Sunday 22 July 2007

Harry Potter - We Were There.

In late 1996 or early 1997, sitting in the children's section of the local library, I noticed a new book on the shelf. I read it while MasterM and MissM were immersed in
picture books and Disney videos.

MissM's teacher had not heard of it - unimaginable now.

When the paperback came out I bought a copy for when they were old enough to read it themselves which is why we have
a first edition of the first Harry Potter paperback.


Parts of the third Harry Potter film were shot close to ChezMagpie.

As a conscientious mother I arranged an expedition to share in the excitement. The most important scene was at Hagrid's Cabin and on the day that we went - as luck would have it - the whole of Hogwarts had turned out. We knew the area very well and walked along tiny woodland paths to the back of the set. Then MasterM and MissM scrambled through the bushes to the very edge of the filming area.

MasterM was wearing green and brown. MissM was not.

And now, ten years later it has come to an end.

Hogwarts has formed a delightful background to their childhood and early adolescence and I feel very grateful to J.K. Rowling for all the happy memories.

MissM went to Piccadilly on Friday night - straight from the airport - and waited in the queue for the midnight hour. She eventually reached the shop at 2.15am and got to bed at 4.00am. It has been quiet ever since.

We were there at the beginning.
And at the end.
And in the middle (if you know where to look).

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

We too have a first edition (American) of the first book. I bought it on a whim because I had heard of it somewhere and wanted to see if it could lure my then-9-yo boy back to my reading aloud to him before bedtime; he had declared he "wasn't interested anymore." That book did the trick. We have read every one until now out loud, although #6 was v-e-r-y slow going -- by age 16 he really had outgrown it. But we shall each read #7 and remember.