These past couple of weeks have been quite amazing for me, which means that naturually they were consumed by everything to do with Harry Potter.
Seeing Matt (The Womping Willows), Lauren and JFF play in Old Bridge was the beginning of my HP journey. I got there a little late since the weather was absolutley horrible but I only missed a little of JFF's set and I was okay with that haha. There was this girl though, so annoying, kept trying to get me and everyone else to dance...like by dancing on them? Lol it was awkward. After JFF Lauren played and she sang a ton of her new songs off "The Prince's Tale" and they were so amazing, definitely her best. Then Womp (lol Matt) played and he was awesome of course. After the show I bought some merch including Lauren's album, her new shirt that says "my muggle friends just don't understand" which couldn't be more accurate, Matt's wizard party forever and JFF's deathly hallows shirt because I felt bad ha.
Two days later me and the fam headed to Orlando for Disney...and LEAKYCON. While driving in Virginia I actually saw Matt and Lauren driving on the road and made my dad honk at them so I could wave haha, and they also tweeted about it! When we finally got to Orlando the rents really didn't feel like doing so me and Heath decided to go Universal for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We did all the rides of course, had some butterbeer (which I actually loveeeed this time) and bought some souvenirs. I bought a Gryffindor sweather (YEAH!), Heather bought a dragon which we named Cho Chang and we each bought Pygmy Puffs (mine is Krum and hers is Grawp I believe), chocolate frogs (bought got Gryffindor) and cauldron cakes.
After doing Disney for a couple of days it was time for CHUNNUNNUNNUN...LEAKYCON. I had day passes for Thursday and Friday. As soon as I got there on Thursday I registered and then picked up my ticket for Deathly Hallows part 2 as I would be seeing an advance screening of it at 6:15 later that day. In the meantime I walked around the conference area, popped into the merch room and watched a live LeakyMug. And then, the movie. From the hotel we walked to the AMC theaters in Citywalk, which must have looked hysterical to the average muggle as we were all decked out in our robes and sweaters and carrying wands, grabbed our seats and 3D glasses and prepared ourselves for what was about to come.
As soon as the previews rolled I started crying. I loved it, I honestly think they ended it amazingly. The (kind of) opening scene after you see Voldemort get the Elder Wand with Snape looking over the grouds of Hogwarts oh my god, oh my god, like I really can't say anything else. I love that scene and then you see how much Hogwarts has changed and it's literally so heartbreaking. Helena Bonham Carter as Hermoine was flawless. The scene in Gringotts...ohh buddy, especially in 3D sooo crazy. Oh, but when Rupert and Dan both have the shirts off at the same time..yes. One of my favorite seens was when Neville brought the Trio back to Hogwarts, it was just nice seeing everyone again, Dean, Seamus, Luna, Cho, lol I missed them the last film. And then the craziness starts, Harry speaks to the Grey Lady while Ron and Hermione go into the Chamber of Secrets. Loved the kiss, finallllllly. I just wish Rupert didn't block it so much...rofl. The scene with the fiendfyre was absolutely terrifying, it was so well done. When Harry, Ron and Hermione run down to the boat house and only music is playing ugh it seriously makes me so emotional, I listen to the preview on iTunes all the time. Go. Now. It's "Courtyard Apocalypse". And now to Snape. I love him. I just fucking love him, especially after listening to Lauren Fairweather's "The Prince's Tale". His death really got to me. Oh yeah and by this point the whole theater was literally hyperventilating. No, but really and with only a wool sweater to wipe your nose on.. And then Snape's memories, forget it. It was just too much to handle. HE JUST LOVED HER that's all :((( It really made me mad though how people who haven't read the books (yeah I know, I can't believe it either) thought that it was implying that Snape was actually Harry's dad. Really? Like, Reeeeallly? Ugh, even a woman who came into Payless asked me about it. Don't worry, I set her straight. Ooof and when Harry is about to die and his parents and Sirius and Lupin join him :( "You'll stay with me?" "Until the end" :( UNTIL THE VERY END HARRY, I PROMISE. And then when Harry is in the "in-between" with Dumbledore and Dumbledore says "Of course it's happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" makes me burst into tears because that's how I feel about Harry Potter. It is real. Neville's a hero, Harry kills Voldemort. Victory. A lot of people had issues with the epilouge in the book and I loved it, I loved it in the book and the movie. It was crazy to see them old, which also made me super emotional. It's just nice to know that everything's okay.
Even after I left and walked back to the hotel I was in tears (walking behind Jason Munday and Aaron Nordyke may I add!) This was my life, Harry wasn't over and will never be over but now a chapter of it is. No more midnight premiers to go to, no more movie spoilers to look out for, no more epic soundtracks to hear for the first time and no more seeing that WB logo flash on the big screen with Hedwigs theme (or Lily's theme as the case in the last film).
After the movie there was an epic wrock victory party. I made friends with two Hufflepuffs and two Ravenclaws and we headed into the room where the concert was held. I was pretty close the first night as I watched Lauren again, JFF, Ministry of Magic and Alex Carpenter play his last show with The Remus Lupins. Totally cried.
The next day at Leaky I knew I wanted to buy a lot of merch so I had Heather come to the vendor room so she could see if she wanted anything and then bring my stuff back to the car haha. I bought a Harry and the Potters shirt, a Luke Conard shirt, Harry Potter Scene It, Harry Potter Clue and
Dear Mr. Potter which is a wonderful book I've been wanting with letters and pictures from fans, it's so cool to see how many people are literally just like me. Then I walked around again and went to the Nerdfighter gathering and another LeakyMug which this time Evanna Lynch, who plays Luna, was at.
The last event I went to was Wizard Rock Night II: The Final Guitar Battle, I was literally front and center....but really...with like 3,000 people there.....yeah. I saw The Parselmouths, Gred and Forge, Hank Green, Tonks and the Aurors, Draco and the Malfoys, The Whomping Willows and Harry and the Potters perform. It was fucking magical to say the least. Hank made me cry while singing "Accio Deathly Hallows and I got Steph from Tonks' set list! Draco and the Malfoys were (was? lol just Brian) soooo good! Brian sang his song about Pansy Parkinson to the actual girl who plays Pansy Parkinson, Scarlett Byrne! Then Evanna Lynch danced with Matt while he play "Nargles" which was literally so funny and crazy, she kept doing the wrackspurt dance. And then...Harry and the Potters. I've been waiting to see Harry and the Potters since like 8th grade? I think that's right, and I was so pumped. They were so close I could touch them, but they touched me more. Haha, Joe stroked my face and Paul crowd surfed right on me. For their last last Evanna played bass and the Potter Puppet Pals guy came out and I got to touch the Harry Puppet. The whole crowed was chanting "Leakycon" and Melissa Anelli made a little speech and started crying and then I cried. I just wish I could have stayed for the whole thing. Leaky 2012 baby.
Now the most recent event! POTTERMORE. So on sunday, Harry Potter's birthday, I stayed up until 6 in the morning just to be sure I got in. I was ready, I had Sorcerer's Stone by my side and refreshed the page like crazy waiting for the clue. Finally it was there, I figured it out and found the magic clue and was able to register. I'm so so happy I got in the first night so now I don't have to worry about it. I'm so stoked to get started.
Allwaswell.
