The popular book series Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling is referenced a few times in Buffy. In Real Me, Dawn says, “I’m not going to Hogwarts”. This is a reference to Hogwarts is the school for wizards that Harry attends.
In Lessons, Willow wonders why Giles went “all Dumbledore on me”, referring to the Head Master at Hogwarts school. In Bring on the Night, Andrew says, “An evil name should be something like Lex or Voldemort.” He’s referring to Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor and Voldmort, who appears in the Harry Potter books.
In Potential, Andrew plays with the snakeskin for the spell, and says “at your ssservice, Missss Rosenberg, sssir”. This is also a reference to Harry Potter - Harry can speak to snakes, and does so in film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, which is when the snake says “at your ssservice, Mister Potter, sssir”.
In Empty Places, while Anya is giving her talk about the Turok-Han in the basement, Kennedy goes up to the kitchen where Faith asks, “Shouldn’t you be at Hogwarts?”
In Belonging, Lorne says “This reading room - to die for. Raked stage, rocking chair, fabulous colours. I’m tempted to just show up tomorrow morning with Harry Potter”.
May 7th, 2005 at 2:35 pm
Hi.
Just a few things: “In Real Me, Dawn…” No “e” at te end of Voldemort. And “Missss Rosenberg…”
Just tell me if I’m annoying ;)
May 7th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
Little bit - but helpful annoying so I’ll let you off!
July 21st, 2005 at 12:42 pm
I don’t think that the snake does say that in the Chamber of Secrets movie.
July 22nd, 2005 at 10:30 am
No, I don’t remember the snake saying that :-S
July 22nd, 2005 at 11:39 am
Doesn’t it? I’m not a Harry Potter fan so I’ve no idea!
July 22nd, 2005 at 12:02 pm
tut tut jess. i thought you would be. Great books (if a tad long) and really really crap movies!!
July 22nd, 2005 at 12:03 pm
Well actually the other actors in harry potter are really great like alan rickman. but the kid actors are so bad it just makes me want to stick a pen in my eye.
July 22nd, 2005 at 12:12 pm
Yep - admitting you’re not a Harry Potter fan is like admitting you’re an alcoholic or a leper. I’m not a social deviant - honest! I think I’ve enough fan stuff with this site at the moment.
July 22nd, 2005 at 1:54 pm
You’re not alone Jess. While I am happy CHILDREN are reading books, I really don’t understand adults who get so excited about CHILDREN’S books. Though I’m an admitted literary snob who finds Rowling’s writing mediocre at best.
July 22nd, 2005 at 2:52 pm
I used to be into Harry Potter but I’d read the book within a week of it being out and then by the time the next book comes out, I’d forget everything so I should really read it over but I do not posess that kind of intiative. Oh well…
July 22nd, 2005 at 6:53 pm
I have to hold my hands up - I am a big Harry Potter fan (would you believe it Jess….lol).
I do prefer the books to the movies though.
And if you want another reference then in the new Harry Potter book The Half Blood Prince, Harry gets called The Chosen One……ring any bells??
July 22nd, 2005 at 7:07 pm
the notion of a “chosen one” is prevalent in a number of historical, religious, and traditional tales, fables, and so forth…I highly doubt it has anything to do with Buffy
July 22nd, 2005 at 8:21 pm
It’s still cool though!
July 25th, 2005 at 11:09 pm
I know what you mean hailtothechimp. I like the books but JK Rowling does use alot of adverbs too frequently. “she siad …. blushlingly” like we need all the words. just get to the point. You are right - we don’t need these long volumes but relax everyone… One more to go…
August 18th, 2005 at 6:40 am
I’m a huge Harry fan, I got into them right about the time the first movie came out i think. I read the first four in one week. and HBP i read twice in like four days. The books are excilent in my opinion. The movies are more like getting clif note versions of the books. I think it would have been better if they had transfered the books into a tv series, given us time to explore each book fully
November 7th, 2005 at 7:13 am
I do like Harry Potter, and I’ve read all the books — and yeah, the writing isn’t excellent, but the ideas are… the books are very enthralling if you get into them. The movies, however… eh, I’m not crazy about ‘em. But that is possibly because each of the first three came out around the same time each of the LOTR movies came out… and LOTR definitely overshadowed HP. (my opinion, of course)
November 7th, 2005 at 6:35 pm
I like watching the movies because they are well cast, especially Alan Rickman. Even though it’s all kid’s stuff, I see a huge difference between spending two hours on a film and many hours on a book.
By the way, have any of you read “Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell?” I highly recommend it.
