If any of you know me at all, you're probably expecting me to say the sorting hat would place me in Slytherin. This is due to most of my RP characters being from Slytherin and running a student group that sought to rid the wizarding world of filth. Part of it could also be the fact that I love all the Death Eaters (except the stupid ones like the Carrows and some that showed up at the Ministry in book 5) and Voldemort, dress up as Narcissa at cons, and so on. Of course, another large part of it would have to be that I told anyone who would listen that I'd be a Slytherin for years. While it is true that I have a love for our green and silver friends and a soft spot for the intricate characters that house seems to produce, I, sadly, would most likely not be placed in Slytherin.
Due to my intellectual side (all right, my nerdy side), I have to admit that I'd be a Ravenclaw. I spend a good hunk of my free time studying various topics of interest to me, cannot stand those who do not actively pursue knowledge in whatever form and remain willfully ignorant, and, because of all this, did quite well in school.
Though I'd say I'm fairly ambitious, achievement-oriented, and possess a great number of Slytherin traits, my Ravenclaw-osity outweighs them greatly. I could see a few Hufflepuff traits in me as well, despite how much I mock Hufflepuff (but who doesn't, really, even The Butterbeer Experience concedes that “it sucks being in Hufflepuff”). I'm pretty loyal, but since I'm not good at finding things, I guess I wouldn't fit well. No, really, I just don't see myself as a Hufflepuff, and I think the Sorting Hat would agree.
The only house I absolutely cannot see myself in would have to be Gryffindor. I don't possess great courage, and I'd actively ask the hat not to put me there since I can't stand the majority of Gryffindor characters from the books. I know, I know. Since I started this post by saying I loved Slytherin, a lot of you were probably expecting me to profess my hatred for Gryffindor at some point. On top of the fact that most Gryffindors in the books were dumb as rocks (as I said before, this irritates me beyond anything else...except perhaps their laziness when it comes to academia), a lot of the “fans” I meet that claim to be Gryffindors cannot tell me for sure why they fit into that house. The typical responses I get when I ask why they're in Gryffindor range from “Because Gryffindor is the best!” to “Who wouldn't want to be in Harry's house?” These are usually from those that don't fall into what I would consider to be the “real fandom” (the awesomely amazing other geeks that attend cons, listen to wrock, etc. as opposed to those that have seen the movies and maybe read half of the first book), so I usually don't take issue with the “real fans” who profess to be Gryffindors because they know what it takes to be a Gryffindor and know they fit into that house. I would have to throw in that the movie fans would probably fit into Gryffindor because they didn't research the other houses (or often pick up a HP book to read the story they claim to like), but these are the Gryffindors I usually don't get along with (hence my dislike for Harry and Ron).
So, perhaps this Slytherclaw does have quite a bit of the inter-house hostility described in the books. That's mainly for the characters in the books. I'd get along best with Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs in the books (but not Cho, Marcus Belby, or Zacharias Smith), most likely. In real life, I tend to get along with all the houses in the “true” fandom.
Oh, I'm also not meaning to say that we're better than those who only like the movies, though I can definitely see how one might get that. The fandoms are just so different (book and movie) that I need to distinguish them for the purpose of my post.
Before the Conference:
Plan ahead: Start figuring out a budget (realizing that you might not stick to it once you're in the park and face-to-face with that adorable stuffed Fluffy or chosen for the wand ceremony at Ollivanders because you have to buy the wand after that, no matter what they told you at the park, if only so you can wave it in the face of every other HP fan you meet and proclaim yourself the best and biggest fan of them all) and saving money to deal with said budget (and extra for when you go over). Also figure in anything you'll want to buy before Leaky like costumes, accessories, wizard rock (because you have to get in the mood!) and biggies like plane tickets, cab fares, hotel rooms, etc.
Know your limits: If you absolutely cannot stand fangirls and/or nerds, the last place you will want to be is at a HP con. I'm not saying you won't have fun, but you might want to avoid events like Starkid, Potter Puppet Pals, and wizard rock as well as keeping a good distance from any of the Starkid cast for the entire weekend. We all love HP, so just go with it and let the love out! It's your chance to be a total geek and no one will say anything!
Schedule your time (but not too much): Make a list of things you'd really like to do while at LeakyCon (programming, meet-ups, parties, and other events) in order of importance. Look at it for a few moments and realize you will not be able to do everything. Accept this fact and move on. It will not affect how good of a time you will have at the con. Try to avoid scheduling every minute of every day (we don't need to synchronize our watches to meet at The Forbidden Journey at precisely 3:15) so that you can relax, go with the flow, and generally enjoy the planned events of the con as well as the impromptu fun that pops up.
