Anyone who has known me for more than five minutes already knows this about me. My liking obsession with Harry Potter began when I was around ten years old. As an avid reader, my godparents gifted me the first three books one year for a Christmas or birthday. I distinctly remember reading the first chapter of the first book, putting it down, and not picking it up again for a very long time. It was boring. I didn't like it. It felt too much like a Roald Dahl book, and I wasn't a huge fan of him. So, I simply stopped reading it.
When the early talks of the movie started cropping up on the news, I decided to give the book another try. This time, I forced myself past the first chapter. Then, the second. By the third, I was hooked. Since it was summertime, I finished all three books in about four days. The fourth book had come out since I received the first three, and I borrowed it from my aunt so as to not miss a moment of the mania. She eventually gifted me the book for my next birthday.
I clearly remember my mom taking me to see the first movie. In fact, I had recently turned eleven years old. We had waited until it came out in the dollar movie theatre, since movies were a rare treat when I was growing up because of how expensive they were. We were both mesmerized by the magic of Harry's story. My mom became obsessed, too. She immediately took to reading my copy of the first book and caught up to me in no time.
Then, there was nothing. Sure, I had movies to look forward to, but it took Jo Rowling almost three years to release the fifth book. I reread the first four countless times. (I mean it, I think I've read each of those books 20+ times each, and that's not an exaggeration.) I created websites for book reports that Sorted people into one of the four Houses. I forced other people to start reading them, too. I even started writing my own version of the fifth book. Here I was, barely thirteen years old, and I was letting a fictional character and his fictional world run the majority of my out-of-school life.
Eventually, the fifth book did come out. That was the first midnight opening I went to. My mom faithfully took me to all of them. She stopped reading the books herself, daunted by the length of the latter ones. However, she's always loved the movies, so she does know Harry's story to some degree. Iwas am obsessed enough for the two of us, anyway.
Somewhere during all of this, my friends and I joined forces in our Harry Potter-ness. We created trivia board games and started holding joint parties for Harry and Jo to celebrate their shared birthdays. I've had my own birthday parties themed after the great character. My friend Aimee and I even named our Titan corporation "Hallows 'R Us" for economics class and dressed up the day of the tournament, complete with wands. We even went to see the Remus Lupins in concert. (Wizard Rock, you understand.) I won a drawing with my local library to visit the touring Knight Bus as part of the promotions for the last book. That day, a reporter from the New York Times interviewed me and featured me in an article she wrote on the book's release. (I stood out a little bit since I was the only sixteen-year-old in the middle of all the five- and six-year olds - oh, and I came dressed up like Hermione.) My other friend's mom sewed us our own wizards' robes for the last book opening. Actually, we played one of our trivia games while waiting for midnight to hit.
We came up with crazy theories all the way until the end. I sobbed through a good portion of the second half of the last book. I went through severe withdrawal. Thankfully, I still had movie openings to look forward to. I was even able to enjoy some of the last couple with my new college friends who shared the same love of it that I did. But, soon, the movies ended, too. Eventually, Pottermore was released. I fought my way into the beta testing group. I was sorted into Ravenclaw, found my wand, and began working my way through the adventures there. Unfortunately, as much as I love the new bonus content, the speed at which they're updating the site is not keeping me content. I still reread the books and watch the movies whenever I find the time to. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to the series.
Remember those birthday parties for Harry and Jo I mentioned? Yeah, we still have them. Basically, a group of twenty-somethings sit in a room, play their homemade trivia games, read excerpts from the book, bake and decorate a cake, and watch one of the movies. In fact, we just celebrated their belated birthdays this past weekend.
Why do we still do this? I think the answer's different for each one of us. Tradition, love of the books, feelings of nostalgia, keeping our childhoods alive, etc. For me, it's some weird combination of all of these. I grew up with these books. I am one of the few who will be able to say that they are the Harry Potter generation. There's something to be said about a series of books that got kids my age reading again. Harry's story, magic or not, can apply to so many people on so many different levels. I longed for a world like Harry's. But, it reminded me of the life that I do have, and I realized that mine's pretty awesome, too. I've made friends bonding over theories and trivia matches. Even my college had its own Quidditch team.
Sure, I've been made fun of for how much I like the books. It's never bothered me, though. For me, it's just a part of my life. Harry taught me how to be brave. He taught me that it's okay to bend the rules every once in awhile. He taught me that there's always, always, always something worth fighting for. He taught me to embrace who I am no matter what others do or say. He taught me to use my imagination. He taught me to read between the lines. Most importantly, he taught me how to love my friends like family.
Harry Potter will always be a part of my life. I'll read the books with the same anticipation as when I did the first time. I'll even go back and reread the cooky theories I came up with prior to the series being finished. I'll give my own children the books someday, hoping that they love it even a fraction of the amount I do. And I'll still go to the yearly birthday parties we hold whenever I can, even if it's just an excuse to meet up with my old friends.
So, whether you think I'm crazy, crazier than you thought, or deemed worthy of institutionalizing, I hope you can at least understand where I'm coming from when I say that I love Harry Potter.