November 8th, 2005 at 5:37 am
Well Mairc, I’m a literary snob who finds Shakespear’s writing mediocre at best, but I do quite like Rowling’s books. They’re nice stories, that’s all. I like the emotion in them, and I think they’re a nice read. I’m not saying they’re Charlotte Bronte good, they’re just a nice break from really hardcore cognitive reading.
November 8th, 2005 at 5:40 am
I said “nice” three times in that post. I’m a snob, but my diction is dreadful.
November 8th, 2005 at 6:19 pm
Literary snob does not equal Shakespear fan. I do, in fact, enjoy a range of work not just *the classics*. I just can’t stand mediocre writing. And good writing can also be light and entertaining.
I just found out last night that my fiance has been reading (and enjoying) the Harry Potter and I’m simply devestated. He lives in Ohio and I live in Georgia, which is why I hadn’t noticed.
November 8th, 2005 at 7:55 pm
Is it such a bad thing that somebody you love and respect has found joy in something? So what if you don’t happen to like it! I’m aware that this is quite cliche, but we’re all different and we all find satisfaction in different things. Personally, I think it’s a good thing to find joy in something, no matter what it is (as long as it’s not, you know, destructive or something) and that in itself should be respected.
November 8th, 2005 at 8:42 pm
Yeah for margybee!!! My husband has not been happy about my discovery of the Buffyverse and, even though I ask him to watch it with me, he refuses to. He also started really giving me a hard time for watching the Buffy DVDs I had borrowed all the time. It would have been nice for him to appreciate the intelligence and humor of Buffy or at least be happy that I found something that is so cool and entertaining to me, even if he doesn’t enjoy it. I was feeling guilty when I watched it and even when I was browsing this wonderful site! So, to mairceridwen: enjoy the fact that your fiance is interested in something and celebrate those things that make him an individual!
November 8th, 2005 at 10:32 pm
Personally, i must agree with margybee. I have never read these books, as they sound stupid to me, but I have a couple of friends who are obsessed with them (like I am with BTVS) and I see nothing wrong with it, aside from their seemingly poor taste.
Oh, and to mairceridwen: where in Georgia do you live? That’s where I live as well (in Canton, to be exact).
November 8th, 2005 at 11:43 pm
I like the Harry Potter books. They’re entertaining and champion good. When my friends make fun of me, I like to compare them (the books) to a good cartoon. They’re written for kids, but they’re still fun.
But I do empathize with Merc. When one is so passionate about something you hope the ones you love could experience that same thing. As much as I like Harry Potter I don’t presume it to be a great work of literature. So I think she feels disappointed that he’s not quite getting it. Not quite getting the same thing that she is so impassioned by. Just a guess.
On the subject of significant others and the buffyverse. Oh, I could go on. But, I’ll try not to. My wife and I began watching when BtVS first hit syndication in the US on FX. We watched every episode, two episodes at a time, season 1-3 together. We both loved it! Then she lost interest. Hasn’t watched a single episode since. Will leave the room if it is on. She said she didn’t want to watch without Cordy. (I don’t think that’s really all of it) But since then her apathy has mutated into an almost hatred. She is definitely not the jealous type but she acts as if she were. But I really don’t think she is jealous. I think she might be embarrassed. Not of me, but for me.
So it’s sorta like Merc. When my wife watches 10 episodes of Niptuck in a row and won’t even set down and watch Dopplegangland once with me,,,, well I cringe.
November 9th, 2005 at 12:04 am
These are such great stories and I do appreciate the input, knowing I am not the only one who struggles with significant other who just doesn’t “get it”. I have to say, I think the commong thread here really is tolerance and at least some sense of loving your significant other enough to respect their enjoyment of something even if you don’t enjoy it yourself. Was I always an avid NFL fan before I met my husband(?) - well, no - but I do enjoy watching it with him now, (even teams that I used to dislike that are his boyhood favorites) so I would think he could give me the same respect.
Incidentally, beagle - who could resist double willowage (Dopplegangland), I truly feel your pain!
November 9th, 2005 at 4:52 pm
I was just being dramatic. I’m not really devestated, though I have been teasing him about it.
I live in Atlanta.
November 9th, 2005 at 5:50 pm
Speaking of Harry Potter, let me tell you about the strange dream I had.
It had something to do with me being in a harry potter film and being one of 4 people who were selected to have magic powers to do evil. only we didn’t know we were agents of evil. my job was to seel mint chocolates door to door. then there were all kinds of strange things, like big huge floating tadpoles with seven eyes
November 9th, 2005 at 6:26 pm
Weird dream but I can’t imagine selling the yummy goodness of mint chocolates as ever being bad. My mom is a florist (no kidding!) and when I was growing up, she was going to sell some of those mint chocolates in our ship, except we ended up eating them all instead! True story!