Getting Into Harry Potter

[Rolinda McKinney]

The year was 2001. I was eleven years old, in sixth grade. The teacher told my class that books over a certain page number would count as two books on our reading chart. I was sorely lacking stickers, so I thought it’d be a great idea to read three different series’: Lord of the Rings, Narnia, and Harry Potter.

Lord of the Rings was interesting enough, I thought. Narnia lost me after page nine. But Harry Potter had something else. By Christmas that year, I had received the first three books and a couple shirts. Those, of course, were never worn in public, because it was still a very dorky thing to like.

When I found that my neighbor was in possession of the fourth book, I immediately borrowed it. I finished it in a week, which I was very proud of, considering my neighbor said it took her at least three.

I found myself getting into fanfiction, and knowing every spell, and drawing the Dark Mark on my little brother’s forearm with a Sharpie. For some reason, it all stopped abruptly, and didn’t come back until I saw the third movie in the middle of the night, and I dug up all five books from my basement. I’d read the fifth book before my slump, but I had forgotten every single detail, even the Sirius bit.

That was only three months before the Half-Blood Prince came out, and I congratulated myself for good timing. I really don’t like waiting. Once again, I suddenly became immersed in fanfiction, knowing every spell, and drawing little Dark Mark’s on my school work. And buying apparel, because I have realized my fate as a dork, and live proudly as one. I’ve even made up a little name: Potter + dork = Pork!

Rolinda McKinney (Gryffindor, ro681, USA)

[Fra Guerriero]

I first heard about Harry Potter in 2003.
A friend of mine was reading the Goblet of Fire in class, so I asked what was the book about.

She told me the story, more or less, but I never cared a lot.

That Christmas, Dad bought me The Philosopher's stone, and I can remember I read it in something lije 48hours...
I LOVED IT, and I asked my mother to buy the 2 and 3 books, always during the xmas holiday.
So, I read the 2nd and 3rd, and I simply couldn't help wanting the 4th!
So, for the Epyphany I had the 4th book!
I was so IN tha book that I kept reading it also at school ( I could now understand my classmate) and when that girl saw me, she came near tome and told me "Have you already discovered who's the true Moody?".
I wanted to kill her, because I HADN'T STILL read the part where we discovere that it's not the true Moody.
MAybe that's the only little spot on my "Potter Career"!

It was definitely a special Christmas!
Thanx Santa Claus!
(Fra Guerriero, Slytherin, fr160,Italy)

[Janet Petsche]

got into Harry Potter when my step-brother started reading the books. I was not sure about them at first because I was not into witchcraft or anything along those lines. But as I started reading the books I realized that they were pretty good actually. I think that when The Order Of The Pheonix came out I read the whole book in just under 24 hours. That blew my step-brothers mind. Considering how thick the book is it is pretty amazing. When the Half-Blood Prince came out I read it a bit slower, just 36 hours. My husband likes the movies but I have not been able to get him to read the books as yet. I don't think that he ever will. He is not a big reader anymore. I have all the books that were written and two of the movies that are on DVD. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

I like to think that maybe with things in this world the way they are, maybe there is another force at work. Maybe some underlying good is keeping this world form destroying itself.


Janet Petsche, Gryffindor, ja709, united states

sorry about the repeat, my cat made me hit the wrong button before I was ready.

[Jenna Hachey]

I first really got into Harry Potter when I saw the first movie. I had the book, and I had tried once to read it, but it was so difficult and confusing I didn't even get to the third page. Sad, huh? But the main reason was because I was in, like, fourth grade, and I didn't understand it at all cause i did not see the movie first. After I saw the movie, I went home and told everyone how cool this movie had been. When my Christmas break came after I saw the movie, I started reading the book every morning and every night. I finished it in about a week, which had been a record for me. I loved it, and was excited to read the others. A few days before school started, I went to the library and got the Chamber of Secrets. I finished it in about two weeks, mostly because of school. When I finsihed that, my friend Karine, who now loves HP as much as I do, let me borrow the Prisoner of Azkaban. That was a Thursday, and I could not possibly put it down. I went to school on Friday, halfway through it, and read it everywhere. On the bus, at recess, during math class, during lunch. My teacher threatened to take it away from me during math, which made me laugh, because nothing could come between me and my Harry Potter. I finished it that night, then got the Goblet of Fire, and read that in about two weeks. I then waited forever for the fifth to come out. I had on a piece of paper how many days away the release was. I didn't get the Order of the Phoenix until the day after, because my aunt had her baby June 21st, and i could not get anywhere. The day after, I made my mother take me to get it before I left with my brother to Cambleton. I finished it in six days, half because of boredom, half of wanting to know more about the relationship of Cho and Harry.

