Why is Harry Potter Such a Great Series?

 There are a lot of people out there who say that Harry Potter is bad because it is about magic and it "poisons" the minds of children. They. Are. Wrong. No doubt about it. Harry Potter is about so much more than magic. Thats just what makes it, well, magical. Harry Potter as so many deeper meanings. They are expressed all throughout the books, yet somehow, people fail to acknowledge them. Constantly, Dumbledore articulates the strong power of love. Without a mother's love, Harry would have died the night Voldemort had killed his parents. Voldemort was a person without love. He did no experience, therefore, he did not know it. He refused to accept it, which made him the person he had become. Another point is the importance of loyalty. Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses themselves requires a strong loyal person if you are to be accepted. Many times has Harry stated the importance of loyalty to and from his friends. A major quote throughout the series is "I will only truly have left this school when none here are loyal to me... Help will always be given at Hogwarts to those who ask for it." said by Albus Dumbledore who even after death helped those loyal to him. Courage is another often made point. "Fear of the name only increases fear of the thing itself." This teaches that you can fear something, but fearing the name makes you a coward. Courage is what puts you in Gryffindor. The Sorting Hat saw that small bit of courage in Neville Longbottom, knowing that it will shine through in the long run for "There are all kinds of courage. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends." The last point I will metion is, Death. It is metioned a lot in the series. Many people die. Those who fear it often said "The last enemy to be destroyed is death." But, Albus Dumbledore once again made a PERFECT point, "To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." That is how one should view death.
Here are a few more quotes to remember.
"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."
"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love."
"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."
"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic far beyond all we do here!"
"You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."
"It is important to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then can evil be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated."
"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love. By returning, you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed, fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say good-bye for the present."
And last but not least:
"Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!"

And now you all know why I love Harry Potter so much.

Deleted Scenes in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

These deleted scenes . . . oh my Rowling! I can't believe they were deleted! They were so fantastic!! Most of them are scenes that I expected to be in the movie but really weren't. WHY WERE THEY DELETED???  *sadness* They are really, really good. They have some more dialogue in Shell Cottage, a scene with Harry and Luna at Dobby's grave, a cute short scene of Harry and Ginny in line at Hogwarts just before he appears to Snape, an absolutely precious and heart-wrenching scene of Tonks and Lupin, and more. It's quite long, but whatever. There is also a silly scene where Seamus is setting up the "boom boom" and Neville (don't you just love his sweater) is making sure everything is going ok! Seamus Finnigan, future bomb technician? I think yes. One of my other favorite deleted scenes is a sweet and silly one with Ron and Hermione running away from Nagini. I can't wait to actually watch these on my TV and not computer! (Yes, shocking isn't it? I don't own the movie yet! Christmas can't come fast enough!!) So anyway, if you haven't already seen these great deleted scenes, check them out! Tell me what you think!! I really hope everyone enjoys the well done scenes as much as I do! (Please excuse the Spanish subtitles!)

Harry Potter Final Farewell Video

 

This sure is a video to watch for all of you Harry Potter lovers!!! It contains many moments from the final day on the set of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. It is so touching!!! I cried and cried. It really shows you how much those actors loved what they did. I only wish I could have been a part of it! It’s just the coolest thing to see! It’s so sad because they talked about how they were used to saying goodbye because they knew they would be coming back, but this time, there was no going back. Daniel, Emma, and Rupert talk about how much of an honor it was to be a part of this 10 year series. At the end, Daniel gives a very nice speech about how important this was to him, and how important all of the people who have been part of the franchise are to him. I'm sure Rowling is so proud of all of them!! They have really grown up into fantastic people. It has been such an honor to me to watch them grow and bring to life the best book series EVER! (Yes Twi-hards, EVER) So watch this video and tell me if it moves you the way it moved me!

Harry Potter . . .Where Is He Now? (Including Very Potter Musical)

 If you watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, then you would have seen a great performance by Daniel Radcliffe and the cast of How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. I have had many people say to me "Wow he is such a horrible singer!" "How did he even get the lead?" NEWS FLASH: That is called ACTING. His character is supposed to sound like that. If you have seen songs from any of the other musicals he has been in, you would know that is not his real voice. So now that I have that cleared up, here's something else.
 If anyone has seen the great musical called A Very Potter Musical by StarKid, you would recognize a very familiar face playing Harry Potter. Yes, Darren Criss was originally part of StarKid productions before joining the cast of Glee. He has been in A Very Potter Musical and A Very Potter Sequel. StarKid has everything ready to begin the "threequel", but the only problem is Darren's schedule on Glee. *FINGERS CROSSED* If you have never seen A Very Potter Musical, be sure to check it out on YouTube. Also be sure to watch the sequel! They are sure to give you a good laugh!

FanFiction to Check Out!

My very good friend Rachael is writing a Harry Potter fan fiction. It is quite good really. Her particular fan fiction is called Teresa's Story. She has created her own character which she has added to the Harry Potter series. Now I don't want to spoil too much, but here is a quick overview.
 It takes place during Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Teresa Potter is a fifteen year old, red-haired orphan living in an American orphanage. Her boring world is turned upside down when she learns that she is really a witch, whose twin brother is Harry Potter, the boy who lived. She is facing the return of Voldemort, who has just discovered her existence, and the controversy that her parents abandoned her. I don't want to give the rest away! You will just have to read it yourself. The website has a place where you can comment on what you thought of the story so far, so please do! While you are there, check out the site, possibly considering entering her contests? (Please! I'm waiting for another sneak peak!) I know how much it would mean to her if she got all of your views. Enjoy!
http://teresasstory.webs.com/

 

Is Harry Potter Really Over?? Plus Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Review!

The final movie to the fantastic Harry Potter movies has been released, but is it truly over? To me Harry Potter will never be over. This is something that will live in my heart forever (almost like a horcrux), a story that I will read to my children on day. In fact, I am secretly hoping that J.K. Rowling will write another book. (I've heard rumors, I'll keep you updated!) She said on Oprah "I could defiantly write an eighth or ninth book." *HOPE* The Harry Potter fever isn't going to die down anytime soon. All of the Harry Potter books have been on the list of best sellers for at least 15 years.
 So aside from that, what did I think of the 8th film? I went to the premiere with my friend, and we cried absolutely the whole time. It was a sad day for us. The movie was great, almost perfect. But I am a picky person, and I had a couple of issues. First, Harry and Voldemort battle was MUCH longer that it had to be. Hello, Harry NEVER ran from Voldemort. They could have used all of that extra time to focus more on Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Colin Creevey, and many of the other traumatic deaths that occurred. The Snape pensive scene was absolutely PERFECT! But again, I am picky, and I didn't really like the actors who played young Lily and James. They just didn't fit the description well enough. But that’s just my opinion. Next, I loved how they did Neville. Again there was an issue, he did not love Luna! Now personally I was a tad disappointed when they didn't end up together, but whatever Rowling says, well she obviously had a reason. My last complaint (because I could list nitpicky things forever) is the end, with the elder wand. Well, Harry don't you think it would have been helpful if you had fixed your broken wand before you broke the one wand that could? He is supposed to put it back in Dumbledore's grave to protect its power. Well, everything else was just wonderful though! It was a great ending to a great series! Hope that cleared up some confussions.