Walk

Darwin and I drove down to the Historic Farm Park and went for a walk. We saw GOATS!!! (Darwin really, really wanted to get in and sniff them, or chew them I couldn't decide which) and a HORSE!!! Who was really big and scared Darwin making him growl and tuck his tail under. I'd like to go back and bring treats for all of them. It was sooooo hot! Couldn't walk as long as I wanted and at the end Darwin planted himself under a tree and wouldn't budge.

More Than Meets The Eye

Friday was my birthday. Not the best of the best. However, Saturday was much better. Zoe made me breakfast, Rob and Zoe watched the dog all day and Rob and I went to see the Transformers movie.

Loved the movie! Loved, LOVED! Well, loved the blow-em-up stuff. The excellent, creative, realistic-seeming battles and computer animations. As Rob observed: it was a good movie once the talking stopped. Meaning of course that the writing was targeted to the loudly braying 18-24 year-olds next to us, but the the battles were soul enhancing in their beauty, realism and creativity. The main actor was very good at portraying a smart, somewhat manipulative teenager, although the female lead was too pretty. Maybe it was just that they tended to shoot her through a yellowish filter that seemed to stylize her face slightly. One thing, they allowed her and the kid to have pimples--a touch of realism which I marveled at.

Sunday we went to see the 7/11 that was decked out to be like a Quickie Mart from the Simpson's Movie. The trip up was sort of stressful for Zoe--she drove. Liz, Hai Tu and Scarlet got there at 3:30 (they were all supposed to meet at 4) and called, giving her a hard time. It was raining, there was traffic and we didn't get there until 4:30. So, from the girl's perspective it wasn't really worth the effort. I expected it to suck way more than it did so I was fairly happy.

They covered the front of the store with a cartoon front; replaced the outside sign with a Quickie Mart sign and most of the inside signs with joke signs. There were stand ups of the main characters all around the store and they sold Buzz cola, Krustie-O's and the huge, cartooney pink iced doughnuts from the advertisments for the movie. I bought Zoe, Mary, Scotty, Rob and myself a doughnut; some Krusty-O's and Buzz Cola for Christmas presents.

Afterwards, we went to Checkers for dinner and they all came home and hung out. Liz and Hai Tu went home, and Scarlet, Scotty, Mary and Zoe watched movies. Darwin and I crashed! I'm still tired today for some reason.

I've been making paper wands. Why? I dunno.

Back

I finished Harry Potter last night--I spent a lot of the convention with my nose cemented to the pages. Such a sense of finality--a decided sense of discomfort at the idea that there would be no more Harry Potter installments to look forward to. JK marvels that she has been living with him for 17 years, and having it end makes me realized just what a substancial chunk of time we've spent with him as well (10 years?). From reading it to Zoe, to buying the books on tape for the car. A reliable sense of a fall back when it came to fantasy.

Her writing has vastly improved--I don't think Snape's eyes flashed dangerously once--but I missed the old sense of whimsy and I think it's the loss of that that I miss the most. Her new book is a scarey, powerful, thrilling ride; but I miss Dumbledore's floating cups of proffered drink bonking the Dursley's in the head, or Dobby's hats.

I find myself dwelling on Snape as a little boy a lot. So sad. I could empathize. She captured kid speak perfectly. His confusion on trying to tell Lily how he felt and having it all go totally pear shaped. He made a choice--yes--but you can't help feel that he ended up criminally unprotected in Slytherin.

I want more! Yes more!! (eyes screwed up, face red like a toddler crying). Sigh. I just got too worked up I guess, the movie and the book all in the month of my birthday. The media excitement. Zoe's going back to school soon too, loss, loss loss.

We picked up Darwin from Dogtopia. The cameras had gone off line yesterday, but one came back on and Rob thought he saw him. All three of us went as one to pick him up. Zoe and I had missed him the most--but we are around him the most. He whined and wagged in an explosion of joy, released anxiety and relief that we'd come and made us all feel appreciated. Don't like the whole boarding thing. I can't help feeling that no matter what their intentions, they can't give dogs the atmosphere that would make doggies truly happy--like grass for instance.

Horcruxes

1. Voldemort
2. Diary
3. Ring
4. Locket
5. Cup
6. Wand
7. ?

I don't think it will turn out to be Nagini--just to give them a mystery to solve. Perhaps something else from Gryffindore. The English cover art appears to show them bursting into a vault full of treasure. Harry appears to be staring at a helmet with a griffon on it.

