Books That Make Me Emotional

What is the one scene in a book that has had the most emotional effect on you?  I've read many things that made me emotional before, but there's no doubt that my answer to this question would be the entirely of the Into the Forest Again chapter of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.  There's not one scene in a book that has had as much of an effect on me as that one.  If you've read the Harry Potter series, then I don't think I have to explain why.  I don't think anyone who's made it through the entire series can be unemotional when they reach that chapter.

I'm planning on beginning reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green tonight, and I've heard that it's a pretty emotional book, so maybe I'll have a different answer soon.  I doubt it though.  The Fault in Our Stars will probably make me cry, and I have no doubt it will be emotional.  I don't think it can rival Harry Potter though.  It's not anything against John's writing, but the biggest reason Into the Forest Again had such an effect on me was that it was nearing the end of a seven book series that I'd read since I was eight.  Still, I imagine I'm going to be bawling my eyes out soon.  I don't know whether I should be looking forward to it or not.

Horcruxes or Hallows

Harry has to make an important decision in Deathly Hallows.  He has to decide whether to search for the horcruxes or the hallows.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione were split on which they should go after, but of course, they finally chose to continue searching for the horcruxes.  And everyone who's read the book or watched the movies knows this turns out to be the right choice.  I can't help but wonder which I would have chosen to look for.  Would I have continued looking for horcruxes, knowing Voldemort needed to be destroyed, or would I have been too tempted to go after the hallows? 

The honest answer is I have no idea.  I like to think I would have continued searching for horcruxes, but I have to admit that the hallows sound incredibly cool.  I'll never know which I would have chosen of course. 

One thing I can tell you: if I was forced to choose between one of the three hallows, I'd choose the invisibility cloak.  I'm not saying that because it's supposed to be the wisest choice.  I've just always wanted to become invisible.  It's always my answer to what superpower I'd like to have.  (And it was one of my answers during the sorting quiz on Pottermore.)  I'm probably one of the few who wouldn't be that interested in having an undefeatable want.  That just screams trouble.  I don't want anything to do with that.  I would pass on the resurrection stone.  I've lost loved ones, but I'm happy to let them stay in peace.  I know nothing good could come from bringing them back.  As it says in Deathly Hallows, they no longer belong in this world.  The cloak though, I'd definitely want to try it out.  It's the only hallow I'd have the slightest trouble resisting.

Favorite Harry Potter Movie

Over the years my favorite Harry Potter movie has changed numerous times.  For a while, my favorite Harry Potter movie was just the latest one.  As I got a little older, I began to constantly describe Prisoner of Azkaban as my favorite film because I found myself watching it almost every week (compared to every month or so).  I still absolutely love Prisoner of Azkaban and consider it one of my favorites, but over the past few years it's been over shadowed by the last three films.

Even though Prisoner of Azkaban was my favorite, it's also the one I complain about the most.  I mean, where's the Marauder's backstory!?  I think that's the reason it slipped lower on the list.  I love the way the last three films were done, and there weren't any major changes that I got really upset about.  If the Marauder's story was in PoA it would probably still be my top Harry Potter film.

Out of the last three, I think Deathly Hallows Part II is currently my favorite.  I say currently because I don't feel like I've seen it enough to firmly proclaim it as my favorite.  I only saw it twice in theaters, and I definitely need to see it more before saying it's my absolute favorite.  From my two viewings, I think it'll be able to stay at the top after a million and more viewings.  I thought the whole movie was beautiful and brilliant.  Were things cut and changed?  Yes, but none of it was done in a way that ruined the story.  Were things added?  Yes, but I thought they did it really well.  Things were different, but it was still very true to the story J.K. Rowling created.

Although I don't want to inscribe it in concrete yet, I'm fairly confident that Deathly Hallows Part II will be my favorite Harry Potter movie for years to come.  (But I want to say that I love them all so much, and it's very hard to choose between them.)

My Reaction to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

Last Thursday evening I got the opportunity to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 early at LeakyCon.  It was four hours before the movie would be released on the east coast.  I loved being able to see the movie in a theater full of Harry Potter fans.  They weren't even normal fans.  These were people who love Harry Potter so much that they came to a Harry Potter conference.  For about fifteen minutes before the movie started, a bunch of people in the theater were singing wizard rock songs.  It was amazing.

My feelings may change after multiple re-watchings and discussions, but as of right now, it's my favorite Harry Potter movie.  I loved how fast everything seemed to go.  It in no way felt like a more than two hour movie.  Plus, it was amazing to finally see the conclusion of the Harry Potter series in movie form.  It was even more amazing to watch it in a theater with people who cheered and cried at moments that non-fans wouldn't have.  (The crying at certain points was incredibly loud.  You can't really blame people, but I'll admit that it was a little distracting.)

There were many things that were completely different from the book, but this is the first movie where I can say that I think a majority of the changes were for the better.  (Although there were still one or two things I would have liked to seen added in or changes that just seemed off.)

I love books, and I'll always prefer them to movies.  Still, there a certain things that always look really cool when seen on-screen, such as epic battle scenes.  The movie didn't match anything that I'd had in my head, but it's interpretation of the books was still amazing and incredibly fun to watch.  I'm going to see it again with my family tomorrow, and I can't wait to see it again.  It's going to be so much fun talking about their reactions to the movie afterwards (only my dad has read the books).