sophieisgod | The Great Big Harry Potter Squee Bonanza

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The Great Big Harry Potter Squee Bonanza

This is it, my friends. The end is near. In a fortnight, it will all be over.

Basically, my Harry Potter Hysteria is reaching unchartable levels of nostalgia and squee, so I thought I would do the decent thing and encourage my fellow fanatics to engage in a wise and nuanced exchange of ideas (and SQUEE) about this monumentous literary occasion (I told you I was getting excited. This isn't healthy).

Basically... I want theories, I want memories, I want fic and video recs, I want favourite moments, favourite characters, thoughts on the films and any other jazz that might apply.

Please, guys. If I don't have an outlet for my excitement my head will explode and I'll die. Do you want that on your collective conscience, flisties? DO YOU?

Yours in pathetc desperation (and SQUEE),
Sophie

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And here I am drowning my woes in whole-wheat sandwiches and sparkling water.

We've got a pretty extensive thread of discussion on my LJ, so this will be my nostalgic stuff, favs, and recs.

I started reading Harry Potter in the summer of 1999, right before Prisoner of Azkaban came out. My friend had been pestering to me to read them, and my mother finally bought the first 2. Except our local Barnes and Noble had run out of Sorcerer's Stone so I read Chamber of Secrets first. Yes, the horror. This was also back in the day when the UK got the books way before the States, and my friend's family was already reading PoA because they had ordered a British copy. We got home from vacation and promptly did the same. Then there was the summer GoF came out. My previously mentioned friend and her family was going with my family to visit my grandparents around the same time that the book was being released. We got a copy for the car and out of the same book, we went through GoF. This is a picture of us reading it at my grandparent's. For OotP a bunch of my friends came over and we just sat there and read. For 24 hours. Quietest we've ever been around each other. My family was in Stratford when HBP came out. First and only midnight party I will ever attend. Our Irish B&B hostess in Warwick was so excited for us reading the book. It was pretty funny. I'm amazed I managed to finish it in 24 hours considering we were sight-seeing as well that day. Finished it when we got to Oxford. Started crying like crazy in the B&B we were at, and my parents and sister were all "WTF." I simply cannot believe this series which has spanned more of my life than any other fandom is ending. And I just love what it's done. I have so many great memories of my friends and I going to breakfast and staying diners for hours discussing and debating the finer points of the book. We're the generation that's grown up with Harry, and no one else will get this experience.

Favorite characters!
- The Weasleys! More specifically Ron and the twins, but seriously. They are the heart and soul of the books and I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want to be a part of their family. Except the delusionals, but they don't count. My absolute favorite part of OotP was the twins escape from Hogwarts. I liked OotP, but it certainly wasn't my favorite, but the twins made it worth it. Also, just any time Ron is Ron. Ron-haters can suck it.
- The Marauders. Okay, so mostly in mind they are the inebriated-pantsless creations of SBP, but they were the reason I love PoA the most. I love the history behind them, and the idea that there was a time when Hogwarts was normal. (If the 70's can be considered normal. Or Hogwarts.)

As for recs, I fail. I've been out of the fandom loop for HP for so long, (post-HBP Harmony backlash mostly... couldn't handle the stupidity. OBHWF!) I'm only just getting back in the swing of things. But I found Home for the Holidays, which is BRILLIANT. I just love it.

*sputters* You read them backwards?! This is very odd. Did it make a difference at all? In terms of liking characters, or understanding, or anything?

I read the first two just before POA came out as well! Happy days. Just before the explosion, but while enough people had read it for there to be a few people to squee about it with.

Ahh, the "Why the hell are you weeping?" look. It's hard to explain five books of backstory to people who aren't that fussed.

When HBP came out, there was an article that referred to the generation who came of age with Harry (i.e. us) as "Generation Hex". It's like a movement or something.

WEASLEYS!

I'm going to put all my recs and stuff in another comment, because sometimes my journal likes to play hide and seek with comments for no reason.

I remember being very confused about Hagrid's character. Not much else, I think.

This friend of mine tried to brainwash us into all reading it. One friend of mine firmly resisted claiming that he thought a book about school would be stupid. I kid you not when I say under favorite books on Facebook, all he has listed are the Harry Potter books now. By the way, have you seen my pictures of my band of friends and I wearing our Chudley Cannons tshirts? Totally wearing it to the movie. I also have an urge to make a U-No-Poo shirt.

They all read the books, it's just that I was the only one who had made it to the end at that point. Then my sister started nagging me, wanting to know what happened. Refused to spoiler her, of course.

Really, Harry belongs to us. I mean, he belongs to everyone who's been following him, but he's ours.

Lemme know what you think of the fic.

You have TSHIRTS? I need to see them, like now. And that is definitely an urge to be acted upon.

I know, and moreso because of the whole age/growing up thing, give or take a few years. I really cannot anticipate what it's going to be like when it's over, though. I suppose we'll still have the films to come, but we'll *know* the whole story. It'll be a whole complete thing.