Network: If this is your first (or among your first) con, you are definitely not alone in thinking you won't make any friends or that it will be difficult to do so. Heck, that's the whole reason behind this blog! There are ways to allay these fears. Go to the Leaky Lounge and start talking to people there. Get on Youtube and search for LeakyCon over the past few months (or LeakyCon 2011) to find vloggers who are going (including me!). Find other LeakyCon blogs, read, and comment on them. Jump into video challenges Leaky does on their youtube channel. Join groups devoted to LeakyCon on MyLeaky, Mugglespace, Facebook, and other networking sites. Wherever you see someone discussing the con, try to jump in if it strikes your fancy.
Plan your wardrobe: We take clothing and costuming very seriously here (that's why it's covered so much). Say it with me: Florida is hot and humid. Remember that when packing robes, sweaters, and scarves. It's July, people. It will be sweltering. Think about a battery operated fan (with mister) or something. I'm not saying not to wear your robes, just remember you were warned. Also, if it's that hot outside, think about what that means it's like inside: it's often quite chilly in the hotels and restaurants so wear layers if at all possible. It also tends to rain a bit, so a poncho or umbrella would not be a bad addition.
Be prepared: Yes, I was a Girl Scout and I take this very seriously. Bring things you don't think you'll need (or hope you won't) like medicine for upset stomachs, headaches, and colds. Madam Pomfrey will not be in attendance, and you can't let a little cold ruin your HP fun!
Bring snacks: Now, you don't have to go overboard here and bring enough food to feed the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, but some bags of pretzels and bottles of water are not a bad idea. Food isn't always a priority at the conference, and you might find yourself waiting in a four hour long line with nothing to eat realizing you haven't eaten since breakfast yesterday. Remember, food is the first of the five Principal Exceptions to Gamp's Law of Elemental Transfiguration so if you're not prepared you'll go hungry or be forced to pay the prices at the hotel and park restaurants, which can be quite steep.
Pack early: The earlier you pack, the more time you have to analyze what you're bringing, think of things you might need, take out things you won't, and so on. We found that when packing for a trip like this, folding a duffle bag flat and putting it in a carry-on is a great idea to fit all the stuff you buy in Florida on the way back without having to pay baggage fees both ways (gosh, it would be nice to do the expanding charm from the books). Other than that, we brought two hanging bags for robes and costumes which we checked and a carry-on with a laptop so that we had our wrock library and a place to download and pictures we took every night so we didn't have to buy extra memory cards or worry about not having enough space when that perfect picture of Lauren Fairweather came around. That said, you might still want to pack as light as you can so that you don't have to worry about buying things and how you'll get them home. Don't forget your camera (and extra memory cards), video camera, possibly a laptop, phone and charger, and any other devices to help you function at the con.
Sleep: It might sound dumb, but four days with HP fans can really drain one's energy, especially with late night concerts, events, movies, and parties. So, try not to arrive run-down. This is not your typical vacation, folks!
During the Conference:
Talk to people: Yes, I'm horribly shy and terrible at this, but people are all pretty awesome there for the most part, and you know you have something in common, after all! So, meet friends! Do it!
Stay in touch: As I said when I discussed having a loose schedule, things pop up and you want to be able to do the fun stuff that's made up on the spot. Perhaps there's a surprise jam session by Darren Criss in the common room or something. How do you hear about that? Well, a great way is to get the twitter accounts and phone numbers of those you meet at the con. That way, if they find something fun, you're just a text, call, or tweet away (note: this is about the only time I approve of twitter). At Infinitus, they also had a twitter account for program and room changes that was pretty important. I'm assuming Leaky will have the same thing.
Squeeze in the boring stuff: I know, I know. You're surrounded by HP fans for perhaps the first and last time in your life, the Wizarding World is just a boat ride away, and there's a workshop on fun things all day, but try to fit in enough time to eat a little something every so often, sleep a few hours each night, and stay hydrated (even if your only option is Squirt)! As we said, Florida is hot and you'll probably be sweating a lot with excitement, because of heavy costumes, and/or from playing Quidditch. You can't enjoy the con if you're passed out, too tired, or in the hospital from heat exhaustion. So, listen to your body and don't neglect yourself for the sake of HP. Also, hygiene is another area you shouldn't skip just to go to that panel on slash or something, especially not if you want to meet friends.
