HyperPost 10: My 11th Birthday (Stuff That’s Near My Wall Part 2)

Your 11^th birthday means one thing and one thing only: getting your acceptance letter from Hogwarts.

This was my second Harry Potter-themed birthday (the first being for my eighth birthday, where all of my gifts, the cake, loot bags, and decorations were Harry Potter-themed).

I was excited for this year because my Grandmum was out of the hospital and well enough to come to my birthday party and I had new cousins – from my step-mum’s family – that were much closer in age than my dad’s biological nieces and nephews.

Hunting down decorations wasn’t too difficult with a couple of party stores in our area – but being right after Halloween and within the same week of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire opening in theatres meant that a lot of the good Harry Potter stuff was out of stock.

We came home with a Hufflepuff banner for our front door. I dealt with it and moved on, even though I was a Gryffindor at the time, since Cedric Diggory had died in the fourth movie and he was a Hufflepuff.

Once the party was rolling, all the kids were sorted into one of the four houses, with one of the first Harry Potter movie on in the background.

Then came cake time – where I was presented with a massive chocolate cake, decorated to look like one of the books from a class at Hogwarts.

Then came the big moment that I’d been waiting for – getting my Hogwarts letter. Rolled up in a scroll attached to a plush owl’s foot, the letter and owl were tossed to me. I unrolled the scroll and read out loud to my family what Professor McGonagall had address to me.

My parents had it easy in regards to editing the letter – all they had to do was change Mr Potter to Ms Potter.

Also, the Half-Blood Prince came out that year, but my parents were kind enough to let me read it early even though it was technically my birthday present, so that I wouldn’t fall behind in the fandom.

Piece out.

HyperPost 9: YOTSO (You Only Turn Seven Once)

16 November 2001. I turned seven. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone opened in theatres in Canada. My dad got me a copy of the book for my birthday. This marked my entering of the Harry Potter Fandom.

My mum, my little sister, my best friend at the time, her little sister, my dad and I all filed into Cinema 1 at the Paramount on St Catherine Street (now the Scotia Back Theatre). This was second year in a row that I managed to not have school on my birthday – having had the day off after parent-teacher interviews – which was why we were able to see the movie during the day.

The four of us little ones were given light-up Mickey Mouse-shaped pendant necklaces so we could be found easily in the theatre if any of us wandered off – which is something that may happen when dealing with 2 three year olds, a six year old, and a seven year old.

Having not yet read the books, I had no idea what was in store. I giggled when Dudley was given a pig’s tail by Hagrid, was swept away by the Quidditch game, held my breath when Harry walked through the restricted section of the library, and cheered when Gryffindor won the House Cup at the end of the year.

The day ended with my dad giving me a copy of the first book as a gift. It was one of the older copies that had an eccentric looking wizard on the back cover, as opposed to today’s copies that have Dumbledore in his place.

I do say, this was quite a beginning for something that would become such a large part of who was while growing up and who I am today.

Piece out.