What I think they should change about Quiditch.

    Last time I posted about the rules of Quidditch, so now I will tell you what I would like to change about it. As I mentioned before the game of Quidditch lasts until the golden snitch, thats something I would like that to change. It is lame that the game could last anywhere from five minutes to three days, it should be like other sports and have a time limit. A score to reach would be nice too because than the golden snitch would help but you could still win without it. Other than that I think Quidditch is pretty cool! Bludgers are kind of dangerous, but hey, who doesn't like a little excitement? Is there anything you would change?

Quidditch Rules

      Quidditch is a game played up in the air on broomsticks, Harry Potter plays seeker. Basically there a three hoops on each teams side, one higher hoop and two lower ones. These are called goal posts, you use the quaffle to score. The quaffle is one of four balls and the chasers thrust them through the goal posts. There are three of these 'chasers' on each team, and the are the main sorce of points. The people who protect the goals are called keepers, one player at a time per team, they are like soccer goalies. Those two brown balls you see to the right are the bludgers, and they fly around trying to knock players off their brooms! There are two beaters who have the job of hitting the bludgers away from their team and hopefully towards the opposing team. The last ball is the golden snitch. This is the most important ball in the game, because thats how it ends. Once the seeker cathches this small golden winged ball their team is awarded 150 points and the game is done.

Harry Potter Pick Up Lines

      There are lots of ways to impress people of the opposite sex, next time you're out clubbin' use Harry as your wingman. There are lines referring to the guards at Azkaban "If you were a Dementor, I'd become a criminal just to get your kiss." Some lines refer to characters like "My name may not be Luna, but I sure know how to Lovegood!", "Hagrid's not the only giant on campus, if you know what I mean.", or "I know we're not in Professor Flitwick's class, but you still are charming." There are even some that use potions as a reference "I must have had some Felix Felicis, because I think I'm about to get lucky."

       I don't think any of these would work, but it's always worth a try! I challenge you to go out and try one. The results may just surprise you!

Harry News

      I decided to do a little research on the Potter gang and see what they are up to lately. I am starting with our dear Daniel. Among 16 other films in competition at the Sundance Film Festival, Kill Your Darlings, staring Daniel Radcliffe, is hoping to win the festival's top prize. The festival will be the premiere of Kill Your Darlings in which Daniel plays a poet by the name of Allen Ginsberg. This is Daniel's first time being entered in the Film Festival which takes place in January from the 17th to the 27th in Park City, Utah.The film is about a murder that takes place in the 1940s that somehow draws the great poets of the generation together. It is directed by John Krokidas and co-stars Elizabeth Olsen, Ben Foster, and Jack Huston. For more information regarding the Sundance Film Festival you can visit their website. Congrats to Daniel for his first entry.

Nicolas Flamel

     Nicolas Flamel was born around 1325, he died soon after June of 1992. Flamel was able to live for so long because he was the inventor of the philosopher's stone. In case you forgot the philosopher's stone lets you live forever. Despite his knowledge and longevity, we are asked to believe that, although he had managed to keep the stone safe from who knows how many dark lords for approximately 600 years, he was unable to protect it from Voldemort and prevent its destruction in 1992. That sounds quite fishy to me, but I am not one to question the great JK Rowling.  He created his Elixer of Life with the help of his dear wife, Perenelle. Flamel is noted as an alchemist of considerable talent and as an opera-lover. It is said he enjoyed his later years living a quiet life in Devon. Although it is clear that he used the Elixir to greatly extend his life, it is not specified whether he used the Stone's powers to make himself greatly wealthy, as the Stone is also capable of turning any metal into gold. Even though he could live forever as the richest man alive, he would rather live a LONG simple life with his wife.

Were the Malfoys ever punished?

    I saw this posted on another Harry Potter Blog:

Were the Malfoys ever punished?

