Star Trek: The Outcast

Episode: "The Outcast"

Series: Star Trek: The Next Generation

Season 5, Episode 17

Original Air Date: March 16, 1992

via Memory Alpha

Riker falls in love with Soren, a member of an androgynous race called the J'naii.  Actually, Soren makes the first move, sharing with Wil that not only is she (pronoun deliberately chosen) attracted to him, too, but she identifies as female.  This admission comes at great personal risk.  Both the gender identification and the attraction to a gendered being are strict taboos in her world.  Any J'naii found to identify as either gender is subjected to intense psychological therapy to "cure" them of the condition.

LGBTQIA+ activists (as they are known nearly 30 years later) coordinated letter writing campaigns to the creators of Star Trek - and every other TV show and movie studio of the era - encouraging them to include gay and lesbian relationships in their stories.  "The Outcast" was produced in an effort to be more inclusive.  Fortunately now, the conversation has become more sophisticated and we all know that sexuality and gender are two separate, if related, matters.  Right?  Okay, good.

But in 1992, acknowledging differences along either spectrum was a big deal.  Philadelphia, a landmark film in the visibility of homosexuality on screen, wouldn't be released until December of the following year.  Much of the episode's rhetoric, particularly Soren's impassioned speech at her trial, matches that of the real-world political movement in the early '90s.  The pressure was strong to "get it right" and many believed Trek didn't go far enough.  Indeed, Jonathan Frakes himself felt that the better and more daring choice would have been to make Soren male.

Personally, I think once you control for the era, they did okay.

On a completely separate point... our daughter made an interesting comment while watching: "I think the Klingons are really Hufflepuffs."  Naturally, I argued that individual Klingons would likely be sorted into different houses.  But the obvious broader question couldn't be ignored: how would each of the TNG characters be sorted into Hogwarts houses?  Wouldn't you know, the Internet is already on the case.  From Sara Sanderson at Screen Rant:

Picard - Ravenclaw

Troi - Hufflepuff

Riker - Slytherin

LaForge - Ravenclaw

Dr. Crusher - Hufflepuff

Wesley - Ravenclaw

Data - Hufflepuff

Worf - Gryffindor

Guinan - Hufflepuff

Yar - Gryffindor

Thoughts?  For those with limited Potterverse experience, I offer the following oversimplification of the defining personal characteristic for the members of each house: Ravenclaw = smart, Hufflepuff = loyal, Slytherin = ambitious and Gryffindor = brave.  I'm okay with most of Sanderson's choices.  However, I would switch Riker and Worf.  Over the long run, I think Riker is better defined by his lack of personal ambition.  Furthermore, while Worf is certainly brave, his obsession with honor is the least altruistic of TNG's principal motivations.  So in as much as someone must be in Slytherin, I think Worf is the best choice.

Acting Notes

via The A-Team Wiki

Melinda Culea (Soren) was born May 5, 1955 in Western Springs, Illinois.  The modeling work came before acting.  She is best known for her 24-episode run on The A-Team as Amy Amanda Allen.  Other television gigs included Glitter, Knots Landing and Brotherly Love.  Films include Wagons East! and Dying on the Edge.  She is married to director Peter Markle.

Culea is a published author.  Her book Wondago is an illustrated mystery novel.

Star Wars Comics: Crimson Empire II #1-3, Jedi Academy #2-4, Mara Jade #5

This week, I wrapped up the Jedi Academy: Leviathan series.  While I was hoping for a Hogwarts for Jedi, it's closer to an X-Men equivalent.  The Jedi in training, at least the ones in the story, are all adults.  Luke sends them on a mission as part of their training then worries about them while they're away - clear Charles Xavier stuff.

It's a decent series - light and rather obvious on the dialogue, heavy on the action sequences.  As such, it's certainly a quick read.  It was enough to reignite my interest in Jedi lore.

My Recent Reads

Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood #1

Originally published November 11, 1998

Writer: Mike Richardson and Randy Stradley

Artist: Paul Gulacy

In-story timeline: 11 ABY

via Wookieepedia

Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood #2

December 9, 1998

Richardson and Stradley/Gulacy

Crimson Empire II: Council of Blood #3

January 13, 1999

Richardson and Stradley/Gulacy

via Wookieepedia

Jedi Academy: Leviathan #2

November 18, 1998

Kevin J. Anderson/Dario Carrasco, Jr.

