Harry Potter Geek-out: 7 things to do before July 21st

1. Re-read the 1st six books:

Before book number 7 comes out, it re-read the 1st six books. It is extremely important to get a refresher on the story and you will find that re-reading these books right now may give you a whole new perspective on what is really going on between the lines. Look for clues and take notes — as you re-read the books keep a notebook of clues and write anything down that could potentially be of importance. Get a large piece of paper and create a timeline of important events and look for anything that could be some sort of connection or pattern.

2. Listen to MuggleCast and PotterCast:

I listen to both of these podcasts religiously – sometimes more than once. Many of their discussions provide insights that I never would have thought about otherwise – they provide lots of food for thought, and are a lot of fun too! You don’t need an ipod or mp3 player to listen to podcasts, and they don’t cost money. You can listen on your computer or burn them on to a cd and listen while driving.

3. Visit these Harry Potter related websites regularly:

Get involved in the Harry Potter fandom through these sites – it is a great way to meet new people and to get excited about everything that is happening. Here is my must list:

• http://www.mugglenet.com
• http://www.the-leaky-cauldron.org
• http://www.jkrowling.com
• http://www.hp-lexicon.org

4. Listen to Wizard Rock and Join the Wizard Rock Club:

This is a relatively new phenomenon, it is strangely entertaining and I am really beginning to like it. Bands like Draco and the Malfoys, Harry and the Potters, the Hermione Crookshanks experience, and the Remus Lupins are all very good and entertaining. You can look any of them up on myspace – if you like to have a listen. The Wizard Rock club releases a cd per month and the proceeds are donated to First Book, a non-profit organization that gives children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. Join now: http://www.wizardrockclub.com/ 

5. Attend one of the Harry – Potter related conferences, events, or tours:

There are so many HP-related events it is hard to keep up. This is a great way to meet other fans in person and engage in extreme, in-depth discussion about the books and more. Most of the conferences have some sort of charitable cause they support as well, proving that the HP fandom is meaningful on many levels.

Here is my short list of upcoming events that I would attend if I could:

• Phoenix Rising 
  May 17-21, 2007
  New Orleans, Lousiana
• Prophecy 2007
  August 2 – 5, 2007 
  Toronto, Canada
• Enlightening 2007
  July 12-15, 2007
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Sectus 2007
  July 19-22, 2007
  London, England
• Take a Harry Potter-themed tour from Magical tours

6. Pre-order your book and plan a book-release party (or attend one):

Pre-order your book to ensure that you get a copy in a timely fashion. You wouldn’t want to be left behind while others are busy taking it all in. If you can, try to support local bookstores (even if they are a little more expensive). Many times it is these smaller establishments have great book-release parties as well. If you can’t find a book release party to attend, plan your own! There are tons of resources on the Web that can help. Learn how to make pumpkin pasties, treacle tarts, serve chocolate frogs, go crazy! Don’t forget to plan your costume.

7. Go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie on July 13th:

Make an event out of it! Connect with a local meetup group and turn it into a celebration, maybe even attend in costume. If you can’t find a local meetup group, take the neighborhood kids to go see it!