Before Voldermort’s return, any witch or wizard who had previously been associated with him were put in Azkaban. Despite their late realization that their family was more important than their allegiance to the dark lord, the Malfoys were well known Death Eaters in the last few novels. Therefore many readers have questioned if they were punished. At the end of book 7, Harry sees Draco at Platform 9 and three quarters where he gives him a ‘curt nod and turns away’. This suggests that Draco at least was spared from going to Azkaban, but what about his villainous father Lucius? Were they ever accepted again by the wizarding world?

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     I always imagined the Malfoys at trial. I could see them arguing that they were forced to follow The Dark Lord. I think that would make a good story, I shall email my idea to JK Rowling later (FAN MAIL!!!). As for the nod I am pretty sure they don't send teenagers to Azkaban. Draco would, no could, not survive in prison. Three resons why:

1. Could not handle himself in a fight
2. Rich boy (bad food)
3. Annoying

      They weren't that "liked" anyways so I assume without Voldermort's influence they would be even more widely hated. Poor Draco, if only his parents had become gardeners instead of Death Eaters.

Harry Potter Merchandise

    

      There is a lot of Harry Potter items you can buy on the internet. There are props from the movies and Potter themed things. They have phone cases with pictures from Harry Potter, you could text someone with a cell phone that has Draco Malfoy on it.Those are usually priced between 20 and 30 dollars. There are these really cool transforming thermal mugs.With heat the image can change, those cool cups cost $15. You can look quite stylish wearing Hogwart's scarfs, hats, cardigans, and cloaks. Show you're Gryffindor spirit!!! You can even get items from the movies/books. Remember when Harry and Ron played played wizard chess in Harry  Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? You could have that chess board for $400 (WHOA), sadly the figures don't move on their own. What about Hermione's time turner in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban? You could purchase it for $55. If you could actually time travel they would have to add a few zeros. I own a Harry Potter wand that I got last year for Christmas and Quidditch goggles for my birthday. Well now that you know about this merchandise you can use Google to satisfy your Ootter needs.

♪ Potter Tunes ♫

        Today I will be spotlighting three "wizard rock" bands. The first is Harry and the Potters. The group Harry and the Potters started in Norwood Massachusetts,  2002. Paul DeGeorge (6/10/79) and little brother Joe DeGeorge (7/4/87) were the ones who started this unusual band. On fateful day there was a barbecue at the DeGeorge's house, there was to be several indie bands playing. These bands did not show up, but an audience did. Paul had thought of a Potter themed band years before (Harry as the front man, Ron on guitar, Hermione on bass and Hagrid on drums) with that idea in mind the boys got to work. They wrote seven songs (six of made it on to their first album) in an hour and performed them to the six remaining audience members.

     
         Another band is Draco and the Malfoys. Draco and the Malfoys are a musical project of two brothers from Rhode Island, Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbache. Their mission is to work (often with their friends Harry & The Potters) to celebrate reading and using the power of rock & roll music. They usually perform at clubs, educational institutions, and libraries. They have three albums relaesed. The Malfoys' long-awaited third full-length album, It's A Slytherin World has been released. Also, they have just released An Anthology of Slytherin, featuring songs by great Slytherin musicians of times past.



        This third band, The Whomping Willows, started up in 2004. Matt Maggiacomo ran a series of shows in his apartment in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The shows were mainly a showcase for Matt and his friends who made music, but a few local and regional indie rock bands regularly performed. One such band was Soltero, who were be friendly Harry and the Potters. He suggested to Matt that the Potters might be a good band to consider for a house party show, and Matt invited them. Inspired by this wizard rock band he decided to start his own, The Whomping Willows. That is a little bit of information on three bands, look them up on Youtube and listen.

     

Harry Potter.... Quilting?

