Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense....

Ahhh such a great idea! :) I'm in. I'm leaving the country at the end of August so i will probably read a lot faster in order to keep up. When would you all like to start? Sunday may be a good starting time!

That sounds good to me. :)

Sure XD I recently re-read all the books anyway, so i'll try and keep up XP

Im going to read but i don't think i would remeber this forum thing. (sorry bad english)

GREAT IDEA! I was re-starting the whole thing by myself..so how does this thing work?

^I'm not real sure exactly. I figure by Sunday, we'll all have had time to read a few chapters, so we can start discussing the beginning of the book.

I don't really want this to be structured like a school assignment or anything because everyone reads at a different speed. So everyone is free to read and discuss at their own pace, just let me know when they're done with the first book. When the majority of the participants are done, we'll move on to the next book.

I am in great idea fanfly

I'm in can you start this on Sunday please, I won't be home to discuss it til then. Thanks.

Btw good idea can't wait til we get to OotP.

I'm glad to see people are interested!

I'm in, should be interesting.

Cool! Glad that a lot of people seem into the idea! This is gonna be fun! :) I'm starting Sorcerers Stone sunday as well.

Just out of curiosity, why doesn't everyone say what their introduction to Harry Potter was.


Mine was the first movie. After I saw that, I read the books.

I don't quite remember. I had seen 2 of the movies years before i started reading them. I remember my cousin had been reading them at one point and my mom said i should. I didn't want to at first but one day while i was in a bookstore i asked my dad if i could get them. So I did...and read them in 2 weeks. I laugh because my cousin took a year to finish them.
But, it's strange, i still have this vague recollection of what i thought the 2nd movie was like before i read the book. I guess i had seen it before. But in my memory, Ron & Hermione flew a convertible to get harry. The snake was bigger, the chamber was different, and the entrance(the sink) was covered in blood...i think it was a dream...i'm still not really sure...

yay! I'm in

mine was the the books <3

I was actually one of the original HP-ers.

The books came to the U.S. in 1998 and they were unknown at the time. I was 7 and in 2nd grade and my reading teacher found them and read them aloud to the class. I fell in love with listening to them and soon (being the bookworm that i am :p) picked them up and started reading them all myself.

I still remember going to see the first HP movie I was SO excited. So yeah....I'm turning 20 in a month which means HP will have been part of my entire childhood. I don't remember much of anything before age 7 and I'm no longer a kid. So HP has always really meant a lot to me

^That's so cool.

I read the books first. A girl I knew said I should read PS cause it was great and at first I was skeptic because she never really explained what it was about but I went to the library since I LOVE books, read it and fell in love. Then I started renting them until GOF...the others I just bought when they came out.

Not one of the original ones..I didn't read them as soon as they came out but close to it. :)

Btw, I'm on chapter 12 of PS..when Harry receives his Invisibility Cloak.

I started reading the books after someone told me that there was a book character they knew of whose name was my last name.
They told me about Harry Potter, and I started reading them and got hooked, :P

And great idea! *rushes off to grab copy of SS*

Okidoki, guys! Feel free to start discussing! XD


The first few chapters of the first book are quite humorous, in spite of the sad subject matter. I mean, we're dealing with the deaths of the Potters and Harry's lonely childhood raised by his hateful relatives. Yet the tone is lighthearted. A deliberate choice on Jo's part I'm sure. Meant to lure the audience in with humor and fool them into thinking that this isn't a serious story, that they'll escape this experience with their heart unscathed. Sorry for the melodrama...I'm just feeling nostalgic. :)

Some favourite parts: I love how Harry's letters are addressed to his specific locations. 'Cupboard Under the Stairs', 'Smallest Bedroom', etc.

Jo's humorous style of writing in this first book reminds me a bit of Douglas Adams [author of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy].

LOL well i haven't started SS quite yet but will be sometime this afternoon! BTW, i posted the image here on this spot about it, but did you know that the snake that Harry released from the zoo in SS was actually Nagini?! I NEVER realized that before! :o

link

^That's creepy/cool. I always wondered what happened to that snake! And now I have to wonder even more- how did she end up in Voldemort's possession?

