I think it's fair to say that both Liliane and I can be described as unabashed nerds. It's been interesting to witness over the past decade or so, how nerdiness and nerd culture has been increasingly embraced by the mainstream. (I remember being shocked to learn from my sister how nerds had somehow become the "cool kids in school" during her years at Naperville Central.)
If one were to define the past few generations from a nerd's perspective, you can certainly argue that there was a distinctive Lord of the Rings Generation and a Star Wars/Star Trek Generation. I firmly believe that Liliane and I both belong the Harry Potter Generation and seeing as today is Harry Potter's birthday (as well as the night of a blue moon), I thought it would be appropriate to spread some Harry Potter love and share some Liliane facts in regards to "the Boy who Lived..."
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| If I were to bet, I'd say Liliane's favorite HP character has to be Hedwig. |
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| Although Pigwidgeon would certainly be a worthy challenger... |
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| Or any of the pets really... |
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But don't worry Hedwig, you'll always have a special place in our hearts!
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| Reportedly Liliane's favorite book out of the series... |
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| ...And Liliane's least favorite of the series. (She didn't like how angsty/teenager-y Harry got and she absolutely detested Umbridge.) |
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| Neither of us were particularly keen on the movie versions of the books - (they simply can't compare!) - but we did go see several of them in the theaters as a family. |
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| I introduced Liliane to Pottermore while we were out eating at TGI Friday's with our mom. Liliane's chosen Pottermore username is SnidgetMugwump10580 |
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| We were both sorted into Ravenclaw. (Our mom is in Hufflepuff.) |
Pottermore matches you with a wand based on a personality quiz. Liliane ended up with a 14 1/2 inch, hard ash wand with a phoenix feather core. Of course, one must always take personality quizzes with a healthy spoonful of salt, but in this instance I feel like the "wand match" my sister got isn't terribly unreasonable...
(As described on Pottermore...)
Ash - The ash wand cleaves to its one true master and ought not to be passed on or gifted from the original owner, because it will lose power and skill. The tendency is extreme if the core is of unicorn. Old superstitions regarding wands rarely bear close examination, but I find that the old rhyme regarding rowan, chestnut, ash and hazel wands (rowan gossips, chestnut drones, ash is stubborn, hazel moans) contains a small nugget of truth. Those witches and wizards best suited to ash wands are not, in my experience, lightly swayed from their beliefs or purposes. However, the brash or over-confident witch or wizard, who often insists on trying wands of this prestigious wood, will be disappointed by its effects. The ideal owner may be stubborn, and will certainly be courageous, but never crass or arrogant.
Phoenix - This is the rarest core type. Phoenix feathers are capable of the greatest range of magic, though they may take longer than either unicorn or dragon cores to reveal this. They show the most initiative, sometimes acting of their own accord, a quality that many witches and wizards dislike.
Phoenix feather wands are always the pickiest when it comes to potential owners, for the creature from which they are taken is one of the most independent and detached in the world. These wands are the hardest to tame and to personalize, and their allegiznce is usually hard won.
Well, I think I've nerded out enough for one post. I will always be grateful to the Harry Potter series for the role its played in my life as well as the memories its created for me and Liliane.
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| For reasons that perhaps are obvious, perhaps require some explaining, this particular quote from Book 7 has taken on a whole new meaning for me and has helped bring some measure of comfort to me. Thank you, J.K. Rowling. |