[Lyza Zhen Haliwell]

How did i get into HP.
Actually it only started last October 15, 2005. I've seen the movie way back 2002 but was not interested in reading the book. I was really busy reading some other stuff and I just do not have enough time to give for this so thick of a book. One day, when i was in the library borrowing a new book, a friend of mine was checking out book 4 (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire). She told me that she was used to read the book version before the film started and since the airing of Harry Potter is soon, she needed to read it as soon as she could. I asked her if she watched the movie already. She said she has but it was really different from the book and convinced me to try reading it out.

I said okay and that I will try, so i tried to read the Goblet of fire since i already know the story of the other 3 (from the movie of course.) I started that same day and finished the book after two days. It was amazing. I can't believe that it could be that good the details was so fantastic but there were things that has been mentioned there that I don't really understand. I figure it was on the book 1 to 3 so I decided to borrow the other books and check out if the book is really different from the movie. I read book one with in 9 hours (not continues of course) then i immediately read the next and the next and the next... soon I finished book six and my friend was still reading book four. I can't believe myself. It was really amazing. I finished reading just in time for the new movie. I asked my best friend to give me a book of Harry Potter for my birthday and he ended up giving me book 1 until 5. I got book six as a give for myself for Christmas and it does not really matter if I have read it or not (I have already read it of course), it would not stop me from buying a copy. After that, I just can't get HP out of my mind. It's like I’m addicted to it.

Lyza Zhen Haliwell (Gryffindor, ly616, Philippines)

[Rytnk Zetoh]

I have an amazing experience about how did I know Harry Potter Novel, it began when I still study in junior high school, when i'm in 2nd greade, i have same class with a nice girl who very liked with Harry Potter, and in that time she always read the Harry Potter first book, but in that time i think that read that book is childish and useless.

in my house, my sister has allready ginnish read that novel, and she ask me to read it to, but i still in my opinion, but everythings has change when i'm fall in love with the girl who i ever told before, she is changed my opinion about Harry Potter, and after i'd read the first Harry Potter first book my mind is opened, and i'd become a Harry Potter freak.

my relationship with my girl friend being better and more romantic, in my birthday she is gave me suprised by gave me Harry Potter 2nd Book, i'm verry happy with that, but not long time after it our relationship is breaking down.

i've read the 3rd Harry Potter novel without her in my side, and i've i never have a contact with her until the Harry Potter and the goblet of fire(the greatest book that i ever read) had released, until graduated from junior high shool i never meet her again.

far from her make me far too with Harry Potter, in my new school i have new girl friend and it make all thing about Harry Potter disappear from my head. i never know anything about Harry Potter again, and i don't care when the film of Harry Potter 1,2and 3 showed in the cinema when the Harry Potter and the Orde Of The Phoenix released i not interested to read it.

but when i'm in gread 3 in the senior high school my ex girl friend contact me again, and we have date and watched Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire the movie in the cinema, after that i come back to the Harry Potter world again, when i'd joined Harry Potter fans club, i know this site and i'd joined this site..

that was my experience how i knew with Harry Potter.

Rytnk Zetoh (Ravenclaw, ry619, Indonesia)

[Tim Granger]

Harry Potter? When I was in third grade I had no liking for these words. I only glanced at the books in stores and would even turn down suggestions that I absolutaly needed to read the series. I was so talented in school, that even my second grade teacher urged me to read the books. Again, I turned it down. Third grade teacher asked, I turned it down.

When the movie trailers were showing on tv, I would hear kids (some my friends) going on about how much they wanted to see it. I wouldn't mind seeing it, I thought, but it wasn't on my need to see list at all.

My father wasn't ever generous on a daily basis, but there was one day. He said we had to go to the store. That was not where we were going. We (my sister, Victoria Veela, and my stepsisters) pulled into the theater parking. We were going nuts. "What are we going to see?" we all screamed. We went in and got the tickets. We knew now. I saw the movie and my mind was over-taken by complete amazement. I had never seen anything like it.

I read the books(in the order of Chamber then Stone then Azkaban and so on).
Now I consider myself to be the biggest Harry Potter fan ever!