Think ahead: So you want to meet Darren Criss, see the Starkid performance, watch Ministry of Magic perform, and see the Potter Puppet Pals show? That's great! So does everyone else. Expect lines...expect long lines...expect long lines the likes of which you haven't seen since the release of Deathly Hallows. If memory serves, the line for A Very Potter Sequel started at 8 or 9am at Infinitus, and the show started at around 5pm. By the time they opened the doors, the line had wrapped itself around the entire conference space...twice! Think about these things ahead of time so you don't arrive fifteen minutes before it starts and expect a front row seat. Though they're long, lines don't have to take up your entire weekend. Hang out, bring snacks, and bond with those around you or take turns with friends to hold your spot so you can get food, go to programming, take bathroom breaks, and so on.
Speak up about your needs: If you have special needs, make sure they are heard. The Infinitus staff was excellent about this! An hour before AVPS I just went up and said I was legally blind and needed a front row seat for both me and my companion, and they said they'd take care of it. Half an hour later, they tracked me down and escorted us to our seats before anyone else was in the room. So, know that they will help you in any way that they can if you just ask.
Broaden your horizons: Let's say that you don't like wizard rock (for some reason). Go to a wizard rock concert while you're at LeakyCon! It's an experience you won't want to trade, believe me! Just watch some video from conferences past to see fans swaying to inspirational music about Dumbeldore, crying while singing along to songs about Remus and Tonks, or screaming their heads off and moshing to songs about Gryffindor. Just GO! You will not regret it, even if you walk out saying the music was mediocre, you'll have to admit the fans were totally awesome! I'd recommend Ministry of Magic if this is what you're after (or perhaps Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls if you want to cry).
Be smart in the park: If you have limited time in the park outside of the LeakyCon event, try to do your shopping during peak hours as well as ride the smaller rides (as in, not The Forbidden Journey). Yes, the lines to get in shops might be long, but the Ollivander's Experience and ride lines are atrocious! You're better off trying for those during the after hours event. You might also consider getting the app from the Leaky Cauldron that lets you know about wait times for rides.
Costumes: If you dress up in a totally awesome way, people will want your picture and possibly your autograph so don't plan to do a whole heck of a lot if you have a kick butt costume! Just enjoy your Lockhart moment and go with it.
After the Conference:
Share your experience: Next year there will probably still be HP cons happening. Your advice, experiences, and reviews might help people make up their minds on whether or not to go. More importantly, there are ways to keep in touch with those who also attended LeakyCon. Last year, Infinitus put up a gallery online where attendees could share their pictures and videos from the event. This was greatly appreciated since there were a few events that I didn't get pictures at or my pictures turned out all blurry. I'm not sure if LeakyCon will do this or not, but I loved it since we didn't get video of my wand choosing with Ollivander (though we got a few good pictures), and someone ended up posting a video they took of it later (which I promptly lost track of online after my squee moment).
Keep in touch: HP might be ending, but the friendships you make at LeakyCon don't have to. Facebook new friends, call them on the felly-tone, and generally stay in touch. (Are you ready for the cheese?) After all, the HP fandom is all about the friendships we find and bringing people together. Remember, “the weapon we have is love.” (I warned you!)
Note: As always, Kat's answers will be in white and Brae's will be in yellow.
1. Who is your favorite character?
This is always a difficult question for me to answer because I love so many of them for different reasons. I love Dumbledore for his leadership to and infinite patience with the hopeless Harry, Hermione for similar reasons, Luna for her individuality and strength, Snape for his enduring love and commitment to a woman most men would have given up on, McGonagall for her loyalty to Dumbledore and her amazing wit, and Lupin for his perseverance and endearing relationships with both Tonks and Harry.
In the books, its got to be Sirius. I love a character who is obviously so good, but has such frayed edges. A raw, anti-hero sort, who I can imagined as tall dark and handsome, but still too far from grasp as they die a sort of shudder inducing death which makes each of us cry at least a few if not more knowing myself and others. A character who has lost so much, but finds through all of it he still has so much left to lose and is willing to sacrifice his own life for that reasoning.
In the movies…well i don't really have a favorite character I guess. Anyone but Ginny? Seriously though, probably all the incarnations of Voldemort. The character of Tom Riddle gives us such a wide variety of character traits and emotions at different stages, I think that draws me towards the character more in the movie.
All I gotta say is JK is a master of characters, she leaves so much unsaid and a great deal of that gray area is the most important part of each character. That is what I have always thought of a masterful character creator.
