In this
We got some good variation, but we did get some overlap as well. We aimed to give honest answers rather than change our answers to allow for diversity.
This piece is purely for fun and purely for Potter fans. If you haven't read the series, we invite you to start with Book 1 right now. We'll see you back here on Friday.
For those of you who remain, how do your own answers stack up? Feel free to speak up in the comments with your own answers to these questions and your own rankings.
Have fun.
A Reminder Cheat Sheet:
Book 1: Sorcerer's Stone
Book 2: Chamber of Secrets
Book 3: Prisoner of Azkaban
Book 4: Goblet of Fire
Book 5: Order of the Phoenix
Book 6: Half Blood Prince
Book 7: Deathly Hallows
Favorite scene in the series:
Jonny: A favorite scene, like a wand, is not easy to pick. No, the favorite scene, like the favorite book, picks the reader. Many things must be taken into account, and truly I (like anyone else) have multiple favorites, one to fit each mood. Overall, the scene that keeps coming back coming back to me is right after the cave in book 6, when Dumbledore is weakened by the potion and they are swimming out, Dumbledore clinging to Harry for support. The full, brilliant reversal of their relationship is revealed when Dumbledore says, "I am not worried Harry, I'm with you."
Emily: The graveyard scene in book 4. This was the point in the series where it really took a dark turn. It's the scene that makes you realize that the story is much larger than you had previously thought.
Corman: Embarrassment of riches, really, but mine’s the “something like triumph” scene near the end of Goblet of Fire. Harry and Dumbledore have this (seemingly) innocuous conversation, but Dumbledore’s tone belies the immensity of the gamble he’s taking, a gamble we only glimpse at this point, but that becomes fully revealed before all is said and done.
Who is worse? Umbridge or Voldemort?
Jonny: Umbridge. People literally hissed in the theater when she first showed her face in Order of the Phoenix. I know this post isn't about the films, but this experience only illustrated how hated the Umbridge of the books is. It was opening night, so none of these people had yet seen the film. It was the lingering repulsion of the book Umbridge that stuck like stinksap and drew their hisses. Umbridge is no less oppressive than Voldemort, but her saccharine, sickly sweet exterior is what makes her more disgusting than a bogey flavored jelly bean. At least Voldemort doesn't pretend to be something he isn't.
Emily: Voldemort. While Umbridge may hide behind a wall of lies, remember that Voldemort did the same thing until he was powerful enough to come out in the open with his evil. He is no better, only more ruthless.
Corman: I’m taking Umbridge, and I’m using Paradise Lost as my rationale. Voldemort reaches a point (like Satan in Milton’s opus) where pride and hate have driven him beyond the capacity for empathy and love, and his humanity is essentially nonexistent (further exemplified by the horcruxes, yada, yada). By the end, “choice” is a relative term for Voldemort. Umbridge is the knowing hand of a fascist regime, but she still has a soul, and she’s making destructive choices that she has to know are evil. Lucifer becomes evil and doesn’t have the capacity for anything else. Same with moldy Voldy. Umbridge has options, and she picks the sickliest pink one every time.
If you had to choose a Hogwarts "major":
Jonny: Transfiguration. Infinitely complex and limitless possibilities.
Emily: Potions. Four words: Brew glory. Stopper death.
Corman: Who isn’t taking Defense Against the Dark Arts? Potions is cool, but ultimately too like math. DADA is about feel and passion, and it’s the implicitly moral choice. I can’t even come up with a close second.
If you
Jonny: Fleur Delacour. I've always enjoyed a challenge.
Emily: George Weasley.
Corman: Hermione and I are too alike (stubborn, over-thinking, know-it-alls who can’t stand being wrong), and Cho’s carrying Cedric’s torch to the grave, so I’m going Katie Bell. We don’t know much about her, except that she likes sports and she’s a Gryffindor (which carries a lot of weight, after all), but there’s enough there to warrant my interest (for all of you touting Fleur, she’s got too much power to trust).
If you had to marry one of the characters, it would be:
Jonny: Hermione Granger. I was a little in love with Hermione by the time I finished books 1-6 for the first time. By the time book 7 came out I had realized that I already knew my own real life Hermione, so I married her.
