Is Your Child (Or YOU) a Harry Potter Fanatic?

Tina Case | Parent Grapevine

By Tina Case of Parent Grapevine

Unless you have been under the "obliviate" spell, which wipes out your memory, you should be aware that we are on heels of the seventh Harry Potter Movie, which opens November 19th. This promises to be an edgier, more gritty, wizard-on-the-run movie than the previous six movies.

Harry Potter fans the world over have been eagerly anticipating this second-to-last movie. Book seven (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) has been broken down into two parts for the movie, drawing out the final end to one of the most iconic book and movie series of all time.

The anticipation for my Potterfanatic family is overwhelming. Are your children (or even you) a Harry PotterFANATIC? I've watched through the years as my daughter, who is now in college, devoured the series and acted as a contagion to her younger sisters to become part of the magic. Her generation has been totally captivated by all things Harry Potter. She's even on her college Quidditch team, the wizarding sport JK Rowling created in the series.

What defines a Harry Potter Fantatic? If you can check off at least seven items on this list, you can consider yourself a full-fledge Potter Manatic:

  1. You have read all seven books at least three times (and of course you own the entire book series and have a few British versions in the collection as well).

  2. Viewed all of the movies countless times and can recite the lines word for word, faithfully.

  3. Subscribes, is a fan on Facebook, or tweets with the Leaky Cauldron, Mugglenet and the JK Rowling website.

  4. Was first in line to get the Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4.

  5. Has already been to Universal Studio's Wizarding World of Harry Potter or has plans to attend in the next several months (click here for a review of Harry Potter World).

  6. Does not say the name "Voldemort" out loud for any reason.

  7. Owns a Harry Potter robe, necktie or wand - just because! (Check out this pattern on how to make your own robe, on Burdastyle)

  8. Purchased the Darrin Criss single from Glee. If you don't know who Darrin Criss is, stop right here. You are NOT a true Potter fanatic. That means you have not seen both Harry Potter Musicals on You Tube by Star Kid Potter.

  9. Tunes in to Potter Puppet Pals on You Tube.

  10. Has been to at least one midnight book release of the series.

This list can actually go on for quite awhile as my daughters can attest. But if your child (or you) can identify with the top ten list here, you know you can call yourself a true Potter Maniac. I believe that means you are not a Muggle but not quite a Wizard.

What other spells or potions can you think of that cast the Harry Potter Fanatic charm on your child?

Parent Grapevine is written by Tina Case and Kristina Rust, two mons who blog about life in Silicon Valley. You can follow us on Parent Grapevine as well as our new blog, Moms Who Click. Moms Who Click is our latest blog and it follows us as we build our photography business one click at a time. No magical spells from any Harry Potter source were cast in the writing of this article.