A Thought about HBP

Listening to HP audiobook on the bus to Portland and made a discovery. At the beginning of "The Lightening-Struck Tower" when Harry tries to get Dumbledore back to the castle and to the hospital wing, Dumbledore repeatedly asks for Snape rather than Madame Pomfrey. I always assumed he wanted Snape to heal him, like he had when Dumbledore put on Marvolo Gaunt's ring.

But perhaps he actually wanted Snape to come and fulfill his Unbreakable Vow. Harry was afraid drinking Voldemort's potion was killing Dumbledore. Maybe he wasn't wrong.

Now I should typeset Salman Rushdie

I'm realizing more and more how much type on a page means to me. I love stories, but I love them even more when they're both linguistically and visually beautiful.

All posters from spineless classics. Christmas gift, anyone?

And when it's cool type and Harry Potter, well then, I'm just in heaven.

All posters from The Modern Stylographer. Again, Christmas is coming.

I'm thinking Haroun and the Sea of Stories would make for an excellent typographical challenge. Of course, I should probably wait until I'm not killing myself with school and work.

Still, I love these ideas. And I love that I have the capabilities of creating similar designs. Specific text requests, anyone?

Perspective

Having a hard day? Just look up these soundtracks.

Work will become a magical place. And time will run as though you had your very own Time Turner to get to 5:00 faster than usual.

'Tis true. And delightful.

HP: A Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. The end of an era. The end of my childhood.

Okay, sorry, I’ll stop being dramatic.

I’ve had a week to mull, process, and discuss the final installment in the Harry Potter series, and overall I am very, very satisfied. Sure, there are some things I wish they’d done differently (that Voldemort dandruff was really unnecessary, don’t you think?), but for the most part I think it was handled well. So, focusing on the positive, we’ve broken it down into subjects: Characters, Scenes, Overall Themes.

Characters (and the actors who play them)

While our three heroes have gotten better as they’ve gotten older (the first few movies are hilarious if judged on acting skill), the awards must go out to the supporting cast. Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), Professor Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith), Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch), Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter), and last but absolutely not least (really, he’s most), Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). So, in list order—

Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom. Who would have thought ten years ago that he was going to grow up so well? Seriously, the guy is more attractive than any of his peers. And aren't you just so proud of Neville, the way he fights back and becomes so rebellious. I love it. And the Luna romance! Oh, it was just too cute.

Maggie Smith as Minerva McGonagall. She did well in every movie, but in this one she just shone. That duel with Snape was awesome. And some of the best lines were hers: "And Potter . . . it's good to see you." Oh! I nearly cried right there. "I've always wanted to use that spell!" and "Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnegan? As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics," were some of the funniest lines in the entire movie.

Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood. I've mentioned previously how well cast I think she was. She does not disappoint in this one either. A little different and slightly flighty without being too weird. And I was so proud of her when she yelled at Harry on the staircase up to Ravenclaw Tower.

Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange. She's phenomenal in whatever she does, but her best scene in this movie was when Hermione takes the Polyjuice Potion so they can break into Gringotts. She absolutely nailed Emma Watson's portrayal of Hermione. Fabulous acting.

Alan Rickman as Severus Snape. One of the best casting decisions ever made. He is Severus Snape, and his scenes were hands down the best scenes in the movie. But I'll get to that in a minute.

Scenes (or specific shots)

There were a few scenes that I thought played out very, very well. The dragon. Oh goodness. Those poor goblins working up at their desks had no idea what hit them. Every time I think of that dragon bursting through the floor I start to laugh.

The scene when Harry confronts Snape in the Great Hall. This has caused some controversy, as it is very different than the book. But I really liked its effect, and I liked the lines Harry threw at Snape regarding Dumbledore's death. Did we see that occur at the end of HBP? I'm thinking no, so this was a good chance to add that bit in. And the Order walking through the doors of the Great Hall after Professor McGonagall fights for Harry was pretty impressive.

The Epilogue. I don't love the epilogue in the book, but in the movie I thought it played out really well. The aging wasn't so great, but I loved the way they pulled in John Williams's original score as you see the Hogwarts Express preparing to depart. Very reminiscent of the last scene in the first movie when Harry looks out from the train and says goodbye to Hagrid. A strong reminder of why they fought so hard in the first place, and a nice tie in to the very beginning. Plus that little boy playing Albus Severus was adorable.