Tim Granger (Gryffindor, ti630, United States of America)

[Vina Elizabeth]

I knew Harry Potter in 2001. At that time I was sceptical that I would like HP. Because I didn't like fantasy movie and also because I watched another fantasy movie and I hate that movie (I watched this fantasy movie before I finally met HP). So I was kind of stereotyping that all fantasy movies were long, boring and so untrue, impossible and all that kind of thing (language was also one of the factors, because at that time my english was worse than now). Finally, one of my friends, who is crazy about Harry Potter, asked me to watch Harry Potter with her. I was so frustrated because I didn't have anymore arguments to resist. Finally I watched Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I didn't like fantasy movie and I watched directly to the sequel movie, this is not going to be good, I said to myself. We watched and I was getting excited to see all the magical things, diagon alley, Hogwarts castle, the jokes. I like this stuff. This movie was great. Since that day I started to get crazy with Harry Potter. I started to read the first novel and I liked it, the same thing happened to the second book. I just kept getting more excited and more excited. I finished the first in a month, and the second book in a week, the third book in three days, the fourth book in 4 days and the fifth book in a week. I tried to restrain my eagerness to buy Harry Potter books, because all the books are not cheap and especially if you buy it all in a close period of time. But I can't endure it. I feel like the timing was also so precise. I finished the fourth book and soon the fifth book was released. I know that I was left behind other people in liking Harry Potter, but I don't regret at all. Thanks to my friend, Trina for forcing me to watch Harry Potter.
Vina Elizabeth
(gryffindor,vi650,Indonesia)

[Isolde s'Falen]

How did I first get into Harry Potter? Honestly I haven't yet. To me getting into a book is a journey, not an instance. It isn't just the book that one takes on, it is the whole universe that book plays out in. For me that is what draws me to the books. Truth be told I don't think Harry is the best character in the book. I'm not here because I'm fanatical about the characters that are in the books. I'm here because I like the universe that was created and enjoy the ability to take part in such a universe.

That however, goes astray from the original point of this piece. I first started reading the books because I was sick. Being in bed all day for a week is boring, especially when you get tired of sleeping. So I wanted a book to read that was entertaining and new. One of my friends passed the the second Harry Potter book (I had just been dragged along to the first movie by a friend) and read it in a day. While I was pregnant I read the third one as I also had bed time. When my son came along I read the fourth one because I wanted to get myself more involved in 'children's books' for when he was older. Things kind of went from there really. Each time it was not about the characters but about the world they lived in.

[Charlie Mae]

hmmm......lets see. i guess my love for harry potter started when the first book came out oh so long ago. i really hated the first book so i read it all but the last 5 chapters and put it down (which i am now deeply ashamed of) and a few summers later i read the 2nd book and then the third and absolutly adored them. but i had no one to share my hp love with so again i stopped. but this year. my best freinds finally got into harry potter so i decided to and finish the whole seires and i dont think i have went one day without mentioning anything from hp.

[Aoife Ardal]

How did I get into Harry Potter?
It is funny because when it start to get popular I wanted nothing to do with it. It was really annoying me to no end. Every time I took the train to go to school a lot of people were reading the books and talking about how great it was. So for months I was muttering how people are like sheep and all.

The first movie was coming out if I remember well (or was it the third book who was coming out… anyway, something big related to Harry Potter was going to happened soon). Therefore, I decide that if I was going to rant about something, I should know what I’m talking about. So I brought the first book; in French. At that moment… I didn’t know what was going to hit me. After a couple of chapters, I was hooked. Two days later, I bought Chamber of Secrets and after I bought the third one.

But the French version was satisfying enough for me. I decide to gave them to my sister and get the one in English for me. The hardcover edition…XD Since then I buy my Harry Potter books in English so I’m one of the first to read it.

That is pretty much how everything get started in my case.


Aoife Ardal (Gryffindor, ao500, Canada)

[Keridwenn Keryon]

How did I get into Harry Potter?
Well, I guess my addiction to the Harry Potter universe started one day of winter, when I was in my second year in junior school. I was in this special international section, and most of my fellow students were English. I think the first HP book had just been released in the UK, and one of my guy friend was reading it.

At first, I thought, 'oh well, that's just another lousy story with witches and wizards and stuff' (don't mistake me, I love everything that has to do with magic and all that, but there were just so many books that had the same kind of story, I thought HP was just another one...). But then, while he was reading the book, he told me a little about the story, the characters, and I just ended up really wanting to read it... But he was a very slow reader, and I had to wait for at least a month before I could start reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. /sad.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" />

When I -finally- had the opportunity to start reading, I immediately fell in love with the universe of Harry Potter, I just couldn't put the book down. I think I read the whole book in one day. I just loved the story, and couldn't wait for the second one to come out!