Emily: James Potter. He's like George in the fun ways, but he's grown into a responsible man.
Corman: Ginny. Capable wizard, tough, not high-maintenance, good family background, just romantic enough, and, just like Katie Bell, she likes sports. Plus, I’ve got a thing for fair skin, freckles, and red hair.
Scene (back story, or stuff that goes on behind the scenes during the saga's timeline) you most want to read about in full:
Jonny: The duel between Dumbledore and Grindelwald. There is a hot steaming cauldron worth of potential for awesome action and for Rowling to work her creative magic with some (as of yet) unmentioned spell work from these two juggernauts. Plus, most importantly, there is an entire department's worth of mysteries here, and I want answers.
Emily: I want to hear about Regulus Back: his turn from the dark side, his own experience in the cave, and how he met his death.
Corman: In Deathly Hallows, the brief glimpse we get of Snape’s backstory as a spy is FASCINATING (not to mention the fantastically written scene at Spinner’s End at the beginning of Half-Blood Prince. I would read a Snape-perspective novel in a heartbeat.
One food item, unique to the Harry Potter universe, you want to try the most:
Jonny: Butterbeer. My mouth waters just reading about the stuff, and I've never even tasted it.
Emily: Butterbeer
Corman: Butterbeer. As much as anything, I’m curious. All the man-made recipes I’ve seen online involve butterscotch, which I loathe, but I don’t actually think that’s how it’s supposed to taste. Maybe like Bourbon Barrel Ale, but without the alcohol taste? I have to know!
What one item you would buy from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes:
Jonny: A Patented Daydream Charm. "One simple incantation and you will enter a top quality, highly realistic, thirty-minute daydream, easy to fit into the average school lesson and virtually undetectable." Oh, the possibilities.
Emily: Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. You're at a party with a bunch of people you don't know, and you get cornered by some dullard who wants to talk about, oh I don't know, Harry Potter for two hours or so. What do you do? Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder is what you do. You're out of there before he can say "Merlin's Pants," and you can filch a couple of Blu-Rays, some nice photo frames, and maybe a house pet or two on your way out.
Corman: This is probably way too practical, but as a teacher, I’d love to have some extendable ears. Just to know what these couples whisper to each other between wet kisses in the hallway, just so I could laugh more.
Quidditch position you would play:
Jonny: Chaser all the way. I played striker in soccer and point guard in basketball, so I've got the real life experience to back me up. In athletics I was quick, slippery, and a point scorer.
Emily: Seeker. I'm small, and it's all about precision and speed.
Corman: Assuming my gangly ass could get airborne astride a broom, I’m saying beater. My size (6’4” 225 lbs.) precludes positions that demand speed (seeker, chaser), and I’m not agile enough to be a keeper, but my baseball and golf years have built up a pretty solid ability to produce the torque required to launch bludgers.
Your Patronus would be:
Jonny: Great White Shark
Emily: Mongoose
Corman: Penguin
Your animagus form would be:
Jonny: A falcon. It's all in the nose.
Emily: A golden retriever
Corman: A Crane. Long legs, disproportionately-sized feet, broad wingspan. Fits the bill, plus it would allow me to fly, which is something I’ll take anytime I can get.
