Harry Potter and Me

Let's get one thing clear: Yes, I know I'm a nerd. Deal with it people.

It's interesting with all the talk about a decade passing since the first Harry Potter movie, I started thinking about where I was for each of these movies coming out, and how my life has changed and progressed from each one. Kind of weird to mark your life by Harry Potter, but it's also kind of convienent that all of these movies come out every few years. Yes, I am a Harry Potter fan, and yes, Ben makes fun of me for it, but I thought I hadn't posted a blog in a while, and this might be kind of fun.

So here goes, my life/ memory at the time of each Harry Potter movie release.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Being the book worm I was (and am) I introduced these books to my family. I'm sure that they would have found them eventually, but I enjoyed the journey of waiting for each book to come out year after year. It's just not the same when all of the books are out already. I was a Junior in High School, yet I still went and saw this with my parents. I remember the part where the face comes out of the book and screams, Mom got so startled, she spilled her big gulp all over me. I realized then and there, not to sit by Mom at movies any more.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. (2002)

Senior Year in High School. I can't remember if I had class or not. But I do remember that I went with my friend Veronica Miller (Pratt) during school hours and we played some sort of card game outside the theater while we waiting. We kept hearing these weird bangs coming from the movie playing inside, and couldn't figure out why. Turns out it was the snake trying to eat Harry. Go figure. :)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I remember I saw this for my birthday, on June 5, in Florida. I was down there working for Disney and I saw it with my neighbor and friend Andrew Hill and two of my friends, Amanda and Willie Miller, who were dating at the time, just barely, and are now married. They flew all the way from Utah to see me at WDW. I remember Andrew and I were so mad at the way they did this movie and all of the stuff they left out. We kept saying, how are they going to explain that down the road!!

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)

I was living in a little yellow crappy house by BYU when the preview came out. I remember watching it on the computer. I was so excited.

This was one of the best trailers WB has ever put out, showing how the characters had grown over the years. I was also dating this guy, named Ben, who's friend said he could get us reserved seats at a theater. He asked me if I was interested. Oh boy, he had no idea! Well... about a lot of things actually. :)

Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix (2007)

I was married by this time and we were visiting my family in Oregon. We went to the 'new' theater in Independence, first movie I saw there, and went to the midnight showing. This is when I discovered Ben's hatred for midnight showings and lines. I saw it with Melissa. She liked the movie so much, she started reading the books. She of course started with the 6th one, and would call me in Utah to ask me what an Auror was. I told her to go back and read all of them! :)

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)

I remember seeing this with Mom and Ben. Mom was visiting from Oregon. Dumbledore's death hit me really hard, even though I knew it was coming. Ben and I were talking about having children soon, and I remember the thought of death was prominent in my mind. I remember asking my mother when she thought the spirit entered the body, and if my Dad died while I was pregnant, that meant he wouldn't know my child in the pre-mortal life, or in the mortal one. I didn't like that. And yes, I worry about my father dying a lot.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2010)

I was in Fiddler on the Roof. We had moved back to Oregon and I went with some friends from the show. It was so much fun, and I remember singing 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' with Jon on the way home. I was surprised how awake I was for that movie. I got a call the next morning at 8:30 a.m. from Melissa who wanted to go see it. I went with her, Mom, and Ben again. So in less than 12 hours, I saw it twice.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)

I am really excited to see this movie. It's actually quite nerdy how exctied I am. I loved watching the premire footage from London and the things that JK Rowling said (see clip below).

I love that good books will always be there for me to read and read (and read) and that I can share them with my children. I would go see the midnight showing, but alas, I have a job now, I'm not a college student any more, and I want to see it with my husband first. See how much I've grown. :)

* Since writing this post, I have seen the movie. I loved it and I sobbed (yes sobbed) at the ending. I blame it on the hormones. But we all know, I'm just a nerd.