Earlier this year, my 11 year old nephew, Ryan, got very into the Harry Potter series. Ryan has always had a love for reading. He read through the entire series in an impressive amount of time. Hearing him talk about the books brought on a kind of nostalgia for me. I was around 11 when the very first Harry Potter book first came out. I didn't start reading the series until I was around 14. I, like almost everyone who starts the books, was hooked. My group of friends in high school were all major Harry Potter fans. One year, for Christmas, we drew names and each got the person we picked an "official" Harry Potter wand.
I must admit, by the time the last book came out in 2007, I was in college and I don't think I even really read it.
So, I challenged myself this year to re read the series, start to finish, and when I'd finish a book I would watch the corresponding movie.
I just finished reading the 7th book a few days ago and I am currently watching part two of the seventh movie.
Here are some of my observations/opinions throughout reading/watching. And yes, there are spoilers. So if you have not read or watched Harry Potter, and plan to, don't read. But before you go, read my first point:
There is a reason this series is so beloved.
The hype is real. This is an incredible series full of magic, surprises, twists and turns. It teaches the importance of friendship and coming together for a common cause. It shows that leadership comes in many forms. It is heartwarming AND thrilling at the same time. You will fall in love with the characters, and follow along with the adventures. It is WORTH reading. If you've somehow missed out on reading these books, it's TIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIME! Give it a try. If I'm wrong, I'll make you some butterbeer cookies.
Hermoine is the real hero.
Hot take? Maybe. Yeah, Harry is great. He's the "Chosen One" afterall. BUT. When reading the books and watching the movies I could not help but notice how many times it was Hermoine that got them out of trouble, or found the solution to whatever problem they were facing. There are so many times where Ron and Harry turn to her and ask "what now, Hermoine?".
Some of the best characters are the "side characters".
Some of my favorites? Hagrid, Neville, Luna, and Professor McGonnagall. Hagrid cares SO much for nearly everyone and everyTHING that he comes in contact with. Neville and Luna do an awful lot of fighting and leading their peers. Luna is just so darn charming, too. McGonnagall is fiercly protective of her students and it is admirable.
Snape is an incredibly complex character.
Since it had been so long since I had read the books, I was particulary interested in Snape's storyline. I knew from memory that Snape ends up being a bit of a hero, but I couldn't remember why as I was rereading. In fact, when Snape kills Dumbledore I was so angry. I kept saying to Tom "Okay, I know Snape dies. And I know so many fans get so SAD when he dies AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY!". Then it all comes together at the end. However, despite the fact that Snape really did protect Harry and put himself in danger to do so, I really don't think he would have done that if Harry's mom had not been Lily. Say Neville was "The Chosen One" , would Snape have been on the Death Eaters side? I would lean toward YES.
Bellatrix is much more evil in the books.
I sort of couldn't help but to be excited anytime Bellatrix was on the screen in the movies, but that is mostly because Helena Bonham Carter is a BOSS and so good. Her potrayal of how Hermoine would act as Bellatrix is one of my favorite parts of the movies. And yeah, she's evil in the movies and that psycotic laugh makes it worse. But in the books she is straight up terrifying, and perhaps one of the most powerful of all the witches and wizards.
That said....
The books are so, so much better than the movies.
Yeah I know, this might seem like a "duh". 99% of the time, books are better than their movie adaption. Look the movies, particulary the last half, are great. They are perfeclty cast, exciting to watch. But there is truly so much that is left out of them.....there's a lot about Dobby and other house elves that you never see in the movies, and in my opinion underestimate why his death was so sad. There's some really crucial peices of Neville Longbottom that are also left out. His heroism at the end of the series is incredible, but if you haven't read the books, it loses it's impact a bit. I would really encourage everyone who has only watched the movies to give the books a shot.
Final thought:
I think I am still processing the series after re reading/watching. But, one thing is for sure. I am so glad I decided to do this. It's been a fun ride back into the books I loved as a teenager. It also got me out of my reading slump, because I couldn't wait to crack open the book again when I had a moment to do so. I am thankful that I had another world to escape to for the past few months. And yes, I think I will one day reread them all again. It's too magical of a world to leave behind forever. I think I'll keep visiting it for a while.
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