Buttercupchappati Chronicles

My on-going love for Harry Potter

I am in the middle of a re-read of the Harry Potter Books. You know how it is, sometimes you crave the comfort of a well-loved, well-read book. It's like settling your bum into a favourite chair, one that remembers your shape.

I have adored these books from day one. I am, slightly smug, happy to say we were in the first wave, and read the first one when it was still an emerging best seller.

Anyway.

This time I am so enjoying the wonderful people that live in these books. It makes me all the more perplexed about the nonsense that was put about, and still is from time to time, about how bad they were for children. Really.

Yes there is evil, but step out your own front door and see what you find if that is what you are looking for. There is the ugly picture of real unkindness in the seemingly picture perfect home of the Dursleys. Gee, no kids in our world suffer at the hands of their families do they?

Magic, wish there was more of it in the world. Children who believe in magic cope better with life's inconsistencies because they have the ability to believe in something beyond the realms and constraints of daily life. And it's fun. Who wouldn't want to put a pigs tail on someone really annoying!

But the good things in these books seem to be less news worthy. There are some truly wonderful adults around Harry. Professor Lupin with his grave and gentle demeanour is so kind to Harry, so careful and respectful of him. Mr and Mrs Weasley, I would move into the Burrow tomorrow! Isn't every Big Brother or similar mentoring program looking for someone like Hagrid to help a kid over the hard bits?

Friendship. Ron and Hermione show true friendship over and over. In these times of being bullied over the internet and on your own mobile phone, how can this sort of courageous friendship be a bad thing for children to read about? The friendship of Harry's father and his group, its' strength was shown to exist even after death.

The hero's. Dumbledore with his wisdom, letting Harry be who he needs to be. Snape who shows us the dark sacrificial side of heroism. Sirius who is such a flawed hero and must die so Harry can be free of the tragedy of his parents. Harry himself. Sometimes I read these books and weep for that little boy who is so alone and yet so resilient.

And Fred and George, some of the funniest people I have met in a book, ever.

My only complaint is that they had to end, and so I have to keep going back to Hogwarts in my mind and in my heart through the magic that is the book.

(Yes I love the movies. Casting? Don't get me started! Rickman was born to play Snape! But I am first and foremost and forever, a book girl.)

ticket, passport, money. . .

The mantra of all travellers is running through my head now. It is a month until I head off and I am starting to do all the useless panic things that I do! It will be fine. And there is nothing like that moment when the plane leaves the ground to think, well if I haven't done it now, I can't do anything about it, it will have to wait. (Whatever it is!) I do this the mimute we are airborne because there is no point in waiting until we leave Australian air space - that takes about 5 hours!

I did think about not going when I found out I would be in the wilds of Tibet when the New and Final Harry Potter book is released!. I have worked it out; the closest I will be to an english copy will be Hong Kong airport on the way home. So if the stop over is as long as last time I will have read it twice through by the time I get into Melbourne airport.

Everyone is under threat of death or worse if they tell me any sort of spoiler before I get to read it.
You have been warned!