Slideshow

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

10 Signs You are Obsessed about Harry Potter

When I was completing my Harry Potter Guides I came across some of these great signs to show if you are obsessed with Harry Potter - please send me your own suggestions!
  1. You mutter nonsense Latin words under your breath.
  2. You call your least favorite teacher Snape.
  3. Your computer says "You've Got Mail" and you run outside looking for an owl.
  4. You actually ask for a broom for Christmas.
  5. You mutter "lumos" under your breath every time you turn on a flashlight.
  6. You sort everyone you meet into the four Hogwarts houses (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Slytherin).
  7. You were burned when you couldn't get through the flames of your fireplace.
  8. You had to go to the hospital after you broke your nose running headfirst into the wall between platforms nine and ten.
  9. The wand order mistake in GoF drove you crazy, and even after it was "corrected" you still came up with dozens of theories to explain why that happened.
  10. You point at normal things like parking meters and say "Look at the things these Muggles dream up!"
Thanks to Mugglenet

Tuesday, 6 September 2011

Wizards Exist

“Wizards don’t exist”.
That’s what some people tell me when they ask what I have been writing recently, and I say a series of Complete Guides on the Harry Potter world.
As an academic having completed my PhD in History, I knew this simply isn’t true.
“Both Wizards and Wizardry have existed,” is always my reply.
They often look shocked and tell me to prove it.
“Wizards have certainly existed in our history,” I say, “Wizard means ‘Wise One’ and they were generally considered the most sensible and intelligent of the community. So Wizardry is simply the possession and application of knowledge and wisdom.”
“But magic isn’t real!” “Of course it is!” I tell them, “just look at the real magic in Harry Potter, the magical power of courage, of truth, of love! Magic is simply the realization that life and the universe is a magical miracle!”
Some look at me as if I am mad, but far more understand what I mean. They understand that there is magic in the world, as anyone who has been in love, or looked at the stars, or wondered at nature.
“Magic is everywhere around us, but we have become so used to it, we don’t see it. We don’t understand how magical the world is as it is now.”
“But what about wizards and magic today?” they ask. “They still exist today, wizards and magic exist. Life and the universe is a miracle, just look at the photographs of the stars, or nature, or wonder at the miracle of human beings and animals. There is magic everywhere.”
“So there really is a Wizarding world and it exists right here,” some answer. I nod, laughing, “For those who look at life with open eyes, that’s the difference between Wizards and Muggles.”
Wow, is often their reply, “So parts of Harry Potter is true in a way, I wonder what else?”
I nod and give them one of my Guides on Harry Potter and the Wizarding World to read.