Completed - Read Harry Potter Again

63. Read all the Harry Potter books again (2/18/2018)

Finally finished! It took me a lot longer than I thought it would. I physically read each book this time through, except a few chapters from #2, and listening to more might have helped me get through them quicker. But I wanted to actually read them this time, because I listened to 4, 5, and 6 my first time through and I wondered if I missed anything. While reading, I discovered that I definitely didn't remember as much in those three books, but nothing seemed like new information. Both ways of experiencing Harry Potter is great, but I really love listening to them (Jim Dale is the BEST). I'll probably just listen to them the next time through.

If I had wanted to go more in depth with this goal, I would have written up a paragraph or so of my thoughts after I finished each book. But I didn't think about that until the 5th or 6th book, and technically it wasn't part of the goal, so that won't be happening. But I did have thoughts, impressions, opinions, etc. during and after reading them, so I'll share the ones I remember here.

• The story seems to "grow up" with the characters. There's an increase in seriousness, in what we learn, in what's expected, etc. in each book. I like that.
• Hermione is one of my favorite characters. 
• While #5 is not my favorite of the books, I think it also does the best at what it's meant to do. It's angsty, Umbridge is the worst, and the situation with the Ministry is SO frustrating, but I think it's supposed to make us uncomfortable. It's supposed to make us want to stand up and fight against things that are wrong. It's saying - just because you're a person with all these feelings and hard things going on, it doesn't mean you can't do anything! You can always do something! (Maybe I'm just remembering things wrong, so correct me if you think I'm way off on this one..)
• #3 will always be one of my favorites, but #6 and #7 are now my top two. I just love backstory!
• The fact that J.K. Rowling has now basically cornered the market on magic - defined it, created spells and lore, invented creatures, built a world - is pretty amazing, in the coolest way. 
• While I do enjoy the books, the movies, the extra stuff (sorting, etc.), I think that reading them for the first time when I was 18 made me not as crazy into them as many of my friends and family are. I like the story, I like the characters, but I'm just not a major fan. (No hard feelings though, that's how I am with lots of things haha)
• I think there are still things that I need to understand better...like Snape, various relationships, some of the themes, and other stuff I can't remember right now haha :)
• Dumbledore is great. I love how he finds joy in small things and admits when he makes mistakes. He also says most of the best lines in the books. Another favorite character!
• I wish Professor Lupin was a real teacher. 
• One of the things I most wish was real from the books is the pensieve and the ability to watch your memories. 
• Even though I knew it was coming and literally thought "Oh yeah, Dobby dies in the next chapter, that's really sad," I still cried a little. He is another favorite character.
• Why doesn't this world have some kind of equivalent to instant messaging or phones? I feel like that would help them a lot. Or is that what patronuses are used for in the last few books? 
• I feel like the last book was kind of rushed and that things were happening just because they needed to before the ending. Maybe because the first half seemed to take forever and that everything was hard? Maybe it was all just to show that we need to have certain knowledge before we can do certain things? I don't know...help me understand this too?
• McGonagall is another favorite character. I feel like she's the teacher that everyone else would be like "her class is hard" or "she's mean" and I would be like "she's my favorite!"
• I really want to try butterbeer. Any close-to-the-real-thing recipes I should try?

And that's all I can think of at the moment! If you talk to me in person I might have more to say, but for now, there are some thoughts. I read them again! I liked them! I probably won't read them again for a while. Time to start in on new books! Wish me luck :)

While writing all this I wondered what House I would be in at this stage of my life (I was Gryffindor before), and what my patronus would be. So like any normal person I hopped on Pottermore - you guys. It has to be the real deal. It said that my patronus is a freaking BLACK STALLION. Too perfect. One of my happiest thoughts is ALSO my patronus hahaha :D Therefore, I also believe that my result of Hufflepuff House is correct too :)