
The original UK book covers
I may have technically missed the 20th anniversary of Harry Potter first being released (doesn’t that mere sentence make you feel old?!) but I was kindly tagged by the lovely Rachel to do the Ultimate Harry Potter Tag, and of course, I couldn’t refuse. Let’s just jump right in.
1) Favourite book?
Starting with a Sophie’s Choice level of difficulty, I see. I obviously adore them all, but The Prisoner of Azkaban represents a real shift in tone towards darker plot threads and is the one I have the most specific memories of reading for the first time. I remember exactly where I was sitting and that I was so absorbed that I refused to eat dinner until I had finished reading it, and I never turn down food.
2) Least favourite book?
Again, this is tough, but I’ll go with The Chamber of Secrets, purely because there’s not enough Hermione.
3) Favourite movie?
For pure nostalgia and adorableness, the first movie will always hold a special place in my heart. I remember being floored by how visually stunning it was, and it’s probably the most we get to see of daily life at Hogwarts in terms of lessons, professors, Houses, feasts, the sorting ceremony, etc., and I love the feeling of discovering and falling in love with the magical world along with the characters. By way of contrast, I also love both parts of The Deathly Hallows for how harrowing they are.
4) Least favourite movie?
Poor Chamber of Secrets but I’m going to go with it again, only because I was off sick for a week once as a child with a bad bout of the flu and I watched Chamber of Secrets three times in two days (I think I was delirious) and sort of sickened myself with it. And again, not enough Hermione.
5) Favourite quote?
“If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.”
6) Favourite Weasley?
Fred and George. They come as a package deal so I can’t be expected to choose just one, surely?
7) Favourite female character?
Hermione. Duh.
8) Favourite villain.
I love how twisted Bellatrix is. Her messed up master/servant type relationship with Voldemort is fascinating, and that’s why I’ll never forgive what they did to those characters in The Cursed Child – but that’s not real so it doesn’t count. *sticks fingers in my ears* la, la, la.
9) Favourite male character?
Probably Neville. Aw, Neville.
10) Favourite professor?
Sass-master-extraordinaire, McGonagall. Who else?
11) Would you rather A) wash Snape’s hair or B) spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself?
B. At least I could have a good laugh at how ludicrous Lockhart is.
12) Would you rather duel A) an elated Bellatrix or B) an angry Molly?
B. I’m not a Death Eater and I didn’t try to kill her daughter, so I hope that however angry Molly was, she wouldn’t actively try to kill me. Bellatrix on the other hand…
13) Would you rather travel to Hogwarts via A) Hogwarts Express or B) Flying Car?
Hogwarts Express! It’d be like being in the worlds of Harry Potter and Agatha Christie all at once.
14) Would you rather A) Kiss Voldemort or B) give Umbridge a bubble bath?
I’m going to steal Rachel’s clever answer here and say A, on the caveat that it was in his pre-reptilian Tom Riddle days.
15) Would you rather A) ride a Hippogriff or B) ride a Firebolt?
I’m an animal lover, so I’ll go with a Hippogriff.
16) Is there a character you felt differently about in the movies?
Movie Ginny displays about as much charisma as a used teabag.
17) Is there a movie you preferred to the book?
No, I’m loyal to the books. But that said, my love and nostalgia for the series is tied up pretty equally in both the books and the films. I love how easy the films make it to return to the world.
18) Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?
I like both for different reasons, but I’ll go with Gambon, because I simply can’t imagine Harris’ adorably mild Dumbledore in the darker, more intense scenes of later movies, like his drinking of the Potion of Despair or his duel with Voldemort, for example. I have to say, it annoys me a little how many people say they dislike Gambon purely because of one scene in which he shouts a line that is said to be spoken calmly in the book (you all know what scene I’m talking about). Firstly, it’s just one scene, and secondly, actors are told by writers and directors how to deliver a line, so he almost certainly won’t have changed the intonation by his own accord. *hides*
19) Your top thing (person or event) that wasn’t in the movie that you wanted there the most?
Hermione’s campaigning for house elves’ rights. It was such a great little character building sub-plot that showed us exactly how compassionate and driven she was.
20) If you could remake any of the Harry Potter movies which would it be?
None. I’m too tied up in the nostalgia of them all by this point.
21) Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a part of?
Ravenclaw. I fell into the trap of thinking all bookworms are automatically Ravenclaws.
22) Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottermore?
Hufflepuff. I’m definitely a Hufflepuff.
23) Which class would be your favourite?
Care of Magical Creatures. I told you, I’m definitely a Hufflepuff.
24) Which spell do you think would be most useful to learn?
Accio, for sure.
25) Which character do you think you’d instantly become friends with?
Luna ❤
26) If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be?
The invisibility cloak. The others are a bit too potentially perilous for my liking.
27) Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change?
I’d cut out the epilogue. Goodness me, I needed some crackers for all that cheese. I understand from Rowling’s perspective why she included it; to try and minimize the inevitable barrage of ‘what happened next?!’, but really, it just felt sickly sweet. Those names… *shudder*
28) Favourite Marauder?
Remus. I think he’s a fascinating character and a genuinely good person, which (incoming controversial opinion) I don’t think can necessarily be said about the other Marauders.
29) If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be?
Hedwig. I’m not even joking. Her accidental death in the books was tragic; her deliberate death in the movies trying to defend Harry was devastating. Yep, definitely a Hufflepuff.
30) Hallows or Horcruxes?
Hallows. I’m not here for that immortal life, thanks.
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Big thanks again to Rachel for tagging me. Since I missed the anniversary and a lot of people will already have been doing this tag, I’ll simply leave it open to anyone who wishes to take part.