‘Harry Potter’ offers a bond for mother and son
My younger son Hunter is a quiet kind of guy, and he keeps to
himself much of the time. He’s always been like that, ever since he
was little. When we are both at home, we’re like planets in our
separate orbits
– me downstairs, him upstairs in his room.
And that’s all fine, because that’s the way it’s always been
with him. So recently I was very pleased when he asked me if I
wanted to go to a movie with him
– an uncommon request from my 17-year-old.
”
Let’s go see the new Harry Potter movie,
”
he said, in the final week of his winter break.
‘Harry Potter’ offers a bond for mother and son
My younger son Hunter is a quiet kind of guy, and he keeps to himself much of the time. He’s always been like that, ever since he was little. When we are both at home, we’re like planets in our separate orbits – me downstairs, him upstairs in his room.
And that’s all fine, because that’s the way it’s always been with him. So recently I was very pleased when he asked me if I wanted to go to a movie with him – an uncommon request from my 17-year-old.
“Let’s go see the new Harry Potter movie,” he said, in the final week of his winter break.
Of course, he was referring to the latest installment, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1,” which is the next-to-last film in the Harry Potter series. The final book was so long they had to break it into two parts. Or maybe the movie executives wanted to make twice as much money.
In any case, all the true fans of the Hogwarts ilk have flocked to it eagerly. There will be even more frenzy and carrying-on when “Part 2” comes out this July, since that will really be the end of the series, but that’s another story.
My kids grew up on Harry Potter, and I guess I did too. I read the first six books to them out loud – thousands of pages worth. Then, tired of reading to them, I discovered the wonderful audiobooks by vocal wizard Jim Dale, who voices them a million times better than I ever could.
By the seventh book, though, my boys had lost interest in the Potter saga, but I ploughed through it in two days because I couldn’t stand not knowing how it all turned out.
So Harry Potter is a touchstone for my family, a reminder of when my sons were young and still liked to be read to, and when I was young and still patient enough to do so.
Anyway, it truly is sweet and rare when my kids want to do anything with me these days, seeing as they are young men of a certain age and old Mom is pretty passe. So of course I said yes.
The first task, though, was figuring out where to see it.
I didn’t realize that the movie had already fled the theaters, for the most part, pushed out by Oscar contenders. Luckily, there were several evening shows at one Salinas theater, so that’s where we headed.
It was about what I expected – some magic, some Harry, some Hermione, some Ron, and vile things trying to get at them. I wasn’t expecting a conclusion, of course, because that will come in Part 2.
What I wasn’t expecting was the third degree after the movie.
“Do you remember those things happening in the book?” said Hunter when we were on the way home.
“Who, me?” I said. “I’m too old to remember that stuff.”
Honestly, it’s been three and a half years since I read the last book, and I’ve read a lot of books since then. So some of the details have gotten muddled.
“What are the other horcruxes?” he continued, referring to these items that Harry must find and destroy to defeat the all-too-evil Voldemort.
Like I would know.
“I don’t remember,” I said sheepishly.
“Do you even remember Dobby dying?” he said. I could tell we were at a crucial point in the interrogation.
“Well, kind of,” I said. “Give me a break. It’s been a long time.”
He finally gave up on trying to squeeze anything out of my old brain and we continued on in silence.
I’ll tell you one thing, though. I guess I’d better read the book again before Part 2 comes out.
