Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 12 So Kreacher has become a good guy to have around. A pleasant surprise for everyone. Death Eaters are loitering in the square. Don't they know they're supposed to sit in a paneled van with lettering on the side proclaiming them to be a plumber, a delivery service or something equally unsuspecting, looking at monitors, wearing headphones and eating fast food. They could at least wear Muggle clothing to blend in. Harry, Hermione and Ron have much better spy craft. Sneaking in and out day after day to do recon on the Ministry of Magic under ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 11 The Lupin thing was weird. Agree? Harry, it seems, didn't want Lupin to be in any more danger. He already didn't want his BFFs along for the same reason. But they were harder to tell no. Make Lupin mad enough to leave. That was the strategy. But it was quite uncomfortable for everyone. Too bad about Scrimgeour if the story is true about protecting Harry. I take back calling him Schemegeour if it's true. Voldemort is connivingly brilliant with his puppet leadership and his propaganda and silent takeovers. There is fear throughout the lan ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 10 RAB. I had to think for a few paragraphs what that was from. My reading has drifted for a while, but I'm back hoping to be diligent for another 26 chapters and end this thing. So RAB represents the initials of Sirius Black's brother Regulus. He's the one he swapped the horcrux locket with a fake locket. It all made sense as I kept reading. Harry is now on the trail of a horcrux he thought was gone forever. It's still gone, possibly forever, but there is hope. Kreacher. What a pathetic existence. He's in the house all alone. Of course, no ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 9 Suddenly the story is in action-movie mode. Subbing for the car chase through tight European streets and alleys: A quick now-you-see-them-now-you-don't getaway thanks to Hermione's quick thinking and forward thinking to have the go bag of all go bags ready. Subbing for the fight in a crowded street market: The cafe brawl with Death Eaters, and the "Men In Black" style memory wipes. Subbing for the GPS tracker stealthily placed on someone's collar: The Death Eaters have a magical way of tracing Harry's movements. That mystery remains unso ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 8 The only part of this chapter I truly care about is the final italicized line. But to write something to which you are accustomed, I must acknowledge some of what comes before the final, plot-shifting moment. As Captain Jack Sparrow once said, "Weddings? I love weddings." And I do. I enjoyed a wedding day with my lovely bride, and I walked two daughters down the aisle. This wedding chapter, however, seems to exist to get everyone in one place for that big thing that happens at the end. And it gives us Barny Weasley, a k a Harry Potter. Pl ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 7 Dumbledore never did anything on a lark. His actions had purpose. No doubt these odd objects he bequeathed to Harry, Ron and Hermione will come in handy some day. And it won't be until they need them that they will understand the purpose. That's my prediction anyway. Schemegour sure knows how to crash a party. "May I see your invitation?" I would've said. "Do you know who I am?" Schemegour would've said in his most offended voice possible. "Yes," I would've gladly admitted. "That's why I'm asking." The matter of the sword of Godric Gr ..read more

I wrote the other day about the new Harry Potter read-along on WizardingWorld.com. Today I listened and watch along or 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 ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 6 Books. Of course, Dark Arts textbooks are the beginning of putting Harry, Ron and Hermione (she couldn't be happier than to have lots of books to lug around) on the trail of Horcruxes. School, it seems, is back in session. Sooner, rather than later, the three of them will leave the Burrow against Mrs. Weasley's wishes and begin their "Deathly Hallows" quest to rid the world of Voldemort and the hidden pieces of his soul for good. But first, there is a wedding to get ready for, books to sort through, rucksacks to pack and travel plans to m ..read more

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 (@wizard ..read more

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Chapter 5 Before reading this chapter I had five questions. I answered some correctly, whiffed badly on one and one remains unknown. Where did Voldemort vanish to and why? I was actually correct about this one. Harry passed safely through a magical force field meant to keep Death Eaters out. Is Hagrid dead? Thankfully no. I just figured when he the earth that hard and the Richter scale probably registered about 5.4 that he didn't make it. Lots of padding I suppose. Are any of The Seven Potters and their escorts dead? Because I assumed Hagrid didn ..read more