Continuing with tradition (for the eighth year in a row) I tweeted at JK Rowling for advice in dropping the boys off at Platform 9 3/4.
I’m sure by now you know that September 1st is a sacred day for witches and wizards everywhere! Back to Hogwarts Day is when the Wizarding World boards the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross Station heading to Hogwarts.
The hope being JK herself will acknowledge my tweet and show some love to two little wizards who have the unfortunate luck of being born to the biggest Harry Potter fan this side of Privet Drive.
This blog entry will Chronicle (pun intended) a father and son’s continuation of the first time reading the Harry Potter series together. We finished Book One, Two and Three now will move onto Book Four: Harry Potter and the the Goblet of Fire. I’ll update it after each chapter so that I can capture the most memorable moments. Come back often and check in on our progress and leave us a note or some feedback!
I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I know Jax and I will.
Chapter 1: The Riddle House
(The first few chapters Jax asked if he could “talk to text” his summary of the chapter. Why not, right?)
I was reading the chapter 1 the Riddle House and I was wondering what going to happen right away. So, when my dad read me the first page it made me, kind of like happy, and then I thought this book was going to be good, but then what he said and the next page made me kind of suspicious about what this chapter might tell us.
We read on the next page that all the Riddle family were all killed by something and I thought they’re the gardener Frank that takes care of their house when they’re gone.
Everyone in the town thought he killed them so they arrested him and then they and then they were like you’re innocent and you didn’t do anything, so they let him go!
One night after getting out of jail, Frank woke up and the lights were on in the house and there were people jumping around the house and they were like those ‘darn kids again’ he thought. So, he went to the house and he wasn’t kids. There was a fire and then he went upstairs he looked inside a small opening of a door in a bedroom. He looked and he saw a weird man that had his face covered and a man that looked very old and looks and sounds like a rat. (We met them in the last book… The Prisoner of Azkaban… Peter Pettigrew.
Then a weird snake walked into the door and then the strange man that had the hood on said how are you doing Nagini. Nagini was the snake… so Nagini who was now in the room told the man with the hood that there was somebody waiting outside listening to all they were talking about so then the man opens the door and said come in man.
So Frank walked inside and then what he saw was the last thing he ever saw in his life… a green flash!!!!! And then just like that, now he’s laying on the ground, dead.
DEAD AS EVER!!!!
Chapter 2: The Scar
Yes, we did HP newborn photos and added a scar
So Harry woke up with a SCREAM and was YELLING. The Dursley‘s were banging on the wall and telling him to… like, ‘shut up’ and he woke up and his Scar was burning more than ever!
When he woke up, he found a strange bird, he opened the window and found the bird was from Sirius Black! The letter said, ‘Hello Harry, I hope you’re having a good time, but I also know you aren’t really having a good time, because the stupid Dursley‘s are really rude to you.’
So, then Henry sent a note back that said, ‘Yeah I’m doing a little bit fine. But, my Aunt Petunia found Dudley smuggling donuts in his room yesterday. He’s on a diet so they took away his money and he threw his PlayStation out the window. Also, my Scar hurts really, really bad!’
Chapter 3: The Invitation
Not much really happen in this chapter, but I can tell you a little bit… So in Chapter 3 the Invitation, Harry got a letter in the mail from Ron that had about 38 stamps on it and there was just a little bit of writing in the middle. It said, ‘Harry we’re gonna come and pick you up to bring you to the Quidditch World Cup.
Chapter 4: Back to the Burrow
Harry woke up on a simple morning same as always, went downstairs and Petunia and Vernon commanded him to make breakfast. So it was a fight a normal morning until they heard something and the flames in the fireplace turned green, it was hotter and hotter in the room, he heard a whoosh, they saw legs… then they heard something that sounded like the Weasleys.
They were stuck in the fireplace! Mr. Weasley destroyed everything they were crumbs everywhere from the fireplace. Out spilled Mr. Weasley, Ron and the two twins Fred and George (you can’t tell them apart)!
As they were leaving Fred and George accidentally dropped some kind of magic candy. Dudley ate the candy one by one. Dudley ate all the candy and then his tongue grew 100 pounds! And the Dursleys were freaking out!!!
