Harry Potter And The Writer In Boston

Had Harry Potter been around when I was a kid, my mother would never have let me watch the movies because they were too scary and violent.

As an adult, I somehow managed to avoid reading one page of Harry Potter, or seeing any of the movies, in deference to my mother’s wishes. Until now.

My youngest thought it would be a good idea if we watched all eight Harry Potter movies back to back to back, along with “making of Harry Potter” documentaries and other supporting material.

I always admired J.K. Rowling for her ability to get kids to lug around and actually read big books, but I never knew what a genius she was until now.

My youngest is a Harry Potter connoisseur, which means that every time I ask her, “Was that in the book?” she can answer from her deep wealth of Harry Potter knowledge.

And yes, everything in the movies was originally in the books.

I’m in awe of the whole thing.

But I do have questions.

Why does Bellatrix dress like a Marvel superhero, when everyone else, good or bad, dresses modestly?

Did she wander into the wrong film?

No, daddy, she’s in the book just like that.

If these people are so good at spells and wizardry, why can’t they keep themselves from getting killed, or, once killed, why can’t they be brought back to life?

Why does Dumbledore choose so many disloyal or incompetent people to teach at the school?

Couldn’t he find better instructors on Upward or Fiverr?

Why does Hermione Granger look so pained all the time?

Doesn’t anything ever go right in her life?

Why would parents let their children go to such a dangerous school?

Are the 99% of the students at Hogwarts really cut out to be wizards?

Most of them look exceedingly normal and incapable of casting even the weakest spell.

What are the living quarters of the faculty like?

Do they have any kind of personal life aside from their teaching duties?

Boys and girls seem to have no chaperoning most of the time.

Does the school have the slightest interest in making sure the “snogging” doesn’t get out of hand?

If Voldemort is all-powerful, then why does he need a team of around 18 villains to assist him?

How does Draco’s father make a living, or is he able to practice his evildoing because he has an independent source of wealth?

Why does the tall Frenchwoman reappear in the seventh movie, apparently having some sort of continuing relationship with Hagrid, when we haven’t seen her in several movies?

Why does Snape, my number one favorite character, never blink?

Don’t get me wrong.

I’m really enjoying the movies, and it’s nice to bond with my youngest over the magic that is Harry Potter.

And I truly believe that J.K. Rowling is a genius for the ability to create this extraordinary, complex world.

But if anybody who is an expert in Harry Potter affairs can answer any of these questions, I would be very grateful.