I do like Butch!Ron. He would look fantastic with a beard, I think. And Ginny running away with the trio! Bless. I do hope it doesn't take them that long to find stuff in the book... Although I would commit violent crime to see a Ron/Hermione wedding.

Making tshirts is a hobby of ours. 1 2 3

(Also, I loved your little meta-comment. I pretty much agree with everything you said. And it's definitely the ginger.)

They are possibly the greatest garments I have ever clapped eyes on.You have to wear them to the movie, and then take pictures of you wearing thm to the movie and so on. Are you seeing it on Thursday? I'm nearly wetting myself because IMAX!

Think how big Ron's biceps will appear on a screen that large!

Oh, I promise pictures. We will be embarrassing my rents, but they'll have to deal.

Tuesday night! My friends are coming over for pizza and then around 10:30/11, we'll head up to the theater for a 12:05 show.

Curse you! I'm not seeing it until Thursday morning (IMAX, woop!) and I've been reading the reviews and now I am uber excited and you're going to see it first! *is a sore loser*

But tshirts! I forgive you.

And I might even dig out my old wand. What the hell, we'll do scars as well. Of course, there will probably be people in robes but poo on them. I was Hermione in 5th grade before the movies came out, and my mother, who always made our costumes, put the Hogwarts logo on it and gave it Gryffindor-colored trim. I'm pretty convinced the movie uniforms just ripped off us.

But you're getting IMAX! The nearest Imax for us in NYC I think. Not sure.

I've only been scanning reviews, but they LOVE Gary in this. And feel they did a better job of compressing the books than the previous ones. And now that I've just rewatched the first 2 vs. what I've seen in the trailers, it just seems glaringly obvious that they've vastly improved. My dad fondly calls the first 2 "low budget pieces of crap."

Maybe glasses? Too much? Ugh, nobody likes the people in robes. This isn't Star Wars. Tryhards. Tshirts are infinitely cooler. Also poo! Hee. I'm still rereading OotP and the bit with the sparkler drifting around spelling "POO" made me giggle more than is age-appropriate. Love those twins (I read one review which said their whole WWW is righteous, so woop!)

There's no IMAX in my town (oh, how I wish there was), but a lot of my uni friends and fellow fanatics live in the region, so we're all training it to Manchester for the godly bigness of screen.

And OF COURSE Gary will rock the cock, what I've seen of him is just, guh. BUT I'm worried because it doesn't look like Lupin is part of the Phoenix gang who go to collect Harry, which means no Tonks interaction, which means no lovely pink werecub subplot! I wasn't really holding out much hope of them actually doing it, possibly because all the Marauders have been cast older than their book ages so the age gap's even bigger, but still! There's no reason to punish the audience by reducing the amount of Thewlis time! *sulks*

Ahh, the first two. What was Columbus doing? Those centaurs are painful. I mean, it's HARRY FUCKING POTTER, you'll make rather a lot of profit regardless, spend a bit of money! On this one the whole prophecy room is completely CG, it looks magnifique! Eep!

You should totally sue. You've got photographic evidence, right?

WWW! The whole revolt against Umbridge was the best part of OotP, but the twins made it fucking a frillion times more awesome.

*sigh* I just wish there was time to flesh proper adaptations. Like a miniseries or something.

I HATED those centaurs. SO FUGLY WTF. But you're right. I cannot wait for the all Hall of Prophecies!

The whole concept of Umbridge and what she resperesents is just so horrifying. Like, actual human rights restriction terryfying. In a school! It's kinda Gothic, the whole 'those who are supposed to protect you turn against you' thing. Shiver. But the twins! making stuff awesome since forever.

Oh my god, can you imagine a miniseries? There would be SPEW! Ron would get to be a Quidditch hero!

I've been waiting for the whole Ministry smackdown ever since I read the book! It was the first bit I ever read where I thought 'whoa, that is *properly* cinematic', with all the time turners smashing and repairing, and the brains and all that. And duelling! Duelling like Jedi!

Restriction of freedom speech... hmm, why does this sound familiar? :) "Career Counciling" > every other chapter in that book.

I'd love a big budget miniseries. That would make my life. And if they found children that could act, for real! And rely on the aid of this magical new thing called movie make-up! So the characters actually, I don't know, LOOK like the characters! And Ron would get the justice that he richly deserves, duh. Because in on our miniseries set, we actually have a shrine for him. And Kloves burning in effigy.

Off to watch PoA in all it's dark prettiness!

*really wants to build a Ron shrine in own room*
Only burning in effigy? Not even a little bit of Kloves flesh?

I don't know anymore, I'm attached to those dodgy little actors, bless their cotton socks. But ugh, have you *seen* Young James? Sandy hair! Not messy! The fuck?

Enjoy the lovely shadowy goodosity!

Caught you there! Can't actually do witchcraft! Otherwise they'll find out that we learned it from the books! It's true! Potter taught us everything! *gasphorrorshock*

Rupert isn't too terrible. I watched Driving Lessons the other day. That was cute. I HAVE. IT'S A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY I TELL YOU. And the girl playing Lily? I'd be damned if I'd call her remotely pretty. And Sirius has no sex appeal. Blah. Shoebox really has spoiled us.

