Listening and watching along with Harry

I wrote the other day about the new Harry Potter read-along on WizardingWorld.com. Today I listened and watch along for 28 minutes about The Boy Who Lived, read by Daniel Radcliffe.

Before I did the #HarryPotterAtHome thing as it's being tagged on social media, I looked back at the post I wrote about Chapter 1 of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." I got so caught up in the cat thing, because of my feline phobia, that I missed all sorts of important things in my introduction to Harry Potter. Things that I now realize are important as I have progressed through the opening chapters of "Deathly Hallows."

I started jotting things down as I listened to the perfect British voice of Harry:

• The Dursleys are perfectly cast characters to be Harry's kin. Yes, they are annoying and mean, but as we came to learn book after book they are exactly what Muggle relatives of Harry should be like.
• All of things Uncle Vernon noticed that day fueled his dislike for "that lot" as he often referred to magical folk.
• The owls were flying everywhere. I had forgotten all about that.
• The mention of Godric's Hollow. I had not remembered that name even when it came up in recent chapters I have read. Now, it appears, Harry will be returning to the scene of the crime that made him a hero.
• Completely forgot that McGonagall didn't want Harry left with the Dursleys. Can't say I blame her, but Dumbledore was ever the wise one. He remained safe on ye olde Privet Drive.
• I had no recollection that Hagrid made such an early appearance. And how appropriate it was for that noisy motorbike (borrowed from Sirius, a name we knew nothing about then) to be the vehicle for Harry's arrival at Privet Drive and for his final getaway. How many of you remembered that when you read the "Seven Potters" chapter? It's been 10 years, so I, of course, didn't remember anything about Harry's arrival.
• No wonder Hagrid has been so protective of Harry. Hadn't considered why until just now.
• Finally, this was our introduction to the scar, which didn't seem important at the time.

The Chapter 2 reading is live. "The Vanishing Glass" reading is by Noma Dumezweni. She portrayed Hermione in the original cast of "The Cursed Child" in London and on Broadway.

On the Wizarding World website you can sign up for alerts and such. I figured I would sign up so I will know when a new chapter reading is posted. During the signup process, the Sorting Hat appeared and there were a series of questions designed to put you in a house.

I paused.

Do I really want to do this?

Might as well.

I came out a Hufflepuff.

Nerdiest thing I've ever done.

Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash

The Harry Potter read-along

Listen up friends.

If you want to start over reading the Harry Potter series, you can do so without even picking up a book. No, I don't mean by levitation. I mean with your ears.

And, no, it won't be me doing the audio book. There is a much better plan than that.

Surprise! We've got a treat for you…From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one.

And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you’ll agree we have the perfect narrator...⚡️ #HarryPotterAtHome
https://t.co/w9K77akbou pic.twitter.com/Q03PmjeD5d

— Wizarding World (@wizardingworld) May 5, 2020

Just go to WizardingWorld.com and listen. Daniel Radcliffe will get you started in "Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone" by reading "Chapter 1: The Boy Who Lived." Others you probably know and love will follow one chapter at a time.

This will eat into some of my sports and writing podcast listening, but I plan to refresh my memory of a book I read 10 years ago.

Going a little batty

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 16

You know how the title track on an album is often not a hit. You will remember it as the album title, but the song itself is completely unmemorable.

Chapter 16 is the title chapter of this book, and it is one I will remember in years ahead when I reflect on this book. That is if I have any brain cells left at the end of this summer reading program. I barely have any functioning as I write this after a long, yet wonderful, day at a Sunday school class cookout. Played my first game of ultimate Frisbee and we won, and these aging legs actually contributed to the victory a time or two. The rest of the time I was waiting for the action to work its way back to me as I tried to pace myself. Believe me, it was a slow pace.

At least I didn't try to run from the fray as GilLo did. I figured he was either a big faker or would unexpectedly come through. He's the worst kind of snake, the big crybaby.

I'm amazed I got the snake thing right about that being the creature of the chamber. Now Harry just has to avoid rolling snake eyes as he takes his next step into what seems to be the true chamber.

Getting there through pipes in a girls' bathroom was certainly unanticipated, but something that odd certainly fits the story.

Harry is on his own again, just as he was when he fought Voldemort/Quirrell for the Sorcerer's Stone. This time he has to rescue Ginny Weasley, who already has a hero-worship thing going on. This could be something straight out of a Batman episode:

"Is this the last hurrah? Will our boy wonder find a way to stop the snake and save the young lass? Or will the snake have him for lunch? Tune in tomorrow - same Potter time, same Potter channel."

The story takes flight

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 3

Do you find it odd that the Dursleys want to keep Harry around? You would think they would rather be rid of him and the accompanying magic that spooks them. Blood, I suppose, is thicker than magic. That's my only explanation for Vernon hanging on to Harry's leg over a window sill.

