What Are Your Favorite Uncommon Harry Potter Ships?

Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures

The Harry Potter fandom presents a small conundrum for me: I'm not an avid shipper of any one couple. This is one of the cardinal rules of fangirling in general: ship or don't ship, there is no try.

When it comes to the wizarding world, I love every ship - what both the books and movies provided. I don't know if that makes me a little less of a hardcore fangirl, but sometimes I feel like it is: I'm not exclusive to ships and like to think of the What Ifs and love a little outside of common canon. There are a few Ships I Just Can't Help But Ship, that don't adhere to the relationships set up throughout the books by author J.K. Rowling. Are there any relationships that you can't help but love? Feel free to let me know in the comments!

Can you pledge allegiance to a Hogwarts house?

Recently I touched on another sorting hat subject where I expressed doubts of being sorted into Gryffindor. The question I posed was how does a modern-day muggle fit into the criteria of Gryffindor when there are rare many wizarding acts of bravery to perform. My lack of conviction made me question whether I belong in other houses such as Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw (though not Slytherin - sorry!).

Which prompted me to ask another question: can we pledge allegiance to one Hogwarts house?

At eleven years old young Potter and his friends understand that the sorting hat takes their choice into account during their initiation into Hogwarts. Specifically, Potter had the option of being Slytherin but through pleading with the power of that be, he was sorted into Gryffindor instead. Through and through, Potter is a staunch member and representative of this house. Despite his arduous and challenging journey and battle against Lord Voldemort - despite all the crushes, friendships, and deaths,  Potter bleeds red and yellow.

Rarely are there exhibitions of characters that blur the traits between houses - except perhaps Hermione Granger. Deemed the brightest witch of her age, astute and brave, her sorting hat ceremony experienced a hat-stall; a long rumination made by the sorting hat of where to place the prospective student. Granger tied between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw before being selected for the former. This comes as no surprise to readers as Hermione's dramatic display of intelligence may inspire us to question if she would be a better fit for Ravenclaw because of her value for books and cleverness. Often we overlook her fateful decision in the Sorcerer's Stone of choosing friendship and bravery over anything else, but her ability to look ahead and plan out against obstacles sometimes makes us believe otherwise.

What strikes me in the Harry Potter series is - as said by Professor McGonagall in Sorcerer's Stone - your house becomes your family. As we know from Potter's experience he found his best friends that last a lifetime in Gryffindor, as well as Ravenclaw with Luna Lovegood, and quite a few enemies from the house of Slytherin. Hufflepuff played a relatively small role but had its greatest challenge when Cedric Diggory died in the Triwizard Tournament. However, a majority of his accomplices in life and his education come from his house.

Repeatedly throughout the series characters define themselves and their house but rarely break the barrier, mold, typecast. A major source of evidence with this is how Slytherin was not given a character who shatters the shackles of their houses' "evil" reputation. The journey of Severus Snape acting as a double agent to protect Harry Potter on the behalf of his love for his mother Lily inspires some to re-sort Snape into Gryffindor, but his motives can doubly be argued that they were more for his own gain than the personal protection of Harry. As much as muggle society is divided into cliques from highschool to the workplace, so is the wizarding world divided into the reputation of the houses.

The case may be best made with the Weasleys and the Malfoys. Easily, we remember and know that both families were separated by vast differences dealing with political power, wealth, and beliefs in half-blood acceptance versus pureblood domination. As the central focus for the former family, the Weasleys are befriended and surrounded by other Gryffindors such as members of the Order of the Phoenix. Having a deeply devoted cause for dark magic and loyalty to Lord Voldemort, the Malfoys join forces with other Slytherins. As much as each family is set in their ways of political advocacy in the wizarding wars, we rarely see them interact with members of other houses in a positive or polite matter; often it is when they are at odds in verbal disagreement and physical battle.

As much as I love the Harry Potter series, personalities are more complicated than a four-trait system - which is where sorting becomes complicated. It's fun to identify yourself and your friends into a house, but how well does that system work when people are so much more complicated.

