Sorry!

I've been so busy with school that I have had NO time to post anything new. I promise when I have some free time, I will MAJORLY update it. In the meantime, here's a funny interview.

Top 10 Harry Potter Quotes: #5

"To the well organized mind, death is but the next great adventure." – I love this quote because it shows how truly brilliant Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is. lol. He is not afraid of death and the unknown, which is one of the many things that set him apart from Lord Voldemort. He offers such great insight with everything he says, and he is so well-revered, that even after his untimely death, he lives on in the memories of all who remain loyal to him.

Top 10 Harry Potter Quotes: #6

“You foul loathsome evil little cockroach!!” – All of Hermione’s rage and anger that she had built up over the last three years spewed out when she saw Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies watching Buckbeak’s execution. This was her “enough is enough” moment when she quit being modest little rule-following Hermione Granger and evolved into the Girl Power Hermione we know and love today. And the GIRL CAN PUNCH!

Top 10 Harry Potter Quotes: #7

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.”- Gotta love those Weasley twins. This single quote epitomized their entire tenure at Hogwarts and beyond. Everything from “nicking” the Marauders’ Map their first year, to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes and U-No-Poo, they continue to entertain everyone with their crazy shenanigans, although it won’t be the same with Fred’s death. R.I.P. We miss you Fred, wherever you are!!!

Top 10 Harry Potter Quotes: #8

“You’re just as sane as I am.” – Luna, the ultimate oddball of the series, comes out with some true gems, but this one tops most others, while at the same time showing her normalcy. She makes this remark so nonchalantly (and while holding a magazine upside down), it’s almost as if she’s oblivious to the way that most people view her, which makes her an even more lovable character, and MY personal fave. Now let's go find some crumple-horned snorkacks!

Top 10 Harry Potter Quotes: #9

“You shall not harm Harry Potter!” – This single line made me fall in love with Dobby the House-elf. His loyalty to Harry shows that despite all the misfortune in his life, he is still capable of being a moral and just person, erm, I mean house-elf. I wish he were real so I could give him a big hug and thank him for restoring my faith in people, and showing me that loyalty still exists in the present day. R.I.P DOBBY THE HOUSE-ELF! You are dearly missed!!

Top 10 Harry Potter Quotes: #10

“Not My daughter you bitch!!” –Who would’ve thought little Mrs. Molly Weasley would actually use a curse word?? Like most readers, I LMAO when I read this line. It made me smile. Her fierce protectiveness over her children, especially Ginny, her youngest child and only daughter, made her the maternal figure of the series. Props to you Mrs. Weasley, for keeping it real in the face of danger brought on by Bellatrix Lestrange.

Wizard of the Week: Cedric Diggory

Cedric Diggory (1977 - 24th June 1995) was the son of Amos Diggory and his wife. He started attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in 1989, and was sorted into Hufflepuff. During his time at the school, he was a Prefect, and captained the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, playing as Seeker. In his sixth year, Cedric put his name forward to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. He was selected as the Hogwarts Triwizard Champion, and, although overshadowed in the press by the entry of Harry Potter, Cedric enjoyed almost overwhelming support from the student body, and, after the first two tasks, tied with Harry for first place. Cedric and Harry completed the Third Task together, and both took hold of the Triwizard Cup which transported them to the Little Hangleton graveyard. In the graveyard, Cedric was murdered by Peter Pettigrew on the orders of Lord Voldemort. During the following duel between Harry and Voldemort, Cedric's spirit reappeared during Priori Incantatem, and helped the spirits of Harry's parents, Bertha Jorkins, and Frank Bryce hold off Voldemort long enough for him to escape. His only request was for Harry to take his body back to his parents, which Harry honored. Cedric was said to embody the qualities of Hufflepuff House within himself. He had a sense of fair play, and showed it when, following his capture of the Golden Snitch during the 1993 Gryffindor/ Hufflepuff match, he immediately offered to replay the match once he found out that Harry Potter had fallen from his broom under the influence of Dementors. He showed it again when he passed on information to Harry regarding how to decipher the Golden egg clue for the Second Task, and by realising that Harry had saved him in the maze and deserved to take the Triwizard Cup more than he did.
Information courtesy of harrypotter.wikia.org

Bi-Weekly Top Ten Lists

So, I decided to start a new bi-weekly thing in addition to the Witch/Wizard of the Week. Every other Week, I will have a Top Ten list relating to Harry Potter. Such lists include Top Ten Quotes, Top Ten Magical Creatures, Top Ten Magical Items, etc, etc. I will try to start every list on a Monday and announce two from the list every day til Friday. I will still keep up with Witch/Wizard of the Week, announcing that on Wednesday (because that ALSO begins with a W. lol) I am trying to think of what else to add to this blog to make it stand apart from other HP blogs. Any Ideas?

