Harry Potter Mania

Unless you've been hiding in the Forbidden Forest with the centaurs (and really, who could blame you), you know that today it all ends. The last Harry Potter movie played across the nation at 12:01am last night. It is the end of an epic journey. The eight films were a monumental undertaking. I'm practically bouncing in my seat in anticipation of seeing The Deathly Hallows, Part 2 in less than eleven hours. I'm also sad. This is the last time I will don my Ravenclaw costume and stand in line to see a Harry Potter movie. Sigh.

So. I'm making today Harry Potter Day. To kick things off here's a round-up of some stories, crafts, and recipes. I've read each one of these and didn't see any spoilers for The Deathly Hallows, Part 2.

How To Make Butterbeer - You've been wanting to make butterbeer for a decade. Now is the time. This video is step by step and easy to follow. Cheers!

Lord Voldemort Responds to Critics - Ralph Fiennes talks about what it meant to him to play an evil character. "How “evil” is Lord Voldemort? He’s a demonic spirit. He’s a satanic force. Young Voldemort was an orphan and denied any kind of parental affection or love, so he’s been an isolated figure from a very young age."

Daniel Radcliffe's Life as Harry Potter - An exhaustive gallery that shows us just how much Daniel Radcliffe has grown up while playing the Boy Who Lived.

Hermione Granger: Minority Geek Girl - An essay about Hermione's path and her importance in the story.

Instructables Harry Potter Round-Up - I think it would be lovely to spend a weekend picking from this big list of HP crafts and food how-tos.

Good-bye Letter to Harry Potter - A touching good-bye letter to the young wizard and the series. This really captured a lot of why the series has meant so much to me.

A Few Questions About Harry Potter - This tongue-in-cheek list of unanswered questions in the world of HP cracked me up. One example: "How did Hufflepuff become known as the short-bus house? The books are neutral on the badger house occupants — but it’s a conclusion fans seem to have come to all on their own. Groundswell!"
The comments that thought the author really wanted the questions answered are equally funny.

The Evolution of Neville Longbottom - You need to read this just to see how that kid has grown from an awkward boy to a smoking young man.

Harry Potter is My Star Wars - Some kids grew up wanting to be a Jedi, and others waited for an owl to show up with their Hogwarts letter.

My Favorite Scenes in Harry Potter - Full disclosure: I wrote this one. I picked out my favorite scene from each movie and reminisced. I'm going to miss this films.

Finally, a goose bump inducing video from Warner Bros. that summarizes each movie.