Parentus Immobulus

Josh, like every 7 year old on the planet is obsessed with Harry Potter. He runs around all the time casting spells with a pencil or a fork. His favourites are Avada Kadavra... Expelliarmus... and Immobulus!  He hasn't seen many of the movies, probably only the early, less scary ones, and he definitely hasn't seen the later, darker ones. He says he wants to but we probably won't let him. He loves anything Harry Potter...especially the Lego and the Lego Wii game. He's obsessed.


So, on the back of that, he and I had one of those conversations today that epitomises the modern 7 year old. Here's literally how it went.


Dad, I can name all the Harry Potter characters...
Yeah? Do it.
Harry, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Dumbledore, Hagrid... Malfoy and Dobby, Crab and Goyle, Ginny Weasley, ...(and he rattled off a few more with a bit of prompting...Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall


Well done, Josh...who was the guy in the Chamber of Secrets?
Tom Riddle, he said, quick as a flash.


At this point I do that terribly BORING parent thing in my head - I wished he could pay that much attention to people in politics or important people in history.


Then I DO that terribly boring parent thing...


Who is the President of the United States, Josh?


After some thought he said "I have no idea."


Sigh.


SO after a pause I told him.


Barack Obama, I announced. 


And his reply stunned me silent.


Is that a Harry Potter spell?


I gave up.