A Muggle and a No-Maj

Ever since November 18, 2016, I have read a lot. This reading has mainly comprised of the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - the original screenplay, reviews for the Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - movie 1, about Jonny Depp, Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - coursebook, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Stone, Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, about Leta Lestrange, about Black family, about Ariana Dumbledore, about the 28 pure blood families in 1930s, about why Ollivanders might have been wrongly placed in the list of 28 pure blood families, about casting of Albus Dumbledore in the subsequent Fantastic Beasts and where to find them movie series, about Lolanthe Potter (nee Peverell), about Dorea Potter (nee Black), about Fleamont Potter, about Dolores Umbridge's father being a sweeper at the ministry and lots more. I am sure you get the idea. During all these readings, I have come across several scoop-woop types articles and lists. One of them had a point - All Americans saying No-Maj instead of muggles are not true Harry Potter fans!

Caution : Of course, this contains spoilers from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to find them - the movie/screenplay.

Also - if you have NOT read/seen the above, something is really wrong with you. I even suspect you are at the wrong blog and reading a wrong article.

Now, I live in India and I have grown with the Harry Potter books. Hence, I do use muggle in place of No-Maj. Muggle comes in naturally to me. This is because I was introduced to Muggles in the very first chapter of the first ever Harry Potter books. I have read and re-read the chapter in question a significant number of times. In a  way of saying, I have grown into the Harry Potter world through the foundations laid by that book (and that chapter). Hence, it is obvious that Muggle comes naturally to me than No-Maj. However, I firmly do NOT believe that calling non-magic people No-Maj makes me any less a witch than I am.

I accept, I am guilty of being absolutely in love with Fantastic Beasts and where to find them - the movie. The simple reasons for the same, if to be iterated, are -
* After so long we had an experience of the magical world - the world where our hearts and souls belong to. No offense meant, however, I really liked the Cursed Child as well.
* The experience was not just a glimpse or a disputed attempt, unlike the Cursed Child (Apologies).
* We got to know about other unsung heroes of the wizarding history. Well, no offense here either, however, Idont find Harry to be the hero is thought to be. He had had lots of help and most of the times the others with him, were never credited enough.
* We met some wonderful creatures. Having been in love with Hagrid right from finding out that we are all wizards and witches, we finally meet the creatures he loves.
* Now, I don't disapprove of the Ministry classification, however, I loved the creatures - all of them. Newt (indirectly Joe) has an astounding way of describing these creatures that you just can not help fall in love with them.
* You can not watch the movie and NOT fall in love with a Niffler. I so want one, even if it causes all the mayhem in the world but I will love it to the moon and back.
* Meeting Tina and Queenie - two wonderful witches - both of them with exceptional talent and the heart to help everyone without judging them.
* Meeting Jacob! Honestly, if I can not be a witch, I would rather end up like Jacob, helping Newt in all his adventures.
* Knowing about Leta Lestrange
* Knowing about MaCUSA
* Knowing about Ilvermony
* Meeting Gellert Grindelwald
* Knowing abot Obscurials
and lots more!!

I cant think of reasons for why someone would not like Fantastic Beasts series (just one movie/script for now!).

And then coming back to the topic - the article I spoke about distinguishing speakers of 'No-Maj' from the speakers of 'Muggles' - I found this article really disturbing. I mean we are ready to work with Karkaroff and Malfoy as long as they say 'Muggles' but not with other wizards because they have different words than what we do?

When I look forward to knowing more about Ilvermony, I dont stop being from Hogwarts. Hogwarts is always going to be home and it is undoubtedly the best and the only school for me. Yet, I accept that Beauxbatons must be Hogwarts for some and Ilvermony would be Hogwarts for still others. I dont want to challenge them to a duel and find the best school as even if we duel, there will just be two people duelling and we will only find out which one of them is a better wizard. Remember what we learned - we often fight amongst ourselves and let the true enemy win.

To make Hogwarts the best school, propogate the idea that the headmaster we have known has propagated - to increase our tolerance of others and to accept them whole-heartedly. We are all different and that is what makes us all unique. There is no place like Hogwarts and there is no place I would rather be. This is because we all make Hogwarts. I love the castle, the ghosts, the portraits, the staircases, the passageways, the classrooms, the teachers, the corridors, the poltergeist, the kitchen, the common rooms, the Greal Hall, the Entrance Hall, the grounds, the lake, the forbidden forest, the towers, the subjects, fellow students, the Owlery and most of all, the feeling that I belong there. This feeling comes because we all entered the castle as tiny naive versions of ourselves. We have grown in and with the school. Had I entered another school then, maybe that would have been home. But it isnt and that is the reality. I dont want everyone to call Hogwarts home; the ones who do, I have no complains... because home is where the heart is.

And this is the most important thing that Harry Potter series has taught me - to fight for what we love and to never let it go; but never fight to ruin something else as we end up ruining what we love.
No-Maj or Muggle, doesnt matter. All the difference that it makes is the region that we come from. Ilvermony or Hogwarts, doesnt matter. All the difference that it makes is that we love our homes.