I'm only about halfway through it right now, but it is purtyful. It's cheesy, but I love the scene when Harry's riding Buckbeak. It's so sad, cause he's not gonna have any more happy moments like that really. (Until Ginny, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE 3 MOVIES AWAY!)

I KNOW! WHAT THE DEUCE IS GOING ON? Lily looks all sort of meaty, like a big ginger wall made of meat! Remus looks tolerable, I suppose, but did the casting director even read the books? Any of them? Or even watch the films which repeatedly mention HOW MUCH HARRY LOOKS LIKE HIS FATHER? Pfft. And surely if anything is key to the charater of Young!Sirius, it is his rakish handsomosity! I know, I know. They should just make films of that, Like the Shoebox Chronicles, or something.

Filming starts on HBP in September, so we should be getting it sometime next winter? Eep! Oh, to be Lavender Brown. Rupert is so cute, even when he's gurning like a loon. And at least he doesn't act with his eyebrows. Or cry without tears, in a "He was their FRIEND!" stylee.

Tisk, tisk, casting director!

I found this great LJ post somewhere about how Emma gets increasingly more annoying as the movies go on. She was fine for the first one, because that was the character, but she's had no evolution since then. It's like she was told she was the best of the 3 and has made no effort to improve, while you can see the improvement in the boys. Other discussions included: Emma's not becoming Hermione, Hermione is becoming Emma; and various comments about how the hairspray and all the pink is going to her head.

I always lol at that scene in PoA. I outright laughed at the scene in GoF when Harry comes back with Cedric's body in the theater. I got strange looks.

Aww, I always try and supress the laughter, because he's trying so hard, bless him. I wonder how he's going to handle Sirius!Death... *crosses fingers and prays earnestly*

She hasn't really toned it down much, has she? You'd think somebody, *anybody*, would have, at some point, asked her what the deal was with the eyebrows and the overemphasis ("OH, move OVAH!"). And I do think the boys have got much better. And I think I'm willing to forgive Dan quite a lot because he's so funny in interviews, whereas Emma is just irksome (evidence: the constant references to "Girl Power" in the publicity for PoA). AND IT'S ALL KLOVES' FAULT FOR BEING SHIT. AND POSSIBLY COLUMBUS. Anyway, Emma-bashing = good. Chuck us the link if you find any of it again.

And the pink! I hated that Yule Ball dress more than words can express. Fair enough, fairytale moment and all that, they didn't want the girls in robes but SERIOUSLY? With the flounces and the sickly colour and the cut that did nothing for her figure and made her look about 11 (making the whole Krum dynamic tremendously creepy) and JUST, UGH.

Apparently he does well in the sort of "aftermath" of Sirius's death. We shall see.

DanRad is quite a silly person. I was watching the interview with the trio on the PoA DVD last night and he was reminiscing about the towel lady incident. I remember when that happened and was all over Mugglenet. Good times. And Emma was being annoying as ever and doing her annoying laugh and flailing all over the place. Poor Rupert was just trying to stay as small as possible in his seat and as quiet as possible to avoid being killed by Emma.

I read an interesting remark (which I guess makes sense) that because the coloring of the whole Yule Ball scene, if she was dressed in periwinkle, she wouldn't stand out. But you're right, the cut of the dress... UGH. It made her look dumpy! Isn't this supposed to be an ugly duckling sort of moment? All I see is a fugly dress on a bizarrely shaped girl.

I am officially obsessed with this trailer. I just keep watching it over and over. And how badass does Tonks look in this picture?

SO BADASS IT HURTS. And how have I not seen that trailer before? There's twins! On brooms! With fireworks! And Ron doing a ROCK ON fist! And Emma overemphasising all the lines she has in the trailer. And Thestrals! And EXCITED NOW OKAY.

I always feel bad for Rupert in trio interviews. I think he might actually *be* Ron a little bit. Also have you seen the picture of him at the LA premiere wearing a HP tshirt under his jacket? I &hearts him.

Also, would you be willing to beta a little ficlet I wrote because my head was about to explode? Don't feel you have to, it's just you can do grammar. And you live far away so I wouldn't have to look you in the eye. And stuff.

I saw that. It was adorable.

Why certainly! Send away. :)

*hugs Rupert*

Right, I've sent it to the email listed on your profile, if that's okay. *is nervous*

In other news, IMAX tickets are booked! Woop woop!

That's fine. I'll get back to you via email.

Also, to entertain you (if you haven't already seen it): Cedric Diggory is Very Very Gay: an exercise in deductive logic.

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sophieisgod.livejournal.com - 2007-07-10 15:18 (UTC) - Expand

Also, because I forgot to say before: 'inebriated pantless creatures'? You win at everything.

And look! (http://imdb.com/gallery/ss/0373889/052.jpg.html) So much angst...

Why thank you. *bows*

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