To those who know me, it’s no secret that I’m a huge Harry Potter fan. I remember reading about it in the Philippine Daily Inquirer and coming across a full-page ad of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.

I was initially smitten.

After reading the first book, I became a full-pledged Potterhead. It didn’t take long for the movies to be launched and although I have several qualms about the adaptations, I love them in general.

That’s why it was a bit of a heartbreak when I realized that my husband is not that into it. I don’t understand… we both love Star Wars, we both love DC, we both Game of Thrones (well, before the final season, at least) so why can’t we both love Harry Potter?

I seriously considered casting an Imperius curse on him. To those who don’t know, it’s a spell that places the victim completely under the caster’s control. But it’s one of the Unforgivable Curses so I thought of going the Muggle route and created a list instead — a list that could help awaken his interest in the lore; a list that could turn him into a Potterhead like me.

Without further ado, here’s my “Mister, I’ll make a Potterhead out of you!” listicle:

1.DRAGONS

Yeah sure, Game of Thrones have dragons, too. But there are only 3 of them! In HP, there are so, so many — coming from different countries, having their own temperaments. Even the fires that they breathe out varies. The Chinese Fireball, for instance, shoot rounded balls of flame from its nostrils. How cool is that???

2.THE VERY RICH LORE

Dragons is just a miniscule part of HP. There are so may other mythical creatures and monsters that are unique to the wizarding world — mandrakes, hippogriffs, pygmy puffs, devils snares, basilisks…. I can go on and on! The back stories of each and every character are very interesting, as well. They are so well-written that you can’t help but be invested in their triumphs and losses.

3.JOHN WILLIAMS

My husband is a fan of John Williams because of the Star Wars OST. The equally iconic Hedwig’s Theme was also composed by him. The moment you hear tantantadantan…tantantan……. you just know… no! You just feel that you’re inside the Wizarding World.

4.IT GETS MORE MATURE

Some people, mostly guys, think that HP is for children. Probably because of the first movie. To be fair, it started as one, but the plot becomes more serious and darker as the series progresses. You get to grow old with the characters in each movie. And even though it’s set in a magical world, their problems… their dilemmas… they are all too real and so relatable.

5.THE QUOTABLE QUOTES

HP has an abundance of them. From the funny ones like, “… before either of us gets killed – or worse… EXPELLED!”, to this heartwarming one-liner: “Always”.

Speaking of quotable quotes, the sixth reason is…

6.THE LIFE LESSONS

HP has taught me so much about friendship, love, bravery, and standing up for what’s right. My favorite HP quote is this: “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities”. It resonates so well with me because it reminds me to always do the right thing. And if ever, for some reason, I can’t be right, I must be kind.

7.IT’S SUCH A NICE CHRISTMAS MOVIE

Since all plots span for a whole year, there is always a Christmas scene in each movie. Thus, it has become a Christmas tradition to watch all 8 movies during the holidays. I share this tradition with my sister but now that she’s in another continent, I need a new movie buddy. And who better than my husband, right?

So there you have it! What do you think? Will this convert him? Or should I just say….

IMPERIO!

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For my second prepared speech for our Toastmasters club, I decided to speak about something fun but very close to my heart. This written version does not even capture the excitement that I had during my delivery. It was also a nice excuse to dust off my Luna Lovegood wand, put on my Ravenclaw scarf, and take my Philosopher’s Stone off its bookshelf.