Harry Potter

Tonight, we are going to go to Otakon and pick up our memberships. Zoe's friends Liz, Hai Tu, Scarlett and two of Scarlett's friends are going to go to the hotel and get up bright and early for the convention. I am going to go home.

Why?

1. Darwin has conjunctivitis, and I want to see he gets his medications a full week.
2. It saves us paying for a couple of days boarding Darwin at Dogtopia.
3. HARRY POTTER COMES OUT ON SATURDAY!!!

The rabid cultural frenzy has begun to develop a fine froth as I wait with breath fully baited for the books release. If mine wasn't coming by UPS, I'd be one of those waiting for midnight at my local Barnes and Noble.

It's in the news and everywhere I turn--TV, radio, newspaper and the internet. The medias, salivating over such a huge readership--but, for the most, part unable to slice up and serve the actual book itself (How will the release of Harry Potter affect your morning commute--news at ten) are, as usual, feeding on themselves. Everywhere, programs, stories, articles, and news items about the programs, stories, articles and news items--and, all the spoilers.

An online store released some of the books early and is being sued, but the damage is done. People have posted pages from the book online; trolls shouting "Look at me! I know stuff! Isn't it clever how I go smashy-smashy with my little mallet?

There's a lot of cultural pushing and shoving. Spoilers, both true and false clutter the internet. Lots of people don't want to read the spoilers and find them shoved down their throats. Pissed off fans report the spoilers in order to get them removed. A journalist that got one of the early release books from a friend printed a book review in the Times and has received a lot of press--about how fans are upset about it. Rob called and said a guy at the convention was wearing a hand lettered shirt with spoilers and the pages they are on--just in case you'd managed to avoid the spoilers online. I'd like to go smashy-smashy with MY little mallet on his tiny peanut head...grumble, grumble, growl, growl.

Still, this is a moment in America totally defined by a fantasy book (supposedly) aimed and kids and teens. I loves it!

So, I thought I'd make my predictions.

1. It's going to take one person from each house in Hogwarts, to defeat Voldemort
2. It's going to take one each of the magical creatures depicted in the golden statues in the lobby of the Ministry of Magic.
3. There will be one person from each of the schools in the Goblet of Fire (plus, I'm hoping the other one's mentioned in that book--so we'll have someone from America)
4. Each person/creature will have an opposite. An evil/twisted opponent. For instance, the heroes will have Dobby, the villains will have Kreacher. The heroes will have Firenze, the villains might have Bane or one of the other Centaurs. I think it might be that the bad ones might not be actively bad, but still aid Voldemort in some way. For instance, the other centaurs are willing to just stand back and let Voldemort take over.
   
5. Snape worst memory isn't about being bullied by James and his friends, it was yelling at Lily (I think that must be a fairly obvious idea, as it's now a main idea on the boards). Either he loved her, or thought very highly of her because she was kind to him.
6. Snape killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's orders.
7. Dumbledore pressed fate's hand by appointing Snape Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, knowing that the position was cursed. He used the curse to set things in motion.
8. I have been wondering if Dumbledore was dying. Perhaps the blackened hand was a sign of a slowly progressing affliction that Snape was able to delay, but not cure so DD planned his death to have the most/best effect.
9. The horocruxes correspond to the suits of the Tarot
• Slythern necklace = pentacles/discs
• Hufflepuff cup = (duh) cups
• Gryffindore Sword = swords--supposedly not a horcrux because it was protected.
• Ravenclaw Wand = wands
10. Ollivander has been around for a very, very long time. I think the Ollivander we meet in the book is and always has been the Ollivander in that shop. In other words, he has been selling wands since 300 something BC--and remembers every one.
11. Ollivander is really good at staying out of trouble and may be able to sense when it's time to get out of town. To use a D&D term, he's chaotic neutral. He doesn't usually take sides, but may surprise you.
12. He has Ravenclaw's wand which was mentioned in passing as the wand sitting on a dusty pillow in the window of Ollivander's.
13. I'd like to believe that although Dumbledore is dead, he will either return or be accessible through his portrait. The whole him being blasted back off of the building isn't what Avada Kadavra is supposed to do! They usually just fall in place or remain where they were seated. Something else happened in that moment, even if Dumbledore is truly dead.
14. If Dumbledore doesn't return, his brother Alberforth will step up to the bat.
    
15. Draco is going over to the good side, at least for now.
16. Draco is good at occlumancy and will either have to step in when it's needed or teach Harry. So Harry will have to work with someone he detests.
17. Draco will disavow his father.
    
18. Lupin will die.
19. Snape will die.
20. The House Elves will be set free and/or be a major force against Lord Voldemort.