A Love Story.

I just came home from...

Yeah.
I think I´m one of those people who can connect all important events in their life to Harry Potter.

I gave the first book to my husband, as a birthday present to his 18th birthday. I had read about it in school, in the Times we had subscribed to, as an English class, and it made me wonder how a children´s book could manage to appear on the cover of Times Magazine. We had just started reading children´s books to each other, so I gave it a try.

We used to read it to each other, and fight over the second book, and when we he went to study while I was still in school, and we lived in different towns, we had to buy two copies of book three.

I remember reading book four while I was pregnant with Eva, and I remember breastfeeding Eva for hours so she´d let us read book five.

I remember reading book six with a little Ronja, and, well, with the last book, we had just had the twins, of course.

I remember watching the first movie a week before my due date, actually, truly thinking if I had a son, I´d want him to look like Draco Malfoy, even though I didn´t really like the movie. Best thing is, I don´t even blush for admitting this.

I remember the morning we had just moved, still feeling achy from lifting all the boxes, and completely tired, when we sat in the movie theatre with our friends, watching the 6th movie.

And, then, not so long ago, living through all the joy of loosing oneself and being... touched by it, through watching my girls read it for the first time, reading it aloud to them, sharing their excitement, celebrating Hogwartsparties, sewing Gryffindor robes and knitting scarfs, finally having an excuse for behaving like a mad Potterlogist, since it´s all for the children, of course :)

I check two Potter fansites pretty... regular. We own copies of the first book in five languages (so far), and the seventh book, we have 3 copies of. Just because. Someone might need them, you know?

If you look closely at the pictures of our dining room, you might see a Hogwarts crest here and there.

And did you know you can make Harry Potter sculptures of pretty much everything?

I know. I´ve tried.

And of course I didn´t like the movie. And of course I thoroughly enjoyed debating with Tim in the car.
And of course I feel more than tempted to write a complete resumée about how they spoiled the message and why they picked the wrong actors and what it says about society, but I guess you could read that everywhere. And of course I´ll be drop-dead tired tomorrow morning. And maybe I´ll regret outing myself as the complete maniac. But I guess, it doesn´t really count as an outing, since you knew this allready, didn´t you?

The great thing about Harry Potter for me was, apart from that it is brilliantly written, and teaches you so much about life and history and mankind, that it embedded me in my generation. It connected me to all those people out there who share this passion, and man, are we many. And actually, it isn´t even only my generation. My parents in law love it just the same. So do the kids in school. So do my kids.
Plus, somehow it contains characters for everyone to identify with, I mean, there´s even a mommy of twins :)

So, this movie shall be it? Ts, ts. Don´t think so. To quote one of my favourite songs (and be sure I know those lyrics by heart and can play along...)

So J.K. Rowling says she´s through - but I will never be through with you. 

 

Feel free to share your Potter-related love stories in the comments :)