Harry Potter
It was fall of 2001, I was working at the local movie theater when I first heard that Harry Potter was a thing. And I quickly discovered that it was a huge thing. I, therefore, decided to not watch it because it was so popular. Silly rebellion.
I was working the door, ripping tickets the day of the premier of the first showing, opening shift. When I arrived at work, the line was already all the way up the stairs (the theater is underground). When it was time, I opened the door and called up to the crowd, "Harry Potter will be playing on Screen #3: middle of the hall on the right side. There is no hot chocolate or coffee allowed in the theater, any other cold food or drink is allowed. Enjoy the movie!"
I refused to see the movie for two weeks, but finally decided to use one of my 10-minute breaks to sit in for a moment. It was the scene of them learning to fly on their brooms...The CGI on Neville's out of control flight and crash was so bad that I decided I did not need to continue. But another week later, I gave it another chance on another 10-minute break....it was the spoiler scene as Harry meets Quirrell and Voldemort.....I got a write up for not coming back from my break when I was supposed to........ When I clocked out that evening, I immediately got a ticket and saw the full movie. I then went back the next morning before I had to work, to watch it again. And I saw it another several times in the theater. Hooked on it.
I attended every midnight premier that followed, and watched each movie several times in the theater. The last one, I saw at the drive-in.
I'm not sure what year I finally downloaded the ebooks and read them almost non-stop, but I have since read them all several times, and listened to the audiobooks many, many times. And I'm working on doing my own reading for YouTube.
Unfortunately, I own no merch.
My House: Gryffinpuff; well, ok, I'm Gryffindor, but almost Hufflepuff
My Wand: Elm with Unicorn hair, 11", brittle flexibility
My Patronus: Ginger cat, my cat Garlique
