Written By: Johnny
Here we are again, July 31st. It is J.K. Rowling’s birthday and she has given us a gift. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has officially opened in the West End, and fearing my Fiance’s judgement at the expense I chose not to fly to England to see it. Luckily, I was made aware of the Rehearsal Edition Script was made into a book that was published today. I do not know how to speed read so I have not read much, but with only two chapters in I already love it.
For most of my life (I turn 26 on Tuesday), I have been heavily involved in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The Sorcerer’s Stone (Philosopher’s Stone) is the first full novel I had ever read outside of my parochial school’s required reading list, and it’s the first book that taught me to love reading. Because of Harry Potter, reading wasn’t a chore anymore. The movies, which weren’t as good as the books, had their merits. They helped define and added depth to the world I’d imagined and made me love these characters and their journey even more. My first tattoo was Harry Potter themed (more on that here). It’s safe to say, this franchise holds a special place in my heart and when the play was announced last year I literally cried tears of Joy. I will tell you I didn’t get very far into Harry Potter and the Cursed Child before I was a sobbing mess.
I give 10 Points to J.K. Rowling for setting the story up the way she did; it was the perfect way to grab the reader/audience. Mild Spoiler (in italics): the first two scenes (chapters in the book) are rewritten to be the epilogue of the Deathly Hallows. All it took was two scenes to hook me in. It took seven pages for me to break down into tears and bring the magic back. My heart filled with emotion because I was there, at King’s Cross on Platform 9 ¾, waiting for the next story to begin. I had to pull myself away from the page like it was a Dementor’s Kiss. I forced myself to stop reading because whatever happens next is new. It’s a brand new story starring Harry Potter and I couldn’t wait to let that pour all over me. I imagine this is what it feels like to drink Felix Felicis, things just seem like they are about to go my way.
I want to let this moment last because whether the rest of the story leaves me disappointed or begging for more, I will at least be going back to Hogwarts for a short time. And to finish out the remaining hours of Harry Potter’s (& J.K. Rowling’s) Birthday, I want to savor it.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is now playing at the Palace Theatre, London. Get your copy of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child today, wherever books are sold. But good luck finding it, only 4.5 million copies were made in the U.S.
The Dork of All Trades 