Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone reread + Giveaway!!!

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They were the last people you'd expect to be involved in anything strange or mysterious, because they just didn't hold with such nonsense."  - Chapter 1, page 1

Like I mentioned in my last post, it's been a long time since I reread Harry Potter - particularly the Sorcerer's Stone which might actually be the book I've reread the least. I actually forgot just how short this particular book was. Reading it again was like looking back at photo albums of when I was little. Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and Neville) are freaking adorable in their first year. By the way, did you ever notice that whenever Harry could he gave chocolate to people who were upset? He did this for Neville and Hagrid and this is pre-Professor Lupin and it's adorable.

(Side note which basically has nothing to do with anything: My copy of the Sorcerer's Stone - the same one I've had since I was eight - smells really good. That's weird, I know, and I'm not usually a book sniffer but for some unknown reason it smells like libraries with a hint of vanilla and coffee.)

Reading along with Pottermore was surprisingly more fun that I thought it would be. At first, the site basically confused me. I had no idea how to fill the progress bar at the bottom of every chapter and I could never find all the little hidden notes and clues in the pictures. They are seriously well hidden sometimes! Particularly in library scenes. But about a third of the way in, I got the hang of it and it became a lot of fun. I've earned a total or 74 house points for Ravenclaw just by following along and I collected a bunch of fun chocolate frog cards. I also learned a lot of random things about the series and characters that I didn't know before like the Sorting Hat originally belonged to Godric Gryffindor and is skilled at Legilimency (which makes sense, I just never put that together). Also, did you know that one of Professor Quirrell's hobbies (before he had Voldemort on the back of his head, of course) was pressing wild flowers? Like, what?! That was so random, it literally made me laugh out loud when I read it. Professor McGonagall's backstory was also really interesting to read about - sad, but really interesting. If you're an HP fan, I definitely suggest you fiddle around on Pottermore at some point. It's fun I promise.

 Now onto the fun stuff... like I promised in my last post:

I'm doing a giveaway!!

I'll be giving away one boxset of The Hogwarts Library Collection. It's the new(ish) boxset that includes the pretty, hardcover versions of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages and also The Tales of Beetle the Bard. So if you haven't had the chance to add these to your Harry Potter collection, now's your chance at doing so.

Unfortunately, I don't have the funds to cover international shipping so the giveaway is for US only. 

Good luck everyone!


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