---Harry Potter by the numbers. Let the Sorting begin!---
Favorite Book: (This category may defy all explanation. Remember, the reader doesn't choose the book, the book chooses the reader. A favorite JUST IS)
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 4, Runner-up: Book 6, The Rest: 7, 5, 3, 1, 2
Emily: 1st Place: Book 6, Runner-up: Book 7, The Rest: 3, 5, 4, 1, 2
Corman: 1st Place: Book 4, Runner-up: Book 6, The Rest: 7, 5, 3, 1, 2
Funniest:
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 1, Runner-up: Book 6, The Rest: 4, 3, 5, 2, 7
Emily: 1st Place: Book 1, Runner-up: Book 6, The Rest: 2, 3, 4, 7, 5
Corman: 1st Place: Book 1, Runner-up: Book 3, The Rest: 2, 4, 5, 6, 7
Most Poetic:
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 6, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 7, 5, 3, 1, 2
Emily: 1st Place: Book 6, Runner-up: Book 7, The Rest: 5, 3, 4, 2, 1
Corman: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 6, 5, 3, 1 and 2 (tie)
Best Adventure:
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 4, Runner-up: Book 7, The Rest: 5, 6, 1, 3, 2
Emily: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 6, 3, 5, 1, 2
Corman: 1st Place: Book 4, Runner-up: Book 7, The Rest: 3, 1, 6, 2, 5
Best Action:
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 5, 6, 2, 3, 1
Emily: 1st Place: Book 4, Runner-up: Book 7, The Rest: 5, 3, 2, 6, 1
Corman: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 5, 6, 3, 2, 1
Most Epic:
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 6, 5, 3, 2, 1
Emily: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 6, The Rest: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Corman: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 5, 6, 3, 2, 1
Best Writing:
Jonny: 1st Place: Book 7, Runner-up: Book 6, The Rest: 4, 3, 1, 5, 2
Emily: 1st Place: Book 6, Runner-up: Book 3, The Rest: 7, 4, 5, 2, 1
Corman: 1st Place: Book 6, Runner-up: Book 4, The Rest: 5, 7, 3, 2, 1
Let's hear your own versions of these lists and your answers to the questions!
4 comments:
Favorite Scene:
The last memories of Severus Snape... absolutely breathtaking in its sorrow.
Who is worse:
Umbridge, I am happy that Corman brought up Paradise Lost in his argument, as it was where i was going in my mind before i read it. When it comes down to it, Voldemort IS evil... he can't be otherwise. Umbridge however wraps herself in the law, and abuses it to no end... I think most people have a visceral reaction to umbrage because she is human enough to empathize with... not that you connect with her, or want her to succeed, but you see her choices and are actually weary of the possibility of being like her. No one thinks they could actually be a Voldemort, but Umbridge is an obtainable evil...
Hogwarts "major":
I know you can only chose one so i would go with Transfiguration, but it would be hard for me to turn down Care of Magical Creatures... especially if Hagrid was teaching [not whiney Hagrid mind you...] Come on that would be the BEST hanging out with dragons, and Hipogriffs... Hinky Punks, Grindilows, Nifflers? how could you go wrong...
If you had to date one of the characters, it would be:
Ginny Weasley, She's a spit fire, she's romantic, she's got gorgeous red hair.... I loved Ginny Weasley from Book 2... right out the gate [and yes i know she is technicly in 1, we aren't going to count that are we?].
If you had to marry one of the characters, it would be:
Hermione Granger... you didn't even need to put the amazing Emma Watson in that role to have me head over heals [though it does round things out nicely] Hermione is everything I ever wanted, Bold, Clever, loves learning, loves books, serious but can let loose, a slight reble on occasion...
Scene you most want to read about in full:
SOOO MANY, Dumbledore and Grindelwald's epic bout, The later years as Aurors, the Founding Fathers of Hogwarts... but I want to hear about the lives and deaths of the original Order of the Phoenix. The whole first war... everything...
One Food Item:
Chocolate Frogs, mostly so i could watch them move, and try to figure out the magic involved.....
One item from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes:
Daydream Charm... no question.
Quidditch position you would play:
Lets all face the fact that I would most definitely play "loyal viewer/fan" at best... but assuming that I could actually make it on a team I would assume Beater... i am large, i would have no misgivings about hurling bludgers at people... on second thought could i just be a bludger???
Your Patronus would be:
A Buffalo or an Elk... i'm not sure why...
Your animagus form would be:
A red fox - Vulpes vulpes
Favorite Book:
1st: book 6 Runner-up: 3/7 [tie] The rest: 5,4,1,2
Funniest:
1st: Book 1 Runner-up Book 3 The Rest: 6,4,2,5,7
Most Poetic:
1st: Book 6 Runner-up Book 7 The Rest: 5,3,4,2,1
Best Adventure:
1st: Book 7 Runner-up Book 5 The Rest: 3,4,6,1,2
Best Action
1st: Book 7 Runner-up Book 4 The Rest: 3,5,2,6,1
Most Epic:
1st: Book 7 Runner-up Book 5 The Rest: 4,3,6,2,1
Best Writing:
1st: Book 6 Runner-up Book 7 The Rest: 3,4,2,5,1 [side note: as much as it pains me as 2 is my least favorite, the writing is SUPER tight... not the best, but yeah]
Let me just say that I was DYING to explain each of my choices for ranking the books, but I've saved it for the comments.
