hogwarts becomes a little bit more interesting with Professor Slughorn and his Slug Club. And of course, I love how Harry falls in love with reading the Advanced Potion Making book only because of the Half-Blood Prince's additional notes. This book sets the foundation for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Also, Draco's character development takes a turn in HBP compared to the first five books in the series.This book is very special to me since my sister and I were number 7 in line to purchase the book at Borders at the midnight release.

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is a second favorite due to the action and adventure in the book. I love the Yule Ball, the Triwizard Tournament and the magical foreign relations. This book ceased to bore me and this is the turning point in the series. Harry announces to everyone that Voldemort is back! This is the start of the Second Wizarding War.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is one crazy epic book. I mean it's the freaking last book in the series and I didn't want Harry Potter to end! There is a war a brewing and it's insane how much goes on in this book. No one is safe. At times of despair, there is always a light! What I love is how Rowling doesn't sugarcoat what is happening just because this is marketed as "children's book." She shows all the good and all the bad. Everything is real. It's raw and it's good for everyone to know that life it's full of sunshine. The events that happen in this book are pretty intense and I surprised about some of the deaths.

4. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is definitely a book where Hermione shines. Hermione's character development is excellent in this novel. I also love the introduction to the Marauders. Lupin is my second favorite character. And that time turner! Brilliant!

5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is the first book where the action picks up and a great mystery thrown into the mix. The search for the heir of Slytherin is interesting with scenes of Polyjuice Potion, Aragog and the basilisk.

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the book where the magic started. It was very hard for me to get into the book because of the couple of chapters with the Dursleys. Once I got past the Dursleys, I was excited to start the journey of magic with Harry. I wandered Diagon Alley with Harry and took the Hogwarts Express with him to Hogwarts! However, at the young age of 11, I am surprised he gets into so much trouble.

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the book where Umbridge is introduced. I swear she is more vile than Voldemort. Her *hem hems* bother me so much and the way she talks to people makes me gag. However, Luna Lovegood is introduced and she is my favorite character in the entire series. Harry Potter is also suffering from PTSD which isn't covered in too much detail by J.K. Rowling. PTSD along with Harry being a teenager and him being angsty didn't help Harry.

How would you rank the Harry Potter books and why? Did you have a hard time ranking the novels or was it easy for you to figure out your favorites?

F I L M S

Image from nypl.org

1. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Director Alfonso Cuarón captures the Harry Potter spirit beautifully. PoA is the first book that takes a dark turn and Cuarón takes the direction well. Although the film lacked the magical feeling Christopher Columbus brought us in Sorcerer's Stone and Chamber of Secrets, PoA is visually stunning. I love the color palette Cuarón chose. It sets the mood to be more darker with the escape of Sirius Black, the dementors and with the Buckbeak trial. Since the Dementors suck the happiest memories, it is only fitting that the color palette is less saturated. The gorgeous cinematic shots are nearly perfect.

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
This is the film that is very nostalgic for me and very special since this is the only film I saw during a midnight premiere. Mike Newell's direction is very different  from Cuarón's and Columbus'. However, Michael Gambon as Dumbledore yelling at Harry about putting his name in the Goblet of Fire was definitely not the way to go. In the book, Dumbledore calmly asks Harry; he does not grab Harry and yell at him. I miss Richard Harris. He's the perfect Dumbledore and had that whimsical flair. The introduction of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang was definitely magical. However, I wish Beauxbatons isn't portrayed as an only girls school and Durmstrang as an only boys school. Also, the Quidditch Cup and the Triwizard Tournament are both well done and set the mood for the whole movie. The Yule Ball scene definitely brings the happy festive cheer and offsets the darker parts of the film. The direction Newell took for the Yule Ball is on point and is fantastic.

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II
David Yates' direction with the CGI is excellent! The scene with dragon at Gringotts and the Battle of Hogwarts are definitely highlights of the film. The film is full of action and suspense at the same time. It left people at the end of their seats wanting for more. This film is the last of the series and of course every Potterhead wants to see the the Battle of Hogwarts in action. Maggie Smith does a phenomenal job being Professor McGonagall. She takes charge and shows her loyalty and bravery to protect Hogwarts. And how they portray Neville! Excellent character development! Also, Voldemort whispering is freaking creepy.