To the writers and believers of that article, if you are a true British witch or wizard, work towards the International Magical Cooperation - to establish and strengthen it, even if it means sometimes calling a muggle as a No-Maj.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Well.. first things first - Ignore the tags! Whatever they may say, this is NOT a book review. I will

never be big enough to write a review for any Harry Potter book. The entire series is a huge part of my life and indeed, it is something so huge that I can conveniently interchange 'life' and 'Harry Potter world'.

There is a friend in London and all I have spoken to him in weeks is about the play in the Palace Theatre and how I just need to see it. There was a puja (ritual) that we hold at our place every year; my dad wanted to have it today and I made him shift to the next week. I could barely sleep the last night - with so much excitement for the new book. Indeed, at a point, my mother actually shouted on me for being over obsessed with the book and forgetting everything for it. I just said her one thing - A life is well lived when we have a lot of dreams and we fulfill them. Otherwise, we are just breathing. To me, Harry Potter was that dream.

Despite all the above, I had a wonderful day!

This was the first book that I have obsessed over and got the first book from the bookstore. I was a fan even when the seventh book released but I was in school then. I had my dad buy it but I only read it when I came home from school. Hence, I loved today even more.

If I have to define my day in a checklist -

• Bug your friend in London with Harry Potter trivia - ✅Check

• Insanely wait for the Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - ✅Check

• Cancel everything in the world for a week when the book was releasing - ✅Check

• Not sleeping waiting for the book to release - ✅Check

• Waiting outside the bookstore even before the books or the owner arrives - ✅Check

• Get the bookstore people to start quickly for me to buy the book - ✅Check

• Fuss with the bookstore people over not handling the Harry Potter books with enough consideration - ✅Check

• Buy the first book the bookstore sold - ✅Check

• Read the entire book - ✅Check

• Reread important scenes with Snape - ✅Check

• Fall in love with the magic all over again - ✅Check

Current status - waiting for Harry Potter Go App and to somehow disapparate to London to see the play

Coming to the story... I got a call in the evening from another Potterhead. He asked me one single sentence - As a reader, how did you like the book? (ofcourse, I loved it as a bigtime Potterhead :P) That is also the perspective I am going to put here.

SPOILER ALERT : I have tried to not include any spoiler but sorry if there is anything :S

The book looks really big but it is not. This is the only disappointment I have felt. The book is actually longer than any book and it looks pretty thick.. However, it is just 330 pages of text. Also, since the entire thing is a screenplay script, therefore, all dialogues! Thus, the actual story is even small. The story starts a little slow and with the scene where we left it - at the Kings Cross when Albus begins his first year at Hogwarts. Before you know it, Albus is going to start his fourth year. However, it is then, the things begin happening. And it is also when, you can not even think of putting the book down... not even for a second.

Being a screenplay, the book is divided into 2 parts and each part has 2 acts... 4 acts in total. Each act has couple of scenes. Initially, it is a little difficult to read a Harry Potter story like this but once you are in it... you are in it till the end!!

This is NOT a spin off!! The story has MOST OF THE HARRY POTTER SERIES CHARACTERS. The book begins with Albus being unsure - what if he lands in Slytherin? Actually, he just feels that he is not at all like Harry - the boy who lived and now Albus is stuck with being Harry's kid. Someone, both the father and son, dont reach out to each other. Albus feels that Harry always is the Chosen One. And then, Albus takes it to himself to correct what he thinks his father does wrong.

During the journey, we see some back-stories - Draco, James-Lily, Ron-Hermione, and more. We see Professor McGonacall, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape - Do NOT get your hopes up. Yes, he is alive when he appears. No, he is STILL actually dead. I can't reveal more. The scene with Severus is really beautiful, though. Snape's reaction and all he does is amazing. However, let me tell you, dont get attached. We got some deaths that are equal in magnitude if not less, to the Prince's Tale.

The antagonist is weak. I mean, the suspense was already building and then the antagonist was revealed pretty early. Also, the antagonist did not stand up to the suspense built around it (wont reveal gender). The strong points were - we have lots of things from book 1, book 3, book 4 and book 5. Also, I love Scorpius. Albus and Scorpius are ultimate examples of - it is our choices that show us who we truly are, not our abilities ;)

I have not stopped beaming since I read the book. Indeed, I read Severus's part twice. My friend, also asked me that should this be made to a movie - this was something I was thinking about while reading. There is floo network, walking the wall at Kings Cross, apparation, transformation... I am not sure how all of this would fit in a Broadway... So, my first answer was YES! Most Certainly! And then... I realized.. We dont have Alan with us anymore and no way I am having anyone else play Snape. So, no, this can not be made into a movie.

If you check facebook or other social networking sites, there are so many people all over the planet reading this book and going crazy with joy. I have always been amazed at how some ink and paper has stirred the heart of millions and united them all. There have been pre-launch events and fans coming all together to celebrate a book. Jo, Happy Birthday.. and look, how words are so powerful to change everything!! Thank You for the eighth book. I strongly recommend all to read it.

If you still have not bought it... then buy it HERE. 

Happy Birthday Jo!

Happy Birthday Harry.

This one is truly for you Alan... We have lost Snape thrice now.