Chapter 5: Weasley Wizard Wheezes
The future Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes
Fred and George (the two twins), they love, love, love… (like, you can say love one million times????) love jokes. They once played a joke on their mother and they make fake wands and fart bombs. So now they decided to make a joke shop.
Chapter 6: The Portkey
“…Portkeys. They’re objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time.”
Jax: “So dad, if anything can be a Portkey… can we use your weights from the basement, it’s not like you use them anyway!”
Chapter 7: Bagman and Crouch
Chapter 8: The Quidditch World Cup
Chapter 9: The Dark Mark
Chapter 10: Mayhem at the Ministry
Chapter 11: Aboard the Hogwarts Express
Chapter 12: The Triwizard Tournament
Jax is fascinated by the
Chapter 13: Mad-Eye Moody
Chapter 14: The Unforgivable Curses
Chapter 15: Beauxbatons and Durmstrang
Chapter 16: The Goblet of Fire
Dumbledore introduces the Goblet of Fire to the students and explains that those who wish to enter the Tournament should place their name on a slip of paper inside the goblet; he adds that he has drawn an age line around its perimeter, meaning that no one under the age of seventeen can approach.
Jax is fascinated by the age line and can’t fathom why anyone wouldn’t just tie something heavy to piece of paper with their name on it and throw it from behind the age line into the Goblet of Fire… (Hey Jax, maybe you should have told that to Fred and George before they tried an aging potion)!
“Dad, can’t they just ask someone older to drop their name in for them?!?? (Again, pretty good critical thinking Jax).
Jax face when Harry’s name came out of the Goblet:
Chapter 17: The Four Champions
Professor Dumbledore
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22: The Unexpected Task
They needed to find people to go to the ball with. Harry decided to go with Cho Vhamg but she was already going with Cedric Difgiey. Then he found out he needed to dance with a girl. I would NOT want to dance with a girl at the dance (well except my “girl” friend ____.
Chapter 23
POSTSCRIPT: Also, click here for our other alouds:
First grade? First grade?!?? Wait what happened to kindergarten? This pandemic, this homeschool your kid even when it’s impossible to homeschool your kid when you’re prepared to do so… that… that was nuts, but not as nuts as waking up today and realizing we have a first grader in the house.
This little dude was up at 6:00am and got himself dressed and ready for school by himself. He even made me a cup of coffee. Granted he woke up everyone in the house in order to tell us he had brushed his teeth and was hungry for breakfast, but I digress. With only about three hours to burn before drop-off this morning, we were able to play catch, ride power wheels and change outfits four times.
I’ve taught first grade. I was a first grade teacher for seven years. It’s the (in my opinion) the most challenging and complex grade level to teach and in turn has to be one of the most complex grades to be a student.
This is going to be such an interesting and even more challenging year for Jackson (let alone mom and dad). Then again if this morning is going to be any indication of how the school year is going to go… I think we’re in for a successful year.
Tonight was one of those nights where you just are happy to be close to your family. It was a long day here, but it was comforting to be able to relax a little with my oldest son before bed.
Can you still blog with only one arm?
While reading with him however, he fell asleep mid book. My arm is now trapped under him. I feel like I’m going to have to gnaw it off to escape. In case this is the last blog I write please know it’s been fun while it lasted.
“For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own. Let them swim in the deepest ocean or glide over the highest cloud.” -Albus Dumbledore #ChroniclesOfANewDad
Tattoos have been around for centuries and getting a tattoo inspired by your children or your favorite book is nothing new… therefore it’s no surprise that all of my tattoos are directly connected to my sons and/or Harry Potter.
As a guy who enjoys tattoos… I wanted to get some ink done to represent my first after he was born. I decide on a meaningful representation of father and son taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [short story] “The Tale of the Three Brothers.”