The Prince’s Tale. This was the best scene in the movie, and nothing will convince me otherwise. You are allowed into Severus Snape's life for the first time (except that brief dip into the Pensieve in OOTP) ever, and you suddenly understand his motivations. I love his love for Lily, and I love the shot of him going to the house in Godric's Hollow and holding her and crying. I'm nearly crying just thinking about it. My sister pointed out that it replaces the scene in the book where he steals half the letter Lily wrote to Sirius. It was a perfect replacement, and one of the strongest images in the entire Harry Potter series.

Overall Themes

She really only had one theme overall, didn’t she? Love conquers all. And we see that over and over again. When Aberforth comes to fight in the castle, even though he said he’d given up. When Mrs. Weasley duels with Bellatrix to protect her daughter. When Severus attempts to save Lily. When Severus spends the rest of his life protecting Harry. When Harry knowingly walks into the Forbidden Forest to die. When Neville stands up to Voldemort and says they will continue to fight even if Harry’s dead.

The people who sell this theme to me the most are the Malfoys. We see them start to realize what Voldemort really is in Half-Blood Prince as Narcissa begs Snape to protect her son. We see Draco struggling with his instructions from the Dark Lord, but fearing for his life and those of his parents if he refuses. We see him hesitate to kill Dumbledore because he is not truly a killer. We see them frightened and upset as Voldemort uses their manor as his headquarters. We see Draco refuse to positively identify Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

And then Harry dies. And we witness one of the most powerful acts of love in the entire movie—Narcissa volunteers to see if Harry is truly dead, and when she discovers that her son is still alive in the castle she lies to Lord Voldemort. She doesn't care that she just lied to the greatest Dark wizard of all time, she only cares about the life of her son. And she proves again what Voldemort could never understand, that the ability to love is more powerful than anything he possesses, and it's his one great weakness that ultimately destroys him. But Narcissa Malfoy understands, and she voluntarily leaves with her husband and her son before they even know that Voldemort will be killed. They choose to walk away from evil. And that is what this series was all about.

"It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Can't Think of a Cohesive Title — W

I will spend a significant amount of time reviewing Deathly Hallows Part 2 in one week. That gives it time to settle with me and gives you time to see it. If you haven’t seen it in a week then don’t read my post; I will have no shame in discussing details. This was a big movie, people.

In the meantime, I’m trying hard to stay awake during the last two hours of work. I’m looking forward to visiting a friend at her own job before going home to crash in stretchy pants and either continuing to watch the miniseries on the Kennedys or The September Issue, which I’ve been wanting to see for years. Netflicks is a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Unrelated, I’m rapidly coming to the conclusion that I need 24-hour access to Adobe InDesign. Hello, $400+ purchase. sigh.

(Incidentally, I wholeheartedly recommend the Kennedys miniseries. Greg Kinnear, Katie Holmes, and Barry Pepper all play their parts phenomenally well.)

I'm going to make it

Found on Mugglenet.com

Monday evening 'round 11 I had this gchat conversation with miss Melis:

me: Sirius just died

Melissa: sadness

me: 73 hours until the movie - 24 hours of work - 8 hours of class - roughly 21 hours of sleep = only 20 hours to read 1366 pages of Harry Potter

  hmm.

 That's 68.3 pages an hour

  oh, I can do that

 Melissa: haha

  I love that you just did that math

 me: well I didn't think it was possible. but now I'm thinking maybe it actually is

 Melissa: you can do it!

And so I did. With 15 hours 'til showtime, I have 324 pages left in Deathly Hallows. Although, 7.5 of those hours will be spent at work and 4 in class, so I guess that really leaves me with 3.5 reading hours. That's 92.57 pages an hour. Up from the original goal, but I can totally do it. I read more than 100 on the T ride in this morning. 

I think tomorrow's going to be a rough day. About five hours of sleep coupled with soul-wrenching Harry Potter finale feelings? Thank goodness the weekend is coming to recoup. 

But it's been a good thirteen years. And I'm certain David Yates will send us all out in style.

TTT: Authors

This week’s Top Ten at The Broke and Bookish is Top Ten Authors I Would DIE to meet (living or dead). So fun. And tricky. But I bet you can guess the first one.

1. Salman Rushdie. The man is a linguistic genius. And a staunch believer in the power of language and our right to use it. Check out this lovely NYTimes article. Yes, Mr. Rushdie, one day we will meet. Book signing when you write about the fatwa?

