A Very Potter Weekend

My apologies for my somewhat lengthy absence. The weekend was long, full, and required thorough contemplation. All things considered, there is not much to tell, even though much transpired.

The bulk of the weekend did not, in fact, center on the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince movie, but rather, around a family from the tae kwon do gym, who are moving away from the area. It was a very sorrowful departure, not only because of the palpable sense of loss emanating from friends, but also because of a feeling of missed opportunities, of “wish I had had the time to get to know these lovely people better.” The barbecue in their honor on Saturday was outstanding. There was food, tae kwon do friends aplenty, and time in the pool. Herself even took the opportunity to play with the water guns with the children and others. It was bittersweet fun – joy tinged with the knowledge of forthcoming loss.

Sunday afternoon, Herself and Offspring the second went out to help the family with moving-related activities. Shuffling of containers, carrying of furniture, arranging of things. There’s always a sorrow present in the boxing up of all the myriad tiny pieces of a life. Herself was truly glad of a chance to be helpful – it’s the best way she knows to try to ease another’s heartache. The evening ended with hugs goodbye and a burgeoning, overriding sense of loss.

Sandwiched in between these two activities was the screening of the Harry Potter movie.

Herself attended the movie with the Offspring, Beloved Husband, and two others from the tae kwon do gym. Usually at any occasion requiring patience and stationary seating, Herself is in charge of Offspring the third, who typically is a wiggly, chatty, short-attention-spanned child. The evening before, however, Herself mentioned to Beloved Husband the significance of the movie to her as a devoted Harry Potter fan, and requested that he be in charge of Offspring the third. Out of kindness, Beloved Husband had Offspring the third sit next to him instead. And so, Herself had the happy privilege of sitting between her friend and her Beloved Husband. She couldn’t have been more delighted.

The movie itself was exactly as expected – essentially true to the book, with occasional pieces that were in the movie but not the book, as well as absences of parts of the book that were not in the movie. There was humor, there was love, there was friendship, and there was loss. It was good.

In essence, the entire weekend seemed to be much like a slice from the Harry Potter universe: there were moments well spent with treasured companions; there was packing like that at the end of a school year at Hogwarts; and there was a feeling of worry and of sorrow about the future and about when one would see certain friends again. At the same time, though, there was the clear presence of caring and fellowship that can be so difficult to find in this disjointed, hurried, muggle world.

And so, I leave you with a quote from Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, which sums up my feelings at the moment:

Of house-elves and children's tales, of love, loyalty, and innocence, Voldemort knows and understands nothing. Nothing. That they all have a power beyond his own, a power beyond the reach of any magic, is a truth he has never grasped.