Hocus Pocus

My cousin Angie was in town recently, and reading a Harry Potter book. I don't remember which one specifically, but I know it was one of the later ones because it was pretty thick. She said she was re-reading all of them in anticipation of the upcoming new (and final) book. See, so much happens in each Harry Potter book that picking one up out of sequence, or when you haven't read its predecessor in a couple years, can leave you a bit muddled. There are references back to the previous books, and you sorta feel left out while you struggle to remember what happened.

Angie is forestalling that by re-reading the entire series right before the release of the new one.

"What a great idea!" thought I.

And so now, at the last minute, almost the final hour, I find myself slogging through my Harry Potter books.

I started late Tuesday night and should finish up the first one tonight, with plenty of time to get a good jump on the second one.

I was pretty pleased with myself until I realized that of course the first one would go quickly, it's the shortest at 309 pages. The second one is only 341, so that'll fall easily, too. It's the next few that may bungle up my well-laid plans. Number three runs 448 pages, and they go up from there. Yikes.

See, here is also what I'm afraid will happen. I'm afraid that before I can get to the new (last) one, the plot will be spoiled. One of the main characters is supposed to be killed off. I do not want to know what happens until I read it myself. Plot spoilers (and surprise spoilers) really, really hack me off. Surprises can be really, really wonderful, and tipping people off, well, that's akin to high treason in my book.

So, my mission, since I've chosen to accept it, is to read the entire Harry Potter series in about two weeks. It would help considerably if I weren't an ordinary Muggle.