Getting Into Harry Potter

[Terenthia Li Chessbi]

First time I notice about Harry Potter was when the 3rd book released.
I read from the newspaper that kids were lining up in front of a big bookstore in USA. They were waiting for the bookstore to open at midnight so they can buy a book tittled Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
I was very amazed at that time, I was wondering: What on earth book can make kids doing that? Their parents not only allow them, they even accompany their children !
And then I found out that the Prisoner of Azkaban was the third bookof Harry Potter series, the first and second one tittled The Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secret.
So I decide to buy the first book…for a trial. I thought, “hey…if the book turns out to be bad…I can give it to my friend…or anybody…or if no one want it…I can throw it to the river”.
But what happen next was totally different. I believe that Harry Potter book has magic inside it…and it’s spell got all over me. The 1st book become precious for me…I decide to collect them untill the last series. I read every series at least three times and always find something new and interesting.
My favourite part is in the book 3 when Harry and Hermione travelling time to save Sirius and Buckbeak. To me it’s not just about saving lifes, it also represent fights the injustices of a legal system gone wrong. Another thing that makes me like this third book is because human relationships are the core of this book. It really change my point of view about relationship among human, and it helps me to understand people and appreciate their opinions. Thanks to JK Rowling for her amazing masterpiece

Terenthia Li Chessbi (Ravenclaw, te 612, Indonesia)

[Ellie Lovegood]

I was out of the loop until about the time the fourth book was released. I would have most likely said something like, “Harry Potter who?â€￾ before that point.
I started hearing more and more about it and wondered why on earth it was so popular. I didn’t read them though because of the things I had heard.
Being Christian, things like Harry Potter aren’t exactly talked about nicely. As I heard more about it I mostly heard it from the Christian media. I was brainwashed to think that Harry Potter was bad and they had several twisted points to supposedly prove it.
It was a few weeks before the sixth book was released that I sat down and watched about an hour of the beginning of the first movie. It immediately caught my attention and left me wondering why the Christians were so frazzled about it.
I told my mom all about it, I was already hooked. My mom didn’t care whether I read them or not, as long as she didn’t catch getting on a plane to England and trying to run between platforms nine and ten, she was okay with it.
The week that book six was released I got a paperback copy of the first book and started reading it to see if I liked it.
I immediately decided I needed the others. By the end of summer I had seen the first two movies and read the first three books. I read books four and five that fall and saw the third movie. I’d never read books that big all the way through, not to mention so fast. I actually get mad that I read them so fast because they end so soon.
Since all my books were paperback I was going to wait until book six was in paperback so I occupied myself with Harry Potter fan fiction, fan sites and general Harry Potter information. My mom and I even went to see the fourth movie in the theater.
By January I bought the hardback copy of book six just because I couldn’t wait any longer. I’m now collecting the hardback versions of the books and read them very carefully as not to damage to book in any way.
These books grab my attention like no other book has. I was depressed for two days when I got to the part where Sirius died and was practically yelling at Snape when he killed Dumbledore.
I’m now extremely obsessed and Harry Potter is right up there with oxygen, okay, not quite, but still.
I got into it just because I was being a rebel and wanted to prove the Christian media wrong. Through that I learned a lesson though. That lesson being that I’m not going to take opinions like that to heart until I can come to a decision for myself.
Christians may think that Harry Potter is a bad influence, but I’ve actually been able to see things that tie into my faith.
I’m now a full-fledged Harry Potter fan. While I don’t intend to do anything too radical to prove myself a fan, I do have a tendency to make utterly random Harry Potter references, from calling the stray black dog in my neighborhood Padfoot to yelling ‘accio’ when I want something, I never cease to make my parents roll there eyes at me and make my friends wonder what on earth I’m talking about.

Ellie Lovegood (Ravenclaw, el698, USA)

[Maddison Fletcher]

How did I get into Harry Potter You ask?
Well I was year 5. Quite some time ago when Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone came out. In Australia (Where I live) There was this huge competition and if you enter you would recied a Harry Potter Pack, Including 5 Books of the Philosophers stone for you and your friends/family.
I wasnt a huge reader and when i saw this contest on the news i dismissed it without thinking anything of it. That night i went to my nans house for dinner and she was watching the news on a different station and said "Maddison, I hear this new Harry Potter book is great!" "Nan, I dont really read. Whats it about anyway?" She went on to describe to me all about Harry Potter, although now that i think of it half the things she said wasn't quite in the books and i didnt understand she did make a point.