   
     There are a lot of strange things Harry Potter Fans do; fan fiction, cosplay, flash mobs, musicals/plays, etc. I have just learned that Potter fans quilt.... Legit. If I was a master quilter Harry Potter would be high on my list of things to quilt (Right under polar bears and watermelon). These are probably the coolest quilts on the planet, no joke. 
   I want this left quilt!!! It would look so amazing on my bed by my Draco and Deathly Hallows poster.    

    My favorite part of this quilt on the right is either the Owl (Hedwig) or the Hat (Is it the Sorting Hat or just some random hat???). I enjoy all the detailed books, different colors, positions, and patterns. Nice. Be careful though, you might get your hand taken of by Care of Magical Creatures. Out of all the things you could do with your time someone actually bothered to make a Harry Potter quilt. Cheers to you!!! I wish I had your devotion, energy, and time.



JK Rowling Interview #2 part 4

          Just wrapping this long interview up. "Are you eternally grateful that people think your called JK Rawling when your name is really Jo Rowling?" I have never ever heard someone pronounce he name wrong. Sure peple say JK instead of Jo but it is her pen name so it is to be expected. Don't be hating on America, people usually don't say it wrong! Next question is "Are you relieved now that the original publishers have said you should be JK rather than Jo to protect your anonymity?" I think it is really nice that she seperates her life like that! I would feel uncomfortable if my mom wrote a book and her life revolved it. While this is the end of a video that gave me plenty to work with, now what should I do? What Harry Potter related thing will I do next? Read next week to find out!!!

P.S. It is kind of a wierd word so here is the defination of anonymity from Dictionary.com

an·o·nym·i·ty

noun, plural an·o·nym·i·ties.

1. the state or quality of being anonymous.

2. an anonymous person: some fine poetry attributed to anonymities.

JK Rowling Interview #2 part 3

     Picking this up again. First question is: Is the kindle the future of literature or the death of publishing?  JK Rowling said, Somewhere in between - has had a huge impact on publishing. We should be encouraged/grateful people are reading. I agree with her. Some people may find enjoyment reading on an electrical device but I personally prefer a real book. If it gets the world involved with literature, then I am for it. If parents want their kids to read, should they restrict them from watching the telly? JK Rowling said, I think you need to find balance and watch TV with your kids so you know what they are learning. There is some value to watching TV, I personally struggle with a television addiction so you really need to watch how much television your kids are watching. Who are you the most starstruck about meeting? JK Rowling said, President Obama and Bob (a photographer for Teddy Kennedy - he is amazing - I could talk to him for a week). I would expect the person to be a movie star or author. I am surprised by her answer. Have you ever had to go out in disguise so people don't stop you in the street? JK Rowling said, I bought my wedding dress in disguise - that is the only time I have ever done that but I wanted to get married to Neal privately. I totally respect this - and she won't tell what her disguise was - smart woman! That's it for today. Type at you in a few days!

JK Rowling Interviews #2 part 2

           I am continuing the post from last time. If you want to know my opinion on the first half just scroll down. "What happened to the political fairytale for children?" I personaly dislike politics being mixed with children but I do encourage anything by her. "Do you know which book will be published next?" I respect her fondness of freedom. I wouldnt like having no choice either! "If you  could be compared to any author in your fantasy - which author would you like to be compared to?" Children's author Ian Esbit, Adult - 18th century author like Dickens. I haven't heard of Esbit but I fully intend to look her up and find out if she is as good JK Rowling. "Is there ever such a thing as a child who doesn't like to read books?" When I was in 4th grade, I hated to read but then I started reading the Harry Potter books and fell in love with literature. Now I love to read. This proves that the right book can change any kid's outlook on reading.

