Not as a knock to anyone here who enjoys literature aimed at pre-teen girls, but I've never read a Harry Potter book (I've seen a couple of films). Perhaps I'd find it life-altering, but I think I'm too old for that. Unless there's a small child sitting next to you, or you are a child, carrying a copy of it around basically says "Hey, I've got some sort of problem in my life, because I don't care what people think about me." It's for this reason I don't entirely get E30fernando's joke about the Ferrari 458 Italia, but I know enough I think to declare it funny and worthy of the COTD while, simultaneously, wonder what's wrong with Fernando.
An Excerpt from: Harry Potter and the Flaming Sportscars
Harry enters Slughorn's dream. Enzo Ferrari is standing looking at an hourglass.
ENZO FERRARI
I was in the library the other night, in the Restricted section, and I read something rather odd, about a bit of rare magic, and I thought perhaps you could illuminate me. It's called, as I
understand it…a Horcrux.Slughorn's weak smile evaporates altogether.
SLUGHORN
Excuse me?ENZO FERRARI
Horcrux. I came across the term while reading and I didn't fully understand it.SLUGHORN
I'm not sure what you were reading, Enzo, but that's very Dark stuff, very Dark indeed.ENZO FERRARI
Yes sir. Which is why I came to you. I mean no disrespect to the rest of the staff, but I thought if anyone could tell me…it would be you.Slughorn frowns, clearly disturbed, then speaks quietly.
SLUGHORN
A horcrux is an object in which a person has concealed part of their soul.ENZO FERRARI
Yes, I thought it might be something like that. But I don't understand how that works, sir.SLUGHORN
One splits one's soul and hides part of it in an object. By doing so, you are protected should you be attacked and your body destroyed.ENZO FERRARI
Protected?SLUGHORN
That part of your soul that was hidden, lives on. In other words, you cannot die.Ferrari nods and TURNS AWAY, staring at himself in the MIRROR on the wall opposite. A hint of RED glints in his eyes.
ENZO FERRARI
How does one split his soul, sir?SLUGHORN
I think you can guess the answer to that, Tom.ENZO FERRARI
Murder. Of 458 Italias.SLUGHORN
Yes. Killing 458 Italias rips the soul apart. It is a violation against nature. After, one is never the same.ENZO FERRARI
Out of curiosity, sir–can you only split your soul once? For instance, isn't seven the most
powerfully magical number–SLUGHORN
Seven! Merlin's beard, Enzo! Isn't it bad enough to think of killing one 458 Italia? To rip the soul into seven pieces…(stopping; worried) This is all hypothetical, isn't it, Enzo? All academic…ENZO FERRARI
Of course, sir. And I promise I'll not speak of our conversation. It'll be our little secret…