A Guide to Your Next “Harry Potter” Reread
Only a matter of days ago, 19 Years Later came around and we were all heading back to Hogwarts. September, especially early September, is a wonderful time to be a Potter fan since the rampant energy of so many people longing to be in that beautiful Scottish castle is, needless to say, magical. While some of us may be a little too old to go to Hogwarts now, we’ll always wait for our letters. As Rowling says, “Whether you come back by page or screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.” Now more than ever, a reread of Harry Potter feels particularly appropriate, so why not maximize the thrill of another reread with these extra additions?
Alohomora!
Alohomora! is MuggleNet’s Harry Potter reread podcast, going through a chapter each week, every week, for four years. Although the podcast has now moved on to other topics and is instead biweekly, every single episode is still available on the website for you to download and absorb. If you want your next reread to be a more critical one, analyzing Harry Potter from all angles and criticisms, then grab a pair of earphones and get downloading! Alohomora! will make you see the series like never before. For the most fulfilling experience, listen after each chapter, or in bulk after each few!
Harry Potter Movie Marathon
When you’ve inhaled the final word of each and every book, and the dust has settled, the magic still isn’t over! Though these adaptations are adaptations, and ergo will never be wholly accurate, they are as close as we will ever possibly get to seeing the magic right before our eyes. You have the option of watching each movie after its corresponding book or blitzing through them all in one go at the end. Beware, though: The latter will take severe Slytherin determination and the intense will to not fall asleep. Accurate or not, the movies bring a whole new dimension to Harry Potter with the music, costumes, and phenomenal CGI. How these movies didn’t get Oscars, we’ll never know. Nevertheless, they’re the perfect accompaniment to your next reread!
Butterbeer
Admittedly, butterbeer is an acquired taste. Like rock cakes and pumpkin juice, some love it and some hate it. Although this is a drink exclusive to the theme parks and studio tour, and sadly they refuse to give out the recipe, there is a plethora of recipes online and even here, on MuggleNet, for you to try and make your own. As long as there are no overfills or spills, like a Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Bean, this butterscotch-flavored drink is a fantastic companion to each and every novel. If you don’t want the drink form, then why not mix it into an ice cream or cake?! Tip: For maximum enjoyment, butterbeer would best be consumed alongside Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Prisoner of Azkaban and Half-Blood Prince!
Illustrated Editions
Again, to each their own, but Jim Kay’s illustrations in the illustrated Harry Potter series are astoundingly vivid and enchanting in their own form of inky magic. So much care and detail have gone into every single image that one can’t help but fall in love with this new format. Not only are these illustrations bewitching with their illuminating colors, but they also totally abide by Rowling’s descriptions of the characters. Unlike in the movies, Ron has a long nose, and Hermione has a bushy mane. This feels like the closest we could ever get to the appearances of our favorite characters! While only Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets are currently available, it’s only a matter of weeks before Prisoner of Azkaban is released. Following this, hopefully, one will still continue to be released every year. So sit tight, and lose yourself once again in the first three volumes of Harry Potter!
What do you do to get the most out of your Harry Potter rereads?