2. Who is your least favorite character?
Ron. I hate Ron beyond almost anyone in the books (though Percy and Wormtail come close). What do all these characters have in common? Disloyalty. I cannot stand when someone chooses what is easy rather than what is right (thank you, Dumbledore). Sure, Ron changed his mind and went back. Sure, some call it a moment of weakness, but his attitude throughout the entire series proves otherwise to me. Any time something went wrong, he'd turn his back on his friends without any real proof, whether it was when he thought Crookshanks had eaten Scabbers, when Harry became a champion in the Triwizard Tournament, or when he couldn't handle the trying time searching for horcruxes (and those are just a few of those instances).
I think Umbridge, but she is awfully obvious. Reading through the books, I think I always had a great detestation for characters with such lack of foundation and cowardice that they have no control over their own actions. Probably my best examples are Wormtail and Lucius. Now I know there are gonna be a bunch of theories on why these sorts of characters take the actions they do, but I don't want to hear them! Every person has a choice to not be a coward and do the right thing! Harry Potter taught me that, I mean look at him, he is totally talentless and useless as a person most of the time, but he still chose to stand against the most powerful, beautiful, and evil wizard of all time. Thank god he had Hermoine is all I have to say...
3. What is your ship?
I don't honestly have a ship. I prefer some to others, but I wasn't rooting for one over the others while reading the books. I would have preferred if Hermione hadn't ended up with Ron, though, but I just think she deserved better (I'm probably pissing off a lot of Won-Won fans out there, so I'll stop at that). So, I jumped on the Harry/Hermione ship for a while, but I honestly never liked that one a lot either. Harry/Ginny was okay (until they creeped it up in the movies with the scene in the Room of Requirement). I do read a lot of femslash and some regular slash as well, so I prefer Fleur/Ginny, Hermione/Ginny, Hermione/Fleur, Tonks/Hermione, Luna/Hermione, and Luna/Ginny. Those are my main ones, but I will read Draco/Harry, Sirius/Lupin, and some Dumbledore/Grindewald. As for hetero ships, I enjoy Draco/Hermione, Lupin/Tonks, and Fleur/Bill.
Hmmm, maybe Siruis/Harry, hot for Godfather? Ron/Harry would be good except they don't really balance each other well unless maybe Hermoine is their live in Hag I guess. Anything, I mean anything (yes even and especially Harry/Basilisk) over Harry/GInny. Ginny is dumb, she is stupid, she doesn't deserve Harry which is pretty bad since Harry doesn't deserve anything great himself. She has so little importance in the books and movies, that when they started getting together I found myself asking why? Why, why, why? JK just wanted Harry and Ron to be brothers…so why couldn't Harry have a thing for like Charlie or one of the twins or something, my god…but Ginny!?!? Oh and after A Very Potter Musical…Harry/Dragon? Zefron and Anyone (except Ginny)?
4. What HP merchandise do you own? What do you still want?
Wow! This used to be a lot easier to answer before we went to the Wizarding World last year. Lol! *runs to the Harry Potter self/shrine* We obviously have all the books (2 copies each) plus Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Tales of Beedle the Bard, and Quidditch Through the Ages and all six released movies. I have a Beauxbatons shirt, a reversible Slytherin/Gryffindor hat, two Starkid shirts (one says “I'm tired, can't we just be Death Eaters” with a little Dark Mark at the bottom and the other says “B*tch, I ain't Cho Chang! That's Lavender Brown, racist sister!”), an entire Slytherin uniform with scarf, a willow wand from Ollivander's, a Death Eater mask keychain, several Dark Mark tattoos, a poster with Draco and his posse, some stickers, a Harry action figure, a Death Eater mask pin, a Slytherin quidditch pin, Harry Potter Scene It, a butterbeer cup, a pumpkin juice bottle, a sugar quill, an edible Dark Mark, an acid pop, some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, some Pepper Imps, some Honeydukes stickers, a handmade Scarf of Sexual Preference (that no one got at the movie release), some wrock pins from Infinitus (The Moaning Myrtles that says “Because of wizard rock, I don't feel transparent anymore”, Swish and Flick, and Skyway Flyer), a “Potter Stinks” pin, a chocolate frog box, a frisbee signed by the Moaning Myrtles that says “50 points if it goes through her head”, etc. We own more, but it technically belongs to Brae (except for the locket of Slytherin which we bought together at the HP exhibit).
What do I still want? I definitely want a pygmy puff, an Ireland quidditch pin (they were sold out last year), and the costumes I'm buying before LeakyCon that I'll go into later. Oh, I'd also take the tote I saw the other day that says “Horcruxes before Hoes”, a pretty witch hat, the necklace I also saw that says “Magic is might”, a horcrux charm bracelet, a Ravenclaw charm bracelet, a Beauxbatons uniform, and a Death Eater mask I can actually wear.