Malfoy should see the Weasleys now, flying around in a car. I'll bet Malfoy doesn't have one. Even James Bond has never been given a flying car by Q that I can remember. If Dudley saw it, he's probably demanding one right now.

Anyway, it was good of the Weasleys to break out Harry The Wizard like he was Billy The Kid and fly him to the Weasley homestead. It's a strange-sounding place, but it sure beats Privet Prison.

When the Weasleys are done de-gnoming the garden I could point them toward some yards that could use a little de-gnoming and general de-lawn ornamenting.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 4

Like a dusting of Floo powder I'm already well into the second book. Traveling through chimneys certainly doesn't seem like the only way to go. Seems like one of those things you do once to say you did it.

The Weasleys are about as nice and selfless as they can be, but I have feeling Professor Gilderoy Lockhart sees only himself when he looks into the Mirror of Erised. I just might have to work "Magical Me" into my summer schedule.

Our friends are going to have to learn that the Malfoys aren't worth listening to. Now we know where Draco gets it. The rotten apple didn't fall far from the tree.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Chapter 5

Why couldn't Harry and Ron make it onto platform nine and three quarters? Who cast that spell? It can't be a coincidence.

But hey, they got to fly in the car again even if it was a long and uncomfortable flight. Ron does need to work on his parking skills. It's usually a good idea to avoid trees, especially ones that try to beat you up. Who knew they'd hit turbulence after landing.

Snape just can't wait to get Harry expelled. You'd think he would have softened a little after Harry's heroics at keeping the Sorcerer's Stone away from Voldemort. But he probably hasn't found a seeker who can compete with Harry and win back the house cup.

Now that school has started, the real story begins.

An unexpected conclusion

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Chapter 16

So how is it that three first-year Hogwarts students get past Fluffy and decipher spells and riddles to get at least near the Sorcerer's Stone? That stone is about as well protected as a quarterback with a bad offensive line.

If two heads are better than one, are their three heads really that much better than Fluffy's three heads? Was the trapdoor really the beginning of a trap to snare Harry?

Katie warned me not to turn the page and read the beginning of the next chapter until tomorrow. I intended to heed her warning, but this chapter ends at the bottom of the page. You can guess what happened. I turned the page and saw the words: It was Quirrell. So I won't lie awake tonight wondering who Harry saw. Then again, I don't usually lie awake thinking about anything. It is rare that anything meddles with my ability to sleep during the night or any other time of day. My wife can verify that.

Not sure what it means that Quirrell is in the room, other than he is likely to stutter when Harry asks him why he is there.

So tomorrow I finish the first book and start the second. I plan to write separate posts, plus one about the movie when I get time to watch it.

For now, it's time to work on my to-do list. Somewhere in there, I sense a nap coming on.

More than meets the eye

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Chapter 12

I didn't expect Christmas to be part of a story about wizards and witches. I'm really not sure what I think about that.

Now I've received some wonderful Christmas presents but never an invisible cloak. Then again, I've never been to wizard school, so I haven't had much need for one. What would I use one for anyway?

I don't hunt, but I can see how one would come in handy during deer season. Soldiers and spies would certainly love to have an invisible cloak in their bag of tricks. Magicians could do real magic and not just sleight of hand.

The next time I have one of those "You want to get away" moments like the airlines commercial, I will wish I had Harry's cloak. Other than that, I'm sure it would only serve to get me in trouble, like sneaking around in libraries in the dark of night.

As for the Mirror of Erised, or desirE, I think Dumbledore is right. Not much good can come from spending too much time in front of that window into your soul. (I was told to read the inscription on the mirror backward, so in case you are wondering if I figured that out by myself I had a little help.)

Imagine what you would see if you stood in front of the mirror inside the invisible cloak. Hope that thought doesn't keep anybody awake tonight.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Chapter 13

Nicolas Flamel, the Sorcerer's Stone, Snape's clandestine activities ... it's all starting to come together for our little detective trio. At least there's three of them, one to do battle with each of Fluffy's heads.

The plot is thickening like those potions that they are cooking up in Snape's class. Dark things are going on in the secret places of Hogwarts. It makes sense of course. If The Harry Potter is training to become a great wizard, then it's time for Voldemort and whoever is working on his behalf or whoever he has manipulated to get busy. I'm pretty sure he's only mostly dead, so I suppose the Sorcerer's Stone might be on his shopping list.

I have no idea if I'm on any of the right speculative paths or just wandering around Hogwarts looking for my 9 o'clock class. Usually, stories don't turn out the way you expect, so I'm sure many surprises are coming.

If I only had one of those invisible cloaks ...