4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Yates did an incredible job with directing this film. The introduction of Umbridge is perfect. Although OotP is my least favorite book, the scenes with Imelda Staunton as Umbridge parallels with the book and brings Umbridge to life. Umbridge becomes more despised every second I see her on screen. She is fun to hate. Also, Luna is perfectly casted. I am a huge Luna Lovegood fan and the whimsiness is perfection! Evanna Lynch is Luna! The Battle of Mysteries is intense and the camera angle capturing battle in a circular motion is absolutely brilliant. Everyone has a fair share with the spotlight on them during this scene. And Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix! No one could have pulled off the insane and maniacal Bellatrix. However, because the novel is so long, many of the important sections of the novel were not included in this film.

5. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part I
The Battle of the Seven Potters is definitely a scene I looked forward to watching. Most part ones of movies who has a book split into two movies are quite slow. It's building up to the climax which is often seen in part two. However, the hunt for horcruxes and Ron separating from the Trio temporarily is important for character development. I love how The Tale of the Three Brothers is portrayed in the film. The cartoon like shadows is a nice way to break from the reality. I applaud Yates for that.

6. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Yates definitely adds a lot of humor into this film probably because the Deathly Hallows films were so emotional and more serious. I think the humor could have been toned down. The Unbreakable Vow scene in the beginning of the film is excellent! All though there are slight changes, I enjoyed watching the scene very much. Yates does a good job portraying the struggle Draco is going through. Although Draco has to obey Voldemort, he is scared. Narcissa knows that Draco will not succeed and she is trying to protect him. This love for her child becomes very important for the last book in the series. The Battle of the Astronomy Tower and when Dumbledore dies are both well done. However, that scene with the Death Eaters burning the Burrow was added to the movie. Although the scene was visually appealing, I felt like it wasn't needed in the film since it never happened in the book. I am also disappointed that the film didn't start with Dumbledore visiting the Dursleys.

7. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Columbus sets the tone of the magical world perfectly. Although there are some scarier moments in film, Columbus steps up his game and CoS is definitely more adventurous than SS. The introduction of the Aragog and the basilisk creates stunning scenes.

8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Columbus did any excellent job adapting SS into a film. The magic is definitely there and it transports the audience into this amazing magical world. He does a wonderful job casting actors for the roles and creating the setting for the wizarding world. However, compared to the other films, SS lacks in complexity and the acting is mediocre overall amongst the children actors.

How would you rank the Harry Potter films and why? Is there a particular director you preferred?

Check the blog back on Thursday, December 17th for the Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix discussion. If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I have finally reached the midpoint of the series for Pottermas! Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the turning point in the series. It's probably my second favorite book in the entire Harry Potter series and for good reason. This is the first book where Harry doesn't spend a lot of time at the Dursleys and spends a lot of time at the Burrow and at the Quidditch World Cup instead. It takes over 100 hundred pages before Harry goes back to Hogwarts. By introducing the Quidditch World Cup, it sets the tone of the book for magical foreign relations.

WARNING 
For those who haven't read the Harry Potter series, all book discussions WILL HAVE spoilers. If you do not want to read spoilers, please do not read ahead.

Image from HarryPotter.wikia.com

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry will join forces with Beauxbatons Academy of Magic and Durmstrang Institute for the Triwizard Tournament. Beauxbatons means "beautiful wands" in French. Although good looking, the students at Beauxbatons are smart. Of course the students would sit at the Ravenclaw table. Durmstrang Institute is known for teaching the Dark Arts. There is no surprise why the Durmstrang students sit at the Slytherin table. Slytherins have produced the most dark wizards than any of the other houses and have a stereotype that they are evil and dark. It is interesting how the film portrays Beauxbatons as an all female school and Durmstrang as an all male school because in fact both schools are co-ed.