12 ABY

via Wookieepedia

Jedi Academy: Leviathan #3

December 16, 1998

Anderson/Carrasco

via Wookieepedia

Jedi Academy: Leviathan #4

January 27, 1999

Anderson/Carrasco

via Wookieepedia

Mara Jade: By the Emperor's Hand #5

December 16, 1998

Timothy Zahn and Michael A. Stackpole/Carlos Ezquerra

4 ABY

via Wookieepedia

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Title: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

It's Year 7 and Harry Potter is a hunted man.  Lord Voldemort's minions at the Ministry of Magic have declared Harry Undesirable No. 1.  As such, he can't even safely show his face at Hogwarts.  Fortunately, he has plenty to occupy his time.  Dumbledore, before his own passing, set Harry on a mission to find Horcruxes, objects in which Voldemort has implanted pieces of his own soul.  Unless they are all destroyed, the Dark Lord can never truly be killed.  Fortunately, Harry has help.  The ever faithful Hermione and Ron are both along for the adventure.

This seventh and final book in the series is different from all of the others in many respects.  For starters, a lot of characters die.  Harry has encountered death before: Cedric, Sirius, Dumbledore, etc.  But in Year 7, no one is off limits.  From early in the story, it becomes clear that the body count will be high and the emotional wounds significant, for both Harry and the reader.  Perhaps even more importantly, relatively little of the story is spent at Hogwarts.  Since Harry, Ron and Hermione are all essentially PNGs on the grounds, they spend most of the book on the run.  As such, Deathly Hallows feels like a more traditional quest adventure tale than the previous installments.  And yet even that narrative is different from the usual - takes quite a while to gain traction.

And then there's the climactic scene...

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

Regular visitors may already be aware that I'm not a huge fan of resurrection narratives.  As such, Harry's whole dying but not really dying so Voldemort can finally die deal would not have been my first choice had I been the author.  However, there is a feeling of inevitability to it.  A simple duel wouldn't have been enough.  There had to be a catch.

!!!END OF SPOILER!!!

Even in light of all this, I find the conclusion of the series to be satisfying.  There are moments of redemption for Dudley, Kreacher and even the Malfoys.  Neville finally comes into his own.  Everyone ends up pairing off appropriately.  And then there's Snape.

The Snape story is the hidden gem of the franchise and the primary failure of the movies is the fact that not enough was done with it.  Chapter 33, "The Prince's Tale" is worth the entire series and I don't say that lightly.  Snape was the main reason I knew I would eventually read all of the books over again when I first finished 14 years ago.  One does read Snape differently from the beginning when one knows what's coming.  It's still not easy to like him but it is easier to understand him.  

I have thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this wonderful wizarding world.  I also enjoy the ever expanding media universe it has generated.  For me, I doubt anything will quite live up to these seven original books but I appreciate the fact Rowling has left so much room for others to explore her creation.

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Title: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

It's Year 6 for Harry Potter at Hogwarts and, per usual, our hero has quite a lot going on.  He is mourning the death of his godfather, killed right in front of him.  He's pretty sure his nemesis, Draco Malfoy, is up to something but no one takes his concerns seriously.  The Minister of Magic and the new potions teacher are both too eager to bask in his glory.  His two best friends can't seem to get along, largely because only one of them realizes they're in love with each other.  He has added responsibilities as Gryffindor's new quidditch captain.  He's coming to terms with his own romantic feelings for Ginny, his best pal's sister.  Oh, and the Dark Lord has made crystal clear that he wants to kill Harry.

Yes, I can see how it would all add up to a pretty stressful time.

This, the penultimate installment of the series, is a crucial one.  With each new book, the narrative has darkened.  Harry changes a lot, too.  Frankly, it's hard to like him sometimes as he drifts deeply into his moody teenage years.  I've always liked that aspect of the story.  Rowling allows all of her characters to grow up realistically.  Sometimes, in general, she lets Harry drift too close to perfection but she finds ways to pull him back into the believability range.  His miserable behavior on dates is a good example of this.  Early on in Half-Blood Prince, Harry has a rather unfortunate run in with Draco and definitely gets the worse end of it.  While by the end of the story, Harry's suspicion is vindicated, in this particular instance it's hard not to feel that our man kind of had it coming.  He was the one spying on a private conversation, after all.