Next on my bucket list - visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'll accept monetary donations in any amount. :)
--Joy.
When the early talks of the movie started cropping up on the news, I decided to give the book another try. This time, I forced myself past the first chapter. Then, the second. By the third, I was hooked. Since it was summertime, I finished all three books in about four days. The fourth book had come out since I received the first three, and I borrowed it from my aunt so as to not miss a moment of the mania. She eventually gifted me the book for my next birthday.
I clearly remember my mom taking me to see the first movie. In fact, I had recently turned eleven years old. We had waited until it came out in the dollar movie theatre, since movies were a rare treat when I was growing up because of how expensive they were. We were both mesmerized by the magic of Harry's story. My mom became obsessed, too. She immediately took to reading my copy of the first book and caught up to me in no time.
Then, there was nothing. Sure, I had movies to look forward to, but it took Jo Rowling almost three years to release the fifth book. I reread the first four countless times. (I mean it, I think I've read each of those books 20+ times each, and that's not an exaggeration.) I created websites for book reports that Sorted people into one of the four Houses. I forced other people to start reading them, too. I even started writing my own version of the fifth book. Here I was, barely thirteen years old, and I was letting a fictional character and his fictional world run the majority of my out-of-school life.
Eventually, the fifth book did come out. That was the first midnight opening I went to. My mom faithfully took me to all of them. She stopped reading the books herself, daunted by the length of the latter ones. However, she's always loved the movies, so she does know Harry's story to some degree. I
Somewhere during all of this, my friends and I joined forces in our Harry Potter-ness. We created trivia board games and started holding joint parties for Harry and Jo to celebrate their shared birthdays. I've had my own birthday parties themed after the great character. My friend Aimee and I even named our Titan corporation "Hallows 'R Us" for economics class and dressed up the day of the tournament, complete with wands. We even went to see the Remus Lupins in concert. (Wizard Rock, you understand.) I won a drawing with my local library to visit the touring Knight Bus as part of the promotions for the last book. That day, a reporter from the New York Times interviewed me and featured me in an article she wrote on the book's release. (I stood out a little bit since I was the only sixteen-year-old in the middle of all the five- and six-year olds - oh, and I came dressed up like Hermione.) My other friend's mom sewed us our own wizards' robes for the last book opening. Actually, we played one of our trivia games while waiting for midnight to hit.
Me at the last book opening. I still have that stick wand, which I found in my backyard.
We came up with crazy theories all the way until the end. I sobbed through a good portion of the second half of the last book. I went through severe withdrawal. Thankfully, I still had movie openings to look forward to. I was even able to enjoy some of the last couple with my new college friends who shared the same love of it that I did. But, soon, the movies ended, too. Eventually, Pottermore was released. I fought my way into the beta testing group. I was sorted into Ravenclaw, found my wand, and began working my way through the adventures there. Unfortunately, as much as I love the new bonus content, the speed at which they're updating the site is not keeping me content. I still reread the books and watch the movies whenever I find the time to. I even have a Pinterest board dedicated to the series.
Remember those birthday parties for Harry and Jo I mentioned? Yeah, we still have them. Basically, a group of twenty-somethings sit in a room, play their homemade trivia games, read excerpts from the book, bake and decorate a cake, and watch one of the movies. In fact, we just celebrated their belated birthdays this past weekend.
This year's Whomping Willow birthday cake for Harry and Jo. Can you spy the Ford Anglia?
Why do we still do this? I think the answer's different for each one of us. Tradition, love of the books, feelings of nostalgia, keeping our childhoods alive, etc. For me, it's some weird combination of all of these. I grew up with these books. I am one of the few who will be able to say that they are the Harry Potter generation. There's something to be said about a series of books that got kids my age reading again. Harry's story, magic or not, can apply to so many people on so many different levels. I longed for a world like Harry's. But, it reminded me of the life that I do have, and I realized that mine's pretty awesome, too. I've made friends bonding over theories and trivia matches. Even my college had its own Quidditch team.
Sure, I've been made fun of for how much I like the books. It's never bothered me, though. For me, it's just a part of my life. Harry taught me how to be brave. He taught me that it's okay to bend the rules every once in awhile. He taught me that there's always, always, always something worth fighting for. He taught me to embrace who I am no matter what others do or say. He taught me to use my imagination. He taught me to read between the lines. Most importantly, he taught me how to love my friends like family.
Harry Potter will always be a part of my life. I'll read the books with the same anticipation as when I did the first time. I'll even go back and reread the cooky theories I came up with prior to the series being finished. I'll give my own children the books someday, hoping that they love it even a fraction of the amount I do. And I'll still go to the yearly birthday parties we hold whenever I can, even if it's just an excuse to meet up with my old friends.
So, whether you think I'm crazy, crazier than you thought, or deemed worthy of institutionalizing, I hope you can at least understand where I'm coming from when I say that I love Harry Potter.
Next on my bucket list - visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I'll accept monetary donations in any amount. :)
--Joy.
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