Occasionally, I find myself leaning towards other houses like Hufflepuff due to my likes, dislikes, and personality traits. My mom would have me sorted into Gryffindor while my sister sorts me into Hufflepuff. Intelligence and learning is something that I value highly, as doing well in school was a main source of comfort when friends were hard to come by. Fellow Harry Potter fans that find themselves a mix of two houses sort themselves accordingly; Gryffinpuff, Slytherclaw, Ravendor, Hufflepin - but I find it hard to distinguish myself into one or the other. How well does the sorting hat truly capture a person's personality if said student is a flavor of more than house?

If we're lucky enough when we are young to be boisterous and proud, our true colors are not afraid to shine through. But as we grow up, we don't remain stagnant. Our beliefs, actions, motives, and sometimes even personality traits can shift, shrink, and magnify. Those who may be introverted when they are younger morph into outgoing and enthusiastic extroverts; some who may be willing to be a follower when they are young can grow into a role as a leader. And yet through all the trials and obstacles that Harry and his friends experience, they all remain idyllic members of their fated house.

In the way that muggles look back on their elementary or high schools by how they were divided or united by groups; popular, jocks, band, artsy, debate, drama, etc. is our sorting something we wholly accept and do not judge? Is it possible to remain a member of one house?

What makes Gryffindors brave in our muggle world?

From the beginning of the series in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, readers become immediately aware of how prominent the Gryffindor house is. The Sorting Hat's description for Gryffindors jumps right off the page: brave at heart, daring, and chivalrous. Almost too many of the main and minor characters hail from Gryffindor, everyone from The Golden Trio, misft-turned-hero Neville Longbottom, all four of the Mauraders (Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter and Voldemort's follower Peter Pettigrew), the entire Weasley family, Albus Dumbledore - to name a few. With all of their adventure of standing up against evil and what they believe in, to be sorted into Gryffindor is quite the tall order.

By reputation there is a lot to live up to. As someone who's been naturally sorted into Gryffindor (in contrast to choosing it because it's the most popular), I wonder a lot what it means to be brave in our Muggle world when wizarding evil isn't lurking around every corner.

To be honest, for Gryffindors, there aren't many quiet acts of heroism throughout the series. When we closer examine the characters and their individual fears - let's take the golden trio and Neville for example - they don't have a lot of moments dealing with their everyday fears, situations that makes them anxious, or squaring off against people that fills them with panic or terror. If there is something they're scared of, they rise to the occasion:

• Harry's biggest fear is fear itself, which varies depending on the threat that presents itself. Some say his biggest fear was death, however that can be counteracted by the fact that he uses Voldemort's name freely throughout the series (never wailing on whether that is used to track him or not), and physically diving into situations without much pause.
• Hermione's biggest fear is not a failed test, but not living up expectations and getting expelled from Hogwarts - a place she has begun to find her grounding and self.
• Ron's phobia of spiders is never truly solved or eased - he never comes face to face with another eight legged freak after narrowly escaping The Forbidden Forest.
• Neville had to imagine Professor Snape as his grandmother in year three during the Boggarts class by Professor Lupin. The almost-chosen-one never has a confrontation with the teacher standing up to himself or someone else (the often belittled Granger, for one) within class.

Though the characters never had the absence of fears, they weren't really presented with opportunities to face those specific fears above throughout the series. 

This is not to say that the long hard-fought battle against Lord Voldemort was easy as pie. Sure the characters faced anxieties and worries of their loved ones dying or becoming gravely injured - Ron leaves Harry and Hermione temporarily (at the slight influence of wearing one of the Horcruxes) after all. However, in the effort to save those we love from pain through an outside source, or to chase adventure, our bravery tends to fall on the line of being reckless, going with our gut feelings, and not thinking things through. That often has consequences to ourselves or others in the real world.

Often as a Gryffindor, standing up for myself or others is are not loud declarations. I like to go on adventures or deviate from a plan, but it sometimes takes me a while to warm up to the idea. Proceeding with caution and planning ahead to figure things out eventually, but slowly, takes a backseat to accepting that all hell is going to break loose anyways.