May I join? Anyway about the Ss snake thing, CANON TIME!

You guys mind if I join in? HuddyJoy got me interested in the idea of a Harry Potter reading party. :]

To begin with, Sorcerer's Stone, is one of the only two HP books that I actually consider a straight-up children's story...

In the first chapter, I love how Jo introduces Harry as an important character, but without saying why he's so vital. She also makes it clear that these people - Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid - are somehow almost superhuman, but she's still teasing us and not telling us the how or the why. It's a brilliant hook for the reader, especially since it hints at backstories (such as Sirius) and adventure. I also find the contrast between the Dursleys and the professors to be very interesting, and definitely another factor in hooking the reader. You know some interesting events are going to be going down. ;)

Chapter two is just as amusing. The Dursleys are deliciously horrible "villains." I love Harry's first experiences with magic here, and it seems almost natural to him, you know? He talks to the snake like it's nothing. :]

@HuddyJoy: I hadn't realized that, either! And I'd like to know how Voldemort found her as well... But in the first movie, isn't the snake voiced by a male, when it talks to Harry?

^Of course you all are welcome! The more the merrier. XD

@r-pattz, Yes, although the series is called children's literature, I personally have never thought of it as such. The first book reads like a children's story but each book matures in tone and style as it's original audience matures.

And..DONE with PS.

I also never considered HP just children books. Maybe the first one was close to it but the first thing chapter is called "The boy who lived", main theme= death. I think the first book is somewhat magical..I enjoy seeing Harrty so naive, so little...how he and Ron made friends with Hermione..Dumbledore already knowing lots of stuff about Harry and the first encounter with Voldy...Harry showing since the beginning his strong courage.

I love everything about this book; JK has such a humorous style when she writes that it's always a pleasure, always surprising and fun even in the darkest moments.

My favorite moments are when Harry goes to Diagon Alley with Hagrid, when they go into the Forbidden Forest as a punishment and when Hermione saves Harry from Quirrell during Quidditch...but basically, I love the whole book.

^ I don't think having a chapter hinting about themes of death automatically disqualifies it from being a children's book, though. Pretty much all children's tales include death in some form. The Lion King, for instance, has Mufasa getting trampled to death. Death's also in classic fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast and even the Warlock's Hairy Heart! =P So I do think that despite the subtle references to death throughout SS/PS, it's still a children's story.

Yes and all those animated movies are also for adults..at least that's what I see it. It doesn't mean they're not children books..in fact I stated:"I also never considered HP JUST children books" thus meaning it's for both but for my point of view they're more for adults (especially the late ones) but I'd encourage every kid to read HP, absolutely.

And for me JKR's chapter don't hint at death, they're full of it. :)

Sorry, I must have misread. But I do agree HP is for people of all age groups - I just think the first book is primarily a children's novel. Sorry. ^_^"

But I think in the first novel the chapters are full of hints. Lol. Aside from like, Quirrell, death isn't happening blatantly, and Quirrell was slightly inhuman anyway so that sort of detracts from any horror there might be. But that's... getting beside the point. Death is there, and it's always a theme of the books, but until the last few chapters it's more in the shadows and the focus is on Harry and his adventures.

Wow great idea, you won't mind if I join ?

I've been meaning to read them all again, so i'll participate!

Cool! I love all the people joining in! Glad i got you interested Miranda! ;) About the snake thing, idk if that was something jo came up with after the fact or if she knew ahead of time. so much of her books are so well planned out and idk if she knew about everything ahead of time or if some stuff she decided later ya know?

im currently about halfway through the book. i can get through the first 3 rather quickly lol. i wish i didnt have work tonight! grrrrrr :p

i think what strikes me everytime i do a re-read, especially with SS, is the first few chapters as everyone is saying. especially with dumbledore and mcgonagall. i love their first scene together (im such a MMAD fan :p) but its so cool to have foresight and see how these characters first came to be at the beginning. and how they are the same by deathly hallows but at the same time, have matured and changed. i just find it awesome :)

and also a bummer that they couldnt include more details in the movie. jo is just a genius writer. i aspire to be her one day lol

Glad to see we've got some more participants!

