"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, remember that."

The first thing I need to say about this part of the book is that we start at Halloween and then end in like June? Nice pacing there, Rowling. Really nice.

I'd just completely forgotten how quickly things moved once the gang actually get to Hogwarts, which is fine, but it kind of makes the Philosopher's Stone kind of devoid of all the background things that make the whole Harry Potter experience so exciting and juicy and rich and so, yeah. It's notable.

NOW let's talk about fun things! Can I just tell you, straight up, that basically my favourite thing in any book is when they have Christmas. I like to find out about their presents, I like to know what they've eaten, I just enjoy the whole experience. It's probably the main reason I like Little Women so much, and in Harry Potter it is ON STEROIDS. "It had been Harry's best Christmas day ever" and OMG mine too. It literally makes me go like this:

And then there's the mirror of Erised, and UGH JK, why are you trying to make me cry when it's Christmas? Why? I have to say, at every other reading of Harry Potter, I haven't actually cried until the sixth book (YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT) but this time? I nearly cried at the mirror, and at this:
"It was the unicorn all right, and it was dead. Harry had never seen anything so beautiful and sad."
Because DEAD UNICORNS? I think not. (Also, I am twelve).
But, for the first time ever, JK got me in the very first book.

"Your mother died to save you. If there is one thing that Voldemort doesn't understand, it is love. He didn't realise that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign... to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very skin."

It's going to be a rough few months, is what I'm saying. And by rough I mean AWESOME but with some cries. *sniiiiiiiff*

Let's see, what else? Time for some more bullet points? Yes.

• I am SO happy that Hermione is their friend now. And also that she's awesome. Like, the bit where she tells Harry he's a great wizard, and he's all like 'naaah, you're SO smart!' and she's like PAH these are not the most important things? It's wondrous. 
• I love Neville. I don't remember loving Neville this much! But I do. He stands up to Malfoy and to Harry and Ron and Hermoine and he basically never wins but he always TRIES and it's the best. LOVE him.

• Dumbledore is SO wise. I mean, DUH, obviously, but like this: "You know, the Stone was really not such a wonderful thing. As much money and life as you could want! The two things that human beings would choose above all- the trouble is, humans do have a knack of choosing precisely those things which are worst for them." That we do, Dumbledore, that we do.
• On another Dumbledore note, can we please guess what Dumbledore saw in the Mirror of Erised? (Do we find out later and I've just forgotten? Perhaps.) I'm choosing to believe that its him and Grindelwald living harmoniously together in a little cottage somewhere. Cause awwwww.

Aaaaand I'm kind of done. There is clearly a lot more to say (have I even mentioned the Trolls? Or how interesting I find Quirrell and his Struggle? I have not.) but I have to tell you, I saw Les Mis (for the first time) on Wednesday (I'm writing this Thursday night) and it has genuinely made thinking about other things really difficult. So, I'm off to listen to I Dreamed A Dream for the thousandth time and to seek (seek? Like Harry is the seeker? Yes? Yes.) out the Chamber of Secrets. Which, at the very least, is a book we can all agree on the name of. So that's a bonus already.