One Year On: Re-reading Harry Potter

In exactly on month from now, I’ll be sitting on a plane. It’ll be a flight from Detroit to Chicago, and the final leg of a long journey that will take me from my home in England to the delights of Terminus 2008, a Harry Potter conference that’ll span the following weekend. While I anticipate much fun and antics resulting from my fellow Leaky staffers and I meeting and, in some cases, reuniting, I do also expect a certain level of Potter discussion, from the basics to the more complex realms of inquiry. So, being the persistent person I am, I decided to read the entire series again before this date fell upon me.

Well, that was the plan at least. The reality is that I started this epic read over a month ago, and now it’s 11:20 at night and I’ve just finished Chamber of Secrets before sitting down at my computer to type out this blog. Now I have just a month to read the five remaining books in the Harry Potter series, four of which are of considerable size as you will know. But that is what happens when you work full time, (for the summer at least), and also like to continue to enjoy new works by strange authors. Time isn’t just for Harry any more. But still, this is what I wanted to blog about and so I will. Let’s just pretend I’m coming into this from a enlightening reread, my head full of interesting and unique observations.

This past year, for me, has been about university. I went into my first year and survived. But the level of work, (and the numerous trips to the pub), left me with little time to visit my friend Harry Potter, so until I picked up my copy of Philosopher’s stone last month, the last time I read one of the books was towards the end of last summer while I was still in a state of constantly re-reading the latest instalment. This reread is my first time experiencing the entire series while already knowing the outcome, and with that fact, comes a great deal of change in the way I read the books.

Each time a new Potter book reached my hands, the way I viewed the series shifted. Knowing what the next step of the journey was certainly made me see certain scenes in a different light, and made me focus on the new clues we had been given and how they fitted into the overall arc of the series. The exception to that rule is Deathly Hallows, because the release of the final book eradicated any need for me to go back through the many pages and look for the clues, because the mystery was solved and the answers were given. I think that sort of shift is evident across the internet and on forums. The topic of conversation has shifted away from hidden meanings and subtle allusions to focus more on character features and plot progressions. And if a thread appears that tries to expose the next great mystery of the Harry Potter series slips through the cracks, the replies demonstrate a strong “who cares?” attitude. The story has been told, we know what we’re getting. We’re done.

At least in one respect anyway. Clearly I haven’t moved on, or I wouldn’t be sitting here writing down my thoughts on the series a year after the answers were given to us. Clearly some part of me is holding on to the books I still love. I’ve noticed already, that re-reading the series is very much like slipping into a warm bath. It’s predictable, reliable and soothing, almost a type of therapy. I know how each chapter will make me feel. I know when my favourite characters pop up and issue a joke or two. I know parts to cheer me up in my darkest moment, and I know where to find chapters that will have me in awe of Jo Rowling’s brilliance.

With books, we only have one shot at been shocked and moved by the twists and turns to the highest intensity that is possible. There’s no way that I’m going to sit down tomorrow to read Prisoner of Azkaban and be shocked when Peter Pettigrew appears. That shock was reserved for my first time reading the book and I will never experience that again. Hence why spoilers are something so many of us try to avoid at all costs, because the first time reading a book is an experience that can be so powerful that it’s hard to replicate or even replace. But there are some moments that can be enjoyed time and time again. Personally, every time I read Harry first’s flying lesson I remember the same rush of exhilaration and excitement, matching Harry’s, that I felt nine years ago when my eyes first crossed that page. No matter how many times I’ve read that passage, I’ve always had that same sense of joy and that’s never changed. The same can be said when Harry takes to the air against the dragon in Goblet of Fire. I dunno, I guess it’s something about flying. But this proves that Jo has created and epic piece of work that can be enjoyed time and time again, even though certain factors will lose their impact through the sheer matter of experience.

I have thoroughly enjoyed every single Harry Potter book. Every chapter has been a joy to read and I hope to continue that tradition for years to come. When I come back to the books, I’m not looking for the same shocks and twists that I experienced when I first read them, but for an escape into a land that I know can entertain me, with characters that feel like old friends. In delivering seven superb pieces of literature to the public, J.K. Rowling has not only ensured her place in literary history, but she has also promised me many years of enjoyable reads, waiting for me on my shelf, knowing that my good old friend Harry will always be there for me when I need him.