#deathlyhallows Review (Spoiler Alert) #RIPDobby

So Greenbeanteenqueen and I went to the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows last night, and I have to say it was awesome. I have never been so impressed with a Harry Potter film since the first two, and since I did not get into Harry Potter until after those movies I have never up until this morning left a theater feeling satisfied after a Potter Movie.

We dressed up as Lupin and Tonks as we did for the book 7 release, but our costumes were a bit half hearted this time due to lack of time and money restrictions. There were a lot of people dressed up at the movies but none of the fantastic costumes we had seen at previous movies.

The movie itself surpassed all my expectations. Yes, if you have not read the book you might get a little lost with all of the hows and whys of the story. Yes, by itself this movie is nothing special (meaning if it did not have a book series backing it up it would not stand alone). Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger and it has some pacing issues during between the capture of the locket and the trip to Godric's Hollow. But that does not change the fact that the movie stayed true to the book and had vast majority of everything that I wanted to see from part one. And yes Dobby's death is just as poignant a moment as it is in the book.

Successes:
Rupert and Emma are fantastic, I think they really nailed the Ron/Hermione dynamic in this one (Particularly Emma)
Voldemort is amazing
Nagini is terrifying
Dobby is just perfect
They ended part one at what I think is the best possible spot.
I felt like the movie ended too soon and would have been happy to stay for another two and a half hours and watch part two
The scope is much more epic and the emotions more raw
So much action
The courtroom seen and its aftermath was wonderful
The story of the three brothers could not have been more well done
Bathelda Bagshot was super creepy
The Bellatrix/Hermione interrogation was great.

Failures:
Scrimgeour is too nice
Potter Watch is replaced by an ongoing newscast in the background that has important information but is more distracting than helpful
The Harry/Hermione dance/near kiss was superfluous
Harry never tells Ron that he does not have feelings for Hermione
I wanted Harry to realize that when he was in the ministry he was someone important
Bill's introduction was awkward
Tonks and Lupin's baby was hinted at but was never explicitly stated
They never showed Dobby's grave
They showed but never explained the name taboo on Voldemort

This movie was awesome. I want to go back and see it again today. I don't think I will, but I will see it in theaters at least one more time. I can't wait for part 2

#NaNoWriMo Update and HP Answers

I have failed today. I barely got in 150 words. My dogs got me up at 4:45 this morning and I am just not right to write. Hopefully I can pick up the slack tomorrow. Here are the HP answers that I promised:


