The Harry Potter fandom is a large community with members from all over the world who come together, both online and in the real world to celebrate, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter book series and its film adaptations. Attempting to describe the impact Harry Potter has had on my life and what it means to me would be like doing a hand stand: possible and overwhelmingly simple for some people, but absolutely impossible for me. The books have filled my life with a wonder that has impacted me in a way that nothing else I experience ever will. Harry Potter and magic may not be real, but the magical effect it has had on me is.
This universe has become so ingrained in our culture that most people know the basic story. The number speak for themselves: …show more content…
It is difficult to describe what it felt like to read these books for the first time. I truly had no idea of the magical journey that awaited me. Within the month, I finished all three that were published at the time. I was obsessed with everything Potter; however, it was not until the release of the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, that my participation and belonging to this community truly began. Before, I just discussed the series with my classmates but it seemed they were not as emotionally invested in them as I was. I treasured the fanfare and anticipation of each new release and the reading or watching parties for the films that followed. A great deal of my childhood was directly affected by this series: listening to the audiobooks with my little brother instead of playing video games, Halloween costumes, the posters in my room, my involvement in theater (even once as stage manager and continuity expert in my fifth grade abridged production of The Sorcerer’s Stone), how I learned and first used the internet, the influence on my love of reading. The list is endless. My 11th and 21st birthday parties were Harry Potter themed and coincided with the release of the first and final film releases. This Potter universe is so much more than just books or films to me. Everyone in school had something they were passionate about or good at, something they could escape to, like sports, dance, or playing an instrument. I had Harry Potter and that 's something that has continued throughout my life. Everything about the general frenzy, from the seemingly endless stream of media coverage to the hundreds of people lining up for midnight bookstore parties, came as a revelation and I wanted more. I found a second home in many online forums. I interacted with other people excited for an opportunity and a platform to talk
This universe has become so ingrained in our culture that most people know the basic story. The number speak for themselves: …show more content…
It is difficult to describe what it felt like to read these books for the first time. I truly had no idea of the magical journey that awaited me. Within the month, I finished all three that were published at the time. I was obsessed with everything Potter; however, it was not until the release of the fourth book, Goblet of Fire, that my participation and belonging to this community truly began. Before, I just discussed the series with my classmates but it seemed they were not as emotionally invested in them as I was. I treasured the fanfare and anticipation of each new release and the reading or watching parties for the films that followed. A great deal of my childhood was directly affected by this series: listening to the audiobooks with my little brother instead of playing video games, Halloween costumes, the posters in my room, my involvement in theater (even once as stage manager and continuity expert in my fifth grade abridged production of The Sorcerer’s Stone), how I learned and first used the internet, the influence on my love of reading. The list is endless. My 11th and 21st birthday parties were Harry Potter themed and coincided with the release of the first and final film releases. This Potter universe is so much more than just books or films to me. Everyone in school had something they were passionate about or good at, something they could escape to, like sports, dance, or playing an instrument. I had Harry Potter and that 's something that has continued throughout my life. Everything about the general frenzy, from the seemingly endless stream of media coverage to the hundreds of people lining up for midnight bookstore parties, came as a revelation and I wanted more. I found a second home in many online forums. I interacted with other people excited for an opportunity and a platform to talk