Generally speaking, the later books have an immense advantage. Not only does the story get darker and more encompassing, but obviously the plot escalates and backstories get revealed in their full fury, so by about the end of book 4, you're cooking with a blowtorch.
That said, I think 4 remains my favorite because those first glimpses of Dumbledore's machinations and Voldemort's true power are so perfectly laid out by Rowling. The last 100 pages of that book reveal or reiterate SO MUCH of what is important about our favorite characters that she continues to develop until the series' end. It's like in a superhero movie. The most entertaining and engaging part is almost always the "discovery of powers / honing of said powers / struggle to cope with responsibility of powers" section that makes up the middle 50% of the film. Goblet of Fire has that stuff in spades.
As for the writing (this is the only other one I feel warrants any real explanation), I went with Book 6 because, at that point, she was keeping so many balls in the air (Malfoy's plot and the underlying arc concerning the Malfoy family, the Scrimgeour recruitment effort, Slughorn's troubling past, Dumbledore's half-revealed truths about the Horcruxes, Riddle's past, and Snape's apparent relapse into Voldemort's service, and Snape's connection to Lily for starters), and ALL of these have ENORMOUS implications for the story's resolution. She manages them all admirably, meanwhile carefully crafting some of the series' most poignant moments (the cave, Dumbledore's funeral, Malfoy's hesitance) and never tipping her hand until the last possible second. Structurally, it's unmatched.
I wrote these answers late last night when I was giddy-tired, so they may be in Gobbledegook for all I know...
Now, mind you - these are my favorites TODAY. It could be different tomorrow. As I've gone through life changes, different things from the series have struck me.
Favorite Scene:
tie between: Harry wishing he had more eyes while taking in everything of Diagon Alley (I grew up very poor, so this always struck a note with me), and Harry's parents/loved ones appearing when he turns the resurrection stone (since becoming a mother to a son, any scene with Lily and Harry rip. me. apart. I mean, I'm a sodden mess.)
Who Is Worse:
Is it possible to know if sticking Mad Eye's mad eye into your door is as soul-rending as creating horcruxes? I think Voldemort is worse, but Only Because He Is Better At Organizing Followers. In terms of pure evil, Rowling shows pretty clearly that someone acting evilly for the "greater good" can be more chilling than some acting evilly for evil's sake.
Declaring a Major:
I think I'd like Transfiguration. I like studying the relationship between abstract theory and pragmatic application. Snape would think I was an insufferable know it all, and I'm too vain to have dirt under my nails constantly from Herbology - although I love to garden, so I spose I'd minor in Herbology and possibly Ancient Runes, since I've taken Greek and Latin...gosh, I'm going to need a time-turner.
Date a character? Hmmm...Percy Weasley! PSYCH. No one picks Percy. I would've wanted to date Sirius Black, but he probably wouldn't have noticed I existed, ever. But that motorcycle...rawr.
Marry a Character: Severus Snape. PSYCH. But is it? What might have been?...No, sorry Sev. Going with Remus Lupin.
Scene I want to read about in full:
What happened to the Dursley's? And the adventures of the original Order. And what the bleep happened in that seaside cave with Tom Riddle?
Food:
Butterbeer, but I've always been fascinated by Fizzing Whizbees - I mean, candy that makes you levitate?
Weasley's Wizard Wheezes:
Extendable Ears, no doubt! I could roll them under Jack's bedroom door when I'm not sure if he's awake or asleep. If they're too expensive, then a Pygmy Puff. *girlish squeal*
Quidditch position:
Announcer. I would take over for Lee Jordan. I can barely drive a car, much less fly a broomstick. Much like Hermione, I prefer to keep my feet on the ground. I'm happy to take the microphone and talk though.
