Wizard Hair, Don't Care

It wouldn't be a surprise if fans were divided into different corners as the expansion of the wizarding world continues: some don't care about any new developments, many rightfully feel ostracized, others have trepidation but are still excited.

I would be lying if at some point I didn't feel all three over the past several years. (After all I hope I don't have the emotional range of a teaspoon.)

Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them hitting theaters? Yes, please. a part of my soul is already standing in line at the movie theater.

Pottermore updates? haven't cared about it so much since the show was re-vamped the website as the wordpress encyclopedia J.K. Rowling promised us all those years ago.

Harry Potter and Cursed Child play? I'd be excited to see the play in person, but a nervousness creeps in with the book. Did I really want to see more of Harry's life post-Voldemort? Will the story live up to this wait we've had all these years? to the five star reviews for the stage production?

I'd be lying if I didn't say that I was more excited for the midnight release party than the book itself..

My journey with Harry is a complicated one:

Like all the other kids I read Harry Potter growing up as the books were released. But on my way to reading Prisoner of Azkaban, super conservative relatives shamed my love of the series and convinced me it was wrong to read them.

Not only was my relatives against the series, convinced I go to hell if I continued on my way (yes, they told an eleven year old this) but the books were also a controversy in my neighborhood.

At school kids were divided into those who could be allowed to read them, and those who couldn't, whose parents were concerned about the magical and occult aspects.

On the news I saw people burning the books and exclaiming J.K. Rowling was a witch trying to convert children into the occult.

The protests of the series both close to home and the world via the news, my love of the series scared me and so I stopped reading. This change wasn't something I told anyone about. From my brief description above about my family, it's pretty obvious that my family was quite dysfunctional.

My yearning for the the series became something I tried to hide very well. Every year I pined to go to the book and movie releases. I wanted to catch up by checking out the library books but felt they were permanently reserved in the restricted section. The trailer for Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince still stirs up certain emotions because of how much I wanted to see that movie.

I really didn't get into Harry Potter until the last movie was being released. Like if there was ever a definition in a fangirl dictionary of being the last person to jump on a fanwagon like Harry Potter, it would me: trying to cram seven movies in a month before the last movie release, buying the books after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two and taking my time to read them, feeling both elated and alone that the whole phenomenon passed without me.

As for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child itself, it can't necessarily be judged by it's spoilers but given that some of these spoilers are true, well, as Hagrid says, "What’s comin’ will come and we’ll meet it when it does". For a lot of fans, this may not be the 8th book some desired in The Mirror of Erised once upon a time.

Cursed Child might pre-emptively sound like a mess, but wizard hair, don't care, Dream come true, muggles! I can't wait to start the 8th book and then possibly, immediately regret my decision. I'll be back with my thoughts in a few days....

Ranking the Best and Worst Every Flavor Beans

One of the best things about being a fangirl is when food, places, or merchandise come to life straight out of a book, movie, or television show.

Every Harry Potter fan has wanted to live out fantasies from J.K. Rowling's series - receiving a letter from Hogwarts, having the wand choose us, and so many other things. We've all definitely wanted to snack on Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from Honeydukes. When I got my hands on some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans (truly from HoneyDukes!), it was pretty freakin' magical.

What's fun about Every Flavor Beans is that you never know what flavors you're gonna get. I'm not sure if the manufacturers have a quota for certain flavors to be in every package, or if it's just random. Mine had at least one of every flavor, so I felt very lucky.

(If you're looking to try some of these out for yourself or haven't visited Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme parks yet, you can also find them here!)

For my first try, I picked random ones and tried guessing the flavor. Let me tell you, I didn't think a jelly bean could get as good as Marshmallow and then as bad as Vomit or Dirt. Gradually I ranked the best and worst, and thought it'd be fun to share my thoughts below.

Initial Thoughts: 

Banana - Sorry Minions! It's not a good flavor, no matter what incarnation it takes.
Black Pepper - Pretty spicy!
Blueberry - Strongest flavor next to cinnamon and soap but tastes GOOD.
Booger -  Doesn't have a specific taste but feels slimier the longer it lasts in your mouth. UGH.
Candyfloss - Cotton candy with a hint of floral-scented perfume. Nice!
Cherry - Already my favorite flavor, so it's hard to not love this. Tastes exactly like cherry.
Cinnamon - Maybe my tongue is just sensitive but it's HOT! so so HOT!
Dirt - Imagine garden manure as a taste. Yep, that's it.
Earthworm - Doesn't taste too different from dirt, maybe slightly less stronger.
Earwax - It's deceptive to tell Earwax apart from Sherbert Lemon. Their colors are pretty similar. It's surprisingly crunchy.
Grass - Pretty sharp flavor, kinda like the smell of freshly mowed grass.
Green Apple - A little disappointed. It's not as sour as you would expect.
Marshmallow - Like a fluffy mini-smores you can pop into your mouth anytime. COOL!
Rotten Egg - Actually, sweeter than expected. I thought it would be muskier.
Sausage - A little difficult to tell Sausage apart from Dirt. Simple BBQ flavor that's not overwhelming.
Sherbert Lemon - I can see why it's Dumbledore's favorite. Sweet and not too sour.
Soap - YUCK. NASTY. Actually made my stomach churn.
Tutti-Fruitti - Fruitilicious with a hint of bubble-gum, but not very memorable.
Vomit - ABSOLUTE WORST. Exactly like bile.
Watermelon - Some tasted like fresh watermelon, others tasted warm and rotten.

Official Rankings:

Best: Marshmallow, Cinnamon, Blueberry, Cherry
Personal faves: Marshmallow, Candy Floss
A-Okay:  Banana, Sherbert Lemon, Sausage, Tutti Frutti, Watermelon
Most Creative: Bogie and Dirt. Bogie doesn't have a strong flavor but creative texture. Dirt is right on with its flavor (I'd imagine anyways).
Could Be Stronger: Green Apple, Rotten Eggs, Earwax, Grass
Worst: Vomit, Soap, and Dirt. Interesting to try, but all made me absolutely nauseous.

Have you tried Every Flavor Beans?
What's your favorite or least favorite flavor?