Since then, everytime a new HP book comes out, I re-read all the previous ones before in order to have the full story in a row!

Well, I think that this is the complete story of how I got into HP! and thanx Ludo (that's the guy who lent me the first book *wink*)

Keridwenn Keryon (Gryffindor, ke654, France)

[Lindsey Hyde-Phoenix]

Why did I get involved with Harry Potter? Here's my story.

When the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone, came out.. hm. I can't remember how old I was, but my older cousin Jessikah started reading them immediately. She only read them because everybody at her school did, and she told me that she actually hated them, that they bored her senseless.

Before that, I had thought they looked interesting and wanted to find out how they were, but when Jessikah told me this, I took her word for it and didn't bother. Besides this, I usually try to go against the trends, and HP is definitely a huge trend. And for the next few years, I ignored all of the Harry Potter merchandise and the hype about when the next book was going to come out.

Until Christmastime, 2003, when another cousin of mine, Tausha, gave me HP: SS/PS and HP: GoF as a gift. I decided that I might as well see what all the hype was about, so I started reading Sorcerer's Stone. As you might've guessed, I immediately fell in love with J.K. Rowling's writing, and within a few days I had read both of my HP books and was forced by my newfound obsession to scout the library for more.

So much for going against trends! But seriously, now I know what all the fuss is about. I'm addicted!


Lindsey Hyde-Phoenix (Gryffindor, li693, USA)

[Christina Pix]

It is interesting how many people got into harry potter. Me although do not have the most interesting story. On the day the harr potter book came out my mom went really early in the morning to get the book just for me. I saw the fourth book and thought....well I do need the first book don't I? So I waited for 2 months and finally got the first book along with others. The others were read first of course because I did not expect the books to be all that great.....until I read it. Boy was I wrong! I was hooked ever since and have read each about 3 times each now (though certanily not as much as others). But it is amazing how many people thought the books were just stupid in the begging.

Christina Pix (Gryffindor, ch687, U.S.A.)

[Nymphadora Intan Lanevski]

hello guys!!!!!!!!!!!!
well, let see, how Nymphadora got into harry potter??
neva,(Nymphadora's nickname) like the story when neva was read the first book.neva doesn't remember how was a child me!but neva doesn't care....neva likes the book!it's a great book!

neva went to bookstore and neva found harry potter And the Sorcerer stone's book.first, neva just want to knew about the stories.but, something happen,in neva's heart, neva felt interest to harry potter book.

since then, everytime, neva wait the harry Potter books come out and never to late to have this book!!!!!!neva crazy about HP!!

neva remember, on the day,in the morning, neva went to bookstore.just to bought harry potter 4:goblet of Fire!!many people wait that book too. there were 300 person in one room!how great that book!!!

and then, neva's cousin, deedee, bring her harry potter and the half-blood prince's book(indonesia edition)!just now!oh my god!!neva never believe this!!(hi deedee!!thanks!)

neva loves the books, neva loves the movies, neva loves the actor and actress, neva loves everything about Harry Potter!!!!!!!!!

NEVA LOVE HP!!!!!!


Nymphadora Intan Lanevski
(Griffindor,ny603, Indonesia)

[Ireth Halliwell]

How did I know Harry Potter at first?
I used to subscribed to a newsletter of the biggest publishing company in my country. Maybe I still am subscribed. And one day the newsletter came, with the big headline of J.K. Rowling and introducing her book. I read and, wow, this books has got to be cool.
But I haven't interested yet.

Later I watched TV and I knew that Harry Potter was booming in England, and soon in the rest of the world. When I went to my favorite bookstore, I bought the book with an argument. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> Well, my Dad basically don't like to read novels and he thought it would useless if I bought whatever novel I picked. But I said, this novel is famous and I'm interested with story. I begged and he finally bought it for me.

And guess what, when finally I became a fan and the movie came up, he liked Harry Potter, though my Dad didn't read Harry Potter. See? Harry Potter is good! And until now, I am still a big fan of Harry Potter book.

-Ireth Halliwell- (Ravenclaw, ir607, Indonesia)

[Momoko Asakura]

I’ve heard about Harry Potter since its coming in 1997. I read the review in a local teen magazine. But actually I just started to read the book when the first movie came out. I was in Christmas holiday and had a trip to my grandma’s house for about a couple of week. For spending time there, I borrowed my nephew’s book of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I read it whole days and started to love Harry Potter.

