The Ultimate Harry Potter Tag

Kristin aka SuperSpaceChick tagged me in this very comprehensive Ultimate Harry Potter Tag (they weren't kidding with that title). Like her, I was excited when I saw what it was because it's a nice way to really look back at the series (books and films) and my feelings towards it all.

GENERAL

Favorite Book?

The Prisoner of Azkaban - It introduces some of the coolest magical items (time turner! Marauder's Map!) and some of my favorite characters (the Marauders!) in the entire series. Not only that, I feel this is one of JKR's most tightly plotted novels. The time travel is clever; the backstory and mystery is rich; and there's just a lot of fun! Not to mention, this is the only book where Voldemort is actually not the main villain in the plot of the book.


Least Favorite Book?

The Order of the Phoenix - and not just because the pages of CAPS LOCK Harry seemed a little excessive. I understood why Harry was generally moody and unpleasant, the plot itself even explains some of it, but this book was massive, and there were honestly sections of it where I was like do we really need to know this / have this scene here? I know this book is like the bridge book between the early books into the epic ending arc, but I still maintain there could have been a few things trimmed and/or tightened up. I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book because they had to cut things for necessity!

I mean, when my sister read it (before I did), she almost gave up. She was in the last quarter of the book when she stopped reading for a month because the chapter she was on was so uninteresting to her that she felt little desire to continue. Eventually, she finished (after much prodding from me), but this is the kind of thing I'm talking about.


Favorite Movie?

The Prisoner of Azkaban - no one is surprised. Or maybe you are because the movie did leave out the richer aspects of the Marauders backstory. BUT I think the movie did a great job of distilling things down to what's most important, and I loved how much Alfonso Cuarón expanded the Hogwarts grounds (the bridge, the clocktower!) and loosened up the look of the kids. No more perfectly tied ties or tucked shirts, and casual clothes on the weekends! The movie world was already so richly detailed, but some of these changes breathed a different kind of realism into the characters.

Least Favorite Movie?

Uh, maybe Chamber of Secrets (spiders, auuugghh)? Possibly Half-Blood Prince. I remember very little of the latter...

Favorite Quote?

There are so many good ones! Probably this one...

“Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn on the light.” – Albus Dumbledore

But I also particularly like this one:

“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?” - Albus Dumbledore

Favorite Weasley?

Can I pick the twins? They're a unit. I can't just pick one.


Favorite Female Character?

Hermione is an obvious choice, but I want to say Luna Lovegood. I love her quirkiness and how she's brave in a way that isn't as obvious as the bravery Harry and the gang exhibit.

Favorite Villain?

Umbridge - let me explain. She's my favorite villain in that I have never felt such a visceral hate for a character as much as I have towards Umbridge. She is a terrifyingly real type of terrible person. So, she makes a great villain!


Favorite Male Character?

Lupin! He is kind and wise, and he was a real mentor to Harry that revelatory third year of school. And he remained a steadfast source of guidance and support for Harry afterwards. I love that despite his own difficult life, Lupin did not become an embittered, mean person.


Favorite Professor?

See above! Professor Lupin! I wish he had been able to teach longer at Hogwarts. He was probably the only really competent Defense Against the Dark Arts professor Harry's class ever had. Also, anyone who suggests I eat chocolate to feel better is wonderful in my book.

(McGonagall is a very, very close second because she is super awesome.)


WOULD YOU RATHER

A) Wash Snape's hair or B) spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself?

Actually, I'd rather wash Snape's hair because its natural oily state would probably gross me out. So given the chance to fix that? I'm taking it! (And this will hopefully take less than a day to do.)


Duel A) an elated Bellatrix or B) an angry Molly?

Bellatrix. Elation could lead to miscalculation, and c'mon, you never mess with an angry mother.


Travel to Hogwarts via A) Hogwarts Express or B) flying car?

Hogwarts Express! Trains are magic, and I'd like to enjoy the scenery while eating chocolate frogs.

A) Kiss Voldemort or B) Give Umbridge a bubble bath?

