Hello my friends!! After roughly a month-long hiatus, I am back to comment on the latest Harry Potter news and share my thoughts on the beloved series. The past month or so have been quite busy for Potter fans – the unveiling of a new movie trailer, new photos of the theme park, news of “The Tales of Beedle the Bard” companion book, and, of course, the monumental Warner Brothers’ bombshell – news that the sixth film, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, will be pushed to a summer 2009 release. Such highs and lows have exasperated the fandom indeed, but, rest assured, I’m back! Let the banter commence!“I solemnly swear I am up to no good…”
Okay, so a couple weeks ago, I found out that Scholastic was planning on releasing copies of the Special 10th Anniversary edition of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone earlier than the original September 23rd release date. I jumped on this news right away since I was definitely planning on getting a copy for myself. I ordered a book at my local book store and picked it up a few days ago. Since then, I have been fortunate enough to journey back into Harry’s world one more time...this time, to where it all started.
When this book was first published in 1998, few would have predicted the unprecedented success it would enjoy. And now, 7 books later, we realize that everything that made the plot so mysterious and enjoyable was first introduced, though hardly fully explained, in this book.
We get the first ever glimpses of Hogwarts, Voldemort, Quidditch, Dumbledore, Severus Snape, the Forbidden Forest, the Invisibility Cloak, and a variety of other magical people and things that JK Rowling's magical confectionery of an imagination introduced to us. And then, there are the subtle plot hints dropped by the visionary and brilliant Rowling – things that, when reading, you may not necessarily pick up on, but are rather important in the other books. Who thought twice about Griphook and Hagrid's warning that no one ever break into Gringotts? Yet, it was a crucial point in Book 7. Plus, the fact Harry can talk to snakes is introduced here (with Dudley at the zoo), yet not referenced again until Book 2, and then not fully explained until Book 7. Or, the Invisibility Cloak, something which is first introduced in this novel, but you have no idea of its importance, or even that it has real significance, until Book 7. I mean, did you know it was one of the Deathly Hallows?
It has been great reliving this book so far. I have enjoyed nothing more than curling up with a few chocolate frogs, a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (“Alas! Ear wax!”), and this marvelous and enchanting tale.
Until next time...