The story’s moral is that you should live life for the right reasons: love and those you love. The youngest brother in the story was a humble man and when he met Death at a crossroad in his life he asked for something that he could use to go forward and live a long and happy life, something in which he was allowed to see his child grow. He was given a cloak of invisibility and thus because of this he attained a great age and passed The Cloak of Invisibility to his son. I was happy to get a tattoo representing a moment that every father dreams of… Passing down something (knowledge, skill, an invisibility cloak) to their child which will ensure he will live long, happy and successful live.
When I decided it was time to get a tattoo honoring my newest little man it was obvious it would be something related to his name, Oliver, and also had to have some connection to Harry Potter. The olive branch has a very symbolic meaning which made it the perfect choice both references. The Olive Branch symbolizes a beginning of a new life. In the Harry Potter story, Oliver Wood is the first Quidditch player we meet. He is the keeper and captain of the Gryffindor team. He’s an athlete, a leader and a loyal friend. He’s also and one of my favorite characters in the story.
My most recent tattoo is just as special to me as the other ones I’ve gotten that were dedicated to my sons. The first time I visited the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Stephanie and I were walking out after a long hot day and as we pass a shelf loaded with stuffed animals and other HP merchandise, Jax starts pointing and laughing uncontrollably. He was pointing at the blue Cornish Pixie hanging on the shelf… so of course we bought it for him. He still has it to this day… so I got his Pixie (that he calls Pickie) on my inner arm.
Here are my other Harry Potter inspired tattoos:
And a quote on my ribs dedicated to my sons: “If anything should happen to me, the love for my sons should never go unsaid.”
Tattoos have been around for centuries and getting a tattoo inspired by your children or your favorite book is nothing new. of course it’s no surprise a few of my tattoos are directly connected to my sons and Harry Potter.
My most recent tattoo is just as special to me as the other ones I’ve gotten that were dedicated to my sons. The first time I visited the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando, Stephanie and I were walking out after a long hot day and as we pass a shelf loaded with stuffed animals and other HP merchandise, Jax starts pointing and laughing uncontrollably. He was pointing at the blue Cornish Pixie hanging on the shelf… so of course we bought it for him. He still has it to this day… so I got his Pixie (that he calls Pickie) on my inner arm.
Im about 2/3 of the way finished with my Potter sleeve, with a few directly representing my sons.
I of course had some ink done dedicated to my first after he was born. I decided on a meaningful representation of father and son taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [short story] “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” The story’s moral is that you should live life for the right reasons: love and those you love. The youngest brother in the story youngest brother was a humble man asked for a thing that he could use to live a long and happy life. One in which he was allowed to see his child grow. He was given a cloak of invisibility. And thus because of this he attained a great age and passed The Cloak of Invisibility to his son. I was happy to get a tattoo representing a moment that every father dreams of… Passing down something (knowledge, skill, an invisibility cloak) to their child which will ensure he will live long, happy and successful live.
When I decided it was time to get a tattoo honoring my newest little man it was obvious it would be something related to his name, Oliver, and also had to have some connection to Harry Potter. The olive branch [above] has a very symbolic meaning which made it the perfect choice both references. The Olive Branch symbolizes a beginning of a new life and in the Harry Potter story, Oliver Wood is the first Quidditch player we meet, he’s the keeper and captain of the Gryffindor team and one of my favorite characters in the story.
Do you have a tattoo inspired by your child(ten) or of Harry Potter? Post in the comments!
Are you Harry Potter obsessed? Are you a Potterhead? If so, then get your quill ready to check off each item below… if you find at least 8/10 of these apply to you, then I’d say you’re well on your way to receiving your Hogwarts letter:
10. You own multiple copies of each book.
Regular Editions, Ten and Twenty Year Anniversary Editions, Special Cover Edition, Re-ReReleased Extra New Art Editions with a forward from J.K. Rowling’s editor’s granddaughter… we’ve seen them all… and we own them all. If it’s reprinted we’re rebuying!
9. You make sure other people enjoy the series as much as you do\
When you watch the movies with someone else, you watch them to make sure they laugh and cry at the right parts! It’s critical they other see the series exactly like you do! If they don’t cry when (SPOILER ALERT) Hedwig dies they need to be disowned from your life!