Half-Blood Prince is an important book for three characters in particular: Ginny, Snape and, of course, Dumbledore. 

!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!

As discussed previously, Ginny is my favorite character in the Potterverse.  I love anyone who is disinclined to suffer the bullshit of others and Ginny even has some great moments putting Hermione in her place.  Ginny and Harry finally find each other and while minimal text is devoted to the relationship once it finally happens, one can feel Harry settle into himself.  It's wonderfully satisfying.

The Snape story is the hidden gem of the entire franchise and Year 6 is key.  The confrontation between Snape and Harry at the end of the book is revealing - far more so than Harry can see himself in the moment.  While Harry is firing spells at his soon to be former professor, Snape casually fends them off and taunts our man.  Except that he isn't taunting.  Snape is chastising him for everything he's failed to learn yet.  He's still teaching Harry!!!  That, my friends, is seriously badass.

The other bit Harry fails to grasp in the moment: at any point in the encounter, Snape could easily have killed him.  But he didn't.  Stay tuned.

Obviously, this is an essential Dumbledore story.  The ending is important, of course, but more so is the vulnerability he shows to Harry up until that point.  We all know Harry loves his headmaster.  Now it's clear that he's been loved right back.

!!! END OF SPOILER !!!

On to Year 7, the final book of the original series.  A lot of people don't like the way the HP story ends and I suppose I understand why.  It's when the tale becomes, seemingly, just another quest adventure like so many other thousands.  But I contend that it's different because of everything that comes before.

Year 7 is shrouded in a deep sadness, one earned through great loss - losses we've experienced along with the protagonist.  This sadness separates Rowling's story from Tolkein's or Lewis's.  In Middle Earth, the darkness is impending but it hasn't arrived yet.  In the original Narnia story, there is a strong sense of what has been lost but we didn't experience the loss along with the characters.  At Hogwarts, we've earned Harry's sadness and that makes all the difference.

Obviously, we'll talk about this more soon.

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Title: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

It's Harry Potter's 5th year at Hogwarts.  Lord Voldemort is on the rise.  Harry dueled him at the end of last school year and lived to tell the tale.  His friend Cedric Diggory wasn't so lucky.  Unfortunately, apart from Dumbledore and a few loyal friends, no one believes Harry.  In fact, the Ministry of Magic is actively working to discredit both Harry and Dumbledore.  Meanwhile, Harry's having horrible dreams, from Voldemort's perspective.

Worst of all, it is the year of Dolores Umbridge.  She is the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher and also the Ministry-appointed High Inquisitor at Hogwarts.  She's an authoritarian nightmare.  A student of mine is also reading the series and she reports that everyone in her fandom chat group hates Umbridge more than Voldemort.  In the years since the first time I read the book, I've worked for people like Dolores Umbridge.  It isn't fun.

Important developments in Year 5:

• Order of the Phoenix brings Harry deeper into the adult wizarding world.  Over the summer he learns, while staying with Sirius, of the Order, the underground group of Dumbledore's supporters.  His parents were members of the original group.  The new band includes the Weasleys, Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Hagrid, Snape, McGonagall and a few new faces, including Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks.  
• Luna Lovegood, a delightfully loopy Ravenclaw student, is introduced.
• Ron has a couple of unexpected glory moments: becoming a prefect and, eventually, a reasonably capable keeper for the Gryffindor quidditch team.  Being happy for his friend becomes part of Harry's growth, too.
• In Hogsmeade, we get to visit a teashop, Madam Puddifoot's, and a sleazy pub, The Hog's Head.
• Harry's still a terrible date.
• At Hermione's urging, Harry teaches several of his schoolmates Defence Against the Dark Arts, picking up the slack from Umbridge's worthless lessons.  The study group call themselves Dumbledore's Army.
• The Weasley twins drop out of Hogwarts in spectacular fashion and open a highly lucrative joke shop with Harry's financial backing.
• We learn why Snape is resentful of James, Harry's father.  And he's not wrong to feel that way.  It's not fair for him to torment Harry in retaliation but he's not wrong to hate James.
• Neville Longbottom gets some excellent development.  We learn more about what happened to his parents and we see just how devoted he is to the cause of fighting the Dark Lord.
• As noted previously, Ginny is my favorite character in the series.  Odd choice, right?  After all, she never gets much material, at least not until The Cursed Child.  Here's why I love Ginny: she's the student least inclined to put up with Harry's shit.  Even Hermione and Ron tend to tiptoe around him.  Not Ginny.  Not anymore.  There are some nice Ginny moments in Phoenix.  The first shot across the bow: she's the one who calls Harry out for being an idiot when he won't talk to anyone about his fears of being possessed by Voldemort.  Ginny points out that she's the only one he knows who actually has been possessed by You-Know-Who and knows how it feels - stops Harry in his tracks.  She also replaces Harry as seeker when young Potter gets kicked off the quidditch team.

