Reading Harry Potter With My Mom: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

As the pages open on my frail copy of the third book in the saga (the entire middle has come loose from the binding) Mom and I are entering new territory for her. The first two books she remembers fairly well but from PoA on, everything is new. Which means that she is even more excited to read in the evenings or whenever I have a spare moment.

I have started to realize that by the time I finally get to book seven I am going to be an absolute mess. Because for some reason I am either more sensitive now or I just know so much about these characters and reading it aloud just hits me harder or a combination of this but I started crying in the middle of Harry's Dementor defense lesson. Not for long, not for much, but I have never teared up int PoA before. Just thinking about Lupin and all that he had lost and what he must be feeling when Harry is talking about hearing Lily and James die...it just was too sad. And he believes that one of his best friends murdered them.

Lupin is a sad puppy. (art by hilarity on DeviantArt.com)

Okay, enough sad, now for happy! When I was reading about Harry getting the Firebolt for Christmas and McGonagall taking it, saying it had to be checked for jinxes, my mom thought I said it had to be checked for Jesus. I joked, "Yes, this is Wizard school. Can't have any Jesus in here." It made us chuckle for quite a bit actually. Probably far longer than it should have.

We are a Jesus-free zone

This book has always been my personal favorite, especially because of all the things it sets in motion as well as the introduction of the Marauders, who are some of my favorite characters. I mean, you meet Sirius and Lupin, two of Harry's parents' closest friends as well as real father-figures for Harry. You meet Pettigrew, who becomes super important. As I said before, the Marauders are introduced and they are awesome. A little more about why Snape hates Harry is revealed and the rivalry between Sirius and Snape is set up. And you get to learn about Azkaban and the dementors. It's just such a cool book.

You know you love us (I may have just spent far too long looking up Marauders pictures...but you'll never prove it ;) art by fishbizkit on DeviantArt.com).

Sadly, for me (and Mom agrees here) the movie does not live up to the reputation of the book. A lot about the Marauders is left out, to the point where you never really learn that James and his friends were the ones who created the map. Plus the Firebolt isn't given correctly and you never get to meet Pigwidgeon who is the most amusing owl I've ever met and the bane of Hedwig's existence. Instead, you get a lot of shots of the Whomping Willow as the seasons change. The director had a vision.

"Never mind your plot points, there must be more tree!"

As one last point, I like David Thewlis as an actor. But Mom and I agree that he isn't exactly right for Lupin. He doesn't seem to have the air that he once raised hell with James and Sirius. Yes, Lupin has grown up and isn't that kid anymore, but I like to think there'd still be a trace of the kid who snuck into Hogsmeade late at night with his friends. He didn't disappear; he just got older and more mature.

Now onto Goblet of Fire, the book that transitions the series from children's books to a YA series.

Reading Harry Potter With My Mom: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Second book is now complete. And Hagrid's accent is still wonky as every. Mom now bursts into laughter every time Hagrid speaks and she's like "Well I know exactly who that is." Yes, Hagrid doesn't need his giant footsteps lumbering along for Mom to know he's coming. She just need the screwed up tones of an accent that has an identity crisis.

When we got to the Polyjuice Potion chapter, Harry and Ron's voices deepen into Crabbe and Goyle's. Now, I don't know about anyone else, but for some reason, in my head, Crabbe and Goyle have looked and sounded fifteen since they started at Hogwarts. Which means they have very deep voices. So when Harry and Ron become them, they have these deep man voices and when I would say something as them, both Mom and I would burst into giggles because it was quite hilarious to say things as Goyle and then have Harry be the one saying it.

"You realize we're only twelve right?"

Hagrid is still having a wonky time with his accent. For a little while, he managed to be Australian. And then I tried to just keep him Cockney, because that is an accent I can manage, but he doesn't sound right because my Cockney accent is high pitched than the Scottish brogue. I feel like Hagrid's voice is Flynn Rider's nose.

"She just can't do my accent"

Speaking of odd voices, let's talk about Dobby for a moment. Now, I have a naturally high pitched voice but after speaking like Dobby, my voice sounds alto rather than soprano. It's bizarre for my voice to sound almost low. And of course Dobby's squeak made us laugh. A lot.

I had to stop a couple of times when reading this book because I kept welling up, thinking about Dobby and Colin. And I know that it's just going to get worse as the series goes on. Because I know what happens to everyone.

In watching the movie, Mom was surprised at some of the things they changed. I however, was shocked to find that Harry apparently now has classes with every house. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had Transfiguration and Defense Against the Dark Arts with not only Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, but also with Justin Finch-Fletchey from Hufflepuff and Susan Bones from Ravenclaw.

Why the hell are we all in the same class?

So that's book two. We're actually in the middle of PoA right now because I've been slow in posting this. We should hit Goblet of Fire in October. Marvelous.

Reading Harry Potter With My Mom: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Recently, my mom decided to let me read my Harry Potter books to her. These are some of my favorite books of all time and getting to finally share them with Mom made me extremely happy. We decided to read each book and then watch the movie. And of course we started with Sorcerer's Stone.

In which Hagrid was Scottish. At least he was at first. You may not realize this, but a Scottish accent is particularly hard to maintain. For me, it some time slipped to Russian and I was like, "Wait, we're not at Durmstrangs here."

What ruddy kind of accent is that?

It's also hard to flip between speaking normally and figuring out what Hagrid is supposed to sound like. At points he was Cockney and even this odd place between American, English, and Irish. Near the end I was like, "Oh god, Hagrid, please stop talking. I love you, but I can't figure you out." Mom rather enjoyed the odd variety of accents Hagrid used.

I think we can all agree that Ollivander is just a little creepy, at least when you meet him in Sorcerer's Stone. Apparently he is no longer a maker of fine wands but a maker of fine wines. Hey, you let a wine sit for 2000+ years, it's probably going to be...whatever it is you want to get from wines when they sit for a long time (can you tell I have no clue what happens with wine?)

Doesn't this look like the label that would be on a fine vintage?

I am not accustomed to reading out loud, so sometimes my tongue will get tied. This is happens also because I am a fast reader, which means when I read I don't read each individual word, as you have to when you read aloud. Which is what led to Ron's arms not windmilling but treadmilling.

How do you translate that into your arms?

And then we came to Lord Voldemort. And I really like my Voldemort voice. It's kind of creepy and thready and perfect for him without a body. But, I am not a man, nor do I have a low voice. So when he starts to yell, the voice tries to growl...and then I start choking. I can either be Voldemort or yell but I can't do both. Maybe Voldemort's voice box was damaged when he LOST HIS FREAKIN' BODY.

I'm so confused. How will I my followers listen if I never speak above a harsh whisper?

We just watched the first movie this afternoon. And Mom was struck by how much was left out of the movie, how much info they never talk about. I have clearly seen this movie too many times because I was sitting there quoting it under my breath. And I noticed for the first time that Fred and George actually do chant "We've got Potter" in the Sorting scene. You just don't hear it because of the din and instead have to read their lips.

Honestly woman, you need to pay closer attention.

I can't wait for Mom to get to know Neville. Because really, I have come to love him and Mom doesn't quite understand why yet. Which is why we are reading these books (well, a side reason. Mainly we're reading them because I love them and Mom said I could). Tomorrow we begin Chamber of Secrets.