2. Thomas Friedman. Major journalistic envy for this guy. I love his writing, I love his idealism, I love his knowledge of the Middle East. I love his new NYTimes photo. Looking good, there, Tom. Are you perhaps friends with the advertising manager for the Times? We had lunch a few weeks ago, you know.

3. Chaim Potok. His books are beautiful and heartbreaking. Quite a bit of my initial Jewish knowledge came from him, and we all know how much I love that.

4. Madeline L’Engle. The older I get, the more I love her young adult fiction. I’ve read all her YA books multiple times. I like the way she blends the religious with the scientific. And there is such a thing as a tesseract. *shiver*

5. David Crystal. I love his analysis of English linguistics. Very accessible to laymen (which I am not, but still), and not so descriptive that I feel like all grammar rules are utterly forgotten. Plus, he blogs! He’s responded to comments I’ve made on the blog—does that count as meeting? I think probably no. 

6. L. M. Montgomery. I feel like I keep saying this, but I love her books. They never get old. They have also inspired me to take the ferry from Maine to Prince Edward Island at some point while I live in Boston. I want to see where the Anne-girl lived.

7. J. K. Rowling. How can I not include the woman who created the magical world of Harry Potter? Talent like that is truly astonishing, and there are so many questions I would ask her about her writing process. Plus maybe she’d invite me to have tea with her and Alan Rickman. Now wouldn’t that be something.

8. C. S. Lewis. The man is brilliant. What interesting conversations you could have.

9. F. Scott Fitzgerald. I am fascinated by his life. Could I meet Zelda too? They are so horribly tragic, but his writing is lovely. And I’d love to hear him talk about working with Maxwell Perkins. And Hemingway.

10. Margaret Mitchell. The woman who wrote my favorite book of all time, but then nothing ever again. She had a pretty interesting life herself.

I’d like to mention that I have met two authors who would normally have made it on this list, but since I’ve talked to them already they no longer qualify:

Simon Winchester. I told him his discussion of the Oxford English Dictionary was brilliant; he told me to apply for a scholarship he was starting in honor of Larry Ashmead and he’d pull some strings for me because I like his books.

Leif Enger. I heard him read from So Brave, Young, and Handsome at Powell's and fell mildly in love. His brother Lin read from his book Undiscovered Country at the same time. Both great (people and books).

Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

Ten points to Charlotte.


I had a delightful email conversation with a (new) friend yesterday that went something like this:

We have another mutual friend. She made the connection via me mentioning canoeing, and I was so excited about it that I wanted to tell you now rather than whenever I see you next. Because work is not particularly exciting on its own. If I hadn't purchased Entertainment Weekly's special Harry Potter issue today at lunch, this might have been the highlight of the day. Settle for second best?

A

Allison,

That's fantastic! . . . I have to admit that I'm a little disappointed at losing highlight-of-the-day to a fictional, pubescent, and altogether too moody (pun intended) wizard, but I suppose I can cut my losses.

D

And I get where he's coming from, I wouldn't want to come in second to Harry Potter either (neither does Ron Weasley) (I'm in the midst of GOF right now, so that came readily to mind). But have you seen this Entertainment Weekly issue?

Entertainment Weekly

Doesn't his little boy face just melt your heart? I went home and started reading through the 50 pages & 10 years of Potter Magic, and I may or may not have gotten a little teary eyed. In one week + nine hours I will be watching the final installment of the Harry Potter series on film. Mrs. Roeding introduced me to the magical world in 1998. That's thirteen years of Harry Potter love that ends next week. I know it's really ridiculous to be so emotionally attached to a series of books, but really, they changed my life.  

Remember when I was trying to figure out what makes you feel like an adult? I grew up with Harry Potter, and next week I'll watch him grow up. Maybe this will be it for me, too.



PostScript—I've been debating for about a week whether or not to purchase this necklace. After writing this post, I opted for yes. A nostalgic, growing up memento of sorts. 

TTT: Rebels

I looked up The Broke and the Bookish’s upcoming Top Ten Tuesdays, and I loved this one (and next week’s, so stay tuned! and participate!), so we’re at it again. Top ten rebels (characters or authors) in literature—those people who stood up for what they believe in despite the cost of doing so. I maybe stretched it slightly to also include people just filled with moxie. Because don’t we all wish we could be like them?

