Halloween. Jack-O’-Lanterns, Frankenstein, vampires and … Harry Potter?

I know, I know, the series is not Halloween-themed, but have you seen the Great Hall’s Halloween decorations? Can you really blame me for associating Harry Potter with Halloween?

I will admit, I’m obsessed with Harry Potter — and I promise it’s not because Harry Potter is TikTok’s most recent craze. Ever since I read the series for the first time in elementary school, I fell in love with Hogwarts and the magical world. Years later, I’ve grown out of most of my elementary school fascinations, but Harry Potter is the single exception. 

Every year around Halloween, I reread all seven books and rewatch all eight movies (although I do this on multiple other occasions throughout the year as well). It’s the perfect series to binge-watch alone in my room.

This year, my friends and I have been watching the movies together virtually through the screen sharing feature on Zoom. Although my ideal Harry Potter movie marathon would have consisted of homemade butterbeer, fluffy blankets and candles, I’d say our attempt was a success under the current circumstances. 

Starting Sept. 30, we watched two movies a week — every Wednesday and Friday — for a month. As soon as we began watching the films, I immediately got into the fall, spooky Halloween-esque spirit. The candles, black, pointy hats and pumpkin juice gave off Halloween vibes that made me excited for the 31st, even though trick-or-treating isn’t possible this year.

Although Harry Potter is not directly related to Halloween, the holiday is a very significant date in the series. It’s the day Harry’s parents died, the day the golden trio (Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger) became friends, the day the Chamber of Secrets was opened and more. I’ve always wanted to watch all eight movies in one day, which would take just under 20 hours, but I haven’t gotten the chance yet.

But who knows? With quarantine this year, I might just have enough time to relive all 20 hours of my all-time favorite series and continue the nostalgic Halloween tradition.