My biggest form of "bravery" is probably being proud of my personality and my empathy. I like what I like, hate what I hate, and stand to reason to back up whatever I enjoy. I've always stood out from the pack from my peers in terms of my interests or hobbies, and have veered away from locking out my passions to appease society's standards. Empathy in not so many ways is more of an internal call of action, rather again like most Gryffindors that is proudly displayed. I try not to cast judgement on others and remind myself that to walk in other people's shoes because I do not know their story. My way rests less on waving my wand in duels and more in striving to defend others by signing petitions, signal boosting posts on tumblr, donating money or time to charitable causes. Either characteristics are hardly loud, outspoken, or to be remembered in the name of heroics.

What is right isn't always what is easy. Risk is involved in being bold. In the Muggle world, we don't have wizarding evil lurking around every corner, but there's enough political issues worth standing up for and against. Being brave doesn't necessarily mean chasing or making thrilling heroics, being brave can include the small stuff too. And sometimes, lending a roar for those voices that may not be loud to defend themselves or facing our everyday fears like social anxiety is daring enough.

Was Invisibility Plausible?

If non-magical folk set their eyes on Hogwarts they would see the castle marked condemned and dangerous. We take it that if they dared walked passed 'do not enter' signs they wouldn't see the glorious Great Hall, common rooms, etc. They would see only rubble, brick, mortar.

Platform 9 3/4 Quarters, perhaps at King's Cross Station is another obvious example of concealment. To get to the station for Hogwarts Express kids and grown adults run through a wall in the middle of a busy train station to land at their hidden train landing. Rowling's solution: Wizards and witches would be on-hand to perform memory charms to anyone who witnessed individuals disappearing through the brick wall.

This is the same case when Harry and Ron flew Arthur Weasley's car into the sky in Chamber of Secrets. Before switching the car into invisibility, camouflaging it into clear blue skies, several muggles saw it flying overhead. The Ministry of Magic took immediate actions to wipe the sighting out of their minds. No harm, no foul.

However, in other instances a lack of invisibility or concealment are a bit unexplainable.

A giant husky hairy...giant is walking with a young boy into an abandoned and pretty-much condemned building. Nobody notices? Nobody alerts the authorities of this unusual sighting?

At the Quidditch World Cup in Goblet of Fire the Ministry of Magic takes notes that muggles again might be out in the middle of their open meadowy fields vacationing..? It's not really explained why or how witches and wizards in security posts would deal if muggles saw the festivities, but again it's assumed memory charms.

In Book 5 Order of the Phoenix, St. Mungo's Hospital is concealed as a rundown shop in a busy London marketplace. A woman with her friend hastily notes that this place is never ever opened. When the Order of the Phoenix takes Harry to St. Mungo's, and the Weasleys visit Arthur in the hospital, are there memory charm experts on hand every single day to make humans forget seeing people disappear into abandoned buildings?

Are they wherever wizards might be seen doing something magical and logically unexplainable? How would the magical and muggle government deal if memory charms backfired on their targets - a la Gilderoy Lockhart using Ron's defected wand and his charm backfiring?

For individual cases, invisibility cloaks are extremely rare. Only Harry Potter - as far as we know - is the owner of one. He was able to wear it and scamper around Hogwarts unnoticed to visit Hagrid and leave to Hogsmeade, among other activities. The Disillusionment Charm is utilized to make objects near chameleon-like but these are known to wear away over time and aren't as reliable if there is spell or charm difficulties.

Clearly, magical folk are capable of hiding entire buildings. Considering the locations where some agencies or buildings are closely located near muggle-heavy destinations, would it have been more feasible if the wizarding world existed entirely on its own - in an alternate society perhaps? Should  invisibility been a talent witches and wizards could perform at will?

10 Important Details Missing from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Movie

734 pages of the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire book was translated into 2 hours and 37 minutes for the adaptation. Only so many details can be squeezed into a film. But fans are always left to ask how different a movie would be if certain storylines weren't overlooked. Comparing notes of director Nick Ewell's film and J.K. Rowling's fourth novel, here are 10 Important Details Missing from the Goblet of Fire movie. What other details do you think are missing from the movie? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Voldemort didn't resurrect with physical similarities to snakes because he's a Slytherin

Voldemort made his first appearance in the Sorcerer's Stone because he was able to possess the body of snakes and Professor Quirrell. After his defeat, the dark lord retreated back to an Albanian forest and continued to possess the spirits and bodies of his slithering peers. Peter Pettigrew's rats led him to the forest where Voldemort was living as a dark shadow feasting on small animals. The Death Eater helped Voldemort achieve a physical body strong enough to travel back to London to trap Harry.

