Watching Harry Potter with my son for the first time in a year, I was struck by his growth and a punchline that made me think, 'Really?'

Hello! This is Shii.

To everyone out there,
thank you for your hard work with parenting, work, and housework.

The other day,

for the first time in a year, I watched
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with my son.

Actually, we tried once a year ago, but

back then, he left the screen in less than 30 minutes,
saying, 'I want to watch YouTube'...

In the end, we couldn't finish it.

'Maybe it was too early for him,'
I thought, and before I knew it, a year had passed.

My son found out that I had gone to the
Harry Potter studio tour with a friend.

'I want to watch it too!'

Since he said that,

I thought I'd give it another try,
and pressed the play button on a whim, but...

*This article contains Rakuten Affiliate links (advertisements) at the end.

Can he really change this much in a year? The growth I saw from this side of the screen

Watching my son's profile as he was glued to the screen,
I was quietly shocked.

A year ago, my son got bored
around the time the Great Hall scene ended.

But this time,
even though he went to the bathroom occasionally,
he was actually watching the TV screen!!

Can he really change this much in a year?

What surprised me most was hisconcentration.

The Sorcerer's Stone is a grand production lasting two and a half hours.

Nevertheless,

My son didn't give in to any other temptations for even a second,
and kept his eyes glued to the screen!

What surprised me even more was that
my son'semotional rangehad expanded.

A year ago,
he seemed anxious, saying, "The dark scene (the bank cart scene) is scary."

But this time,

"That looks fun!"
"The goblins are cute."
"I want to ride that!"

He was voicing all sorts of reactions.

Also,

During the scene where they enter Platform 9 3/4,
he was giggling, saying, "They're going to crash!"

And during the wand selection scene,
"I wonder what kind of wand I'd have? I hope it's a cool one,"
he said, imagining himself in the story.

In the scene where the troll attacks Hermione,
"Watch out! You're going to get hit!"
he said, watching with bated breath,

and the moment Harry flew on his Nimbus 2000 for the first time
and caught the Remembrall,

"...So cool..." he whispered,
his voice filled with admiration.

During the final chess scene,
perhaps struck by how cool Ron's self-sacrifice was,

he watched in silence, holding his breath.
(Later, he told me, "I like Ron, too.")

Matching the excitement of the movie,
he was surprised, moved, and frustrated.

As if projecting himself onto the way
Harry and his friends were growing on screen,

he was completely absorbed until the very end.

On this side of the screen,
I felt how much my son's 'heart' had grown in richness over this past year,

and while I felt a bit choked up,
I also felt a sense of relief.

“Ah, I’m so grateful to Harry and his friends for nurturing such an empathetic heart in him...!”
“I’m so glad we watched it together again.”

—or so I thought.

The end credits rolled.

As that iconic Harry Potter theme played,

I asked my son with a bit of excitement,

“That was amazing, wasn't it?
What part moved you the most? What sticks in your mind?”

I was looking forward to hearing what kind of answer my son, with his newly grown heart, would give me.

My son thought for a moment with a 'Hmm,'
and then answered with a beaming smile:

“When Harry woke up in the hospital wing at the end,
the part where there were tons and tons of sweets!”

That part?

That part?
…Is that really it?

The beautiful sight of arriving at Hogwarts for the first time, Ron’s legendary sacrifice on the chessboard, the battle where Harry risked his life to protect the Sorcerer's Stone—

the scene that pushed all of those aside to take the top spot was,

the mountain of sweets, with Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans and Chocolate Frogs piled high next to his bed!!

It seems his pure longing for a school of witchcraft and wizardry was defeated by an overwhelming appetite (lol).

But,

those sweets in that scene really did look delicious.

When I watched it as a child, maybe I was a little envious of that sight too...

A child's perspective is
truly unpredictable and incredibly fun!

Even after the movie ended, our family's 'Harry Potter fever' continues.

Our Harry Potter viewing session ended with
'So many sweets!'

However,
my son's enthusiasm shows no signs of cooling down!

He is completely captivated by that world, and whether at home, school, after-school care, or on the way to the park,

'Wingardium Leviosa!!'

For the sake of my son,

I am currently
scouring the internet for various Harry Potter goods (lol).

After finishing the movie,

I've put together a list of recommended Harry Potter goods
that we can enjoy as a parent and child while keeping this same 'level of excitement'.

These are the recommended Harry Potter goods
that our family currently has in our Rakuten shopping cart.

If you want to deepen the lingering feeling of the movie,
please be sure to check them out!

1. If you want to soak in the lingering feeling of the movie, this is the one.

I want to keep the discs on hand so we can return to that magical world anytime. We watched it via streaming this time, but I've promised my son that 'next time we'll watch The Chamber of Secrets.' Don't you want to collect the discs? (Just me? lol)

2. A chance to spark an interest in reading.

I've been thinking lately about wanting to improve my son's reading comprehension. I thought, isn't now the perfect chance? I considered the original novels, but the standard editions have text that seems a bit too small and difficult for a lower elementary school student...
That's when I found this 'MinaLima Design Edition'!

The content is exactly the same as the original, but the inside is a colorful and pop-up interactive book.

What's more, I was surprised to learn that MinaLima, who was in charge of the graphics for the Harry Potter movies, handled all the covers and illustrations!

Actually, I had spotted them at the studio tour and was aiming to get them, but the Sorcerer's Stone was sold out... It looks like these will be gone soon if I don't buy them quickly!

3. The best time to recreate movie scenes as a parent and child.

I thought LEGO would be a great way to channel that post-movie focus! I want us to get absorbed in it together, remembering scenes like Harry flying on his broomstick or that mountain of sweets!

The time spent using our hands to build something together feels like the ultimate form of parent-child communication.

As an adult, I might actually want this one... (laughs)

4. Focus deeply and enjoy a sense of accomplishment

Now that he can sit still and watch for two and a half hours, I want to try a jigsaw puzzle.
My son used to get frustrated and struggle just to complete a single picture, but with how much he's grown, he might be able to do it now...! The sense of accomplishment from fitting in each piece will likely lead to a big boost in his confidence.

I love this scene!

Once it's finished, it might even be nice to display it as decor!

While feeling my child's growth through the movie,

I was made to laugh by an unexpected punchline at the end,
and we had the best time!

Well, it seems my son is going to
watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone again tomorrow...

I'm already looking forward to
what kind of thoughts he'll share next!

For all of you,
what is your most memorable Harry Potter scene?

Also, please feel free to share your children's thoughts
in the comments!