Image from Buzzfeedgeeky.tumblr.com

Ron and Harry often made up things for their Divination homework but it's interesting how they predicted three things unintentionally. One made up predication is how Harry is in "danger of some burns" which they thought is a brilliant idea because they have Care for Magical Creatures and have to deal with Blast-Ended Skrewts. In fact, the duo is predicting the burns from the dragons from the first Triwizard task. Later, Harry is suppose to "lose a treasured possession" which predict the Merpeople taking what Harry sorely will miss. Ron was taken underwater for the second task. Ron then suggest to Harry, "Why don’t you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was a friend?” Doesn't this ring a bell? Professor Moody becomes good friends with Harry and we find out he isn't Professor Moody at all. 

Remember the whirring Sneakoscope in Moody's office? Yes, the object that looks like a glass spinning top. This dark detector often lights up, spins, and whistles when someone is doing something untrustworthy nearby. Obviously Moody claims he needs to deactivate it because of the students lying about stuff at Hogwarts. However, he probably deactivated because Barty Crouch Jr. is in fact impersonating as Professor Moody.

It is interesting how Barty Crouch Jr., disguised as Professor Moody, makes sure that Harry has the advantage during the whole year. He makes sure to tip Harry off about all the Triwizard tasks and even goes as far as turning Draco Malfoy into a bouncing white ferret. Barty Crouch Jr. is fattening up the pig before it gets slaughtered. However, Harry avoids death. Although Harry avoids death once again, Barty Crouch Jr. starts to become obsessed with what happened.

Image from Vibescinemaclub.com

Harry comes back to Hogwarts with Cedric. Of course from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Firenze mentions something about how the innocent ends up dying first when he talks to Harry when he found the unicorn. In GoF, readers find out Cedric's wand has a unicorn hair core. Harry warns everyone that Voldemort is back! However, very few people believe Harry. The Little Hangleton duel is the start of the Second Wizarding War.

What's your favorite part of GoF? Do you have a favorite Triwizard task? What did you think about Barty Crouch Jr. impersonating as Professor Moody?

Favorite quotes from GoF:

Image from Pinterest.com

Image from Pinterest.com

Image from the.pyreflies.org

Check the blog back on Tuesday, December 15th for discussion about how I rank the Harry Potter books and film adaptations. If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I are continuing the Pottermas book discussion with Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. J.K. Rowling does any excellent job with description in all installments of the Harry Potter series. I absolutely love how she describes the dementors, Hogsmeade and the different creatures in the book. PoA is a book of change and for good reasons too. And of course Lupin is introduced in the series and he is my second favorite character.

WARNING 
For those who haven't read the Harry Potter series, all book discussions WILL HAVE spoilers. If you do not want to read spoilers, please do not read ahead.

The plot gets darker and even Hermione bends more rules than before. More creatures are introduced, we learn about the Marauders and Sirius Black emerges and this is the only book in the whole series Voldemort does not make an appearance. Sure, Wormtail reveals his true identity but Voldemort doesn't confront Harry until Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. Because Harry saves Wormtail's life, Wormtail is debt which will come in handy in the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. This is also the first book that doesn't feature Voldemort. His servant returns to him but Voldemort doesn't make an appearance.

The mystery for Harry in PoA is who is Sirius Black? Why does he "hunt" Harry down and what is the real story for the showdown that happened on Halloween of 1981?

Speaking of the Marauders, how awesome would it be if, in the near future, there is a spin off based on the Marauders when they were at Hogwarts. Even if J.K. Rowling doesn't write a book about them, I would love to see a film made for the big screen. I know about two fan made films called The Gathering Storm: A Marauders Fan Film and Severus Snape and the Marauders.

Image from HarryPotter.wikia.com

Remember when Professor Trelawney mentions these lines in PoA? Although she hardly predicts anything that is worth listening to, she does predict a few things that do come true.

"I dare not, Headmaster! If I join the table, we shall be thirteen! Nothing could be more unlucky! Never forget that when thirteen dine together, the first to rise will be the first to die!"