Gone with the Wind—Well we have to start with Rhett Butler, don’t we? Not received in Charlestown, not even by his own family. Blockade runner. Pirate. Frequenter of brothels (okay, maybe just Belle Watling's). Mocker of the Confederacy. Friend of Jesse James. Yes indeed, he’s at the top.

The Fountainhead—While I’m no supporter of Ayn Rand’s philosophies, I have to put Howard O’Rourke as my second rebel. The man is gutsy. Seriously, nearly every other character in the novel is out to get him, yet he still succeeds. Without showing any sign of weakness. And he gets the girl.

Little Women—She may not be exactly what they had in mind, but Jo March is all kinds of courageous. She works for her Aunt March, she goes off to New York alone, she struggles to get her stories published. Plus she feels terribly confined by her societal role as a woman and (to a certain extent) fights it. And as Jo is a reflection on her creator and her life, I’m adding Louisa May Alcott to this list.

While we’re discussing authors, George Eliot. Openly living with a married man for twenty years in the Victorian age? No wonder she used a pseudonym.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix—How could we make a rebel list without Sirius Black? Though he appears in multiple HP books, it’s OOTP that really shows his disregard for rules and his own safety, especially when provoked (by Snape) or protective (of Harry). We all cry a little at the end.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Another HP character who is in several books, Dobby the house elf. Sure, he’s a bit ridiculous with his adoration of Harry and his love for socks, but he does not back down. Just watched the movie again with my sister, and the scene at the end where he stands up to Bellatrix: “Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!” How can you not love him?

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest—Randle Patrick McMurphy is a crazy (but not actually crazy—but maybe?) inmate in Nurse Ratched’s mental hospital. The entire novel revolves around his rebellion against Nurse Ratched and the way he helps the other patients stand up for themselves. You can’t help but admire him.

Peace Like a River—I love this story, and I love Davy Land. He protects his family and his girlfriend and then avoids his fate by breaking out of jail and riding away on a horse. Classic. (Sunny Sundown is pretty awesome, too.)

Last, but certainly not least (in fact, I’d argue he’s highest on my list, that’s why we saved him, best for last and all that), author Salman Rushdie. Freaking goodness. He infuriated an entire religion with The Satanic Verses, and 23% of the entire global population is Muslim* (in 2009 per Wikipedia). A fatwa was issued against him. He lived in who-knows-where hiding for ten years. His wife left him. He was not able to see his son. Talk about standing up for what you believe in despite the cost of doing so.

Okay, your turn. Favorite literary rebels?

*I am well aware that not all Muslims agreed with the fatwa or were even offended by the book. I want to make sure you know that too.

Ginny

Behind in my Harry Potter reading before the movie, but that's okay. Just a quick thought—


Harry first meets the Dementors on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of his third year. The conversation in the train after they leave reads as follows:

'I thought you were having a fit or something,' said Ron, who still looked scared. 'You went sort of rigid and fell out of your seat and started twitching' . . . 'I felt weird . . . like I'd never be cheerful again ...'

Ginny, who was huddled in her corner looking nearly as bad as Harry felt, gave a small sob; Hermione went over and put a comforting arm around her.

'But didn't any of you — fall off your seats?' asked Harry awkwardly.

'No,' said Ron, looking anxiously at Harry again. 'Ginny was shaking like mad, though ...'

Lupin later explains that Harry passed out because he has things in his past worse than anyone else's, so the Dementors have a stronger affect on him than on his friends. What I never fully understood in past reads was Ginny's reaction. I always thought she took it horribly because she was a little girl and afraid, but that isn't true. Just a few months before, she was being possessed and controlled by Lord Voldemort via Tom Riddle's diary. She almost died in the Chamber of Secrets. So what she remembers when she's near the Dementors is pretty bad, too. No wonder she was shaking like mad.

Learn something new every time.

Top Ten Tuesday

I am friends with the Story Girl, who routinely posts great book reviews. She often participates in The Broke and the Bookish’s Top Ten Tuesday, where they come up with a theme and then list the top ten favorites corresponding with that theme (top ten heroines, top ten relationships, top ten book settings, etc.). I liked thinking about today’s list after seeing the Story Girl’s responses, so I decided to participate.

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is “Aww” moments in books, any line, scene, or otherwise sentimental moment that made your heart melt a little bit. I may or may not give a few things away, just so you know.

