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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Yer a Wizard

We finished reading the first book last week, and now Lizzy and Abby and I (and Laston, sort of) are watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Yes, the American versions, with Sorcerer in place of Philosopher, but I do try to do the voices, which Lizzy appreciates.

I have discussed previously that Abby is a Hufflepuff. They're the House of all the sort of socially sweet things, like kindness and diligence. She's the child who always got rewards for Empathy and Service in elementary school. If Hufflepuff has a drama department, she'd be in it. Or maybe she'd grow up to take over for one of the Weird Sisters.

Lizzy, on the other hand, is almost certainly a Ravenclaw. She would make an excellent Ravenclaw Chaser, and would likely be very good at Potions (if Snape didn't intimidate her overmuch) because Potions is the closest Hogwarts comes to a science class. She would also likely be the one losing House points for letting pixies loose in History of Magic class.

By Merlin's beard, but the actors were cute when they were just babies.

Abby and I are having lots of fun playing "Name that Who Actor" as we watch.

We're doing this early in the evening, because the imagery might be a bit much for Little Miz Liz to tolerate too close to bedtime; she shows up meek in odd places.

And after she goes to bed, Abby and I will watch more Stargate SG-1. We're really enjoying watching it together, not least because it allows us (as does Uncle Vernon's behavior toward Harry's Hogwarts Letter) to discuss such topics as Trying to Destroy That Which One Does Not Understand Because of Fear.

This leads to more interesting discussions along the same lines, with more up-to-date topics, such as terrorism and anti-LGBT legislation.

People fear what does not fit their worldview.

And fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

That, my friends, is the path to the Dark Side.

And if I choose to impart these lessons through fantasy fiction, be it books, movies, or TV shows, well...

My kids grok it.

And it may make more accepting human beings of them.


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