Harry gets the summer off but overall, the story is definitely on a rising crescendo.

Before I go, I offer a few treats from our Harry Potter LEGO advent calendar.  We had Star Wars LEGO and Nightmare Before Christmas Funko calendars, too.  Harry Potter was the best of the three as it adhered to a specific story, the Yule Ball from Goblet of Fire.  Star Wars was more of a hodgepodge and Nightmare didn't include a particularly wide range of characters.  By my count, there were seven different Jack Skellington figures.

Left to right: Harry, Hermione, Ron, Cho Chang, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil

Beauxbatons' Carriage and the Durmstrang Ship

Luke, Harry and Rey discussing the burdens of the Chosen One narrative - note Golden Egg next to Harry on the couch.

Sally commiserating with the Patil twins over their lousy dates.

Ron complimenting Poe on his sweet new ride.  Poe thanks him for the Weasley sweater.

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Author: J.K. Rowling

via Barnes & Noble

The Triwizard Tournament is to be held at Hogwarts this year, the fourth for Harry Potter at the School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.  This means students from two European wizard schools, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, will be at Hogwarts for the year.  It also means Harry will once again be put in mortal peril.

When my wife and I first started reading the Harry Potter books, the first three had already been published.  As such, the release of Goblet of Fire was our introduction to the publication craze.  We didn't go to the midnight release party (my wife is a morning person) but we did pre-order our copy and pick it up the next day.

Goblet of Fire is the book in which the series loses its innocence.  More on that in a bit.  It's also abundantly clear Rowling is writing with the films in mind by this point.  A lot of the exposition reads like a story board.

The world-building:

• This fourth book provides the first deep exploration of a wizarding world beyond the UK.  Even before the Triwizard Tournament, we visit the finals of the Quidditch World Cup, contested by Ireland and Bulgaria (neither normally significant players on the world sport stage).  
• It's another good food book as we see Molly Weasley cook with magic and learn of the mostly invisible House Elf staff who cook all of the amazing meals at Hogwarts.  
• As powerful a wizard as Harry may be, he's a terrible date.  If anything, Ron's worse.
• We get the first hints that Hermione's and Ron's feelings for each other might extend beyond platonic.

Once again, my favorite part of the story involves the Weasleys and their affection for Harry.  I got quite emotional when Molly and Bill turned up as Harry's "family" for the final task of the Triwizard Tournament.  Mind you, I was less impressed by Molly's passive aggression towards Hermione when she believed Rita Skeeter's article claiming that Hermione was Harry's manipulative girlfriend.

!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!

It's impossible to discuss the significance of The Goblet of Fire without addressing the book's ending.  The story is 18 years old.  I'm not sure what the statute of limitations on spoilers is but I'm pretty sure we haven't reached it.

Cedric Diggory, Harry's fellow Hogwarts representative for the Tournament, is murdered by Wormtail, right in front of Harry.  It is not the first time the series addresses death and loss but it is the first time a student dies.  A big part of why the Harry Potter story works through seven volumes is that we are taught to see Hogwarts as a sanctuary from the evils of the broader world and then feel the loss deeply when that safety is compromised.  With Cedric's death, the citadel begins to crumble.

!!! END OF SPOILER !!!

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Title: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban, the high-security wizard prison.  The faculty at Hogwarts are worried he has it in for Harry so he's kept under unusually close watch.  Azkaban's ghoulish guards, the Dementors, have been enlisted to protect the school, much to Dumbledore's frustration.