Cedric's Mother is Missing

In the film, Amos carries tremendous pride for his son Cedric - beating Harry Potter in a Quidditch game the year before and being the first participant from Hogwart's called for the tournament. What you might not know from the movie is that Amos isn't a single parent. After Harry brings Cedric's body back to the school grounds and goes on a much-needed rest, he eventually meets Cedric's devastated mother.

Hagrid and Madame Maxime

Due to discrimination from wizards and the violent behavior of other giants, some giants retreated to remote locations. When Hogwarts groundskeeper Hagrid and Beauxbatons Headmaster Madame Maxime meet, they instantly fall in love. Everything seems all right for these two love birds in the movie. In the books, Hagrid inadvertently insults Maxime by suggesting she is not pure Giant. Their relationship falters until Dumbledore intervenes and brings them together.

S.P.E.W.

A large percentage of the fourth novel is dedicated to Hermione's cause helping house-elves. After witnessing a house elf Winky get brutally freed by her owner Barty Crouch Sr., the smart Gryffindor begins working on House Elf Liberation Front (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare). Nobody else takes her cause seriously because everyone believes elves love their work. We come to discover in the book that the Hogwarts kitchen is entirely run by elves, and Granger dragging Harry and Ron with her go there to rally support for her cause.

Also ignored in the film is Dobby. Our little-freed house elf had trouble gaining employment after Chamber of Secrets because he dared ask for wages. Dobby's gains an unique selection of human clothes for his own wardrobe and helps Harry with the second Triwizard task (not Neville). Dumbledore ends up hiring him to work at Hogwarts.

The Triwizard Maze is Extremely Dangerous

Covering the span of the Quidditch field, the four champions walk into the maze set to charge the criss-crossing lanes until he or she finds the cup. Sure the tournament is shown in the film, and participants like Fleur Delacour and Victor Krum are bewitched. But the novel actually makes the maze more challenging. Giant spiders and a sphinx with riddles block the area around the cup to make it harder to claim.

Neville's Parents Aren't Dead

Not much information is shared in the films about the Gryffindor student's home life.  We know that he is raised by his grandmother, but it's easy to assume his parents are dead. You may be shocked to realize that his mother and father are actually residing in a mental aasylumfor wizards. Having been apart of the original fleet to end Voldemort's first reign of terror, Bellatrix Lestrange tortured his parents under the Cruciartus curse until they went completely insane. Neville with his grandmother visit his parents but they do not recognize he is their son.

Where In The World is Sirius Black?

After Harry's godfather rides off into the moonlight and starry sky in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, where does he go? You'd be surprised to know not that far! With Dumbledore's help, Black takes up in the mountains surrounding Hogwarts living as his animagus form: a black dog. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go to visit Padfoot in his isolated cave and refer to him on campus grounds as Snuffles.

Rita Skeeter Gossips about Hermione's Love Life

In the film, Skeeter publishes Granger's "torrent" affairs with Dumstrang student Victor Krum and Hogwarts student Harty Potter. But the film never answers what happens to Skeeter nor explores the damage done on Hermione and Harry because of her humiliating gossip columns.

In the books, Skeeter is actually banned from the Hogwarts grounds before the first tournament. But as an unregistered animagus, Skeeter transforms herself into a beetle. With the help of students like Draco Malfoy, Skeeter is able to get around as much as she likes listening in on private conversations and classroom sessions. Harry and Hermione suffer a wrath of bullying at school. Hermione eventually catches on and eventually places Skeeter the Beetle in a jar until she learns her lesson and then is released.

The Wand Chooses Harry and Voldemort

Harry's first visit at Ollivander's results in a surprising revelation: Potter's wand and Voldemort's wand come share the same core - a phoenix feather. Can you think of any Phoenix's that rise from the ashes in the films?... Yes, you're thinking Fawkes' right? The feather which is shared in both of their wands come from Dumbledore's prized companion Fawkes. No explanation in the fourth book reveals how this comes to pass.

