Re-reading Harry Potter after 7 years: was probably a mistake

"Ask me no questions and I'll tell you no lies" isn't original to HP. That's an old expression from nursery rhymes as far back as the 1930's.

Agree about Snape. Doing something brave or heroic does not make you a good person.

9:39 J. K. Rowling didn't come up with the phrase about 'no questions - no lies'. It is a popular phrase first used 200 years prior to the Harry Potter series in a play by Oliver Goldsmith, and again borrowed in Charles Dickens' "Great Expectations" in the 1860s. Many people have used it in casual conversations over the last century or more. It's a fairly common expression.

I re-read OoTP quite recently and omg!!! yes! I was feeling the same things! i cant believe the popular opinion is that harry is annoying in this book, when it is actually everyone around him that ticks me off. You are so right about harry and others being reprimanded for the littlest hints of nastiness. I do not like how they are treated when they attack Malfoy at all. Similarly how Hermione is just constantly on Harry's case and Sirius' too. school being unfair is completely possible and realistic. hermione being set on her views is also very realistic to her character but what i really disliked is how much the narrative tries to show these behaviors as right and ideal. you are supposed to be on hermiones side and she is right in the end and i found that really frustrating this time around because hermione's lack of tact is glossed over, even dumbledore is telling us she is right (just after sirius dies??). In comparison, when hermione doesnt show empathy in PoA, she faces consequences and has proper cahracter growth. I feel like jkr undid some of her arc to use her as a plot device, which is unfortunate. not to mention, Snape is framed differently too starting here. overall this book is just very unfair

I reread them every year > 1 times have since I first read them, when I was 38 or was it 41 anyway 61 now and still rereading, love them

As someone who has written 28 years of hogwarts fanfictions ,, in 2004 when i reset again ,, for the 2011 ,, i went back to hourly journal,,25,555 posts,, i read no books & kept in character,, but read them again in 2018...as the fandom went full digital.. to now as Hogwarts graduation,, i wrote real pen & paper journals,,.. lol.. now its a tv series i will feel so different ,, i guess in 2031 ... its going to be like wow 2037,, 40 years of Hogwarts ,, how ..when what.. ,,

I re-read Harry Potter last year and I have to tell you that while I didn't like the books that much the first time (Mind you I didn't read them as a kid. I read them post high-school) I feel like I found myself relating to Harry and his World much more now than ever considering the political madness that's happening in real-time, the whole frustration of being 'just a kid' in world that seems to be 'going to hell' and nobody listens to you, witch was made even more so with fact that I studied actual magic [books] and had interacted with real New-Age people online. No I didn't become an Occultist like people say, but with knowing my real-time experience and my personal sassy attitude towards it I felt more like Harry than I ever did watching the films growing up. I agree with you on Snape. It's like with people loving Hades. Just cause you did the one good thing, in the form of your relationship with that innocent girl/woman that doesn't technically make you any less of an tyrant. Still Potter is a 1'000 fold better than Scarlet St. Clair's books! (Barfs.)

Very nice reread vlog, thanks for doing it.

