Standing On Boxes

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

(Why yes, I do have the American/US edition of this book. How did you guess. It’s a bit worn. Very ‘read’ looking. 1st US Edition – 38th printing if I read it correctly. Someday it’ll fall apart completely. I read it to my daughter – six years ago – I think?)

Right from when they meet on Harry’s eleventh birthday, Hagrid seems to be the High Priest/Fan Number One of the Potter cult. His attitude already bugs me and I’m only a third of the way through the book.

Pg. 84-85 – There are apparently only three wand cores used by Ollivanders in their wands. (Not that we ever see more than one ‘Ollivander’ employee – but Mr. Ollivander himself keeps saying “we”.) Any more is non-canon (Fanfic writers, of the BtVS crossover sort, like to add in vampire blood, slayer hair, and other BtVS related things. Not an issue in my one HP crossover since none of the BtVS characters (OC or not) in that fic series will be getting wands if I can help it.)

• unicorn hairs
• phoenix tail feathers
• heartstrings of dragons

Assorted different kinds of wood: beech-wood, ebony, maple, holly, yew, oak, willow, mahogany.

• Harry’s – holly and phoenix feathers
• Voldemort’s – yew and phoenix feathers
• Hagrid – oak
• Lily Potter – willow
• James Potter – mahogany
• Ron Weasley – pg. 105 – unicorn hair (Charlie Weasley’s old wand)
• Hermione? No idea…

Notice how we only find out the wand core of a few select wands at this point?

Wand length and flexibility also seems to be a factor in wizarding wand use/power… or so Mr. Ollivander seems to imply. And how many wands does he sell if he charges Harry 7 galleons for his wand… and still stay in business?

I’ll comment on other wand makers as we find out about them later in the series.

Ron seems to be Harry’s guide to things wizarding…

Let’s not forget they (Harry, Ron, and Hermione (and Neville, Draco, etc) are only 11 when this book starts.

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Is it a trio or is it really a foursome? Half way through the first book… and Neville has so far had as much ‘screen time’ with Ron and Harry as Hermione.

Okay… running around the castle in a pink bathrobe? Poor Hermione… but did anyone notice that she grabs Harry’s wand and uses it to unlock a door? The first instance of a witch/wizard being able to use someone else’s wand? Can everyone do that? We’ll see… maybe.

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Poor Neville… how many times will he get caught up in problems caused by Harry Potter and Co. So far, we have:

• Getting beat up by Crabb and Goyle at the Quidditch match
• Getting detention and losing 50 points because he tried to warn Harry about Malfoy

Unicorn blood? Ew… and why was Hermione embarrassed by the Centaurs? She’s not even a teenager yet…

The second half of the book is going by very quickly…

Interesting how they suspect Snape of badness… something they never really get over…

Nearing the end… Ron Weasley seems to be the practical one/voice of reason. Whenever Hermione and Harry are freaking out or have no idea what to do next… Ron rescues them.

Not many thoughts at the end…

Harry doesn’t see much of Dumbledore or even his office his first year…

Seems like an innocent tale at this point… we know evil Voldemort is out there but Harry and Co. don’t seem too concerned yet.

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[20-Jul-2005]
Before I forget – Hmmm… it was very nice of Hagrid to put together that photo album for Harry (He contacted friends of Harry’s parents… so the pictures won’t be too personal… just the kind you share with friends.)

Okay… JKR’s website has info on Hermione and Ron’s wands – wood and core. But that might be considered cheating to mention it here…

Okay… I actually bought a copy of the new Harry Potter book. But I want to reread the first five books first. It’s been a while… so some thoughts this week as I reread it all…

Note: These will simply be my semi-random observations and comments. For real in-depth Harry Potter info (Including spoilers for Book Six) check out the Harry Potter Lexicon

It’ll take me a week or so to read them…