Getting Into Harry Potter

[Samantha Lilac]

I believe that I first got into Harry Potter when I was about 8 years old. I was an avid reader and was always searching for new books to read. I saw a group of books that seemed pretty long in my basement. So, I asked my parents if I could read them and they said that I could. I was so excited to begin reading. I think I finished the entire series in about three weeks. Next, my parents introduced me to the movies and I really enjoyed those. I actually had a Harry Potter themed birthday party when I was turning 12! It was amazing my parents went all out for it and I loved it.
I think I've drifted a bit from the Harry Potter Universe, but recently I have gotten back into it and I still love it as much as I always have. I wish I had more free time so that I could reread the books again!

[Emily Malfoy]

I got into Harry Potter in 4th grade. My friend and her sister read the books and wanted me to read them. I refused and told them I wouldn't like it. After months, I finally gave in. I flew through the series and ended up being more obsessed/ in love with the books more than them

[Veronica Wesley]

I started getting into Harry Potter when my friend wouldn't stop pestering me about it, and from the moment I started I fell in love. But even before my friend was begging me to read it, I read all the book teasers and I lOVED them, I was just scared because I heard the books were scary. But after my friend started pestering me, I started.

[Artiass Swanson]

Well, I remember when I was in the fifth grade, one of the kids in the class was a very studious and unattractive girl, one day when we had to do something in a group, we spent time together and she started to define the book she was reading. I could hardly even remember Harry's name. The next time the girl began to tell the story of the book from the first chapter in general detail, and the more she explained, the more I became fascinated by the story.
My mother always encouraged us to read books. So when they saw that I was asking them for a book, they did so immediately. There were only the first two volumes at that time. The third book was being translated.
Harry Potter was the first pictureless book I read! And when I got the book in my hand to start I thought I would not be able to finish it!
But I was so fascinated by the story and I read it non-stop. I even remember the fourth book when I had a very important math test, and I finished it in two days, regardless of the test.
That's why Harry Potter has always had a special meaning for me. In addition to its many unique features, this book made me a bookworm.

[Prof. Maxim Trevelyan]

It occurred to me that I never really replied here...

It was a chance meeting during after school hours. I was waiting for the school bus to take me home, but I missed one, due to my friends and the fun we had. So I had to wait one hour for the next bus to come. Atypically for me, I decided to spend my time in the school's library. And there, at the 'New Releases' section was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I picked it up, seeing it was fantasy and I started reading. I missed another bus, being so enthralled with the book, not even knowing that it was the fourth in the series. The librarian kindly reminded me when I borrowed it to finish reading, that there are three more books in the series before Goblet of Fire and I ended up going home with all of them. I devoured them all in the span of a weekend and thus, a Harry Potter love had been born.

[Hannah Lovegood]

My friends were really big fans and they said I should read it. I wanted to but I had to find an audiobook. Once I found the audiobook, I listened to the first book and then I couldn't find the second book. So, once I found the second book, I read the second book. I thought, "This is awesome!" Then, I listed to the third book and thought, "Wow! It is so cool how Harry got away from Voldemort every single time." I continued listening to the rest of the series. Once I got to the last book, I thought "Harry is so much me!" My four favorite characters are Harry because Harry is me. My second favorite character is Ginny. My third favorite character is Neville. My fourth favorite character is Bill. I like Bill because his birthday is the 29th of November and mine is the 28th.

Hannah Lovegood, Slytherin, United States

[Nicole Hale]

Throughout my public school time, I never read the Harry Potter series and never watch the movies. I just didn't understand what all the hype was about. Recently, my curiosity was peaked and I decided to watch the movies (big mistake on my part, definitely should have read the books first) and I couldn't stop watching them. I started with the movies because I didn't have the time with college classes to sit down and read the books like I wanted to and before I could get them completely read, I had to return them to the library. Now I am captivated, I read through the books finally and it just hooked me in deep. I don't know what I was thinking as a kid to not read them but I am very glad that I finally have.

[Allison Moore]

I honestly don't remember how I got into Harry Potter but this is what I pulled from my backstory on my profile page. I remember coming downstairs one day and I asked my dad what he was watching on the television. He said he was watching Harry Potter. I went and checked it out. for myself and fell in love with the series. From there on out, I have been a big fan ever since.I have also been to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida where I got to try Butterbeer for the first time and picked up a wand from Ollivander's.

[Cole Thronheart]

When I was 8 I started to get books for Christmas. My dad was a truck drive when I was growing up, so he would collect books he thought I might like when he was over the road. He would bring them home and he would put them in a box and wrap them up for Christmas. When Harry Potter and the Sorcerer Stone was released in the US I was 9. It was one of the books my dad had picked up for me while out on the road. I read it in one day I was so fascinated with the whole world of magic. He continued getting me the books as they came out. I remember being very excited when they decided to make it into a movie. I always knew I was a Slytherin lol. I have a friend I went to school with who loved HP as well. She was a Gryffindor and was in love with Harry. And although I knew he wasn’t a nice person I fell for Draco i still like Draco now as 32 but I think that has more to do with how Tom Felton played him and me being a fan of Tom. But we used to argue about who was better all the time. We still do sometime lol. Harry Potter was and still is my child hood and I will never grow out of it. As an adult with adult money, I have several different copies of all 7 books with different covers and lots of merch!

