"I remember it now, and I know that it was the effluence of fine intellect, of true courage..." ~ Jane Eyre

The conversation about character ensued once again yesterday between me and the Prince. The Prince told me he was rethinking my placement, and expressed to me that perhaps I should also be in Gryffindor since...well...there is a lot of Hermione in me. At first I scoffed at this. Me? But then realized the fact that my Friday nights spent in the Hofstra University library studying was not going to help me in this argument. Nor were the facts of my bookish ways, sense of confidence, and corrective ways when it comes to instructing others. Still, I thought I belonged in Ravenclaw, so I took four different Harry Potter personality quizzes online this morning to confirm that. It confirmed something, all right.

I am Hermione.

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Last night the Prince and I decided to stay in and watch the first film, and after we got off the phone I had some ideas in my head to surprise him with and make it a special evening. First, my goal was to have butterbeer and pumpkin pie for dessert. Then I started thinking about how fun it would be to decorate a bit and use plates and napkins as part of that. Then I started thinking even more about decorating, and this is what I did:

- put a black light in my floor lamp

- lit candles everywhere

- placed spider tablecloth on table along with matching spider plates and cups

- decorated table with fake eyeballs

- purchased clear skeleton mugs for butterbeer

- got Griffyndor scarf and Harry glasses to put on the Prince as a surprise

We decided to get comfort food from our favorite local pub as takeout - burgers and spinach and artichoke dip. I had Beck's Oktoberfest beer and Smutty Nose Pumpkin Ale in my refrigerator. I also had gone to the liquor store to get Butterscotch Schnapps to make butterbeer. When he arrived, I closed the door so he couldn't see what I had done and told him to close his eyes. I led him in and then placed the scarf and glasses on him and had him open his eyes. It was a wonderful evening and I am excited to continue our plans to read the books and watch the films together. As for the butterbeer, we both loved it: one part butterscotch schnapps on ice to four parts vanilla cream soda. Mmmmm.

"Raven-black, and so becomingly arranged..." ~ Jane Eyre

A few weeks ago the Prince and I made a pact to re-read the entire Harry Potter series together and then watch the films together after each book and discuss. We have completed Book I and are into Book II and shall watch the first film together this weekend. One of the conversations we already had was what house we would be in if we were Hogwart students. There is a small song sung by the sorting hat in chapter seven of the first book where the hat describes the characteristics of the students in each house. My Prince would certainly be placed in Gryffindor by the hat: "You might belong in Gryffindor, Where dwell the brave at heart, Their daring, nerve, and chivalry Set Gryffindors apart." Well, I refer to him as my Prince and knight-in-shining armor for a reason, and he would certainly be a part of that house without question. (Of course there is a little Slytherin in both of us, but that is what makes for fun in a relationship.) We then discussed my placement, and it was agreed that I would probably be a student in Ravenclaw: "Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, If you've a ready mind, Where those of wit and learning, Will always find their kind."

So its a damp, rainy, and lazy Autumn Saturday afternoon and I am sipping coffee and eating chunks of fresh challah bread and browsing Harry Potter-related websites. First I look for scarves - a website sells scarves with the crest for all the houses, Ravenclaw included in lovely dark blue stripes. When we watch the second and third movies, I want to make recipes from the book to eat and drink as we watch. Some recipes I found included ones for pumpkin pasties and butter beer. Pumpkin pasties are basically savory pumpkin hot pockets and the main interpretation of butter beer is butterscotch schnapps and cream soda. I must admit that some of my favorite descriptions in J.K. Rowling's books are when she talks of the feasts and banquets at Hogwarts. Dumbledore is a man after my own heart, for at the end of book II, he calls for a feast to celebrate with a mentality I share: We came, we battled, we won...lets eat!

Of course we are also counting down the months until 2010 when The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opens at Universal Orlando. I already know I am going to start working overtime to save for that trip and make it special for the Prince after he finishes his LLM and the exam that goes along with it. I have been on the website frequently and must admit that the restaurant descriptions there excite me just as much as the attraction descriptions!

http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

http://www.harrygear.com/index.html

http://www.britta.com/hogwarts/recipes.html

"My whim is gratified..." ~ Jane Eyre

As a child, I read plenty of fantasy fiction, from Tolkien to Lewis to Juster. One of my favorite movies was The Last Unicorn, which, ironically, I just learned that Christopher Lee was the voice of King Haggard (whom I recall in animation looked a lot like Mr. Burns from The Simpsons). To this day, I remember the lyrics to the song; I had watched the film dozens of times and am still disappointed to know that the rumors of a remake are false; they started back in 2005 and nothing has come to fruition.

Once I became a teenager, I pretty much abandoned fantasy fiction, and during college was pretentious and became all about the canon. I don't even really recall reading current fiction during my college years; it was strictly the classics until I started teaching. The most recent return to fantasy fiction was, of course, thanks to Harry, Hermione, and Ron. Still, they are the only characters I have read about in fantasy fiction as an adult until recently...

One of the first things my boyfriend and I started sharing when we began dating are books. We are both avid readers, though our taste in fiction differs, which makes sharing books all the more exciting. He is a fantasy fiction reader, and when he told me about a particular series last Sunday, I asked if I could borrow them.

On Tuesday night, I came home after a long day of recruiting to two books with a note from him that meant the world to me. The books that were left to borrow are by Naomi Novik who writes the Temeraire series. http://www.temeraire.org/ I am already halfway through His Majesty's Dragon and am so glad there are three more books after this one, because I am devouring it. I highly recommend the book to fellow bloggers. This is the first time in a long time that I am reading fantasy fiction, and I am enjoying it on so many levels, one being that I am experiencing books that he enjoys so very much. I feel that a passion I had as a child is renewed once again thanks to him.