Hermione was now refusing to speak to Harry and Ron, but she was such a bossy know-it-all that they saw this as an added bonus.

It somehow tickles me that they initially found Hermione so annoying. Because she really is a bossy know-it-all. lol And that brings up another thing that I love about this series. Every character has such realistic flaws. They're all three dimensional, they all have their good traits and their bad traits. It makes them such awesome characters.

oh my gosh @fanfly i just read that part this afternoon! i was thinking the exact same thing. i always forget how hermione didnt start off as their friend but more as a pain in the a**.

Also, im always shocked at the changes that neville goes through. he starts out as such a wimpy little kid and ends up destroying the last horcrux. i love it.

^Ikr? You can really see him growing up, taking responsibility, pushing through life's troubles. I love see him progress. He's such a dynamic character...Jo creates the characters very well.

With the whole traits/flaws thing, it's so true. Every character has a trait/flaw that someone could have in real life. It makes it really easy to connect with the characters and see through their point of view. Like Hermione, if you know the answer, you want to tell it. You want to show people that your right and good. But, when other people do it, it annoys you, like Ron. It's so easy to see why they react the way they do.

hy...
who wants to be my friend?
I just created this account fanpop

@Fleur_Potter, welcome! I hope you'll enjoy rereading the books with us! XD

Oh I just finished it! And I had forgotten about how Hagrid gave Harry that photograph album of his parents. I admit, it made me cry. He'd never even seen a picture of his parents before. In the Mirror of Erised, he didn't even recognize them. That's so sad.

I will say one thing that I have never liked is the whole House Cup/points thing. It fosters competition between the Houses of course and seems such a silly thing to get so worked up about. I absolutely love Harry's speech:
Losing points doesn't matter anymore, can't you see? D'you think he'll leave you and your families alone if Gryffindor wins the house cup? If I get caught before I get to the Stone, well, I'll have to go back to the Dursley's and wait for Voldemort to find me there, it's only dying a bit later than I would have, I'm never going over to the Dark Side!

Not only does he cut through the frivolity of the House cup, this is also just an exemplary example of how brave Harry is. He didn't rush off into danger under the illusion that this was some grand adventure. He understood that lives were at stake and he was willing to risk his without hesitation.

And yes, Neville's development throughout the series is such a thoughtful and wonderful one. I love how even in this first book, they mention his skill at Herbology.

I also noticed that jo kinda gets rid of that whole thing too. the house cup/points isnt really an important part of the storyline after the first few books. heck, besides the fact that flying assists harry in later years quidditch stops being important.

@persephone i totally agree! it makes you love and connect better with the characters. ive always connected with hermione because everyone always thinks im a know it all and really i just want to share what i know ;) im just waiting for my ron to come along.....

geez now i sound like such a dork. shutting up now.

@fanfly: Oh damn, you're done already? I've got a ways to go! *speed reads*

@HuddyJoy: Lol, we're all thinking and feeling the same, anyway. We're all dorks. xD

I think Neville is the best example of the development of all of the characters from beginning to end. From book one you see their strengths and their weaknesses, and throughout the series those strengths are developed, the weaknesses cause downfalls, and in the end they overcome and shine triumphantly. *hit by wave of nostalgia*

Oh, but speaking of overcoming weaknesses, was McGonagall's "His name is Voldemort" from DH in the books? I don't remember that bit, but I was going over the beginning of SS again and when Dumbledore says his name, she flinches. Anyone know?

On Harry... As fanfly said, he's a sharp, brave kid right from the start. He's nice and down-to-earth as well, not letting the fame get to his head. A lot of people probably would have gotten caught up in the celebrity status, especially after years of being told of their own worthlessness. But not Harry. Such a cute kid. :3

I also love seeing Snape now. Knowing the Prince's Tale makes puts the entire series in a whole new light in that respect. I remember, before HBP and DH came out, I hated the man because he was so cruel to Harry. It's easy to see why Harry hated him because of that, but knowing a man's motives and understanding him completely makes it impossible to hate him.