8. You have your own Harry Potter Shrine
Your office, bedroom or bookshelf is a museum of all things Harry Potter. Legos, Funko Pop! Buttons and stickers. If it’s HP related you have it on display!
7. Harry Potter Tattoos anyone?
Whether it’s the obligatory All Was Well… or a basic Always, or something much more complex… every obsessed potter fan has or wants a Harry Potter Tattoo.
6. You listen to a Potter Podcast
If your ear buds are in I bet you’re listening to Mugglecast or The Leaky Cauldron. If not go download them now… Tell Andrew Sims I sent you!
5. The only reason you exercise is to earn your Potter related race medals
Virtual races are all the rage today, and for good reason. The proceeds raised go to charity and your race race hardware are Harry Potter themed. MILES MANAGED!!!
4. You’ve dressed your kids/pets up as Harry Potter characters
There’s only two reasons to have children. The first is to have them do chores and house work for you. The second… of course it’s to wrap them up in a cute Gryffindor scarf or capture them wearing the sorting hat.
3. You’ve been sorted into one of the Hogwarts Houses
Every Potter obsessed fan knows their house… and they are steadfast in their house loyalty. Hopefully those pesky Pottermore quizzes sorted you into the house you always thought you belonged to. (And no not all Slytherins are bad… I’m not!)
2. You follow J.K. Rowling on twitter
You Tweet at her on a regular basis desperately hoping for her to recognize you. Most of us Potterheads have at least 9 3/4 of our tweets dedicated to tagging or mentioning our author-hero.
1. You encourage (force) your children to love the Potter World as you do.
They don’t really have a choice right? It’s Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts… those are bedtime books and the only presents they get for holidays are Potter related!
When I decided it was time to get a tattoo honoring my newest little man it was obvious it would be something related to his name, Oliver, and also had to have some connection to Harry Potter. The olive branch has a very symbolic meaning which made it the perfect choice both references. The Olive Branch symbolizes a beginning of a new life. It was also written that the Olive Branch was the first thing that the dove brought to Noah as a sign of a new life in the land.
The Olive Branch also has long since symbolized victory and honor is currently still used as the symbol of Olympic victory in tribute to the early Olympian athletes who were crowned with Olive Branches. In Greek mythology it was attributed to the goddess Athena, and remains a symbol of peace and security. Athena, the Greek goddess of peace, war, arts, and wisdom, was said to have given the olive to humans.
In the Harry Potter story, Oliver Wood is the first Quidditch player we meet, keeper and captain of the Gryffindor team. Garrick Ollivander is the surname of the greatest wandmaker of his time. Ollivander is of Mediterranean origin meaning “he who owns an olive wand.”
The tattoo it surrounds is dedicated to Jackson and is a representation of a father and son taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (the short story The Tale of the Three Brothers). For more on that click here: https://chroniclesofanewdad.com/2015/12/07/jax-tattoo/
“If anything should happen to me, the love for my son should never go unsaid.”
I loved this quote the first time I saw it… It’s one of those timeless sayings that means so much in such few words.
PS: Rib tattoos are horrible, intensely painful works of art. Jax better appreciate the fact that I endured enough pain to qualify for FMLA. Next time I think about getting a tattoo on my ribs… I’ll settle for freehand sharpie work by Jax himself.
“If anything should happen to me, the love for my sons should never go unsaid.”
Tattoos have been around for centuries and getting a tattoo inspired by your children or your favorite book is nothing new. of course it’s no surprise a few of my tattoos are directly connected to my sons and Harry Potter.
I of course had some ink done dedicated to my first after he was born. I decided on a meaningful representation of father and son taken from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows [short story] “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” The story’s moral is that you should live life for the right reasons: love and those you love. The youngest brother in the story youngest brother was a humble man asked for a thing that he could use to live a long and happy life. One in which he was allowed to see his child grow. He was given a cloak of invisibility. And thus because of this he attained a great age and passed The Cloak of Invisibility to his son. I was happy to get a tattoo representing a moment that every father dreams of… Passing down something (knowledge, skill, an invisibility cloak) to their child which will ensure he will live long, happy and successful live.
Sorry Son: Chronicles of a New Dad 