Patronus:
A rabbit. (childhood fave)
Animagus:
An eagle. (noble. can fly. DEADLY.)
Favorite Book:
1st Place: Book 7, Runner-Up: Book 5, The Rest: 3,1,6,4,2
Funniest Book:
1st: Book 6; Runner-Up: Book 2; The Rest: 4, 1, 3, 5, 7
Most Poetic:
1st: Book 7; Runner-Up: 5; The Rest: 6, 1, 3, 4, 2
Best Adventure:
1st: Book 7; Runner-Up: Book 4
Best Action:
1st: Book 7; Runner-Up: Book 5
Most Epic:
1st: Book 7; Runner-Up: Book 6
Best Writing:
1st: Book 7; Runner-Up: Book 5; The Rest: 6, 2, 3, 4, 1
(here's the deal: best writing overall? best writing for the age group targeted by each specific book? the style between 1 and 7 varies widely, but 1 was meant as juvenile lit.)
PS: I'm still undecided on my never-ending quest for an answer: which do I want...a phoenix, or a hippogriff?
Favorite scene in the series:
So many, but I'm going to go with all the events on the Astronomy tower in book 6. Draco's struggle with right and wrong, obligation, fear, etc. And what we later know was probably one of the hardest things Snape has had to do, not to mention Harry basically being forced to watch this.
I also really love all of Snape's memory--the whole chapter, and Neville being a BAMF at the end of the 7th. The guy doesn't get enough credit.
Who is worse? Umbridge or Voldemort?
Umbridge. You piss off Voldermort and you know he's just going to kill you, whereas Umbridge is going to torture you, because she gets some sick pleasure out of your pain. Also, as was pointed out, Umbridge still has a soul, and the capacity to choose between good and evil, and she chooses evil, whereas Voldermort's nature is inherently evil, sort of giving him no choice in the matter.
If you had to choose a Hogwarts "major":
Defense Against the Dark Arts. Followed by Potions, then Transfiguration. Pretty much setting myself up to be an Auror.
If you got had to date one of the characters, it would be:
Date? Oliver Wood. He’s a fun guy.
If you had to marry one of the characters, it would be:
Remus Lupin. Hands down. I've basically been in love with the man since PoA.
Sorry Neville....
Scene (back story, or stuff that goes on behind the scenes during the saga's timeline) you most want to read about in full:
THE MARAUDERS. It would be amazing to read the story of them, how they all met, the adventures they got into, and growing up amidst the growing threat of Voldermort (he would have been coming into power during their youth). Ultimately the books would end with the death of the Potters, and the silver lining of Harry surviving.
Also, it would mean getting to see Lily in all her glory.
One food item, unique to the Harry Potter universe, you want to try the most:
Butterbeer. If the homemade kind is already amazing, how much better would the real stuff be?
What one item you would buy from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes:
Skiving Snack Box, most likely.
Quidditch position you would play:
Chaser. In soccer, I typically played sweep, but when my coaches let me play striker, I could typically sprint up the field with the ball and get a shot off before the defense could catch up. Seeker is too out of the action for me.
Your Patronus would be:
a wolf.
Your animagus form would be:
probably a cat.
---Harry Potter by the numbers. Let the Sorting begin!---
Favorite Book: (This category may defy all explanation. Remember, the reader doesn't choose the book, the book chooses the reader. A favorite JUST IS)
1st Place: tie—7 and 6, The Rest: 3, 5, 1, 4, 2
Funniest:
1st Place: 1, Runner-up: 6, The Rest: 3, 2, 4, 5, 7
Most Poetic:
1st Place: 6, Runner-up: 7, The Rest: 3, 5, 1, 2, 4
Best Adventure:
1st Place: 3, Runner-up: 7, The Rest: 5, 4, 1, 6, 2
Best Action:
1st Place: 7, Runner-up: 4, The Rest: 5, 6, 3, 1, 2
Most Epic:
1st Place: 7, Runner-up: 3, The Rest: 6, 4, 5, 1, 2
Best Writing:
1st Place: 7, Runner-up: 6, The Rest: 3, 5, 1, 4, 2
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