The Twi-Wizard tournament will bring glory and honor to the winner

This is only half right in the movie. The champion earns 1000 galleons to spend at their leisure. Harry wins the tournament, but it's not like he needed the extra dough. He also didn't want to keep his earnings after what happens to Cedric. Instead of taking the cup singularly in the maze, Harry encouraged Cedric Diggory to take it too. The cup ended up being a port key to Voldemort's graveyard, where Cedric was killed. In the books Harry gives his winnings to Fred and George Weasley, who were starting up Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

How to Use the Mirror of Erised to Unlock Your Heart's Desire

As the inscription reads on the Mirror of Erised, "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi". Which reflected back into the mirror would read, "I show not your face but your hearts desire".

In the Sorcerer's Stone when Harry steps in front of the famed mirror, his desire for his parents is shown. After following in Potter's footsteps to the same place, Ron exclaims his dreams of breaking out from the Weasley pack.  And, what we know of Dumbledore's desire is that he wanted socks. It's unclear to know what other characters would have imagined. Hermione Granger - to be accepted by her classmates, or for her parents to be magical perhaps? Ginny Weasley - Harry Potter? Neville Longbottom - perhaps the ability to be a little less clumsy?

What would we see if we individually stepped before the Mirror of Erised and was shown our heart's desires?

It's a negative aspect that we can't actually step in front of a magical mirror to know all that we wish for, but sometimes we can be our own mirrors. If we look inside ourselves and ask what we want, our dreams and goals might become clearer before our eyes - almost as clear as we would witness them reflected in a mirror.

For myself, I desire quite a many things. I'm not sure all of the visions of my desires would fit into the Mirror of Erised! But, if I were to condense it down, I think my deepest and most passionate dream would be to make a life worth having lived; not living too cautiously I might as not have lived at all. I'm not sure I could put a finger on how it would be reflected in a specific vision, but boy would that be a treat!

As Dumbledore instructs Harry, it is not a good idea to dwell into an imaginary world and forget about reality. Since we are muggles who have to do everything manually, there are plenty of ways we can make sure we don't lose ourselves in our dreams but try to make them come true:

• Start a daily planner or journal to keep track of your goals

• Branch out and ask for support if you don't think your goal can be done on your own (saving up money for a trip, moving someplace new)

•  Try something new if you're tired of the same routines; introduce yourself to classmates you haven't talked to before, go to a new restaurant or hang out in your city

•  Dream new dreams, so that your life is always filled with new desires and the challenges you face brings into your life excitement and adventure 

If you were to step in front of the Mirror of Erised,
what would you desire?

Owls Are Not Pets: How To Save Harry's Faithful Friend

Photo Source   In today's post we're not talking about the Hogwarts exams known as O.W.L.S.. Nope, we're talking about the beloved creatures of the Harry Potter series who we came to know as messengers, companions, and faithful friends

When the Harry Potter series hit it big, the uproar of interest in owls was and continues to be  overwhelming. Like many fans who yearned for our own Hedwig or Errol, we dealt with that desire by buying a plush version, puppet, etc. of Hedwig. However, many adults and parents wanted to please their children's desire for a real bird by taking in an owl as a real family pet.

“If anybody has been influenced by my books to think an owl would be happiest shut in a small cage and kept in a house, I would like to take this opportunity to say as forcefully as I can, ‘You are wrong’.” JK Rowling

Even though the Harry Potter series has ended, there is still an emergence of owls being used as pets and left abandoned here in the U.S. and in the UK. Not too long ago, in fact, it became attention-getting news that large populations of owls in India had started to go 'missing' purely because people still try to capture this magnificent animal, sell, or torture them. Though many owls are dropped off at care shelters, many more are suspected to be left in the wild where they cannot fend for themselves.

As a community, I know many of us simply don't want this as part of our Harry Potter legacy. So, what can we do to help the Hedwigs and Errols of the real world? It's easy:

Reach out! Be a wildlife defender!