Fluffy! I own my very own three headed dog, and he is soft, and squeezable, and I love him. The very first night after I got him, I came back to my room and the maids had redone my bed and placed my Fluffy sleeping soundly on top of my sheets just below my pillows, and from that moment on he and I have been inseparable. I would say that he can fetch, and do flips, and roll over, but mostly he just sleeps and can snore if you squish him just so (but I love him anyway!). I own many other things, my Hufflepuff quidditch pin, my Bulgarian team pin, my very own wand (15 inches, blackwood, essence of werewolf claw), some wrock pins of course, my very own barn owl from the Owlery in Hogsmeade, a Hogwarts parchment kit, a collectible Helga Hufflepuff card from my chocolate frog, my Team Lupin shirt, my Tonks and the Aurors wayfarers, and the list goes on farther than I care to list without this being totes boring.
5. Which Harry Potter book was your favorite?
I'm always torn on this one, so I always seem to choose a different one whenever asked. Goblet of Fire was my favorite for such a long time that it seems to pop out before I really think about the question.
Goblet introduced us to one of my favorite characters – Fleur. I know she's not well liked in the fandom, but I fell in love when Jo brought in a character that looked like me (sort of). Immediately after reading it, I ran out to every fan site that had a board devoted to “casting” the next film from its membership base and posted pictures of myself intent on impressing others with my resemblance to Fleur only to be disappointed when the trolls who always seem to find their way onto every site came back with posts of “isn't Fleur supposed to be pretty” and the like. I knew deep down that JKR and the filmmakers would immediately fall in love with an actress with albinism and cast her to play Fleur and any other veela (or part veela) characters that popped up in the series. Of course these hopes fell flat when one of the worst fits for a character was cast as Fleur and the movie completely ruined my impression of the book.
That was ok, though, because Half Blood Prince came along to give us a glimpse into one of the most fascinating characters—Voldemort. I loved the way this book really showed us how the characters were growing up and facing the darkness in their world. Looking back, SS and CoS don't appeal to me the way GoF, HBP, and DH do because the characters are too young to really do anything. It's kind of like role playing an 11 or 12 year old; they don't do much of interest to anyone. They don't date, they can't go to Hogsmeade, they can't enter most competitions that might be held, they can't take the interesting classes, etc.
Deathly Hallows is also high on my list of favorites because of its examination of Dumbledore. True, I hated the camping scenes, but it had so much going on and so many surprises that I couldn't help but love it. Plus, it was a wonderful way to say goodbye (except for the epilogue which I think was atrocious).
Easily Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I think I may reread that this month and make a post to give this more length later, but thats the short of it.
6. What do you think of the movies?
I have a love/hate relationship with the movies. I watch them incessantly, but I still don't like them that much. Don't get me wrong, they have absolutely hilarious moments and some of the actors are amazing, but they were a let-down. I was an avid reader growing up, so I was used to seeing books ruined by filmmakers, but HP was often a new level of let-downs. Just look at PoA!
I do like SS and CoS because they're the closest to the books (even if the acting was atrocious on the kid's parts and the fact that those were not my favoirte books), but GoF is easily my least favorite movie. I loved that book, and they reduced it to...an action movie with no plot and just suspenseful scene after suspenseful scene. PoA is widely recognized as utter poo. OotP was all right, and I did love HBP. DH1 was pretty good too, though I haven't seen it since it opened in theaters. I've learned to lower my expectations as much as possible and possibly (key word: possibly) be pleasantly surprised.
Hmmm, the movies….well I can't say that I despise them. They are a huge part of the fandom, without them every image we ever had of our favorite characters would be nothing more than in our imagination. We wouldn't have the theme park, because lets face it the movie revenue is certainly a fair reason to think a park devoted to the books and movies would be a good idea. While I will say that the fourth movie was just a series of random scenes arranged and made bigger for people to pay attention, and that werewolf Lupin in PoA was kind of a WTF?!?! I also can't deny that I cried (again) when Sirius and Dumbledore died, can't deny that I enjoyed watching Harry, Ron, and Hermoine actually grow up on screen before our eyes, and Voldy in the movies?…Awesome! All in all, you take the movies with a grain of salt, look at the other movies coming out in the past 5 years and realize that though they may not be as great as the books, they are certainly quality productions that we can enjoy for a long time to come.
7. What are you favorite quotes (from books or movies)?
“After all, to the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure.”
“HAVE YOU GONE MAD! ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT!”
“Right, you've got a crooked sort of cross…That means you're going to have 'trials and suffering' -- sorry about that -- but there's a thing that could be a sun… hang on… that means 'great happiness'… so you're going to suffer but be very happy…”
"Well, I can certainly see why were trying to keep them alive. Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and suck blood all at once?"