[Luke Snekker]

I first saw the movies and thought Harry Potter was alright. But then I started to read the Books, because my girlfriend at that time insisted they were really good and then I became a huge fan! I definitely don't regret that!

[Aura Nightmoon]

I think I was in second or third grade when I read the first book, but I didn't finish them until I was older. There were Harry Potter events at the library that I went to with some friends from dance, and I think that was my first introduction to the series. I borrowed the book from the library and really liked it. I also went to a convention with one of those friends and her mom when I was older, which solidified my interest in the series.

[Hannah Rose Malfoy]

22 years ago, on Christmas Day 2001, a very excited bookish girl opened up two obviously book-shaped presents to reveal Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I had never heard of the series and as such, had no idea at the time that these two unassuming novels would lead to a lifelong love that has never been matched by anything else.

It seems fitting that I was gifted these novels, one month before I started back at school (albeit in a Muggle primary school). I suppose there was a sense of comfort in joining Harry at Hogwarts and knowing that if he could survive a jinxed broom, a terrifying potions master and Lord Voldemort himself, then surely I could wrap my head around Maths somehow (spoiler: I didn't but then again, Harry never quite mastered Occlumency, so we can't all be perfect).

And so Harry's journey continued. We grew up together, faced the highs and lows of school together. When Deathly Hallows came out during the school holidays in 2007, I was in grade 8, just starting high school. My grandmother lined up outside Kmart from 7am until it opened at 9am to get the book for me and I spent 7 hours locked in my room, no breaks, reading that final book.

Four years later, during my twelfth and final year of schooling, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 arrived in cinemas. I was there among a sold out midnight screening of the film with hundreds of other people who, like me, had grown up with Harry for most of their lives and were now seeing him for the final time as he faced his greatest challenge yet. The cheers and excitement that night from everyone in the audience was proof enough that magic really does exist.

Sure, my schooling wasn't easy, sometimes it was downright excruciating, but I am not being hyperbolic when I saw that having Harry Potter during this time truly saved my life. So looking back on the journey, as a 28-year-old (a horrifying realisation I never like to dwell on for too long), I understand now, more than ever, as I choke back foolish, irrational tears, that Hogwarts has always been there to welcome me home.

Hannah Rose Malfoy, Slytherin, Australia

[Ina Mandarina]

How did I get into Harry Potter? That's actually a good question.
It started when I was about 7. I've always liked reading books and my favorite teacher was surprised how every time after her lesson I was reading different books. So one day advised me to read this famous series of books called Harry Potter. Obviously, I didn't take her advice seriously, I thought that a woman 5 times older than me isn't able to recommend a good book. You know, everybody makes mistakes... I was only 7!
After a few years, I decided to finally watch the Harry Potter movies. I was 100% sure that the books aren't worth buying so I thought that only watching the movies was enough to understand what my friends were talking about. It was then that I understood how wrong I was. Now I've watched all the movies way too many times and I'm halfway through all the books (reading slowly because I'm not reading it in my native language).

[Byn Watson]

I had always heard about Harry Potter as a kid- How could I not?- But I was never one for that kind of reading or movies as a kid. It wasn't until later in my teen years, about sixteen or so, that I got into the magical world. I had seen it getting an uproar of popularity all over online and decided to give it some of my time. Quickly I dove right in, exploring the characters and story as much as I could and fell in love. I watch the movies religiously and have begun reading the books after a far too long reading break. I surround myself with it in my personal time. I make my own wands and my grandmother even knitted me my own scarf in the Hufflepuff house colors. This world of wonder holds a special place in my heart and it allows me to continue exploring my childlike creativity.

[Violet Gray]

I got into Harry Potter because of my mom! When she was a teenager she read all the books so she wanted to do the same with me but together so when I was a kid we used to read it together and after we finished the books we watched the films together! my brother also tried to like it but he didnt really understand it. I think thats how I got into Harry Potter

[Amethyst Drake]

I've always been an avid reader, ever since I was in elementary school. I was the weird kid who would sit out of the way and crack open whatever book I was in the middle of devouring instead of playing with the other kids at recess. One year for Christmas, maybe 2001 or 2002 (which would have made me about eleven or twelve), my grandmother gifted me the first Harry Potter book. I have to admit I was a bit hestitant to read it as it was far different from the other age-appropriate content I enjoyed, but once I started reading I couldn't stop. I somehow managed to talk my mother into getting me the rest of the books that were already available, and I distinctly remember reading Order of the Phoenix in one night as soon as it was released. From there, my love of all things Wizard World continued to grow. It's to the point now where I told my friend group that I was going to take some Hogwarts classes and they didn't even bat an eye.

[Evie Figg]

I was 8 years old when the first movie came out, and I immediately fell in love! I began reading the books at school, and I remember reading the slug scene in Chamber of Secrets. By the time we were watching it in the movie theater, I had to close my eyes, as I knew what was coming.

[Adeline Morior]

The show came on the tv one day when I was a little girl, and I loved it. We could not afford the books at the time and I only had access to internet in my mid twenties so I listened to the audio books and enjoyed the books in that way once I had access to it. Love it still.

[Graham Sirius Black]

I started reading it when I was 11, and I have not put it down since!