Why didn't these two kool kats end up together?

So, while watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix today, it struck me. Why didn't Harry and Luna get together? They had more in common than Harry and Ginny, plus they understood each other in a way no one else did. Oh, and LUNA never risked hers and Harry's lives because of writing in a diary, like GINNY did. lol. Also, when Harry needed a date to the Slug Club Christmas Party, he took Luna, NOT Ginny. I know she was dating Dean Thomas at the time, but STILL ... that's his BEST FRIEND'S SISTER!!! Harry and Luna's relationship seemed more organic, while Ginny always had to act a certain way so as not to make it obvious she had a crush on him. I don't know, maybe I just like Luna better, but I thought that she and Harry should've ended up together, and Ginny should've been with Neville. I mean, honestly, why would he end up with Hannah Abbott? Can you say RANDOM????

Wizard of the Week: Filius Flitwick

Filius Flitwick (born October 17, year unknown) is the Charms professor and head of Ravenclaw house at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Flitwick taught at Hogwarts when James Potter and company were there, and may have taught Defense Against the Dark Arts for one year as he collected the papers from the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.. He was also rumored to have been a dueling champion when he was younger. Flitwick was still teaching at Hogwarts during Harry Potter's time there. He taught Charms and was the head of Ravenclaw house. During the 1995 school year Flitwick took part in the insurrection against Dolores Umbridge. He could have easily extinguished the Weasley Wildfire Whiz-Bangs himself but told Professor Umbridge he wasn't sure whether he had the authority. He also left a small patch of the swamp created by Fred and George Weasley in honor of them after they fled from the school. In 1996 when Hogwarts came under attack he was sent to alert Severus Snape that Death Eaters were in the castle but was knocked out by Snape. Flitwick's style of teaching seems more "laid-back" than that of the other Hogwarts professors. He has allowed his class to play games during the last class before the Christmas holidays. Moreover, he seems resigned to a fair amount of chaos as students practice new Charms. His Charms classroom is located on the third floor of Hogwarts; his office, however, is located on the seventh floor, at the base of the West Tower. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Flitwick helped run Severus Snape out of the school and defeated (perhaps killed) the Death Eater Antonin Dolohov. Before the Battle, Flitwick lengthened the time for the evacuation of students before Voldemort's arrival on Hogwarts' grounds by sending out an incantation that sounded like a "weird rushing noise, as though Flitwick had unleashed the power of the wind into the grounds." This, apparently, has certain same effects as the Protego Horribilis charm. He also helped Harry determine the identity and location of Voldemort's last Horcrux. His comment that no one in living memory had seen Rowena Ravenclaw's Diadem led Harry to the Grey Lady, the ghost of Ravenclaw's daughter. And it was through his conversation with her that he determined what the Horcrux was and, eventually, where it was hidden.

information courtesy of harrypotter.wikia.org

Daniel Radcliffe on Late Night with Conan O'Brien

Our favorite lightning-scarred hero stopped by Late Night to discuss his upcoming Broadway debut in Equus, as well as other topics such as the Beijing Olympics and the 2008 Election.

Check out the video here:

Witch of the Week: Luna Lovegood

Luna Scamander (née Lovegood) is a witch who attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry from 1992 to 1999 as a Ravenclaw student. She is the daughter of Xenophilius Lovegood, editor of the magazine The Quibbler; her mother died when she was a child. Luna and her father at one point in time lived in a rook-like house around the village of Ottery St. Catchpole, until the house was destroyed by way of exploding Erumpent horn during the Second Wizarding War. She was an important figure in Dumbledore's Army, participating in the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, the Battle of the Lightning-Struck Tower, and the Battle of Hogwarts, as well as co-leading the second D.A. when Hogwarts fell under the control of Lord Voldemort. After the end of the war, Luna became a wizarding naturalist and eventually married Rolf Scamander, with whom she had two sons, Lorcan and Lysander. Luna is an open-minded, serene, unique – some might say odd – girl with many beliefs and traits that others consider strange, which earn her the nickname of “Loony Lovegood”. However, she is intelligent, having been sorted into Ravenclaw. Her demeanor and voice are often distant and dreamy – though when she overheard Hermione calling her father’s magazine rubbish, the characteristic dreaminess temporarily vanished from her voice – and she would drift away from a conversation she did not find interesting. Luna is a powerful and skilled witch, and she was one of the few left relatively unharmed after all three battles she had participated in. These actions, as well as her co-leadership of the revitalized D.A. with Neville and Ginny, indicate Luna’s bravery.

Daniel Radcliffe's Dyspraxia Diagnosis

Full article HERE courtesy of E! Online

AOL UK Interview with Daniel Radcliffe!

Boxers or briefs? Most embarrassing moment? To find out, watch the video! Enjoy!