1. The one that came to mind very first is from L. M. Montgomery's Emily Climbs, second in her Emily trilogy. There is a scene where Emily gets locked inside the church at night, and Emily is terrified of a slightly crazy old man who is also in the church, following her around the pews thinking she is his long-dead wife, Annie. She screams for Teddy to save her, and he does—he hears her call even though his house is miles away, and he comes to the church and rescues her.

2. The scene in Gone with the Wind when Rhett tells Melanie that Scarlett's miscarriage is his fault and she doesn't really love him, and Miss Melly comforts him and says that Scarlett loves him more than he knows. She is such a strong and beautiful person, Melanie Hamilton.

3. Can I choose an entire book? The Lover's Dictionary made me feel this way more consistently than maybe any other book I've ever read. See cadence. 

4. This is more on the sad sentimental side, but the scene in The Power of One after Doc dies and Peekay says goodbye to him in the cave they found together. That was such a beautiful friendship, and it was so sad to see it end.

5. Another powerful relationship, the palpable love between the man and his little boy in Cormac McCarthy's The Road. And the end is just devastating, don't you think? Definitely cried. (If you haven't read it, do.)

6. I think I've read The Luckiest Girl probably two hundred times, but I love it every time. A beautiful little book, and when Shelley finally realizes that she loves Hartley it's just perfect.

7. Another childhood favorite, when Prince Char realizes that Ella isn't married and proposes to her as she's covered in soot by the fireplace in Ella Enchanted. 

8. My Name Is Asher Lev—When Asher comes to the realization that he must use the crucifix to paint his feelings about his parents and childhood, even though he knows how much it will hurt his Hasidic Jewish family and community. And how much love he pours into those paintings knowing that no one will understand.

9. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe after Aslan dies when Susan and Lucy are so sad and go try to remove the ropes that bind him and the mice come to help. It's such a tender service.

10. Several moments in the Harry Potter series, so I'm listing a few of them as one (is that cheating?). I'm counting them all as one on my summer reading list, so I feel like it should be okay. 

• The brief happiness Sirius and Harry feel in POA when they think they will live together.
• The end of OOTP after Sirius dies and Dumbledore tells Harry that it is his fault, not Harry's, because Dumbledore loved Harry too much to tell him the truth from the beginning.
• Watching Neville grow through all seven books into such an amazing character. Especially in SS when he stands up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione and then wins the house cup for Gryffindor with the points he earns—I will always remember Mrs. Roeding's voice as she read that chapter to us.
• Dobby's death. Oh, so painful. And Harry's kindness in his burial.
• And of course, when Harry, Ron, and Hermione finally arrive back at Hogwarts in DH. The whole book felt not quite right until they were back. And then when all the other characters start coming through the tunnel from the Hog's Head? It felt like everyone was coming home, and I sobbed through the rest of the book.

  

What are your top "aww" moments?

5

Deathly Hallows Part 1

My attire in honor of the day

I finished the book. Had to stay up ridiculously late and get up earlier than I would have liked, but I made it through before my showing time started. Incidentally, I am now a huge fan of morning movies. The theater was only half-full, I'm assuming since most normal people work or go to school at 10:20 a.m.

I cried within the first three minutes, which surprised me, but then not again for the rest of the two+ hour film, which also surprised me. I think perhaps if I hadn't saturated my senses with Harry Potter the last few days I would have cried when Ron left, or when they tortured Hermione, or when Dobby died. But as I'd already cried for them reading it less than 24 hours before, I was emotionally spent.

They cut the story where I expected them too, and I think it makes for a good breaking point. They certainly make you want to come back and see the second part. The only downside for ending where it does is that you're at a bit of an emotional low---and while I fully agree with their scripting decisions, that is unfortunate. Although again, I could have been a little lower than most of the audience since I'd read the same scenes just hours before.

But overall I thought it was done very, very well. I've heard complaints that it was too dark. To you complainers I say, what did you expect? Of course it's dark; they spend the entire time worrying about their families and the Order, gathering news about the war, and chasing down bits of Voldemort's soul. How could that not be dark? But it was still very good. I would love to discuss the movie in detail when you've seen it. So call me and we'll chat.

Oh, and has anyone seen Emma Watson's new haircut? I like it very much.

Opposites

While I do love Half-Blood Prince, every time I arrive at the cave with Harry and Dumbledore I get this awful sinking feeling in my stomach because I know what will happen soon after in the lightning-struck tower. It makes me cry every time.