@HJ, yeah I'm glad the importance of the points fades as the series goes on.

@r-pattz, I don't remember McGonagall saying that in the books either.

It is interesting to read this book with everything we now know about Snape. I find myself really analyzing his scenes and trying to dissect what's going on in his mind. I never hated Snape, I always felt that he was a fascinating character who added so much to the story and was such a mystery. I could never quite figure him out. Even up to the last book I was never sure where his loyalties were- which made him fascinating to me.

Also, in any other kid's book, if it had been revealed that the character the protagonist thought was the 'bad guy' had actually saved his life, there would've been this whole scene where the two characters would have apologized for the misunderstandings and they would have 'made up' and become the best of friends! I love how that's not the case here. Snape saving Harry's life and actually working towards the same goal as Harry all year [protecting the Stone] changes nothing between them. There's no softening of the antagonism they feel towards each other. That's definitely a more complex story than your normal children's fare, where things are usually boiled down to the simplest degree. Good guys = friends/nice people. That's certainly not the case with Snape

Oh and @r-pattz, don't feel rushed to finish! There's no time limit on this, I know everyone reads at a different pace.

I love this reading party!

I feel the same way as you do about Harry..he's brave and down to earth, generous and with a kind heart...I don't think these traits of him ever changed during the books. Yep, he had rage attacks LOL..but who doesn't? They were normal at that age. I'm probably biased..he's always gonna be my favorite character, he's my hero.

I was too surprised to see how Hermione entered in their group...she annoyed Harry and Ron so much ahah. And I was realizing how much she changed during the books..in the first and second book she's much more strict and follow-the-rules..a know-it-all (even though as soon as she meets Harry and Ron she lets loose a bit)and then she blossomed into this young mature girl. That made me think how all the characters were at the beginning and how much we got to know them and discover things we'd never imagined.

Minerva McGonagall: “That doesn’t mean we can’t delay him. And his name is Voldemort, so you might as well use it, he’s going to try and kill you either way" I think she said this to Flitwick while they were preparing for the battle.

About Snape..I don't know how to say this since there are so many Snape fans around..I don't like him..at all, even after DH. I think that what he did was brave, being a spy for Dumbledore risking everyday but I just...I can't call him a hero, I'm sorry. I don't feel in my heart that he is and I also don't appreciate how he treated Harry and everyone who wasn't Slythering so bad. I guess he had an imagine to maintain but there were also limits.
Now riding PS knowing what I know about him makes me wonder even more..all the motives and feelings. I just love the new perspective we have when we go and read the books all over again.

I'm glad everyone's enjoying themselves! XD

Snape is definitely not your standard hero, he's more of an antihero. Also, I've never been quite sure if his behaviour towards his students was entirely influenced by his efforts to maintain his cover or if that's just who he is. Probably a combination of both. He was a very complex man. That's why I love him. I can't speak for any other Snape fans but I don't love him because of he was a 'hero' or because he loved Lily- those things are just facets of his character. I love Snape because of his flaws and his complexities- the dichotomy between his loyalty to Dumbledore and his rather cruel nature. Like I said before, only in a kid's book does hero = nice person. Snape wasn't a nice person but I do believe he was a hero. :)

Also, Harry is my favourite character as well. I love how his selfless bravery is evident from the first book and how it never falters. He has his flaws like all the other characters but his heart is in the right place, always. And his 'rage attacks' [lol] were pretty normal considering is age, hormones and what he was going through. I love how he doesn't really defeat Voldemort because he's a better wizard than him- he defeats him because he's a better person.

That's what I love about Harry too fanfly :)

You know, I've been asking myself the same thing about Snape: was he cruel towards student because he had to or because he was like that? His was loyal to Dumbledore so yeah, he is very complex. For some reason though..I just can't like him..and I'm also sort of indifferent towards him. Weird.