HARRY POTTER 6 TO BE RELEASED IN JULY!!!!

If you are as angry as I am about this, please sign the following online petition:

http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/harrypotter6/sign/

Witch of the Week: Fleur Delacour

Fleur Isabelle Weasley (née Delacour) (born c. 1977) is a French, part Veela witch, who attended Beauxbatons Academy of Magic. During the 1994 to 1995 school year, she was Beauxbatons' champion in the Triwizard Tournament. Fleur competed bravely, but the Tournament ended in tragedy with the murder of Cedric Diggory and the return of Lord Voldemort. In the following summer, Fleur took a part-time job at Gringotts Wizarding Bank to improve her English, and began dating co-worker Bill Weasley. The pair soon became engaged and Fleur stayed at the Burrow in the summer of 1996 to get to know Bill's family, but her blunt nature rubbed the majority of his family up the wrong way. Fleur participated in the Battle of the Astronomy Tower in 1997; during the battle, her fiancé was badly injured by the werewolf Fenrir Greyback. Despite many others believing that his scarring would be the end of their relationship, but Fleur proved that she truly loved Bill, and the pair married in August of that year, although the wedding was disrupted by Death Eaters following the fall of the Ministry of Magic. Fleur and Bill set up their own home at Shell Cottage, and later assisted Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley following their escape from Malfoy Manor. Fleur fought alongside her husband during the Battle of Hogwarts in 1998. After the end of the Second Wizarding War, she and Bill had three children: Victoire, Dominique and Louis Weasley. information courtesy of harrypotter.wikia.org

YAY! Finally, a REAL trailer!!!

It's heeeeeere!!!!!!!!! After months of waiting, the HBP trailer is finally online! Enjoy!

I waited 6 months .... for this???

So, the newest Harry Potter installment, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is set to hit a theater near you on November 21st, 2008. Many sources (including Mugglenet.com) had initially reported that the HBP trailer would be released with The Dark Knight, however what WAS released with the late Heath Ledger's final completed project, was only a 15-second teaser. Despite how much excitement I get every time I hear (not see) the teaser (you'll see what I mean later), it leaves even the biggest Potter fan (such as myself) with an unquenched thirst for actual footage of the film.

Here is the trailer:

Oh, those silly Weasley boys!