I just wanted to say that this video was recommended to me today by the Youtube algorithm, because... There's a great Harry Potter "deep dive" podcast now, available on few different platforms (as far as I know) and also here on Youtube (where I personally watch it every Sunday), called "Through the Griffin Door". It's created by Super Carlin Brothers, who are well known among all (or well, among most) of the English-speaking Potterheads out there, because they've been discussing all things connected to Harry Potter books and movies for YEARS now (on their main channel). They are real and unquestionable EXPERTS in spotting and connecting all those hidden, tiny little details, and then "connecting the dots", explaining the previously unexplained things and crafting their own, fascinating and highly probable and believable NEW theories, set in the already well-known HP world. In their newest podcast ("Through the Griffin Door) they go REALLY DEEP into the whole Harry Potter saga by discussing each and every chapter of it, one by one, book by book. Each new episode of the podcast is always released on Sunday (with just one or two exceptions so far, released a day later or so) - so it's like a weekly "Harry Potter Book Club" on Youtube (and also on few other platforms, as mentioned above). They've already discussed almost 2 whole first HP books this way! And today, (just before coming here) - I've seen their NEWEST podcast episode, discussing the penultimate (so almost the last one) chapter of the "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". Now, as to THIS video that I'm commenting here - let me just say that I COMPLETELY DISAGREE with you, Monique, when it comes to "judging" my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE CHARACTER, which has always been, and shall always be PROFESSOR Severus Snape... ;) And I admit that I was also a bit disappointed that you DIDN'T feel as much "magic" while reading the books for the second time, compared to your first, fresh, spontaneous reactions to them in your childhood. BUT... I still feel that your genuine love for the series really SHINES THROUGH in this video, even in your not-so-enthusiastic words... So I thought that perhaps you might still be interested in how other people (literally hundreds and thousands of them, all over the world) interact with those stories NOW, even if - just like both Super Carlin Brothers (and for example me, myself) - they are probably TWICE older than you (or perhaps even older than that). As for me - I first read the books (and I saw at least the first few movies) when I was 26-27 years old, so I was already very much adult, and probably older (?) than you are right now, (or perhaps you just look very young, at least in this video - I haven't seen any other of your videos at the moment of writing this post). And my first encounter with Harry Potter was some 15 years ago... ;) But as much as I loved the story THEN - it is only NOW, when I re-read the stories for the (I'm not sure which exactly) 4th (?) time, that I can appreciate the UNBELIEVABLE, truly TITANIC work that went into the whole worldbuilidng there, and into making ABSOLUTELY SURE, that all those tiniest little dots are there for us, ATTENTIVE readers, to connect... And I personally think that it's just UTTERLY AMAZING that we can really see MORE AND MORE of those curious little things, with each re-reading of the story... But it is only by watching such in-depth reactions to the stories as those posted by, (for example, and among some others), the Super Carlin Brothers, that I'm able to notice and appreciate EVEN MORE of those curious, hidden, little things, than I've ever properly seen and admired before, on my own... So I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend their weekly Harry Potter Book Club, aka their podcast "Through the Griffin Door" (as well as great many of their other, HP theory-crafting, separate videos) to any and every true HP fan out there! I hope you will give this podcast a try, there is a HUGE comment section, discussing ALL SORTS of things under every episode of "Through the Griffin Door" released on Youtube, and I have to say that some of the comments made by the viewers are as amazing, as eye-opening and as mind-blowing as the content of the podcast itself! :) Just a little word of warning though, for any possible newcomers to the whole magical world of Harry Potter series, who might ever accidentaly read my comment here - "Through the Griffin Door" podcast (and many other of Super Carlin Brothers HP-focused videos) are suitable ONLY for those people who have already read ALL of the books and who have already seen ALL of the movies. So please be aware, that in all of their videos they just JUMP back-and-forth between ALL the books and/or movies, exactly to show all the possible, probable and believable little CONNECTIONS between many different little details: hidden motives, seemingly "unimportant" situations and events, certain complicated and long-term plans (prepared by some extra cautious and thoughtful characters) etc. They often focus precisely on all those tiny little details which easily go unnoticed by the avarage reader, but which, as Super Carlin brothers argue, were perhaps "set in motion" WAY SOONER than we actually officially learn about them while reading the whole story for the FIRST time - etc.,etc., etc. So even if they MAINLY focus on just ONE single chapter of ONE of the books per week, (in their podcast) - they still expect their viewers/listeners to already KNOW what exactly they're talking about, if they suddenly refer to something which happens in a completely different chapter, or even in a completely different book. In other words - their podcast is full of HUGE "spoilers", therefore it's absolutely NOT suitable for any newcomers AT ALL... But the long-established HP fans should be simply DELIGHTED to dive into the story again, and to go DEEPER THAN EVER! :) There are already plenty of episodes (each of them about an hour long, or even longer!) avalaible here on Youtube right now, discussing the first two books, and a new episode appears every Sunday (as mentioned above). So... I'll just say it once again - PLEASE give this podcast a try, it's REALLY worth it, and you might still be AMAZED how much you DO enjoy all those stories, even while reading them for the THIRD or FOURTH time...! ;) Anyway - all the best to you, Monique and to all other Potterheads out there! :) And I will go and rewatch the "Crimes of Grinwelwald" now (as I've already rewatched the "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" yesterday). Cheers! - from a certain friendly Ravenclaw, who always loves to learn something new, even about the "already known" things ;) * * * EDIT: typos

Even the good deeds accomplished by Snape were motivated by selfishness

Snape only killed Dumbledore on his request, to protect Draco. We don't know if he killed anyone else since he became a double agent (was it after Harry's parents died?) He's not "REDEEMED" since that's not the point. You can't be "redeemed." That's not the point of his actions, regardless of whether it motivates him or he subconsciously or consciously yearns for that. He's just choosing to do good now. He was a cruel little bully to a kid but also fought protecting him later on, and anyway that'd put him on par with plenty of non-murderer teachers, I'd at least be able to hang out with him IMO I've sucked pretty bad before too although never been a death eater

You forgot to review goblet of fire

nice video!

11:23 THIS!! Ugh makes me so mad

I think there are some works in which the premise is the best thing about them. The Wizarding World, and particularly Hogwarts, is a fictional world which is more enthralling than the actual canon stories set in it. That makes it very compatible with fanfic. Phillip Pullman's 'His Dark Materials' trilogy is the same way. The first two books are good, the last one is... unsatisfying. But the daemons are a fascinating concept which have inspired a lot of independent fanfic. There are far more works tagged "Alternate Universe -- Daemons' set in other fandoms than there are 'His Dark Materials' fanfics. That's just how it is sometimes.

Can't help you like Snape. He's not a good person, but he's so likeable and funny.

Pausing to comment that as an American dealing with MAGA madness in politics, the fact that Snape does feel guilt is a point in his favor, because it shows that he does have a conscience. He is, as you say, absolutely awful for the way he verbally abuses the students in his charge, and should never have been allowed to be a teacher. (And to be fair, he didn't want to be one in the first place. It was just that Dumbledore had psychological and possibly legal power over Snape, and needed a potions teacher after Slughorn ducked out.) Mind you, I also absolutely hate the Marauders for the way they bullied, humiliated, and sexually assaulted Snape. I don't think Lily should have married either James Potter or Severus Snape, or anyone straight out of high school for that matter. Not hatin'; just sayin'.