A Little Light for Harry Potter

I'm not quite sure why I chose these earrings this morning, although I was hoping for a starry night in which to test our new Earth Oven. But the drizzly morning turned into a rainy afternoon and a stormy evening, bringing moisture to a world so dry that the grass was crunchy underfoot and the river hard to navigate, even in a kayak.

We decided to opt for a movie this afternoon: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I'm a fan of the series--more of the books than the movies, but I've seen them and enjoyed them all.

The expressions on those crescent moons could be mine: speechless at the horror and devastation that one person set upon evil can bring upon his own kind. We've just witnessed it again in Norway. Unmitigated tragedy.

I noticed that I photographed my moons facing away from each other, as if guarding each other's backs. This movie, like the book it's based on, is the darkest of the series. The progression from playful, adventurous childhood through angst-ridden adolescence to crisis-riven young adulthood is in many ways true to life. Many of us experience dark and difficult trials on our way to finding adult happiness. But the gray tones of this movie reminded me of Roman Polanski's depiction of Warsaw in The Pianist, and of Saving Private Ryan. 

I'm glad that my own children are now adults, old enough to understand these powerful themes. But the teacher/mother in me worries about the young children who see this film. The cheerful epilogue does nothing to dispel the shadows. 

So, my earrings. A little light shining in the darkness that I would have tossed to Harry if I could have.

My daughter Phoebe had hoped to see the movie on opening night, July 14th, at midnight, but she picked us up at the airport that night, and had to wait a few days.

We flew in from Paris, where this poster could be seen in every metro station. Opening night: 13 juillet. Another reason Phoebe wishes she had been in Paris with us!