Well in the future books like Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, this unlucky superstition comes true. This unlucky number is a number of misfortune. It has caused at least two deaths that I know of. Sirius is the first to rise in OotP when sitting with the Order and he is the first in the order to die. After the death of Alastor Moody, thirteen people were at the Weasley's and Remus Lupin is the first to swinish his firewhiskey and ultimately was the first one to die within the group. Voldemort's wand is 13 1/2 inches long. Voldemort and his Death Eaters reunite after thirteen years.

In PoA dementors are introduced and their kiss is supposedly worse than death. It's interesting when Harry faces a boggart, the boggart takes the form of a dementor. Professor Lupin mentions how Harry fears the most is fear itself. So what are your fears? If you approached a boggart, what form will it take?

Image from hp-lexicon.org

I love how the Patronus is a guardian that acts as a shield between the caster of the Patronus charm and the dementor. Since a dementor is fear and hope, happiness and the desire to survive will ward off the dementor. What would your Patronus look like? Mine would be an otter.

Image from Plazbuzz,com

Hermione acts out of character due to the stress of her heavy class workload. Because she is taking all the classes Hogwarts has to offer for a Third Year, her patience is thin. First she slaps Malfoy for his insulting behavior, she walks out of Professor Trelawney's Divination class and she retrieves the invisibility cloak near the witch's hump even though Harry would never go near it because of Snape. Character development for Hermione is definitely a strong point in this novel.

In PoA Harry encounters Hogsmeade for the very first time. Imagine getting Butterbeers at the Three Broomsticks or trying out Jelly Slugs of Fizzing Whizzbees from Honeydukes? The icing on the cake is how the Trio gets to spend some time in Hogsmeade during December. I would love to visit Hogsmeade during the holidays. It would be a great place to meet up with friends and to go shopping. It's the perfect place to take pictures! How stunning would a holiday card be with Hogsmeade in the background with the winter snow?

"Hogsmeade looked like a Christmas card; the little thatched cottage and shop were covered in a layer of crisp snow there were holly wreaths on the doors and strings of enchanted candles hanging in the trees."

Image from Pottermore

What would you do in Hogsmeade if you had a chance to visit it? Also, what drinks and food items would you want to taste during this festive time of year at Hogsmeade or at Hogwarts? 

My favorite quotes from PoA:

Image from Tumblr.com

Image from eevanikunen.tumblr.com

Don't forget to check the blog on Sunday, December 13th for a discussion about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15. 

Pottermas Butterbeer Recipes

Pottermas wouldn't be Pottermas without a recipe! And of course, what's a better time to try some Butterbeer? Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I were able to meet up last weekend to taste out some Butterbeer recipes. It was a super fun day full of Butterbeer, Wits and Wagers and amazing Argentinian food.

The Flying Cauldron Butterscotch Beer is the best bottled Butterbeer you can get at the store. Pour 1/2 - 3/4 of the glass with the Butterscotch beer and top it off with vanilla (or my favorite, vanilla bean) ice cream to make an amazing Butterbeer float!

For those who want to try a homemade version of Butterbeer, Huffington Post's Butterbeer recipe is one of the best. I also posted the recipe below for your convenience.

Butterbeer Recipe

Start to finish: 1 hour (10 minutes active)
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup light or dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cider vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream, divided
1/2 teaspoon rum extract
Four 12-ounce bottles cream soda

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan over medium, combine the brown sugar and water. Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring often, until the mixture reads 240 F on a candy thermometer.

2. Stir in the butter, salt, vinegar and 1/4 heavy cream. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

3. Once the mixture has cooled, stir in the rum extract.

4. In a medium bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar mixture and the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Use an electric mixer to beat until just thickened, but not completely whipped, about 2 to 3 minutes.

5. To serve, divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses (about 1/4 cup for each glass). Add 1/4 cup of cream soda to each glass, then stir to combine. Fill each glass nearly to the top with additional cream soda, then spoon the whipped topping over each.

