Adventures in Harry Potter, Part Two

[przed]

Ros and I have been pushing through Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and finally finished it earlier this week. She loved it, and has been discussing the books with her friends. (I was all set to retire my spoiler t-shirt, but she already knows that Dumbledore dies!)

Tonight we watched the first movie for family movie night. It's the first movie she's been enthusiastic about since she was a toddler and wanted to watch Snow White over and over again.

It was adorable watching her react to all the bits in the movie she knew from the book. Mostly she kept saying "that's not how I imagined it." Except for Ollivanders Wand Shop, which she said was exactly how she imagined it.

She freaked out a bit at the end--Fluffy and Voldemort appearing in the back of Quirrell's head were just a bit too much for her--but still gave it a firm thumb's up at the end. Yay!

We've already started reading The Chamber of Secrets. The Sweetie picked it up this week whilst I was indisposed. (I'm finally feeling mostly human! Yay!) Ros loves the flying car. The Sweetie, on the other hand, keeps wondering why the heck they keep sending Harry back to spend summers with those horrible Dursleys! (I have to admit I question Dumbledore's wisdom on this point as well.)

Comments

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

I always wondered why he couldn't go to Ron's house for the summer straight away!

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

The Harry Potter series - books and films - was the first ever look at an English boarding school that really did look like the reality!!! Well, obviously our staircases didn't actually move, and neither did the portraits, but otherwise... And my cousin went to college in Alnwick Castle which is used for the exterior of Hogwarts - she gained great street cred from her kids and her students!!! I think the locations were what hooked me from the start - as a boarding school child (in the 50s and 60s) I was tired of boooks and films that didn't look the part!!

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Wow, that didn't take long!

I did think that the first film was very true to the book, but perhaps that was the dialogue rather than the appearance of things, now I think back. I shall always remember seeing it and Hermione saying something like 'There's only one person who would know...' (something) and into the dramatic silence in the auditorium piped up a very small child's voice. 'Professor Dumbledore!'

You will get an answer on why Harry always ends up back at the Dursleys', but you may have to wait some time for it :)