But I've been thinking about Harry and Voldemort and the idea of opposites. I was first really captivated by the concept in my first course with Dr. Dallin D. Oaks, one of my favorite linguistic professors at BYU. I've heard him discuss this multiple times, and it makes so much sense; it always seems brilliant to me.

Usually when people think of opposites they think of things that are considered diametrically different from each other: cat vs. dog, light vs. dark, etc. In reality, that notion of opposition is untrue. For two things to be opposites of each other, they must have many of the same characteristics but have one fundamental difference which creates the opposition. Father and mother, for example, are opposites, for their similarities just as much as their difference. They are different genders, but they also have the strong likeness in parent. Father and niece, on the other hand, are not considered opposites because they share no features. There is a lesson found in the Aaronic Priesthood manual that lists a variety of attributes (I am a spirit child of God, I was at the council in Heaven, I want you to follow me, etc.) which the boys assume mean Christ, but the last one---I am your mortal enemy---shows how Satan, being the opposite of Christ, also has many of the same qualities.

Harry and Lord Voldemort have many things in common:

• They both are half-blood wizards.
• They both are orphans.
• They both speak Parseltongue.
• They both have wands with phoenix feathers from Fawkes.
• They both consider Hogwarts their real home.
• They both have what Dumbledore called "a certain disregard for the rules."

 These commonalities made Harry very uncomfortable throughout his time at Hogwarts and his education about Voldemort. He has repeated conversations with Dumbledore about how these similarities are bad. But Dumbledore teaches him to care far more about the huge difference between them than the similarities: love.

It is Harry's ability to love that keeps him alive all the times Lord Voldemort tries to kill him. It is his ability to love that surrounds him with good friends who can help and support him in his search for the Horcruxes. And it is his ability to love that enables him to trust Dumbledore and continue his search for the Horcruxes rather than look for the Deathly Hallows. He cares more for other people than he does for his own life, and this huge difference is what makes him Lord Voldemort's equal and opposite, and what allows him to kill Voldemort in the end.


Now I'm off to read it.

Currently in a Pensieve

Halfway through Half-Blood Prince and I have 35 hours 'til showtime. I know I can make it, but I haven't read this much Harry Potter in such a condensed time in a while.

On the plus side, I do believe that Half-Blood Prince is the best written of the series. Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite book plot-wise, but Half-Blood Prince is definitely my favorite language-wise. It's so well done, and the first two chapters are awesome. A comment from J.K. Rowling's website on the opening chapter, "The Other Minister" . . .

"I have come close to using a chapter very like this in 'Philosopher's Stone' (it was one of the discarded first chapters), 'Prisoner of Azkaban' and 'Order of the Phoenix' but here, finally, it works, so it's staying. And that's all I'm going to say, but when you read it just know that it's been about thirteen years in the brewing."

Horcruxes

While eating lunch today, I read the passage in Order of the Phoenix where Harry sees Arthur Weasley attacked by the snake outside the Department of Mysteries in his dream. The following is an excerpt from the chapter "St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries" (found on page 468):

"How did you see this?" Dumbledore asked quietly, still not looking at Harry.

"Well . . . I don't know," said Harry, rather angrily---what did it matter? "Inside my head, I suppose---"

"You misunderstand me," said Dumbledore, still in the same calm tone. "I mean . . . can you remember---er---where you were positioned as you watched this attack happen? Were you perhaps standing beside the victim, or else looking down on the scene from above?"

This was such a curious question that Harry gaped at Dumbledore; it was almost as though he knew . . .

"I was the snake," he said. "I saw it all from the snake's point of view. . . ."

All the other times I have read this book I assumed that Voldemort was possessing the snake (Nagini) and as Harry had access to his thoughts and feelings, he was also inside the snake. This time, however, I wondered if perhaps, because a bit of Voldemort's soul was in Nagini as well as in Harry, he was accessing Nagini's view of the Department of Mysteries while Voldemort was elsewhere? Perhaps because they were both Horcruxes, somehow Voldemort could communicate with/control Nagini, and Harry could tap into Nagini's mind as well as Voldemort's?

I might be completely wrong, but the Riddle in the diary was able to function on his own as he possessed Ginny Weasley, so perhaps the pieces of Voldemort's soul in the various Horcruxes could connect to each other, particularly the two in living beings.

