She started the first book about a week after her birthday (she was in the middle of Edgar and Ellen for about the fifth time when she got the Potter series) and finished it in about a week and a half. I decided I'd go ahead and read them myself, too...see what all the fuss is about. She's now finishing book 2, and I'm about a quarter of the way through the very last one. I told her we'd watch the corresponding movie as she finished each book. We've watched #1 together, and we'll be watching #2 probably tonight...but I'm impatient and sneaky, so I've been catching up on the movies while she's at school this week.
Oh my god. Oh. My. God. I have been missing out these past 15 years. The twins are hilarious. Their mom is like a beloved aunt. Luna is my kindred spirit. I cried my freakin' eyes out at the end of Half Blood Prince. I haven't cried that hard since reading Pillars of the Earth. I didn't cry that hard at my own grandfather's funeral!
So yeah. I get it now, Rowling. I get it. I'm hooked, and I'm already panicking at the thought of the series being over after this book! This is a series I'm gonna have to read multiple times.
And now, I want Harry Potter EVERYTHING. I want tee shirts and mugs and collectible figurines and tattoos and home decor and a little plush Hedwig to cuddle in my sleep.