So, I decided that instead of writing about the third book and film, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (since I haven’t finished re-reading the 3^rd book), I’d write about my 2 favorite characters; Fred and George Weasley. I honestly think they are the funniest characters in the entire Harry Potter series. Their witty sense of humor and perfect sense of comedic timing make every moment they are on the screen quite enjoyable. Their looks help with that as well. LOL. But it is their loyalty to their family and friends, in particular, Harry, that make them stand out among others. While their older brother Percy, the "over-achiever" of the family, has been estranged from the family because he disagrees that Lord Voldemort has returned to power and thinks the family is jealous of his success, they retain their devotion to their family and to the fight against Voldemort and his followers. Though neither were what you would call "scholarly" they performed decently in school. Their true passion was pranks, and they started a business called "Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes", which began as a small business venture that they ran from their dormitories while attending Hogwarts. It included many practical joke items, as well as candies that could help people fake illnesses to get out of class (such as the one that caused fake warts to pop up on one's face).This later turned into their career once they left Hogwarts, as they opened up a joke shop at Diagon Alley (the main shopping center in the wizarding world) much to the dismay of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. However, once their parents saw how successful the business really was, they learned to accept their sons’ chosen career paths. Despite their departure from Hogwarts and moving out of the Weasley household, they were still very much devoted to Dumbledore’s Army, a group formed by Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, in order to help train fellow students to fight against Lord Voldemort and his followers, known as Death Eaters. This group was basically a student version of The Order of The Phoenix (also the name of the 5^th book!), a group of adult wizards (which included Harry’s and Ron’s parents) who fought in the First Wizarding War against Voldemort. The twins even assisted in recruiting former Hogwarts students (including Oliver Wood!!!) to help with the cause. One of my favorite scenes from the entire series is when the twins have decided to drop out of Hogwarts just weeks from their graduation because of their hatred for the new headmaster, Dolores Umbridge, who ordered that the former headmaster Albus Dumbledore be sent to Azkaban Prison. It is later revealed that she is a supporter of Lord Voldemort. As one last prank they pull on her, they break into the exam room where she is administering exams to the 5^th year students, come flying in on their brooms, set off a bunch of fireworks, including a large dragon which chases Umbridge out of the castle, and basically start a massive riot at the school. All the students, and even some teachers, come running out, cheering, and the twins fly off on their brooms, setting off one last firework, which explodes and form a giant W in the sky. That is their final scene in the movie, and they figuratively AND literally, go out with a BANG.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets is the second book in the Harry Potter, and finds our hero facing the dark Lord Voldemort for a third time (once in his infancy, the second time at the end of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). This time however, Voldemort takes the form of his 16-year old self, the former Hogwarts student, Tom Marvolo Riddle (which is an anagram for “I am Lord Voldemort”). His new self is “a memory preserved in a diary for 50 years”. This diary was sneaked into Ginny Weasley’s cauldron by one of Voldemort’s followers, Lucius Malfoy, while the Weasleys, along with Potter and their friend Hermione Granger, shopped for school supplies at Flourish and Blotts bookstore. I like this book and movie just a tad more than the first because of the more sophisticated element of danger in the Chamber of Secrets. Although Harry faced Voldemort in the first book, Voldemort was in a weakened form, and fused to the head of Professor Quirrell, so he was unable to do much in terms of harming Harry. However, in the Chamber of Secrets he was more powerful, as he had taken the form of his 16-year old self, and was drawing power from Ginny as she lay dying in the chamber. Also, the threat of the basilisk, which killed people just by making eye contact, made the story much more exciting and kept readers and viewers on the edge of their seats. The introduction of Dobby the house-elf interjected comic relief into this very serious story line. The multiple Quidditch scenes were also enjoyable, especially with the adorable Quidditch captain Oliver Wood (awww). OK, I’ll admit, I mainly liked this movie more because Oliver Wood was in more scenes than he was in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. But other than the eye candy, it was still such an exciting movie! My favorite scene is when the Weasley boys have arrived back at their home, called The Burrow, after a night-long car ride in which they rescued Harry from the Dursley’s house with their flying car. This was Harry’s first time in a wizard family’s house, and he was absolutely astonished to see the dishes scrubbing themselves, a sweater being knit on its own, and something that looked like a clock, but in fact had several hands, one with each member of the family’s picture, and instead of numbers, had several locations listed (such as home, school, work, etc.) and each hand of the “clock”, faces the location of wherever that person is currently at. Although Mrs. Weasley scolds the boys for leaving without notice, she welcomes Harry with open arms to her home and cooks him breakfast. Ginny, who is upstairs, comes running down to ask her mother where her jumper is, and is mortified that Harry Potter is at her house, seeing her in her pajamas, so she quickly runs back upstairs. Harry, confused by what has just occurred, asks Ron if he did anything, and Ron replies, “She’s been talking about you all summer. It’s a bit annoying actually.” This shows that Ginny fancies Harry and foreshadows their future relationship and (***SPOILER ALERT!!!***) their eventual marriage in the epilogue of the final book in the series. Can’t WAIT to finally read that one … again!

Harry Potter and The Sorceror's Stone

So, I’ve decided to re-read the entire Harry Potter series again, as I’ve recently received the first three movies as a gift. In reading the series again, I have discovered many things I missed the first (or second) time I read them. I also begin to see things that were either not in the films, or they were portrayed differently in the films. While reading the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, back in March, I discovered some facts, mainly about the first-year students, that I had forgotten, or perhaps missed the first time around. I also learned things that weren’t shown in the movie, such as the story of Nearly Headless Nick and his goal of joining the Headless Hunt(despite not being completely headless), or the REAL reason that Professor Snape was so protective of Harry during despite loathing him. Also, some things were portrayed differently in the film than in the book, such as when the Weasleys discover that their new friend Harry is actually the legendary Harry Potter, who at the age of one, conquered the most powerful Dark Lord of their time, Lord Voldemort. In the book, it is actually Fred and George Weasley (the twins) who discover this, while the Hogwarts Express is still at King’s Cross Station, and they run off the train to tell their mother and their sister Ginny that Harry Potter is on the train with them. At this time, Ginny, who is only a year shy of being able to go to Hogwarts, begs her mom to let her on the train so she can catch a glimpse of him, but her mother refuses. In the film, it is Ronald Weasley (younger brother of Fred and George, and fellow first-year) who discovers Harry’s true identity, minutes after leaving the train station, and the rest of the Weasley children at Hogwarts do not find out until the Sorting Ceremony, which takes place once the students have arrived at Hogwarts, and organizes the first-year students into four houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin. In addition, Harry Potter’s aunt, uncle, and cousin that he has lived with since he was orphaned at age 1, the Dursleys, are portrayed in the movie as being a lot meaner to Harry than they were in the book. The film leaves out the fact that, for once, they give Harry a Christmas gift, albeit a toothpick and a letter telling him to ask if he can stay at school over summer holiday. It is Mr. Dursley who drops Harry off at the train station, not Rubeus Hagrid as shown in the film. There are plenty more differences between the films and the books, but I won’t list all of them, as there are waaaaay too many of them that I have probably yet to notice. Even though I know the stories already, it is always fun to read them, and I discover a new thing every time I read them, and as a result, I never grow tired of the series.