Easy: Who is the Potions Master?-Snape
Easy: What was the last Christmas present Harry opened?- His father’s invisibility cloak
Easy: What did Hagrid name his Norwegian Ridgeback?-Norbert
M-When Harry asks the Dursley’s the question ‘How did I get my scar?’ what did they tell him?-Car Accident
Medium: Who is the Gryffindor house ghost?- Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington aka Nearly Headless Nic
Medium: Who is the Gryffindor Quidditch captain?-Oliver Wood
H-What year was Hagrid in when he was expelled from Hogwarts?-Third year
Hard: What is the first password for Gryffindor tower?- Caput Draconis
H-How many Knuts do you need to make a Sickle?-29
Ridiculously Hard: What kind of wood was Tom Riddle/Voldemort’s wand?-Yew
Ridiculously Hard: When does Harry study the night skies?- Wednesdays, at midnight
Ridiculously Hard: What does troll boogers look like?-Lumpy Gray Glue
Easy: What is Dobby?-House Elf
Easy: Which Quidditch team does Ron support?- The Chudley Cannons
Easy: How did Ron and Harry get to Hogwarts?- In Mr. Weasley flying Ford Angelina
Medium: What store did Harry end up in when trying to get to Diagon Ally?- Borgin and Burkes
Medium: How many times in a row has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award?-5 Times
Medium: What item of clothing set Dobby free?-A Sock
Hard: What did Dobby have to do when he got home because he went to see Harry?- Shut his ears in the oven door
Hard: How many times did Filch make Ron buff the Quidditch cup? -14
Hard: Why does Ron not like spiders?- Fred turned Ron’s teddy bear into a spider when he was little
Ridiculously Hard: What book hit Mr. Malfoy’s eye when he and Mr. Weasley were brawling?- Encyclopedia of Toadstools
Ridiculously Hard: In what book does Gilderoy Lockhart say that his favorite color is lilac?-The Year with the Yeti
Ridiculously Hard: When did Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington (Nearly Headless Nick) die?-October 31, 1492
Easy: Who is the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher?-Rebeus Hagrid
Easy: What happened to Harry’s Nimbus Two Thousand?-It Flew into the Whomping Willow
Easy: What did Trelawney see in Harry’s cup?-The Grim
Medium: What did Hagrid give Harry for his birthday?- The Monster Book of Monsters
Medium: How many people did Sirius Black kill with one curse?-13
Medium: What creature is Buckbeak?-hippogriff
Hard: What school did Vernon say Harry went to?- St. Brutus’s Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys
Hard: What potion has Snape been making Lupin?-The Wolfsbane Potion
Hard: What were the third years learning in Divination the day Hermione left?-Crystal Gazing
Ridiculously Hard: How many mph does the Firebolt go and in how many seconds?- 150 mph in 10 seconds
Ridiculously Hard: What classes did Hermione have at nine o’clock on the first day of school?- Divination, Muggle Studies, and Arithmancy
Ridiculously Hard: Where was the Fat Lady hiding?- In a map of Argyllshire
Easy: Who was the gardener for the Riddle House?-Frank Bryce
Easy: How does Bill style his hair?-He puts it in a ponytail
Easy: Who did the Weasleys Harry and Hermione meet at the portkey?-The Diggorys
Medium: Why did Dudley have to go on a diet?- The school outfitters didn’t stock knickerbockers big enough for him
Medium: What were the Bulgarian mascots?-Veela
Medium: How many hands does the Weasley’s clock have?-9
Hard: What are people who work for the Department of Mysteries called?-Unspeakables
Hard: What book had Professor Moody lent Neville?- Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean
Hard: Who are all the judges for the Triwizard Tournament?- Professors Dumbledore and Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, Ludo Bagman, and Mr. Crouch
Ridiculously Hard: What hill was the portkey on?-Stoatshead Hill
Ridiculously Hard: How many years had it been since Britain hosted the Quidditch World Cup?-30 years
Ridiculously Hard: How many people does the Quidditch World Cup stadium hold?-100,000
Easy: Who founded the Order of the Pheonix?-Dumbledore
Easy: What did Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister look like?-She looked like a toad
Easy: What did Harry and Dudley meet in the ally?-Dementors
Medium: What is a Metamorphmagus?- A person who can change their appearance at will
Medium: What is Sirius’s brother’s name?-Regulus
Medium: Who told the prophesy about Harry and Voldemort?- Sybil Trelawney
Hard: Where was the headquarters for the Order of Phoenix?- Number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London
Hard: What is Kreacher’s life ambition?- To have his head cut off and stuck up on a plaque like his mother
Hard: What is Dumbledore’s full name?- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore
Ridiculously Hard: What did Mrs. Weasley find under the couch in the drawing room?- A nest of dead puffskeins
Ridiculously Hard: What are heliopaths and who do they work for according to Luna Lovegood?- They’re spirits of fire that work for Fudge
Ridiculously Hard: What kind of charm did Hermione put on the fake Galleons? - A Protean Charm
Easy: What kind of vow did Snape and Narcissa make? –An Unbreakable Vow
Easy: Who is Bill getting married to?-Fleur Delacour
Easy: Who previously owned Harry’s potion book?-The Half Blood Prince
Medium: Where did Harry tell Kreature to go?-Hogwarts
Medium: What did Horace Slughorn disguise himself as?-an oversized armchair
Medium: What language (besides English) can the Gaunt’s speak? –Parseltounge
Hard: What store’s merchandise is banned from Hogwarts?-Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes
Hard: What did Hermione send flying toward Ron?-Charmed Birds
Hard: Why did Ron fail his Apparation test?-He left half an eyebrow behind
Ridiculously Hard: What was the name of the vampire Harry met at Slughorn’s party?-Sanguini
Ridiculously Hard: What was Herbert Chorley doing when he was under the Imperius Curse?-Quacking
Ridiculously Hard: What was the matron’s name at the orphanage Tom Riddle was raised?
Easy: How is everyone turning into Harry going to turn into Harry?-Polyjuice Potion
Easy: Which twin lost his ear?-George
Easy: What is Tonk’s and Lupin’s baby’s name?-Teddy
Medium: What subject did Charity Burbage teach at Hogwarts?-Muggle Studies
Medium: Who is writing a book about Albus Dumbledore?-Rita Skeeter
Medium: What did Dumbledore leave Hermione in his will?-His copy of Tales of Beedle the Bard
Hard: What is Lucius Malfoy’s Patronus?-a Peacock
Hard: Where did Hermione get books that had information on Horcruxes?- She summoned them from Dumbledore’s office before leaving Hogwarts
Hard: Who was with Ted Tonks, Dirk, and the two Goblins on the run? –Dean Thomas
Ridiculously Hard: What did Hermione put on Ron’s wounds?- ‘Essence of Dittany’
Ridiculously Hard: What did Rita Skeeter give Bathilda to tell her stories about the Dumbledores?- Veritaserum
H.-What are the Deathly Hallows?-The elder wand, the resurrection stone, and the invisibility cloak
Tiebreaker
Ridiculously Hard: What do you have to dial in the red telephone booth to reach the Ministry of Magic-62442
Hard: Who is in the cell in the Malfoy Manor?- Mr. Ollivander, Luna, Dean, Ron, Harry, and Griphook
Hard: What did Dobby’s grave say?- ‘Here lies Dobby, a free elf.’