I will pick this up on Thursday. (:

JK Rowling Interviews #2 part 1

     This was kind of a strange interview. The questions were not what I was expecting., maybe because it's British. It got off to a strange start "What's the worst thing about your life today?" . A bit dark for an interview, but I'm glad to know Rowling doesn't have to many big issues. "What keeps you awake at night?" I find it interesting that Rowling is an insomniac. I wonder if she wrote some of the Harry Potter books when she couldn't sleep. "Have you read Fifty Shades of Grey?" Honestly it would creep me out if she read that book. Children authors should not read sexual books! The next question is some British political thing so I have no opinion.  "Whats the best novel you've read in the past year?" She said Song of Apollo , I haven't read it but I fully intend to check it out. "Do you have a guilty pleasure when it comes to reading?" She said "who done-its" I am not quite sure what that means so no comment. "... were you going write a crime novel?" She unfortunently is not writing a crime novel. Rumors just set me up for dissapointment.

    This is a long interview so I will pick this up next time. GOOD NIGHT!!!! PEACE OUT!!!

What if Harry Potter was president?

       With the up coming election we all have the same question circling our mind, who to chose? Romney or Obama? If Harry Potter was running would you vote for him? This is completely hypothetical because Harry is not an American born citizen. But lets play pretend here, imagine President Potter.

       Let us start with the good he would do. Harry has a strong sense of moral values and wasn't tempted by the dark side so this means he won't be some big corporation's puppet. Harry would try to fix corruption. Harry is the kind of person who cares about the little guy, he will always fight for the average person. Plus no terrorists would attack us with a wizard in charge.

        Now for the bad MWAHAHA. If we got involved in a war with Harry in charge we would definitely lose. Harry is to selfless he wouldn't be able to let any of our men die, he would literally try to fight the entire war by himself. We would have no post office, he would make us all use owls.

        Overall I think Harry would make an okay president. We would get through the four years but he wouldn't revolutionize our country. Though who knows, maybe in office Harry could lead our country into a new age. An age of magic.

Alan Rickman

Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is a British performer of both stage and screen. He plays Severus Snape in the Harry Potter series. I personally think he does a phenomenal job. Rickman has a great sense of character, you really love to hate him! He has been around for a while, Rickman was born 21 February 1946. WHOA he is 66 years old!!! He seems a little to old to be playing Snape, but  he pulls it off. I think his best Potter performance was in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 2. I love it when Harry's looking through the memories and Snape turns out to be a good guy. It makes you want to cry because he made you hate him so much then he makes you love him. Alan Rickman is one of the best villains ever brought to the big screen. I encourage you to see some other movies he is in. I like Sweeny Todd (Bellatrix and Wormtail are in it to!)

Check out what I made!

      Okay so I have recently discovered this thing called a "wordle".  If you do not know what a wordle is and are to lazy to goggle it read this:

Web definitions

• A tag cloud or word cloud (or weighted list in visual design) is a visual depiction of user-generated tags, or simply the word content of a site, typically used to describe the content of web sites. ...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordle

• Wordle is a toy for generating "word clouds" from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. ...

homeschooling.gomilpitas.com/explore/vocabulary.htm

    

     So now you know o.O

  Anyways after discovering this....thingy? I decided to create my own. After making a few personal one I saw you could take a url ( like http://jazzysblogabouthp.blogspot.com/ ). It takes words from the site and puts it into wordle form. I as you may have suspected did this for my blog and here it is: Harry Potter Wordle

     I am not the first person with this idea. Other people made Harry Potter worlde also! What a small world.

 

They clearly did a better job than me! I thought mine was the best ever until Google Images proved me wrong! Oh well maybe I will do this again later and it can turn out better.

P.S. I know this wasn't all that Harry Potter-y but it was educational and interesting so deal with it!



The Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling's New Book! Release Date: September 27th 2012

    
          Okay, okay , I know this isn't technically Harry Potter, but......I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! J.K. Rowling is finally writing a new book this is the moment I've been waiting for since 2007. I just added this video because its funny and informative. This is a new adult novel by the legendary J.K. Rowling, I hope it is as good as Harry Potter was. Here is what its about:

    "When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock.

Seemingly an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

     Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

     And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?"

