Autumn Air

Fall has finally arrived here.  It's about time.  And as usual, it came upon us with absolutely no warning or apologies.  It's about 59 F out right now, which is, to borrow from the Brits, bloody cold for us.  It is even colder than Chicago!

Anyway, I've been fighting stomach problems all week which has been a nightmare, but it seems they are subsiding finally.  I spent this entire day in repose, lying around and wishing I were outside enjoying the air.  It gave me plenty of time to do a lot of nothing.  Meaning I watched my backlog of internet to-do's, ie. Arrested Development, The Lying Game, Tower of Terror, A Very Potter Musical.  And it was the latter that reminded me that I never watched any videos from LeakyCon.  Go 'head, laugh it up.  I'm the biggest Potterhead I know, and despite my attempts to find someone just as fanatical in my real life, the search has come up short on multiple occasions.  Alas, the majority of the people I feel most attuned with on this subject are virtual friends, people I've met through the years (and I mean years and years, over 14 at this point) who hypothesized with me and edited my terrible ships of fan fiction and generally loved all over the wondrous world of HP with me. 

The point is, the last and probably final meaningful HP convention was in July, aligned with the film release of DH Pt. II, and I really wanted to be there.  I mean, I could not have afforded to go since this was right in the middle of me finishing my degree, writing my thesis, etc.  But my heart wanted desperately to be among those who understood and were totally unafraid to let their freak flags fly.  haha  I must seem like a nut.  Well, regardless, the videos left me sobbing in my bed.  I almost feel like it was a death I didn't properly deal with, and Lord knows I've had enough experience this year with how losing someone feels.  So I dealt today.  I watched silly fan videos and cried and remembered the theories I came up with, the stories I'd written and the way I used to emulate Jo Rowling's writing, and the binding broken on my Prisoner of Azkaban first edition.  I remembered how nobody believed me when I told them that I thought Harry and Voldemort had to both die and that the prophecy had a double meaning.  I remember arguing with my Leaky friends about it and being totally mystified that everyone else on the net thought for sure that it JUST meant that Harry had to kill Voldemort.  I've never quite expressed how vindicated I felt when my theory was proven correct.

Anyway, this post is already too long, so I'll just say, thanks HP.  Thanks Jo Rowling.  For teaching me to write and to think and dream big.  I haven't forgotten, maybe just been a little sidetracked.  

Here's the video I've had on repeat.  The song is really clever, really beautiful, and quite touching.
Check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDNxa2UoEUI&feature=related