For every classic book/film/TV/etc. series, there's one story that sets a launch point for broader exploration.  Message to the audience: we're in it for the long haul if you are.  For Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back sets a moral spectrum with Yoda at one end, the Emperor at the other and then drops a bombshell that challenges every assumption we had made about the story to that point.  Star Trek's "Balance of Terror," an episode in the first season of the original series, introduces the Romulans, the initial arch-nemesis.  More importantly, it offers a glimpse of a complicated history for the Federation, narrative gaps still being filled 54 years later.  For the Potterverse, the key story is The Prisoner of Azkaban.

The first book established Harry's dismal expectations regarding life with the Dursleys, all blown to smithereens when the Hogwarts letter arrives.  As this third volume begins, we all know the basics of Harry's wizarding life, too.  He loves being at Hogwarts.  He has good friends and loads of people looking after him but at the end of each year, he's alone again - no real family worthy of the name.  I won't spoil the ending for anyone who hasn't read it except to say that all of the assumptions he has made about even his own wizarding life are changed with one astonishing revelation.  There's a lot more to his own past than he realized.

It's on now!

Strong world-building elements:

• The Dementors are brutally effective.  Several years ago, when I posted about The Muppet Christmas Carol, I noted that the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come in that movie had been my mental image for the Dementors.  Even after having seen the film adaptation of Azkaban, it's still my go-to.  Five points to Kermitdor!
• Chocolate has healing powers in the wizarding world.
• The Hogwarts-scape expands as Harry and friends visit the nearby village of Hogsmeade, specifically Honeydukes, the candy store, and Three Broomsticks, the pub.
• I feel as if I should learn to make butterbeer.  Naturally, there are recipes: this one, for instance.
• We get our first named Ravenclaw students in Prisoner of Azkaban.  Penelope Clearwater is Percy Weasley's girlfriend and, not coincidentally, Head Girl.  Cho Chang is the Seeker for the Ravenclaw quidditch team and also has an evident crush on young Master Potter.

I'd forgotten - or entirely failed to appreciate - that Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff Seeker, was introduced in this book, not The Goblet of Fire.  Those who know the saga are well aware of his significance...

In this re-read, I was particularly touched by the Weasley twins' gifting of the Marauder's Map to Harry.  It's such a selfless act.  Obviously, it's essential for moving the plot forward but that's not why they did it.  It was simple kindness.  They love Harry.  They love him in a way they don't even love Ron.  All of the Weasleys love Harry (save Percy, who only loves himself).  They essentially adopt him, though Harry never fully grasps that fact (not officially, of course - good thing given Ginny's long-term designs).  Overall, I was struck in this reading how many people are looking out for Harry and how little he seems to notice - consider all of the presents he gets; we hardly ever read about the ones he gives.  For many of the adults, it began as a sense of loyalty to his parents but over time, that same devotion shifts to Harry himself.  It's a strong reminder of how much we all depend on the selfless and unappreciated help of others to make it through this crazy, often cruel world.

The fundamental moral question of Star Trek is tolerance.  For Star Wars, it's power and how we choose to wield it.  For the story of Harry Potter, it's loyalty.

On the Coffee Table: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Title: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

Harry and his friends are back for another year at Hogwarts.  However, House Elf Dobby - Harry didn't even know there was such a thing before - has warned him not to return for his own safety.  There's a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Gilderoy Lockhart, a too-famous author who tries to get chummy with Harry.  There is trouble, of course.  Students are being attacked and initially, Harry is blamed.

The original book was a tough act to follow and overall, I would say the second book isn't quite as good.  That said, it's still amazing.  I admire Rowling's efforts to break away from her own formula quickly.  For instance, Harry isn't trapped with the Dursleys all summer, actually getting to spend the last month at the Weasley's charming home.  Getting physically to Diagon Alley or even Hogwarts wasn't quite as simple as it was the year before.  We see more tension in the adult wizard community, particularly between the Weasley and Malfoy families.

Strong world-building elements:

• There are both cookbooks and comic books targeted to the magical community in the Weasley home.
• We learn of Ron's favorite club quidditch team: the Chudley Cannons.
• A quidditch question: are substitutions allowed?  There are only seven players on the Gryffindor house team and only seven allowed on the pitch at a time.  That seems short-sighted.