     Whoa, this description doesn't really excite me. It has fancy words but there is a lack of wizards. I understand that it's not Harry Potter but it doesn't sound all that great. Oh, J.K. please prove me wrong!

      Once it comes out and I read it I will give you a full review!

JK Rowling Interviews #1

Katie Couric interviewing JK Rowling in 2005 for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

WATCH!!!

    

I thought this was a pretty good interview. The first part (before she started talking to JK) was kind of cheesy but the Harry Potter jokes made me laugh. "Talk about a Shrieking Shack" and "...Blow off the shelves faster than a golden snitch.”. I really wish I could ask JK Rowling some questions. I would ask “What does Sirus do in his free time?" I have just always wondered that. I found it pretty creepy when Katie Couric said "I wish I could have brought hundreds of children in my suitcase but that would be illegal...”. I personally respect Aunt Petunia for taking care of Harry but I hate her for being so narrow minded and rude. I think reading your own book is pretty pathetic so I am glad she usually doesn't. Okay this third question irritated me so bad! It is not a person, it has a purpose and it fulfills that purpose by sorting and it does not need to do anything else! "The idea shop!" I understand why that would be annoying; I don’t know where you would get ideas other than your imagination. I would go to Hogwarts learn magic, hang out with students and teachers, and see all the amazing creatures. I honestly think a 4th grade class wouldn't enjoy this book but I also believe that Harry has good values and can be a great role model. Jesse. You. Are. Full. Of. It. I AM HER BIGGEST FAN!!!!!!! My favorite color is blue like that liar Jesse. I also like dogs and otters but not cats like JK Rowling. I really enjoyed this interview and next time I will do a more recent one.

    

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

 

    

      This is my all time favorite place in the entire world. I haven't quite made it there yet but I know I will love it. It is going to be, as Ron may say "Wicked". There is a fabulos places to feast, Hogsmeade with all sorts of great shops, and the best rides on earth.

     When hungry you can walk down to the famous Three Broomsticks. This tavern has a rustic feel with all sorts of great food to eat. To quench your thirst go to the rear of The Three Broomsticks, thats the location of the pub Hogs Head. They even have Butterbeer!

      Than we all know of Hogsmeade, ( I named my blog after it :D ) thats where you can find shops from Harry Potter. This includes Zonko's, Dervish and Banges, Honeydukes, Ollivanders (technically from Diagon Alley but whatever.) , and the Owl Post. I personaly can't wait to go to Zonko's and Honeydukes.

What are you must excited for?

       There are amazing rides for you to enjoy. One is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. You first tour the halls of the legendary Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Next you soar above school grounds on a memorable exciting adventure!!! There also is the thrilling Dragon Challenge. You can chose either the Hungarian Horntail or the Chinease Fireball (two seperate rides). You fly across the sky looping and twisting at high speed! Last but surely not least is Flight of the Hippogriff. This wicker family ride is made up of dives, spirals, and swoops. I can't wait to go on all these rides XD .

      As you can now see this is the greatest thing to happen to the world since the invention of fire. I myself can't wait to go to Florida and enjoy the best place in the entire world, I know you feel the same.Check out the awesome website they have: http://www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

"What You Need To Know About Draco Malfoy" Comments

This blog is bout what The Harry Potter Secrets blog ( http://thehpsecrets.blogspot.com/) posted. The blue words in parenthesis are my thoughts and comments.

What You Need To Know About Draco Malfoy

• Draco Lucius Malfoy is loosely based on bullies Rowling encountered during her school days.

( A lot of the characters are probably based off real people then.)

• Draco Malfoy's first-draft names were Draco Spungen, Draco Spinks, and Draco Smart

( Draco Spungen is a lot less bad ass than Draco Malfoy. )

• Draco's surname, Malfoy, is derived from the French phrase mal foi, meaning "bad faith."