"Ah, of course. There is no need to tell me any more, Ms. Granger. Which one of you will be dying this year?"
"I should have made my meaning plainer," said Professor McGonagall, turning at last to look at Umbridge directly in the eyes. "He has achieved high marks in all Defense Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher."
“SIRRRR!”
"Not to mention the pincers. Click, click, click, click, click..."
“So, people, let’s try and calm down a bit. Things are bad enough without inventing stuff as well. For instance, this new idea that You-Know-Who can kill with a single glance from his eyes. That’s a basilisk, listeners. One simple test: Check whether the thing that's glaring at you has got legs. If it has, it’s safe to look into its eyes, although if it really is You-Know-Who, that’s still likely to be the last thing you ever do.”
For some reason, one of the least important (or maybe the most?) quotes has always stuck with me from the books. A familiar scene that we see virtually every year, but in Harry's very first year we first hear the headmaster stand and speak these words: "Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!". Now these words in themselves mean really less than nothing, but for some odd reason they've stuck with me till the end and on occasion I've been known to randomly think of them in situations as opposite from which they appear as is possible. As sad as it is, other than that, I'm absolutely dreadful at trying to remember any sort of quotes, but I will get back to you with the books as I reread them and write down upon each instance.
In the movies…well they are all nonsense quotes, but funny things that Kat and I laugh at each and every time for some reason. First and foremost: "Anything off the trolly dears?", I know the least important line from any of the movies, but one that we obsess over none the less. I think we've resolved to tip our room service a bit extra if they knock on our door with this particular line during our stay at Leakycon. Next up, if you meet Kat, you absolutely need to ask her for a lovely impersonation of Bartie Crouch Sr., particularly the scene in which the line " Chinese fireball ooOOoo…" is given, as she is exceptional it giving it. As for the last few quotes…well you know that random black kid in the third movie? Yeah the one with all the answers…basically anything he says you can count in on my faces, why? I dunno, why is he even there?
8. Have you ever been to a release party?
No, sadly I have not. Because I don't drive and always seemed to be at my mom's house where I didn't know anyone, she'd always insist that if she was going to be up until after midnight to take me to get a children's book, we were just going to run to Kroger and pick it up. There were always a few people there, some were even dressed up (though I still got odd looks when I showed up as Trelawney one year), but it wasn't the same as being at Barnes and Noble or something. After hearing horror stories about drive-by spoilers, in retrospect, I'm glad I never attended one. I would have gone crazy if major things had been spoiled (I only ever encountered the epilogue beforehand which I thought was a fake because “surely JKR will come up with something better for the end” and knowledge of Dumbledore's death before HBP).
Honestly, not a release party per se. I once had a place at a Border's launch party, but once I came to the front door and noticed the absolute mayhem going on there I decided against it. If I hadn't done that though, I wouldn't have had one of the best line waiting moments of my life.
I wasn't first, I wasn't even near the front of the line at the Kroger's I decided to get my book from. I didn't really know what to expect from people who waited at a grocery store for a Harry Potter book release, but as I looked around I noticed most of them seemed fairly normal. After about 20 minutes of near silent line waiting, we all looked up to see a large jeep drive by carrying what looked to be some high school hooligans. I myself wasn't wearing any HP merch, not like most of the people, some dressed fully in school garb, others with at least a Slytherin scarf or Gryfindor tie, but these guys weren't even wearing the sort of clothes that one would expect of people who read books. As they piled out of the car, being that I had first thought they may simply drive by and yell some rude comment at us "nerds", I half expected them to actually come over and start something with us. One of the bigger ones carried a large old style boom box, and the others kinda walked behind him looking somewhat serious I suppose. Menacing as I make the encounter sound, as soon as they reached the line, he simply hit play and had a huge smile on his face as the Harry Potter theme music started to play and they sort of took their place near the end.
From that moment it was a sort of collective sigh, and we all started smiling and an hour before midnight, we all started talking while the music played on. Chatting about our experiences, our favorites of the books and movies, and doing what Harry Potter fans do best. It wasn't quite what one calls a release party, but I wouldn't trade the memory for anything.
9. Did you have any absurd (or rational) theories about the books?
I was sure, and would tell anyone who stood still long enough, that Borgin of Borgin and Burke's was RAB. JKR specifically told us Burke's first name, but she left out Borgin's, who was the main one we saw in the books. It seemed odd, and I definitely wasn't alone in suspecting Borgin because there were lengthy essays online about it. I was horribly disappointed that JKR chose the obvious Regulus for RAB because I was sure she wouldn't. I guess she had to throw Harry a bone since he never would have figured it out if it hadn't been thrown in his lap, and he had a lot to do in DH. Oh well, at least my research into Borgin and Burkes made me interested enough to get back to using Tavis Burke and create a new RP character--Katarina Borgin.