I think this would entirely depend upon 2 things. 1) Are we talking pre-snake-face Voldemort? and 2) can I drown Umbridge in the bath?


A) Ride a Hippogriff or B) Ride a Firebolt?

Hippogriff. I like horses, and so I think it'd be cool to fly a horse-eagle hybrid.

Is there a character which you felt differently about in the movies vs. the books?

Augh, I feel like there is but I really can't think of one in particular. Maybe I'll come back to this question some day... after a movie marathon or something.


Is there a movie you preferred instead of the book?

Books always win, but if I had to pick one- Order of the Phoenix. As I mentioned above, I thought the book was a little too long, and the movie (by virtue of being a movie and having a time constraint) cut down on the fat. Also, it was much easier for me to witness Harry's anger and angst than it was to read it in pages of CAPS LOCK.


Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?

I honestly liked both of them for different reasons. But Michael Gambon's sometimes too-intense Dumbledore reactions will never not be funny. (Particularly, this scene.)

Your top thing (person or event) which wasn't included in the movie that annoyed you most.

Neville's backstory. It's barely in the movie, and I get that things always have to be cut, but I thought it was a real shame that this was one of the things. Of course, the movies still make Neville out to be the hero that he is, but the books gave it more nuance and kind of made it more meaningful because we discover how closely his story relates to Harry's - and how Voldemort and one prophecy drastically affected both boys. It's one of the really wonderfully done parts of the series about different kinds of tragedies and different kinds of heroes and how even when it comes to "destiny," there's always still an element of choice.

If you could remake any of the Potter movies, which would it be?

I feel like it's been so long since I've seen some of them that I have no answer to this. I liked them. I don't think I'd remake any of them...


HOGWARTS

Which House was your first gut feeling you'd be a part of?

Ravenclaw!


Which House were you actually Sorted into on Pottermore (or another online Sorting quiz)?

Ravenclaw. Like even Buzzfeed's "what House does your pizza choice put you in" quiz had me in Ravenclaw. Wit beyond measure, bitches. ;) (And apparently, great taste in pizza.)


Which class would be your favorite?

Charms.


Which spell do you think would be most useful to learn?

It's a toss-up between ACCIO because I'm lazy and can never find things, and how to Apparate because think of all the time I could save on commuting!


Which character at Hogwarts do you think you'd instantly become best friends with?

Hermione! Because we've got the same priorities. ;)


MISCELLANEOUS

If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be?

Um, you have read the story of the 3 Brothers, right? Is this a trick question?

Is there any aspect of the books you'd want to change? (Character, event, anything.)

Can we make Cho Chang less uncool? When Cho first came on the scene, I was excited because I had yet to encounter a book where a seemingly popular and nice girl was the main character's love interest and she just happened to be Asian. And then she was just kind of there, and then she wasn't trustworthy, and then she was sort of redeemed, and that's it. All of that is to say, she was most prominent when was "the love interest," and then she was just written off. She never played a bigger role or even really became a friend to the core group the way other secondary characters did - like Luna and Neville. It seemed like she could have been more and certainly better utilized.

And also, I'd leave off the Epilogue in the last book. I'm happy to know the trio are living nice lives with their own families and such, but that's what I would have assumed. I did not need to read it.

Favorite Marauder?

Remus Lupin. (I do love Sirius Black a lot too though, but Lupin has my heart.) You know, he was the most sensible one of the group, the one that probably kept the others from getting themselves killed and/or permanently damaged.


If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be?

Fred Weasley! I'm sorry, you just cannot kill ONE twin and leave the other! It's too sad.

Hallows or Horcruxes?

Hallows! Have you not seen what Horcruxes did to Voldemort? I'd like to keep my nose, thanks.

TAG, YOU'RE IT!

Anyone who wants to do this! It's an intense tag, but it's so good for reviewing your love for the Harry Potter series. I'd specifically like to bring this tag to the attention of Jaime Morrow, Erin Bowman, and Tracey Neithercott because I know you're big Potter fans. I know you're all very busy, so do this if you want and whenever you want. :)