( Then Harry's should be based of the French phrase "assistant génial", use Google Translate. )

• After the war, Draco Malfoy & family avoided imprisonment in Azkaban due to their last-minute switch in allegiance

( Yet once Voldermort came back they swithced sides, smooth moves Malfoys, smooth moves.)

• Draco Malfoy married Astoria Greengrass, the younger sister of his classmate Daphne Greengrass.

( Whoa, way to marry the most important character ever... )

• Draco Malfoy and Astoria Greengrass had a son together named Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy.

( Well, that kid is going to get made fun of. )

• Draco, Astoria, and Scorpion live in Malfoy Manor

( I imagine Astoria as a gold digger...... Just sayin' )

• Draco Malfoy is good at compartmentalizing his life, which makes him skilled at Occlumency & at bullying others

( Lots of big words, I'm just going to interpret that as he is good at being a douche. )

• Draco Malfoy was attracted to be a Death Eater, but the reality of what it meant was way too much to handle

( I wonder what his kid thinks of his daddy's dark mark 0.o )

• Draco Malfoy would have attended Durmstrang Institute, but his mother didn't want him staying far away from home.

( Because Hogwarts isn't away from home. )

• Draco Malfoy was one of the series' most popular characters due to Tom Felton's performances, much to JKR's dismay

( Well she just doesn't understand the amazingness of Tom Felton )

• Draco Malfoy had a fondness for green apples.

( Draco Malfoy's bad qualities: a jerk, snobby,and likes green apples? )

• Draco Malfoy was the only known follower of Voldemort to receive Voldy's hug.

( It's because he's cuddly, like a teddy bear. )

• Draco Malfoy was not capable of producing a Patronus as it is not magic routinely taught at Hogwarts.

( Comment what you think his Patronus animal would be, I say snake. )

• JKR has discarded a scene (twice) where Theodore Nott goes to the Malfoy home to visit Draco.

( Poor Theo never can get a break. )

• Draco Malfoy made an effort to be Harry's friend because he thought it would be cool to turn up at Hogwarts being his friend.

( Well yeah, who doesn't want to be friends with "The Boy Who Lived" ? )

• Draco Malfoy made peace with Harry but they were still not considered to be anything at all near friends.

( They are not gay for each other, no matter how many fan-fiction photos\songs\& stories are made. )

• IGN listed Draco Malfoy as their ninth top Harry Potter character.

( I would have said at least number seven. )

• It was made clear to him that he was triply special: firstly as a wizard, secondly as a pure-blood, and thirdly as a member of the Malfoy family.

( And he is played by an attractive actor, just another bonus. )

I hoped you enjoyed my comments : )

J.K. Rowling's Family Part 2

     

    J.K. Rowling has three children Jessica, David and Makenzie.

    In Portugal July 27th 1993, Jessica Isabel Rowling Arantes was born. She was named after English author Jessica Mitford. David, son of Neil Micheal Murray, was born March 23rd 2003. Him and his sister Jessica were in the dedications section of Harry potter and the Order of the Phonix. On January 23rd, 2005 Little Makenzie Jean Rowling was born.  JKRowling.com says "She is ridiculously beautiful, though I suppose I might be biased."

J.K. Rowling's Family Part 1

At age 18 Peter and Anne met on a train coming from King's Cross Station in London (Yes, this is the name of the train station from Harry Potter ) . They were both stationed in Arbroath. Her father with the Navy and her mother with WREN. After a year they married and on July 31, 1965 Joanne Rowling was born. Though we know her as J.K. Rowling her family calls her "Jo." Her publisher was the one to suggest she had a pen name to hide her gender. [ (I'm so obsessed, I love knowing stuff like this ( >.< ) ]

Introduction

Hello everybody my name is Jazzy. For my freshmen English class we had to start a blog so I decided to do mine about Harry Potter. I am planning on telling you all the things you wizard fans want to hear. You will hear about J.K Rowling, secrets about the books/movies, actors from the films, and fun facts! My next post will be telling you something amazing about Harry Potter.