Recommitting Yourself to “Potter”
May is Recommitment Month, the time to feel old love flare to life with new passion. Now, obviously some people will be celebrating this with a significant other, but if you’re like me and Potter is your one true love, here are some ways you can rekindle the flame, as inspired by the seven Harry Potter books.
1. Join Something New
In Sorcerer’s Stone, Harry discovers his love for magic when he’s dropped into a brand new environment, which we experienced alongside him. Well, now it’s time to recapture that initial thrill and amazement by joining something new. This could mean going to a con you’ve never been to before or maybe joining a Quidditch team. The point is for it to be different so you can rediscover and fall in love with this magical series all over again.
2. Do a Dramatic Reading
So we all love the books, but when was the last time you physically reread all of them? Well, to make the experience even more amazing this time, try channeling Gilderoy Lockhart. Sure, he was a total fraud, but he did know how to put on a good show, as evidenced by the dramatic readings he did in his classes. It doesn’t matter if you’re alone or with friends, in front of an audience or only your mirror. Just make sure you have fun with it.
3. Connect with Your Past
Part of the recommitment process is remembering all the great times you’ve had in the past. So just like Remus Lupin and Sirius Black got a chance to catch up, you too can reconnect with your past. You can play this out in a couple of ways. Maybe you want to reach out to old fandom friends you haven’t talked to in a while. Or maybe just look back at your old fan fiction/fan art. After all, they’re not that embarrassing. Well, probably.
4. Make a Cosplay
Here we are taking inspiration from Barty Crouch, Jr. by becoming someone else. Sadly, Polyjuice Potion is in short supply, though, so we have to go another route. And this means cosplay! Cosplay is a great way to show your love for the series, and anyone can do it. Whether you hand stitch everything or just order something off the Internet, every cosplay is fantastic. And once you’ve had the chance to step into the shoes of a character you admire, you’ll remember why you love them so much.
5. Organize a Duel
Just because you can’t shoot actual spells does not make this impossible. Just meet up with a group of friends and prepare to spend a ridiculous evening together as you pretend to duel and throw spells at each other, just as the students in Dumbledore’s Army would have. You can do this by simply shouting the spells at each other, throwing yarn to mimic the different colored spells, or whatever other creative idea you can come up with. You guys will figure it out.
6. Make Your Own Cooking Creations
In the absence of a cauldron, an oven will do. Just as the Half-Blood Prince was able to get creative with potions, so will you with cooking. This is your chance to come up with your very own tasty Harry Potter-inspired creations. Maybe you’ll decide to create something entirely of your own invention, or like Snape, you’ll just be making improvements to already existing recipes. Either way, it will be delicious.
7. Mourn What You’ve Lost, and Then Look at What’s to Come
The Final Battle took a lot of great characters with it, and there’s no shame in crying about that. So take a moment to revisit those characters and maybe sniffle a bit. As you do, reflect on what it felt like to read the seventh book for the first time, that sense of loss we all felt as the series ended, the realization that such a large part of our lives was over. But then, dry your eyes and remember that it wasn’t really the end. Just look at Cursed Child or Fantastic Beasts! No, we’ve just moved to the next great adventure, and I, for one, can’t wait to see where it takes me.