Chamber of Secrets is a good book for the Hufflepuffs - or not so good depending how you look at it.   Justin Finch-Fletchler befriends Harry and is clearly impressed by his fame.  Unfortunately, he was also one of the victims of the attacks, apparently targeted as Muggle-born.  Ernie Macmillan is a friend of Justin's and one of the most vocal of Harry's accusers, though he comes around in the end.

Chamber of Secrets is also the first important Ginny Weasley story.  Spoiler: Ginny's my favorite character in the series, followed by Neville Longbottom and, of course, Snape...  More on that in future books.

On the Coffee Table: J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling

via Amazon

Let's begin with the elephant in the room: Rowling's recent unfortunate statements regarding transgenderism.  If you don't know about the controversy, I refer you to this thorough breakdown.  I want to get my own feelings out of the way off the bat:

First and most importantly, transgender women are women, transgender men are men and nonbinary identities are valid.

Second, the responses from other luminaries of the Potterverse were swift and eloquent.  Daniel Radcliffe wasted no time at all and I especially appreciate this statement: “To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished. I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you. I really hope that you don’t entirely lose what was valuable in these stories to you…. And in my opinion, nobody can touch that. It means to you what it means to you and I hope that these comments will not taint that too much.”

It can be difficult divorcing art from artist in a situation like this and the Rowling matter is far from the most challenging along those lines.  Want to talk about Miles Davis sometime?   Transcendent musical genius of the 20th century and also a well-known wife-beating monster.  My beloved Beatles?  John Lennon was not the blameless, peace-loving hippie you were lead to believe.  To his credit, at least, he owned up to his faults.  See also the bottomless well of sexism, racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia in classic world literature.  Artists have never been perfect.  That doesn't mean we're obligated to hate their work.

Finally, if we're going to grow as a society through our numerous cultural crises, people need to be allowed to make mistakes.  We gain nothing by shutting people out the instant they say something disagreeable.  It is brutally painful work but we have to be able to talk through these challenges.  I am choosing to believe that Ms. Rowling made a mistake.  Like the rest of us, she has a lot to learn and I hope she will.

And now back to the easier discussion...

The Harry Potter books are amazing.  My wife and I first read Sorcerer's Stone aloud to one another in our tiny SoHo apartment in the late '90s.  Along with the rest of the book-loving world, we eagerly anticipated each new release and devoured each treasured volume almost immediately.  Our daughter was a surprising hold out for years but then binged the entire series one summer.  We love the movies.  When we were in Edinburgh two summers ago, we dutifully hit all the Potter spots.  Yes, we're definitely fans.

In case you're wondering, I'm a Hufflepuff.  If you're not sure of you're house assignment, go here.  I have to admit, I prefer the color schemes for Ravenclaw and, especially, Slytherin.  But what can I do?  The Sorting Hat knows best.

I have long had in mind to re-read the series and here I go.  I am happy to say that the first book - and I believe this was at least my third time through - has lost absolutely none of the original magic for me.  I still get excited by a Quidditch match and I still giggle about the Weasley sweaters.  Yes, I read differently knowing what's going to happen but I am no less astonished by Rowling's gift for drawing us in to this rich, textured and welcoming world.  She has been criticized, even by me, for taking ideas from others.  Some have gone so far as to accuse her of plagiarism.  The criticism is absurd.  Every author you've admired - Tolkein, Lewis, Carroll, Dickens, Twain, Tolstoy, Shakespeare - built on the ideas of others.  Same for Beethoven, Michelangelo, Scorcese, Frank Lloyd Wright.  That's what an artistic tradition is.  Nothing comes from nowhere.  The genius lies in re-framing the old in a form digestible for the current and, if you're really good, future audience.  22 years in, Rowling is on the brink of enchanting a second generation with no sign of slowing down.

What am I hoping for in this re-reading adventure?  In some ways, it's not so different from my reasons for re-watching Star Trek or immersing myself in Marvel comic books.  I am in awe of the world building and seek to learn from it.  In particular, I would love to glean more about the "other two" houses, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw.  So much of the Potter story centers around the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry that it's easy to forget about the others.  And just as I have grown to appreciate the elegance of the Kansas scenes in The Wizard of Oz, I now pay closer attention to Harry's life with the Dursleys.  For both stories, the contrast with the mundane is vital to the magic.

So, expect periodic Potter reviews.  I am already excited for Year 2.