Since it’s still July 31 where I live, it’s not too late for me to wish Harry Potter, born on July 31, 1980, a very Happy Birthday. Over on the Wizarding World Web site, and in the app, there was a very good story ranking all of Harry’s birthdays. Of course, his eleventh birthday was the “best”, because that was the day he finally learned that he was a Wizard, and that there was another whole world out there, populated with people who already knew his name and were happy to finally meet and know him when he boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time.
Here’s the movie clip:
Not only a birthday wish for Harry, I would like to give numerous thanks to JK Rowling for writing all the Harry Potter books, which took me (an old lady) to an entirely new world. I have loved the “Potterverse” since 2001, and urge my followers and readers to become a “Harry Potter freak” like me!
Calling-all-RushBabes 
I enjoyed the books very much. As well as the early movies. I found the last few movies rather dreary and tedious, though. I remember queuing (in general, although a Brit, I’m not a big fan of queuing) up at midnight outside the WH Smith in Droitwich in July of 2007 to buy the “hot off the press” Deathly Hallows, the night before I flew back to the States from a visit to see my Dad. It’s the only time in my life I’ve done something daft like that, but I really wanted to have the book to read on the long flight home.
The first movie is what got me hooked-I had never read any of the books or paid much attention before that. After seeing it, I read the books, and eagerly awaited every new one. I pre-ordered them all, and told Ray that I would be incommunicado for as long as it took for me to read each new one. We just happened to be in Leavenworth when Order of the Phoenix came out, and we got in line at their little bookstore to buy the book, and watch the cute kids in their costumes for the “first edition” party. We were in Israel when Deathly Hallows came out, and we saw posters for it everywhere, in Hebrew of course. It was waiting for me when we arrived home. Now, I am collecting all the big illustrated books, in the British editions. I get them from Book Depository, which has free shipping to the US, and great prices.