Then when I came back to my hometown, I borrowed other next 2 books (the fourth was borrowed by my nephew’s friend) and watched the movie in theatre (it was almost out from theatres).

After finishing those first-three books, I decided to buy all of the books (as the fourth book was still borrowed by other person). My mother also likes the books, so that she helped me for the fund thing of buying the books =D

So, until now, I became a diehard fan of Harry Potter and its stuff. I watched the next movies for 2 or 3 times in theatres. This is amazing, for I’m not a moviegoer and watching movies in theatres very rarely. I also bought the UK version of the books (I bought the Indonesian version before). Harry Potter was my first English novel ^^; It was great that Harry Potter helped me learning and improving my English.

Until now, I bought those two versions of Harry Potter, because the Indonesian version is taken from the US version and it has different cover and more graphics than the UK version.

I really thank for knowing and reading about Harry Potter because it makes my days become colorful. Sometimes it also becomes my life lesson as its characters are so human (the hero doesn’t always do good stuff, some characters are not absolutely ‘white’ or ‘dark’ like a typical story or tale, but can be ‘grey’—Prof. Snape and the Ministry, for instance) and their struggles can be really applied in our daily life.

Momoko Asakura (Ravenclaw, mo640, Indonesia)

[Jade Thaerd]

How I got into Harry Potter

While flipping through the channels on winter's eve I happened upon this news broadcast about this amazing author and her books that were changing the face of reading, literally. This peaked my interest, as well as, my daughter's so we decided to quit channel surfing and listen to the story.

It seems that J. K. Rowling was the name of the author and her books (the 3rd one currently being swept off the shelves) were helping children to delve into books once again and find the joy of reading. The books were about this young wizard named Harry Potter and the wizarding world. This world was full of magic, muggles, broomsticks, dragons, villians, heroes and all sorts of magic. The children were gobbling it up faster than she could write and the church groups were getting up in arms about it too. The news broad cast was quite interesting and full of intrigue.

This was enough to peak our curiosity, so we immediately went out and bought the first three books which came in a convenient book set. We were in heaven and have been hooked on the series ever since. I even broke down and bought a book for each of us for the last two books so we wouldn't have to share or burst trying not to tell each other what was in the book before the other one of us had read it.

Harry Potter and his gang have become a large part of our lives. I read and reread his books quite frequently and I have become a part of HOL and Gryffindor since finding my way into the world that Jo so nicely created for us.

Jade Thaerd ( Gryffindor - ja608 - Ontario, Canada)

[Allie Pitoyo]

When I first got into college, my dorm was located next to this quirky little library in my college town. At first I go there to check out new Japanese comic books, but then got forced into reading philospphy and leftist socialist books that was all the rage among the states college kids back then, I guess that was around the time I found Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s stone that was curiously misplaced in the philosophy section.

I figured it was some kind of ‘Sophie’s World’, philosophy-for-dummies kind of book and I check it out and take it home. I read the book in one day and loved it, when I got home I managed to rope my sister to buy the book, and the second one when it came out soon after.

I love both books but I never considered it anything special, like Alice in Wonderland, or like Mr. Roald Dahl and Mr. Erich Kastner books were special in my childhood. All I thought about it was it was like Mallory Towers but with magic. Just harmless fun, and quick, light getaway from college essays.

When I got into the summer break, I was broke and couldn’t go anywhere for vacation so I get to the bookshopand bought Prisoner of Azkaban with the rest of savings. I brought it home and I was blown away with the depth of Harry’s character and fascinated with Severus Snape and the tangled mysteries of the magic world. I was hooked. Later that year, I started to discover HP fanfics in ff.net, while refining my Potter knowledge, than I discover livejournal and the Indo-HarryPotter mailing list.

Slowly it sunk on my that I have become a full fledge fan, I start to collect HP stuff, read fanfiction, promote it to my friends, pre-order book 5 and 6 (I got book 4 from harrassing my mum’s boyfriend to get it in Changi airport, it was sold out everywhere in Singapore and Indonesia), collect all the DVD and just about any length anyone will go for her true love.

Harry Potter sure have change my life, I have never been a fan of anyone or anything before. But now, it taught me to be a fan to other things I love!

Allie Pitoyo (Ravenclaw, al756, Indonesia)