Nope, kinda let it play out. Knew Snape was good, that was pretty much all my ideas consisted of, but I think that was an easy one to guess.
10. Have you ever cried while reading or watching Harry Potter?
If you haven't, I don't think you have a heart. I mean, really! I bawled through the entirety of DH (the book), was sobbing during DH1 at the end (though Hedwig's death didn't hit me the same way in the movie), sobbed at Sirius' death, and teared up at Dumbledore's death too (that had been ruined by a spoiler before, so I was more prepared).
Multiple times…yeah, Sirius died…I cried like a baby…Dumbledore died…I cried from worry…yes even when Harry died, I cried a bit, but mostly the nostalgia of the series got me there. Last year at Infinitus, we got to the end of the showing of A Very Potter Sequel and we all stood and sang along with the cast and it wasn't the end of the fandom, but I think thats when I started to realize that the last movie was coming and that would be it for HP releases worldwide and that we would only have all the memories of the good times. Lucky for us, we are striving to make new ones before the end, and these are bound to be the best yet!
11. What's worse, being locked up in a room with Lockhart or Umbridge?
Umbridge. Definitely. Nothing on this earth could be worse than that! I mean, that woman alone made me hate an entire HP book. Plus, if it's insane Lockhart, I'd love it! He's adorable in a slightly annoying way.
Do I have a wand or not? If I have a wand, then Umbridge, I think most of you would find that she rightfully deserves whatever it is that one of us would give her were we locked in a room with her and had our wands at the ready. Otherwise Lockhart, he is harmless in general, and though annoying, he hardly deserves the kind of loathing that Umbidge deserves no matter the occasion. NO CONTEST.
12. If you were given the option to have the Dementor's Kiss or join the Death Eaters which would you do?
As much as I'm sure I'd love me some Dementor action, I'd have to say Death Eaters for the win (er...not really, but you know)!
Join the Deatheaters…do you know how fun it is to be evil? If you did, this wouldn't even be a question. I guess if I were being all Hufflepuff about it, and like a "good person", I would choose the Dementor's kiss so that I wouldn't have to torture all those poor people who "don't deserve it", but I'm not feeling that, so in the end sign me up Voldy!
I think Kat already got around to talking about when we first discovered Wrock, who we've met, and so on and so forth…soooo I am going to describe what Wrock means to me. First and foremost! Wrock, Wizard Rock, Harry Potter Alternative, whatever you want to call it, is just as it sounds, but it is many more things. My first thought on the subject is that of Wrock being a badge. Our fandom started making music for our love of the books and movies, gave a voice to all the feelings we felt, and the times we laughed and cried, and all the experiences we've had along the way. Its one of those singular things that divides us crazy, insane, devoted, worshipping, insane…I said that…, anyways, our sort from the people who've "Read the books and liked them…".
There are fewer things that can be called so unique to us, the voices of our movement moving us. Not only that, but its also a thing we show no remorse for continuing, through people thinking we are crazy (we kinda are though), through other people taking the same idea and twisting it for their fandom (as if there is competition…yeah right!), through JK not supporting every thing we come up with even though she appreciates us greatly (we still love you!). Its a poetic representation of our courage, and heart and all that mushy Gryffindor crap that none of us feel like putting into words, but don't mind singing about from time to time.
Now, onto my faves…in the pictures above, you will see that I am in only a single picture, with a one Miss Lena Gabrielle, also known as the talented, dramatic, creative "The Butterbeer Experience". From that, and Kat will attest to this, you will find it very easy to figure out my preference for Wrock, as I am willing to take pictures with very few people in everyday life, much less at public events (ignoring all those foreigners and random people who asked us to take pics with them and their kids when we were dressed in full Slytherin Regalia in middle of summer in the park like the crazies we are). She chooses such great ideas to inspire her work, she works in such great lyrics, such great artistry, I love her music, and she will probably be bringing me to tears more than once when I listen to her as Leaky '11 comes around. Aside from her, I enjoy the stylings of the Moaning Myrtles ( I have a signed frisbee!), the poignant words of Swish and of course Flick, as well as the soundtracks of the Starkid rendition of our favorite story. We are refusing to listen to "End of an Era" until the crying should start unhindered and with good reason a.k.a. when the con has started and is ending.