#NaNoWriMo Day 14 and the HP trivia questions

Today I wrote 1691 words for a total of 23550 for the month.

Here are the Harry Potter Trivia questions that we used. I will post the answers tomorrow. Good Luck!


Book 1
Who is the Potions Master?
What was the last Christmas present Harry opened?
What did Hagrid name his Norwegian Ridgeback?
When Harry asks the Dursley’s the question ‘How did I get my scar?’ what did they tell him?
Who is the Gryffindor house ghost
Who is the Gryffindor Quidditch captain?
What year was Hagrid in when he was expelled from Hogwarts?
What is the first password for Gryffindor tower?
How many Knuts do you need to make a Sickle?
What kind of wood was Tom Riddle/Voldemort’s wand?
When does Harry study the night skies?
What does troll boogers look like?

Book 2
What is Dobby?
Which Quidditch team does Ron support?
How did Ron and Harry get to Hogwarts?
What store did Harry end up in when trying to get to Diagon Ally?
How many times in a row has Gilderoy Lockhart won Witch Weekly’s Most-Charming-Smile Award?
What item of clothing set Dobby free?
What did Dobby have to do when he got home because he went to see Harry?
How many times did Filch make Ron buff the Quidditch cup?
Why does Ron not like spiders?
What book hit Mr. Malfoy’s eye when he and Mr. Weasley were brawling
In which of his books does Gilderoy Lockhart say that his favorite color is lilac?
When did Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington die?

Book 3
Who is the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher?
What happened to Harry’s Nimbus Two Thousand?
What did Trelawney see in Harry’s cup?
What did Hagrid give Harry for his birthday?
How many people did Sirius Black kill with one curse?
What creature is Buckbeak?
What school did Vernon say Harry went to?
What potion has Snape been making Lupin?
What were the third years learning in Divination the day Hermione left?
How many mph does the Firebolt go and in how many seconds?
What classes did Hermione have at nine o’clock on the first day of school?
Where was the Fat Lady hiding?

Book 4
Who was the gardener for the Riddle House?
How does Bill style his hair?
Who did the Weasleys Harry and Hermione meet at the portkey?
Why did Dudley have to go on a diet?
What were the Bulgarian mascots?
How many hands does the Weasley’s clock have?
What are people who work for the Department of Mysteries called?
What book had Professor Moody lent Neville?
Who are all the judges for the Triwizard Tournament?
What hill was the portkey on?
How many years had it been since Britain hosted the Quidditch World Cup?
How many people does the Quidditch World Cup stadium hold?