Plotting

I discovered a blog written by Jason Fisher, Lingwë. He writes about a lot of writers I enjoy (J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, J.K. Rowling), and he recently posted about Rowling's writing scheme, complete with this image:

If you zoom in, you will see that these are some of Rowling's notes during her writing of Order of the Phoenix. It's absolutely amazing. Rowling has stated that she had the plot outlined in her head and knew what she was doing, but if you ever doubted, here is the proof. I love the columns for each subplot of the book. I've never attempted to write anything as complex as Harry Potter, or any work of fiction for that matter, but I can imagine notes like these would be invaluable in the process.

(Fisher attributes the blogs Text Patterns and Slash Film as his source for this document.)

JK and Linguistics

In preparation for HP7 Part 1, I have been rereading (again) the series. I'm a little behind, only just finished Goblet of Fire, but I had a lot of school work this week. I've been borrowing the books from my roommate, who purchased them in Great Britain. I'd read the British Prisoner of Azkaban before, as I own it, but I'm really enjoying reading the entire series in British English. It makes for a much more interesting read, being, as I am, so fascinated by various English dialects. I love the variants in spelling, lexicon, and syntax:

Spelling
Most spelling variation comes in the vowels (not all, just most). British English retains older spellings, although every once in a while we see them in American English as well. A few examples . . . 

British     American
Grey          Gray
Pyjama     Pajama
Colour      Color
Defence   Defense 

Lexicon
These might be my favorite differences. There were some I already knew, but others were fascinating to me. These were the ones that jumped out most:

British         American
Jumper         Sweater
Puddings      Desserts
Revise          Study
Scarper        Run away

Syntax
Syntactic differences are intriguing because I would assume that Standard American and Standard British (or RP) would have basically the same syntax. I usually think of syntactic differences appearing in nonstandard dialects. However, there are a few.

British                 American
V+O+VP               V+VP+P+O
Catch you up      Catch up with you

The best syntactic difference is one that I think we will eventually adopt in American English. We have already begun changing some of our past participles to be spelled this way, and it won't surprise me if our past tense verbs will too. We just haven't made it there yet.

British      American
Learnt        Learned
Burnt         Burned
Leant         Leaned

British English also, apparently, does not approve of the Oxford comma. On this point, I disagree with their choices.

One Week, One Week, One Week

My posts from now until November 19 are dedicated to Mrs. Roeding.

And how freaking awesome is this trailer?

HP

Warning: I am saying things based on the assumption that you have read all seven Harry Potter books. If you have not yet read all seven you may not want to read this post.

There have been several times in my life where I feel like I am actually a part of Harry Potter. There are other times when I wish I were.

The first, of course, would be Mrs. Roeding’s fifth grade class. She read the first two books to us and I fell in love with Hogwarts, Chocolate Frogs, Quidditch, and Oliver Wood. If I close my eyes and remember my seat in her classroom I can still hear the voices she did for each character. She made those books live.

Another was the first time I appreciated J. K. Rowling not for her ability to create a powerful story, but her ability to tell it. She uses beautiful turns of phrase, “a distraction appeared in the form of Ginny,” and the magical language she creates is incredibly tied to our own: Pensieve, Occlumency, Diagon Alley, the Mirror of Erised.

I cried with Harry when Sirius died and when he buried Dobby. I laughed out loud at Fred and George. I was annoyed with Lockhart, confused by Snape, and livid at Umbridge. I wished I had my own Maurader’s Map, or a Room of Requirement. Especially a Room of Requirement.

I lived for a semester in a magical environment: the BYU Jerusalem Center is Hogwarts. We lived with our teachers, we had incredible adventures, our Great Hall was the Oasis, and there were even secret passage ways. And I won’t begin to describe how the people matched up.

I saw Order of the Phoenix with Megan at midnight, and as Harry and Mr. Weasley walked into the lobby of the Ministry of Magic I was suddenly there with them—physically disturbed by the massive picture of Fudge looking down on them in an obvious reference to 1984. That filming choice more powerfully illustrated the political situation than any dialogue could.

For every book from four to seven I read all day and into the night until I finished. Then I waited impatiently for my siblings so I could start again.

Because of all this experience, it is easy for me to make Harry Potter comparisons, references, and allusions in my day to day life. The one that has been coming to mind the last two days is the scene in Half-Blood Prince when Hermione conjures canaries that circle around her head. It reminded me of a proverb but I couldn’t place what it was. After discussing it with a friend, we think it might be this one:

That the birds of worry and care fly over your head, this you cannot change, but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent.  ---Chinese Proverb