You think killing people will make them like you, but it doesn't; it just makes them dead.

It's been slow going with the progress of goals the past few days. LIFE (reality, not the game) intervened as it tends to do in August and threw BS at me which rendered me incapable of creative, productive thought. Then the most extraordinary thing happened: on a complete whim I decided the time had arrived for me to investigate a little stage show called "A Very Potter Musical." In between yelling at my cell carrier and cleaning and stressing out, I'd take 15-20 minutes to watch this gem in sections on YouTube. By the end of the weekend I'd watch both the original and the newly released "A Very Potter Sequel," and bought the soundtrack.
This is how obsession works for me: Find something to indulge in at the right time, come to love it within minutes, then devour it like a hungry, hardworking family at Thanksgiving dinner.
What kept me enraptured of this particular show wasn't just that it's produced by a group of students at U of M, or that Dumbledore, Ron and Harry are huge Zefron fans, or that the music is unexpectedly catchy and fun (though all these points make it totally awesome). What appeals most is the obvious love these people have for the Harry Potter world, and the complete unabashed bashing they do to it with such reverence and love. It's the ultimate in parody because it so obviously adores its source material -- and no one can make fun of anything so well as someone who loves it entirely. That kind of inspiration and cheek goes a long way in my world.
The music in the sequel is more advanced, though not always as catchy as tunes in the first. I found the original to be more satisfying and a little better written than the sequel, but still more than worthy of viewing. The absence of Hagrid is lamentable, though the Hulk-esque Goyle provides great comedic fodder. The cast overall is solid with a few standouts, namely Draco Malfoy in both shows, Quirrell and Voldemort in the first show, and Lucius Malfoy and Umbridge in the sequel (incidentally, the same actor plays Voldemort and Umbridge -- through the writing and his performance an amazing thing happens: you start to love both those horrid characters. Really love. And kind of want to molest make your cuddle bear lick from head to toe be close to...).

Overall, anyone who loves Harry Potter in a nice, safe way (i.e. you don't treat it as your bible) really should check this show out. Yeah, it's an 'amateur' show, but these amateurs are damn talented and dedicated -- and FUNNY. Very, very funny.
For final encouragement, I give you these four words: Death. Eater. Kick. Line.