Of course, Elizabeth and I wanted to try an alcoholic version of Butterbeer so we decided tested out measurements and found a recipe that is pretty tasty and not overly sweet. The ice cream tones down the sweetness and creates a wonderful white froth and creaminess.

Alcoholic Butterbeer Float Recipe

Start to finish: 5-10 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients

1 oz. vanilla vodka
1.5 oz. butterscotch schnapps
Cream soda
Handful of butterscotch chips
Vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream
12 oz. glass
Straw

Instructions

1. Measure out vanilla vodka and pour into glass. Measure out butterscotch schnapps and pour into glass. Gently stir vodka and butterscotch schnapps mixture.

2. Fill glass 3/4 of the way with cream soda.

3. Place one big scoop or two small scoops of ice cream into the glass.

4. Microwave the butterscotch chips in a microwavable safe bowl until the chips are melted. You might have to add a few drops of water to the melted chips to thin it out.

6. Drizzle the melted butterscotch chips with a spoon on top of the ice cream in the glass.

7. Let the ice cream sit for 2 minutes before taste testing the Butterbeer with a straw.

8. Cheers! Enjoy the Butterbeer!

Don't forget to check the blog on Thursday, December 10th for the Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban discussion.  If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15. 

How Did I Find Harry Potter?

Pottermas 2015 would not be possible if Elizabeth from Book YAbber and I did not pick up Harry Potter series. Everyone has a different story to tell about how they found Harry. The journey is different for each reader and it's unique.

The fandom of Harry Potter will never die. Through books, movies, memorabilia, fan fiction, fan art, conventions, etc., Harry Potter will live on forever. For me, Harry Potter has shaped who I am today. It has been my life for about 14 years and I see myself growing with Harry Potter. I love the journey and the happiness Harry Potter brings me. I didn't start reading the Harry Potter series until I was 14-years-old sometime when the first film was out. It was in between the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I devoured the first four books and was fortunate enough to wait in anticipation for the next three books.

My first experience reading Harry Potter was magical. At that point, I wasn't trying to understand foreshadowing and I wasn't analyzing the books I read. I was sponge, absorbing as much information I can in one swoop. I wanted to know what will happen next. As I grew older and when I do re-reads, I am reading more carefully for clues and hints J.K. Rowling has left for her readers alluding to what will happen in future books. I want to see connections that I didn't see before.

Harry Potter is not a children's book series; it is a series for all ages. Harry Potter teaches important values of loyalty, bravery, sacrifice, love, grief, friendship, trust, respect, forgiveness and family. What I love is how the series can be for anyone. There is something for everyone. And because of this, it is easy to meet new Potterheads. The love for Harry Potter is strong. The fandom comprises of little kids to grandparents.

Harry Potter guided me through my crucial years of my life. From the start of high school until present day, Harry Potter has never failed me. Harry Potter has opened my eyes to the wonders of Hogwarts. It helped me come out of my shell through attending midnight releases, meetups and conventions. Through these events, I was able to meet new people who share the same interests as me. We are all here for one thing. We put aside our differences and unite for Harry Potter.

I can say that Harry Potter is beyond the books. I am part of a HP meetup group, I attend HP conventions, I've been to Hogsmeade twice in Orlando and Diagon Alley once in Orlando, I have attended a Yule Ball, been to several Wrock (Wizard rock) shows, played HP games such as Cards Against Muggles and Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit, read HP fan fiction, attended midnight releases of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie with friends during my freshman year of college and attended the midnight release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with my sister, made homemade Butterbeer and watched HP ABC Family marathons.

This is my first time doing a complete re-read of all seven books in a row and I am so happy that Elizabeth and I are partaking in this fantastic Pottermas feature. Not only are we revisiting the wonderful magical world of Harry Potter, but we are coming home!

Image from Tumblr.com

Elizabeth and I would like to know how you found Harry Potter? What was your first reading experience like?

Don't forget to check the blog on December 9th for a Butterbeer recipe.  If you are new to Pottermas 2015, make sure to check out this post. Also, you can follow Pottermas 2015 on social media with the hashtag #Pottermas15.