After all is said and done, we will still have the lyrics, the tunes, the melodies and harmonies, our last life line to the fandom when our eyes can't read another word, and the days of HP cons are long past memories, fading into obscurity but no less meaningful to our lives. As long as we can still sing, dance, or just listen quietly, Harry and all of his adventures will still be as fresh as the first time we swallowed that polyjuice potion and turned into "Cats!" the musical live, tried taking a bath in the second floor girl's bathroom but only managed to unwillingly reenact the more awkward scenes from that movie with Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, and Whoopi, or spied the marauders (minus wormtail) having that hot steamy threesome (Oh wait that didn't happen!…or did it?)
My experience with wizard rock is similar to my entire HP experience. I heard about it through my forays online, and I remember turning up my nose at the idea of it all. I mean, I loved HP, but the notion of people who'd probably never picked up an instrument before writing music about the series and singing it to crowds of screaming preteens was a bit much for me.
But one summer I was basically stuck in my apartment with nothing to do. At the time, mugglenet had just started its wrock section. I checked it out briefly along with the wrock encyclopedia online. I stumbled upon the Moaning Myrtles on youtube and listened to “Prefects are Hot”. I was dying with laughter by the second verse. Then I discovered, through the related videos on youtube, the Ministry of Magic and listened to “Ascendio”. I remember tearing up, but it was nothing compared to when I found “Godric's Hollow” by Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons!
Needless to say I was hooked. I can't say that I'm a die-hard wrock fan, and I've probably never heard of a large number of bands. I do try to listen to a wide variety of them, but I am picky about which I actually download because I'm picky about music in general. My favorite bands include:
Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls
The Butterbeer Experience
Swish and Flick
The Moaning Myrtles
The Ministry of Magic
Draco and the Malfoys
I also have some music from The Whomping Willows, Tonks and the Aurors, Tom Riddle and Friends, Marked as His Equal, Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons, The Parselmouths, Riddle TM, House of Black, and The Hermione Crookshanks Experience.
It would be very difficult to narrow down my favorite wizard rock song, but the most played on my itunes are “You Can't Speak Snake” (The Moaning Myrtles), “Cedric” (The Moaning Myrtles), “Alone” (The Butterbeer Experience), and “Lullaby” (The Butterbeer Experience, which still makes me cry every time I listen to it) so those are high on the list as are “Bridge to the Other Side” (Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls), “The Ballad of Sirius Black” (Marked as His Equal), “Lovegood” (Ministry of Magic), and “The Radio” (Tonks and the Aurors).
Ah, OBatR! It should be noted that there have been several signs that we are destined to attend LeakyCon thus far. The first was the email that Brae received informing all attendees that Christian of OBatR was coming out of retirement to play live at LeakyCon! I knew that I had to be there when we heard this. This oh-so-important sign was followed by us getting what we can only assume was the last available (cancelled) room at the Portofino Bay hotel. We'll be documenting the other signs as we move along, but since this was wrock-related, it warranted mentioning in this post.
At Infinitus we saw some amazing wrock concerts (though we don't have much to compare it to since we'd only been to one other wrock concert to see Jason Munday of of MoM, Tonks and the Aurors, and Witherwings at the Y right before Infinitus to meet a semi-local HP group). Among the most memorable were obviously The Butterbeer Experience's last live performance (ever), Swish and Flick and watching the shocked expressions of those around us at the mature content of their songs, Ministry of Magic and the chaos that ensued when they took the stage, and The Moaning Myrtles. Of course MC Kreacher and House of Black were memorable, if only for their hour long performance. The Parselmouths' pajama-clad jam session at the closing feast was quite a talking point too!
At the top of this post, you can see pictures of Brae and I with various wrockers. From the top, there is me with Swish of Swish and Flick, Lauren from The Moaning Myrtles and I, Christina from The Parselmouths and I, and Lena Gabrielle of The Butterbeer Experience with Brae and myself.
I think what appeals to me about wrock, aside from the catchy and often hilarious lyrics, is the feeling of unity it inspires with the rest of the HP fandom. With the last movie coming out, many are feeling like the fandom is coming to an end. While I don't agree that the end of the franchise has to trigger the end of the (true) fandom, I can see where they are coming from. Wrock provides a unique opportunity to have a record of us moving through this series together and growing up with Harry. I know whenever I listen to “Gryffindor Rally Cry” (Ministry of Magic) I'll be right back at Infinitus in a throng of insanely passionate fans screaming and dancing like crazy for a house that I profess utter hatred for. Wrock is truly ours, and it brings us together because of that. We can all find a song that connects us to that whether or not one claims to be a fan of wrock.
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