Celebrating 100 Posts

Photo credit: brianjmatis on Flickr

I published my very first blog post on the sixth of May of this year. At the time I’d just reached 100 Twitter followers (which is what prompted the launch of the blog) and the design was all tan and red with a huge picture of books in the background and no pretty banner.

Yes, Writability was a completely different animal then.

I had two comments on my first post—one of them was my response to my only commenter. But none of that mattered, because I was in awe that anyone would want to read my posts to begin with. Every page view was someone giving me a chance and I battled a serious case of nerves every time I hit the “Publish” button.

Fast forward seven months and 99 blog posts and really nothing has changed—well, except for the nerves part. I still smile every time I see a comment and get rather excited every time I gain a lovely new reader.

Because if there’s anything I’ve learned as a blogger, it’s just how important every single of you guys are. It doesn’t matter if you follow this blog regularly or just happened to have clicked a link to get here, I’m thankful for you.

Because out of everything I talked about in my last post, you guys make the biggest impact. You’re what keeps me going, what keeps me clicking “publish” three times a week. Without you, my lovely readers, Writability would not still be here.

So rather than posting my top ten posts thus far, I’m going to share my most popular post with you guys and I hope you’ll do the same.

That’s right, I want to know your best post in the history of your blog.

Now I’m aware that not everyone here is a blogger, but I want you guys to have a chance to interact, too.

For those of you who don’t have a blog, share your favorite post from someone else’s blog. I promise to take a look at it as long as it doesn't have anything inappropriate (so keep them PG please, or they won’t be published in the comments).

So here we go! My most popular post thus far is Why Writers Must Read.

What about you? 

Top Five Favorite Harry Potter Moments

It’s a bittersweet time for Harry Potter heads. With the final movie at long last released, it feels like a decade of magical moments has come to a close.

But! Do not despair, my friends! A group of totally awesome Harry Potter fans such as myself have put together a ridiculously awesome blog hop this week, all featuring Harry Potter posts! *GASP* What’s more? There are prizes! A scavenger hunt! And a Twitter hashtag! OHMYGOODNESS!

So! You should totally check it out because the prizes are super fantabulous and technically you’re already checking it out since this is the first blog post of this week’s Potter blog hop (ooo, tricked you a little there. I know, sneaky.)

Err, anyway, back to the blog post…

Although there may not be any new moments to look forward to, there are certainly moments that will live on forever on the page and on the screen. In honor of the closing of an era, I’ve amassed my top five. Originally it was ten but…the post was just too long.  

(*SPOILER ALERT* If you haven't read the books OR seen the last movie yet then...GO WATCH THE MOVIE AND/OR READ THOSE AWESOME BOOKS and come back. :D)

So! In chronological order! 

1. "Yer a Wizard, Harry.” The moment it all began. How could I not include this in my list of favorite HP moments? Not only was our introduction of Hagrid epic, not only is Harry given his first glimmer of hope in over a decade, but by the end of the chapter, Dudley has a (well-deserved) pig tail. COME ON.
2. Welcome to The Burrow. You’re probably wondering why the introduction of The Burrow is on here and our first look at Hogwarts isn’t. Don’t get me wrong—reading about Hogwarts for the first time was incredible. A magical castle hidden way where lucky little wizards and witches get to live ten months of the year? Epic.
   
   
   But The Burrow gave us a glimpse of normal wizarding life. We learn about the chores of the magical folk (like de-gnoming the garden), we watch Mrs. Weasley put together a dinner with flying pots and pans and magically boiling sauces and—best of all—the Weasleys are so accustomed to it they consider it absolutely normal, while Harry (and the rest of us) flourish in its specialness.
   
   
   I think it’s easy to see why The Burrow is one of Harry’s favorite places. I know it’s definitely one of mine.
   
   
3. The map’s message to Snape. There’s really not much explaining on this one. This is one of my all-time favorite Harry Potter moments. I read Prisoner of Azkaban four times and I laughed every time I reached this part. It really speaks for itself:
   
   
   “'Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people’s business.'
   Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn’t stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.
   'Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.'
   It would have been very funny if the situation hadn’t been so serious. And there was more ...
   'Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor.'
   Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he’d opened them, the map had had its last word.
   'Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.'” (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban—Chapter 14—Snape’s Grudge) 
   
   
4. Fred & George vs. Umbridge. I think everyone remembers this moment, even if you only watched the movies. Fred and George have never been more epic.
   
   
   “So!' said Umbridge triumphantly. Harry realised she was standing just a few stairs in front of him, once more looking down upon her prey. 'So--you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?'
   
   'Pretty amusing, yeah,' said Fred, looking up at her without the slightest sign of fear…
   …'You two,' she went on, gazing down at Fred and George, 'are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school.'
   'You know what?' said Fred. 'I don't think we are.'
   
   He turned to his twin.
   
   
   'George,' said Fred, 'I think we've outgrown full-time education.'
   'Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself,' said George lightly.
   'Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?' asked Fred.
   'Definitely,' said George.
   
   And before Umbridge could say a word, they raised their wands and said together:
   
   'Accio brooms!'
   
   Harry heard a loud crash somewhere in the distance. Looking to his left, he ducked just in time. Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor towards their owners; they turned left, streaked down the stairs and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.
   
   'We won't be seeing you,' Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.
   'Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch,' said George, mounting his own.
   
   Fred looked around at the assembled students, at the silent, watchful crowd.
   'If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley--Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes,' he said in a loud voice. 'Our new premises!'
   'Special discounts to Hogwart's students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat,' added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge.’” (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix—Chapter 29—Career Advice).
   
   
5. Dudley’s goodbye. This by far is one of my favorite moments in the entire series, so I was a little disappointed they didn’t include it in the movie. Nonetheless! After all the hell Dudley put Harry through over the years, I was astounded (and thoroughly amused) by this final goodbye in book seven.
   
   
   “Dudley raised a large, hamlike hand to point at Harry.
   ‘Why isn’t he coming with us?’
   Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia froze where they stood, staring at Dudley as though he had just expressed a desire to become a ballerina.
   ‘What?’ said Uncle Vernon loudly.
   ‘Why isn’t he coming too?’ asked Dudley.
   ‘Well, he—he doesn’t want to,’ said Uncle Vernon, turning to glare at Harry and adding, ‘You don’t want to, do you?’
   ‘Not in the slightest,’ said Harry.” (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows—Chapter 3—The Dursleys Departing)
   
   
   What makes this moment even better is that just a little while later, Dudley admits he doesn’t think Harry is a waste of space and *gasp* shakes his hand. Brilliant.  
   
   
   
   
6. Neville kills Nagini. Ok, so I lied. There’s six. But I just couldn’t leave this out. What made this so epic was that Harry didn’t deliver the final blow to the Horcruxes—Neville did. And who deserves to be a hero more than Neville? Let me answer that for you: no one.
   
   
   From scared, chubby little first year to rebel leader and horcrux-killing hero, Neville wins MVP in my book. 
   
   

 So that’s it guys, my top six. What are your favorite Harry Potter moments?