You read correctly, Muggle: HuffPo has an impromptu Harry Potter page, and it's awesome! We've got news round-ups, fun videos, and thoughtful original blog posts marking this incredible milestone in literary, pop-culture and Hogwarts history.
That's not a joke, People Who Think They Are Just Children's Books — despite what Michiko Kakutani and the NYT might think, this is a pretty significant event for millions of people, including many of us at the Huffington Post, which just so happens to have the same initials as Harry Potter. Coincidence? We thought not, and so, a last-minute totally-impromptu throw-it-all-into-the-cauldron-and-see-what-comes-out page was born. On it, we'll be discussing all manner of Potternalia, from how it stacks up in literature, what kind of messages it sends, how exactly Dolores Umbridge's Ministry of Magic message-management is reminiscent of the current White House, how it's possible to rock out to songs about Slytherins and Quidditch and still be sorta cool, why Albus Dumbledore should run for president (Albus Dumble...Gore? Hmmm), why Severus Snape is really a misunderstood hero, which presidential candidate ought to play Dobby the House-Elf in the movie (hint: it rhymes with "Dennis Kucinich"), plus some good old-fashioned Ron-hearts-Hermione fanfic. Because a girl may let Victor Krum save her from an underwater enchantment, but it's Ron she wants to get alone in the Gryffindor common room. We're just sayin'.
We'll also be addressing more serious matters, the kind making headlines across the country, and beyond on the matter of whether the NYT is or isn't an evil organ of Voldemort. Actually, on that point: The Huffington Post pledges that our Harry Potter page will be 100% spoiler-free; that is to say, anything that contains plot details or otherwise revealing commentary on Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be auto-protected by a pop-up which will warn you to proceed at your own risk. Because honestly, we're not that crazy — we know that animated, dynamic discussion will mean chewing over every tantalizing morsel in minute detail. It's a process of which we are in full support — as long it's what the reader wants, too. So click on through when you're ready, the world of Huffy Potter will await — starting now and going until the last person finishes every one of those 9 billion pages.
(And hey, if you're a Harry Hater, well then, there will be something for you, too — we've lined up some skeptics to balance out the debate, and we will dutifully bring you that point of view. So what if you hate magic and flowers and puppies and hope, we respect that, too, just as Judith Miller respects the right of bad people to spoil the ending. We're tolerant here at HuffPo, aka HaPo.)
So — whether or not you are as borderline-maniacally obsessive as myself and HuffPost's Associate Media Editor Michelle Kung, your pagemasters on this august occasion, we hope you'll find something to engage you in our Huffy/Harry fray.
We look forward to the magic. And now — Lumos!
Illustration by Philip Bump.