Lauren Fairweather posted a video yesterday where she and Jackson Bird talked about their favourite book-only Harry Potter moments. All the things that didn't make it into the films and survive as special book treats, and some things that really SHOULD have been in the films too (Dursley goodbyes scene is definitely one for me).
My favourite little book gems are not big plot moments or missing characters and storylines, but instead the ice cream moments, of which there are a few throughout the books. They don't do anything big or important, but are just there to accent some happy moments.
1- The lemon ice lolly at the zoo
"The Dursleys bought Dudley and Piers large chocolate ice-creams at the entrance and then, because the smiling lady in the van had asked Harry what he wanted before they could hurry him away, they bought him a cheap lemon ice lolly. It wasn't bad either, Harry thought, licking it as they watched a gorilla scratching its head and looking remarkably like Dudley, except that it wasn't blond."
Aw little 10 year old Harry, appreciating the small moments of happiness that he gets, always with a sense of humour, my heart breaks for you.
2- Dudley's discarded knickerbocker glory also at the zoo
"Harry had the best morning he'd had in a long time. He was careful to walk a little way apart from the Dursleys so that Dudley and Piers, who were starting to get bored with the animals by lunch-time, wouldn't fall back on their favourite hobby of hitting him. They ate in the zoo restaurant and when Dudley had a tantrum because his knickerbocker glory wasn't big enough, Uncle Vernon bought him another one and Harry was allowed to finish the first.Harry felt, afterwards, that he should have known it was all too good to last."
Oh Harry it shouldn't have been too good to last.
3- Ice-creams at Diagon Alley with Hagrid
"Hagrid was standing there, grinning at Harry and pointing at two large ice-creams to show he couldn't come in... Harry was rather quiet as he ate the ice-cream Hagrid had bought him (chocolate and raspberry with chopped nuts)."
This is right after Harry meets Malfoy for the first time in Madam Malkin's. Stupid Malfoy ruining what would have otherwise been a really nice ice-cream moment.
4- Blocks of ice-cream at the Hogwarts feast
"When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the puddings appeared. Block of ice-cream in every flavour you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, jelly, rice pudding..."
Ah the sweet sweet excess of Hogwarts feasting.
5- Free sundaes at Florean Fortescue's
"Harry spent the long sunny days exploring the shops and eating under the brightly coloured umbrellas outside cafes, where his fellow diners were showing each other their purchases ('it's a lunascope, old boy- no more messing around with moon charts, see?') or else discussing the case of Sirius Black ('personally, I won't let any of the children out alone until he's back in Azkaban'). Harry didn't have to do his homework under the blankets by torchlight any more; now he could sit in the bright sunshine outside Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour, finishing all his essays with occasional help from Florean Fortescue himself, who, apart from knowing a great deal about medieval witch-burnings, gave Harry free sundaes every half hour."
Free. Sundaes. Every. Half. Hour.... EVERY HALF HOUR.
6- Harry has money to burn
"Harry, Ron and Hermione strolled off along the winding, cobbled street. The bag of gold, silver and bronze jangling cheerfully in Harry's pocket was clamouring to be spent, so he bought three large strawberry and peanut-butter ice-creams which they slurped happily as they wandered up the alley, examining the fascinating shop windows."
Sharing the wealth through ice-creams.
7- Summer evening at The Burrow
"Mr Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their pudding (home-made strawberry ice-cream), and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Harry was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as he watched several gnomes sprinting through the rose bushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks."
I'd love to have dinner at the Burrow, I bet Mrs Weasley's strawberry ice-cream is wonderful.
So there you have it- my favourite ice-cream moments of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling must have fond feeling towards ice-cream to include it as a detail in so many happy little moments. Harry'll always be the sweet little boy who felt pleased to have a cheap lemon ice lolly to me.
All the quotes in this post are from the Harry Potter books, and I found them by searching on my Kindle and flicking through the books and so I haven't included page numbers because, you know, different editions. But needless to say, all by J.K. Rowling, thanks J.K.!
