Harry Potter Tag

In honor of the Patronus quiz launching on Pottermore, I figured I would start this blog post that I first began ages ago. (Before you ask, my Patronus is a badger!) When I saw that Sarah had done the Harry Potter Tag, I really didn’t have a choice but to do my own. Before we saw Harry Potter and the Cursed Child last month in London, I reread all seven books, so they’ve been on my mind lately. I’m a big Harry Potter fan, (but you probably already knew that) and for a Libra who hates making decisions, this tag was really difficult.

1 – Favourite book?

And right out of the gate a nearly impossible question to answer. Surprisingly, I think my favorite is Goblet of Fire, which I don’t remember necessarily loving when I first read it but loved something fierce when I recently reread it.

2 – Least favourite book?

I feel like the “correct” answer to this question is Chamber of Secrets, but I think I liked it even better than Sorcerer’s Stone, so we’ll go with the very first one.

3 – Favourite movie?

My typical answer to this question is Prisoner of Azkaban because it’s a gorgeous film, and I love it, but I think I may have to change my answer to Half-Blood Prince. I think they did a good job of keeping the really relevant pieces of the plot while still giving us a glimpse of the characters’ lives and relationships.

4 – Least favourite movie?

Goblet of Fire. Where’d the story go? We get three Triwizard tasks but no S.P.E.W., no relationship development, no Winky, no bad ass Hermione trapping a person in a jar?

5 – Favourite quote?

How are you supposed to choose just one? (Alright, I did.)

“Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic.” – Albus Dumbledore

6 – Favourite Weasley?

Ron. I feel like he doesn’t get enough love. If you ever find yourself thinking “was Ron really that great?,” go back and read the books again because yes, he really was.

7 – Favourite female character?

Hermione. Yes, I know it’s predictable, but she’s smart, she’s kind, she’s fearless. I’m a bit of a fan.

8 – Favourite villain?

Using the word “favorite” very lightly, I would say Umbridge. She is the absolute worst, and I love how Rowling makes us hate her just as much as we hate Voldemort even though she’s not “the villain.”

9 – Favourite male character?

I have such a soft spot for Draco Malfoy. I don’t quite believe he ever gets a chance to form his own opinions or make his own decisions, but you know he’ll be feeling the consequences of his actions during the war for the rest of his life.

10 – Favourite professor?

McGonagall. She is an insanely gifted witch, and her students learn a lot from her. Also, you know she loves them all dearly despite how strict she is in class.

11 – Would you rather A) wash Snape’s hair or B) spend a day listening to Lockhart rant about himself?

Lockhart. There’s no way I could do something so intimate-feeling with Snape. Plus how many times are we treated to a description of his greasy hair?

12 – Would you rather duel A) an elated Bellatrix or B) an angry Molly?

Not sure there’s a good answer to this question, but maybe Bellatrix? If Molly’s angrily dueling someone, it’s probably because her family is somehow threatened, and I don’t see how I would get out of that situation with all of my limbs intact.

13 – Would you rather travel to Hogwarts via A) Hogwarts Express or B) Flying Car?

HOGWARTS EXPRESS. We really don’t have enough trains in the U.S.

14 – Would you rather A) Kiss Voldemort or B) give Umbridge a bubble bath?

Are we talking Voldemort or Tom Riddle? Because I could probably survive kissing Tom Riddle.

15 – Would you rather A) ride a Hippogriff or B) ride a Firebolt?

Definitely Hippogriff. I have a feeling I would do about as well with riding a broom as Hermione does.

16 – Is there a character you felt differently about in the movies?

Without a doubt, Ginny. Did the screenwriters just skip over every part with Ginny in the books? By limiting the screen time of both Quidditch and the Weasley family as a whole, they didn’t give her any opportunities to showcase the personality and spunk that Rowling wrote for her. I mean, they might as well have changed her name to “Harry Potter’s girlfriend.” Her character is my least favorite thing about the movie series.

17 – Is there a movie you preferred to the book?

Blasphemy!

18 – Richard Harris or Michael Gambon as Dumbledore?

Michael Gambon. Was everything perfect? NO HE DIDN’T PUT HIS NAME IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE, OKAY. But he gave new life to the character, and I came to love him.

19 – Your top thing (person or event) that wasn’t in the movie that you wanted there the most?

I lived for the Marauders in the Pensieve scenes in Goblet of Fire because we got to see the dynamic between the boys and Lily and James. The one memory montage that we got just fell short for me.

Also, Winky. Poor, alcoholic Winky.

20 – If you could remake any of the Harry Potter movies which would it be?

I feel like it’s way too soon to be thinking about remakes…

21 – Which house was your first gut feeling you’d be a part of?

Ravenclaw. Wit beyond measure and all that jazz.

22 – Which house were you actually sorted into on Pottermore?

Ravenclaw

23 – Which class would be your favourite?

I honestly don’t know why, but I’ve always thought I would enjoy Transfiguration.

24 – Which spell do you think would be most useful to learn?

Apparition. Think of all the commuting time I could cut out of my day!

25 – Which character do you think you’d instantly become friends with?

Dean Thomas. That boy doesn’t get enough credit.

26 – If you could own one of the three Hallows, which would it be?

The invisibility cloak. Isn’t that the obvious choice? 😉

27 – Is there any aspect of the books you’d want to change?

Not of the books themselves, though I think I am about ready to be done with the epilogues and “later in their lives” stories unless they’re going to be written by Rowling herself. (Cursed Child was an extraordinary piece of theatre magic, but I still don’t know how I feel about the play itself.)

28 – Favourite Marauder?

Such a difficult question, but I feel pretty good about choosing Lupin. He’s my runner-up for favorite teacher, and I just want to hug him and never let go when I think about his post-Hogwarts life. If you can read his story on Pottermore without tearing up, you might not have a soul.

29 – If you could bring one character back to life, which would it be?

ONLY ONE?! Okay, Fred. The world needs more Freds.

30 – Hallows or Horcruxes?

Hallows. All day, Hallows.