There are institutions worldwide available who make it their mission to conserve and keep owls safe.
Find one in your hometown or city, look out for issues that concern these precious owls, and take the right steps to preserving them.

At World Owl Trust and Burrowing Owl Conservation, and Barn Owl Trust, you can donate, and even 'adopt' an owl in your name with a generous contribution.

Instruct other fans who joke or consider getting an owl as a pet that this decision is more harmful than they may believe. We all may love Hedwig but keeping them in a constricted home is not what owls need! Take your passion for owls and become informed about them and what they need to live freely and protected from animal cruelty.

Let's educate other fans that these birds
are more than characters in our favorite books!

Let's make it our mission to save the owls!

What does it take to be a Potterhead?

In 2011, my love and passion for the Harry Potter series began. Only ten years off the mark of being a fan from the beginning, I've only just begun to read the first two books, hadn't seen any of the movies, and watched the series explode from afar.

There really wasn't any particular reason for me to be excited for the last movie, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two, and yet I was. In my gut, there was a feeling that I couldn't let the last movie pass by without going to theaters to see it. And, so I did (four times). Looking back on the past year, I can honestly say that I'm not sure who was I before my love for Harry Potter started.

As a newbie fan, I definitely feel the divide and debate within the community about what it means or takes to be a Potterhead: read the books before watching the movies, read the books period, had to read each book as it came out, like certain ships, dislike other ships, Ron and Harry are the only true pairing, etc. I've definitely gotten my ears full o fans who can't fathom how I became a fan so late in the fandom's lifespan.

As a 2nd year student, I have a lot of regrets. I never got to stand in line for the midnight releases for the books or movies, from my own golden trio (newbie fans are hard to find these days), live out the phenomenon as it happened.  These are things that I'll forever regret never being able to do.

But, I am reading the books. I have seen the movies. There are some experiences I had which I feel are kismet at the time I became a fan, which might not have happened any other way. I regretted not being able to see all the movies on the big screen, and then I got to participate in the HP Celebration Screenings. Dream come true.

In the things I can't ever do, I hold my biggest regrets. In the things I've done and can't wait to do I'm reminded how much love I have to give to the series like finally reading the rest of the series for the first time. Behind the sobering thought that every fan's journey is different than the next, there is still that longing to go back in time and experience it all again....

How do you measure a fan's passion?

Which Quidditch Position Would You Play?

I'd always heard about Quidditch and seen it in the movies, but until reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone I hadn't really understood the rules and positions. Of course, after reading how Harry outbroomed Draco during flying class and was given instructions by Oliver Wood, my thoughts runneth away about which position I could snag had I been a member of the Gryffindor team. Let the dissection begin!

Beater - There were never really activities in gym class which required me to have considerable upperarm strength - a must for a beater! So I can only guesstimate that a beater should have the physical strength between opening a jar of pickles without help to a good pitcher's arm like in baseball. I definitely have neither so batting away bludgers for an entire match might not be the best place for me. Especially since the decent balance I have is to keep myself upright while walking, I probably couldn't swing and fly at the same time....

Chaser - A position for athletes who are given the responsibility of scoring team points by swinging the Quaffle through the three-hoops of the opposite team. I pretty much excelled at every sport growing up besides basketball. No matter how close I positioned myself to the hoops, I never succeeded in getting one through- and that was with two feet on the ground. Though aiming the Quaffle at three hoops would probably add odds in my favor, I think I'll need something a little more stationery...

Seeker - The main attraction to this position, since I am a fellow Gryffindor, is to follow in Harry's footsteps and seek Golden Snitch. However, the skills of a seeker tend to go on the fast side and there is a major realization that scoring an upset victory would rest on my shoulders. Chasing after a fly ball in baseball was never my forte...However, hitting it on the other hand...

Keeper - is definitely something I can do! To be a keeper is to protect the three goal posts from the opposite team attempting to score. Any game where I could hit a ball was something I excelled at - give me a goal post to protect and I'll succeed. Though the heaviness of the gear does make me worry about how long I could last batting back and forth between the three hoops, I definitely think it's something I would get used to! So, for me, Keeper it is! :D

Which Quidditch position most suits you? Or is your rightful place cheering others on from the stands?