‘harry potter and the deathly hallows’ was published 10 years ago today.
i started my journey with the series 6 years previously when my 3rd grade class read and discussed ‘sorcerer’s stone’ together before going to see the film. in reflecting upon the ways harry potter has had an impact on my life, i came up with 16 ways for the last 16 years.
i had always enjoyed reading before, but after making my way through book one, i fell head-over-heels in love with it.
because the material was so rich, i learned how to be an active and analytical reader.
i jumped at any chance to incorporate hp into an essay or project for school. some of my favorites: a research paper on hp’s references to greek mythology (5th grade), a presentation and speech on the dangers of banning books (10th grade), and an essay inspired by proust’s ‘madeleine moment’ on how smelling the yellowed, tattered pages of my copy of ‘sorcerer’s stone’ transports me back to 3rd grade (college).
i’ve always been happy to be called a nerd and completely deserve the moniker.
having hermione as a role model gave me the confidence to do well in school and strive to be the best in the class (and a bit of an overachiever)
which is maybe why i was voted ‘most likely to succeed’ in 8th grade
and how i ended up in the top ten the final marking period of 12th grade
and how i earned a 3.989 gpa in college.
mugglecast was the first podcast i subscribed to, and still one of the dozens i listen to today. (i could also go on about how podcasts have changed my life but will save that for another time.)
i attended hp trivia nights every month at my local library and made friends with the two amazing children’s librarians there. i still want to be like them when i grow up.
hp paved the way for ya fiction, which remains my favorite genre to read.
this lead me to discovering john green’s novels, and in turn, vlogbrothers and the incredible community that is nerdfighteria.
through the online hp and nerdfighter communities, i’ve made friends all over the world.
all of my closest friends have read hp and are as enthusiastic about it as i am.
though the magic described in the books may not be real, there’s a certain kind of magic just as powerful i’ve experienced at every midnight release for the books and films. it’s a feeling of friendship and community, of love and loyalty, of empathy and good.
so, am i still in love with ‘harry potter’ after all this time? always.