I don't think I'd ever thought to have applied the term "hero" to Snape, actually. I'm not even entirely sure about "brave." Sure, it takes courage to go behind the Dark Lord's back, but I feel like his reasons for doing so were a bit too egocentric to fit the definition of brave. He didn't care so much about right and wrong, he was driven by his love for Lily. But don't get me wrong, I (now) adore Snape. (I was three years old when I started these books, so I wasn't exactly reading between the lines in the beginning. He was mean so I hated him.) His complexity, as fanfly said, is what I've always found the most interesting about him, the "whose side is he on," "why does he do what he does" enigma. I'd be lying if I said his devotion to Lily wasn't a chunk of my reason for loving him, though. I'm a mushy romantic at heart. :3

With his cruelty towards the students though, I think it was mostly his personality. I think he was made bitter by what he went through when he was in Hogwarts and his loss of the one he loved, and certainly having Harry around made him worse. He probably saw Harry as part of the reason for Lily's death, irrational as the thought may be. And I'm sure he was wallowing in some amount of self-loathing for calling Lily a Mudblood.

And I just finished SS... I'm not a huge fan of how Harry got rid of Quirrell, touching him to blister his skin and kill him. It just seem much, much too violent. Yes, Harry's a hero, bye-bye Voldy, he's already gone through a lot of other violence, but that seemed like a bit much. It just unsettles me, though I can't really put a finger on the reason why... :S

Hey all! LOVE the discussions here ahhhh! I'm such an analyzing junkie. I just love it all :) I'm currently in the midst of harry ron and hermione attempting to get hagrid to give up norbert.

I just read a part in the book when neville gets upset because he feels insecure about being in gryffindor. malfoy tells him he doesnt belong there and the others see him kinda as a nuisance. its AWESOME to know that the sorting hat could see the hidden courage in neville and know that he was going to end up proving himself 5x over even by goblet of fire. :)

I know exactly what you mean about the McGonagall thing. She is tough but there are still things that scare her, such as Voldemort. She gets all uptight in the beginning of SS (remember reading it just 2 days ago ;) and Dumbledore's like "whatever dude just call him by his name." and by the end of DH she's running around yelling Voldemorts name and "die bitches!!!" to all the Death Eaters. She's just a BAMF what can i say? ;)

Alrighty, sorry for that tangent (im a huge mcgonagall fan) but i agree about the Snape thing. As im reading SS, Jo is very careful about her wording with Snape. While he "seems" like the bad guy you re-read and realize that she just makes you assume it. when snape is confronting quirrell in the forbidden forest you think they are fighting over snape being the bad guy but hes really threatening quirrell about helping Voldemort.

As for Snape....i can say truthfully ive always trusted him after his name was cleared in SS. I knew he wasnt a "good" guy but i had a feeling he wasnt evil and was on the right side. part of the reason i got so upset when dumbledore died was because it was Snape and i was like "he cant be bad! he just cant!" i spent countless hours trying to figure it out and was so relieved that he stayed good in DH.

@r-pattz i think its unsettling because harry is only 11 and the book was originally for kids and it just seems so overtly violent you know? but its really just cuing us up for more violence to come in the later books i guess....:/

I never had an issue with the way Quirrell met his end. I mean, it was Harry's only option and it was in self-defense. I guess from a kid's story point of view it seems overtly violent but it's not gratuitous and it's just another reason why I don't really consider this series children's literature.

Also, I'm not entirely certain that Harry is solely responsible for Quirrell's death [as is depicted in the movies]. Dumbledore said that he pulled Quirrell off of Harry- which means he was still alive when he got there. Also, Voldemort abandoned Quirrell to die- it's possible that him leaving his body contributed to his death.

Oh, I wasn't referring directly at you @r-pattz when I said they consider Snape a hero. It's what I noticed in general.

Quirrell's end was done by Dumbledore actually. He pulled him off Quirrell. Besides, Harry was only defending himself, what was he supposed to do, let him take the Stone or his life? Yes, it is violence and it's another point to my non-just childreen books.