Book 5
Who founded the Order of the Pheonix?
What did Dolores Jane Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister look like?
What did Harry and Dudley meet in the ally?
What is a Metamorphmagus?
What is Sirius’s brother’s name?
Who told the prophesy about Harry and Voldemort?
Where was the headquarters for the Order of Phoenix?
What is Kreacher’s life ambition?
What is Dumbledore’s full name?
What did Mrs. Weasley find under the couch in the drawing room?
What are heliopaths and who do they work for according to Luna Lovegood?
What kind of charm did Hermione put on the fake Galleons?

Book 6
What kind of vow did Snape and Narcissa make?
Who is Bill getting married to?
Who previously owned Harry’s potion book?
Where did Harry tell Kreature to go?
What did Horace Slughorn disguise himself as?
What language (besides English) can the Gaunt’s speak?
What store’s merchandise is banned from Hogwarts?
What did Hermione send flying toward Ron?
Why did Ron fail his Apparation test?
What was the name of the vampire Harry met at Slughorn’s party?
What was Herbert Chorley doing when he was under the Imperius Curse?
What was the matron’s name at the orphanage Tom Riddle was raised?

Book 7
How is everyone turning into Harry going to turn into Harry?
Which twin lost his ear?
What is Tonk’s and Lupin’s baby’s name?
What subject did Charity Burbage teach at Hogwarts?
Who is writing a book about Albus Dumbledore?
What did Dumbledore leave Hermione in his will?
What is Lucius Malfoy’s Patronus?
Where did Hermione get books that had information on Horcruxes?
Who was with Ted Tonks, Dirk, and the two Goblins on the run?
What did Hermione put on Ron’s wounds?
What did Rita Skeeter give Bathilda to tell her stories about the Dumbledores?
What are the Deathly Hallows?

Tiebreakers
What do you have to dial in the red telephone booth to reach the Ministry of Magic?
Who are prisoners in the cell in the Malfoy Manor?
What did Dobby’s grave say?

#NaNoWriMo and Harry Potter

Today I wrote 1718 words for a total of 21759 for the month.

Earlier today I got to be a judge at a Happy Potter trivia contest. There were 84 questions asked and the winning team got 68.5 out of 84. The questions were pretty hard, and I will try to post them to see if you would be able to beat the winning team. But I have to say it was a blast and there was a huge turnout. It is nice to see that the books are still popular, because I flat out love them.

Taken from the pages of the GreenBeanTeenQueen

Here is a guest blog I wrote for GreenBeanTeenQueen's blog:


In honor of it being Audio book Friday, I have chosen to review the Audio books for Harry Potter series. (I love the British adult covers for the Harry Potter books, so that is why I have used them as the picture rather than the American covers. Although I have to say that Mary GrandPre does a wonderful job on the cover art on the American covers as well.)Now I know that this series is old news by now and most of us have found out Harry’s ultimate fate already, but what most people do not know is that the Audio books performed by Jim Dale are some of the best ever made.

About the books: This series chronicles the story of Harry Potter, a orphaned British boy with a lightning shaped scar on his forehead who discovers that he is a wizard. Harry, who is a famous hero in the secret “wizarding world”, leaves his muggle (non-wizard) family to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he makes his way through a world of magic that he never knew existed, Harry discovers that his fate is somehow entwined with Lord Voldemort, the most evil wizard to have ever lived.

Andy says: J.K. Rowling crafts a masterful story and Jim Dale’s execution of over 400 different character voices are a joy to listen to. Jim Dale’s dulcet tones describing Rowling’s vibrant characters and majestic backdrop weaves its own spell around the listener. My only criticism is that Dale’s voices for the young female characters still sound a bit masculine. However, the whole of his performance more than makes up for this one shortcoming. I give these audio books 10 out of 10 and I cannot wait to listen to them with my children. And because I can’t wait I will get them from the library again soon.

I would love to hear what you think about Jim Dale's performance. Please put any comments below.