Anywho, however my nan did it, she had me craving to read this book. I rounded up 4 of my closest friends to enter the competition with me. If one of us were to win, we would all get a book each. To enter we had to cut out coupons from a newspaper so we were riding around our neighbourhood asking our neighbours for their weekly papers and cut out coupons. We sent them all in and by then it was 10 days until the winner was announced.

The day came. We all wanted to go to one of our houses but we realised that had one of us one and they rang our house we wouldnt be there to answer! So we all were at our own houses waiting by the phone where all of us were logged on MSN messenger chatting in a large conversation about what we would scream if we one and what not. They were supposedly drawing the winner at 12 noon. 11:55 came and we all got our glasses of water ready and held our breaths. 12'o clock came and we waited.....12:30 came and we waited....3pm came and we had given up hope.
Well Guys, I suppose we dont HAVE to be one of the first to read the book in Australia! I typed on Msn.
They agreed. We were all hungry so we logged off and got our own lunches. My parents were at work this particular day so i was home with my older sister. She was in our theatre room watchin pearl harbour so loud I almost didnt hear the phone ringing. Wouldnt it be funny if it was the competition people saying i'd won...I thought...A hint of hope rose as i answered the phone. "Hello?" "Maddy sweety!" A voice said. And all my hope sunk. I smiled to myself. "Hi Nanny. I didnt win! I suppose I'll wait until-". I was cut off by my overly polite nan..What was this? "I know you didnt win sweety. Because I did!" I was so confused! "What??" I said! "I was cleaning up after you and your messy friends had been at my house and found one coupon left so i entered it! Want me to drop your prize off to you now?"
"OH MY GOD NAN! THANKYOU SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU YOUR THE BEST" I screamed words similar to these!

When I was off the phone and had called all 4 of my friends and told them the great news, Nan pulled up. Immediately I ran out and gave her the hugest hug ever! That night I started reading and couldnt put it down. After I had finished the first book i leant it to my nan who also loved it.
A Year went by and the second and third and fourth came out! I was SO excited me and nan read our own and got together to discuss our theories. We saw the movies together and me being such a Daniel fan my nan bought a signed pic of him off ebay!
Hows that for you? Thats how I got into Harry Potter.
Thanks to a little woman called....Nan! /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
Peace Out. -Maddi
Maddison Fletcher (Gryffindor, ma644, Australia)

[William Potter]

How did I get into Harry Potter? Well, I was in the 8th grade at the time the first book had come out. And our English and Literature class went to the Library so that the Librarian could introduce a new book to us. The book she chose to introduce was Harry Potter and the Sorcorers stone. she only read the first page though.


So naturally I became curious about how the chapter ended. So I checked out the book the day that it became available for us to check out. I finished reading the first chapter and, well, i was planning on returning after i finished that chapter. But, it just drew me in; I just couldnt put the book down (it ended up being a week overdue).


So when each new book came out i just had to get it. I bought eachone on the day that they came out. Sometimes i ended up saving up for months just to buy one of them. Now I own all 6 books in hardback and the first 5 in paperback. I also own the first 3 movies on video and dvd.


William Potter (wi621, gryffindor, Illinois/USA)

[Aiko Ghwitches]

How do I get harry potter ?

First time I know Harry Potter was around 11 th years old. I read Harry Potter from a magazine “BOBOâ€￾. It tells about Harry Potter and Sorcer’s Stone book, The first book. I’m really interested when I read the article. This book tells about magic. Oh.. I love everything about magic.

Unfortunately, I didn’t read the first book. I started with the second Book, HP and the Chamber of Secret, because the first book was sold out. That is my first book or thick novel I’ve ever read. Formerly, I was used to love reading comic only because I though that novel was too heavy for me. But Harry Potter is different from the other books. Page by page gives me different impressions. There is curious to read the next pages. And I know that it is really really amazing book.

Half year later, finally I read the first book. And several time later, Harry Potter and Sorcerer’s Stone movie was released. I’m so happy. Little bit shock when I saw the actors. They are not same with my imagination about them. But… it’s OK! It is not bad at all.

After that, I cannot control my desire to read the next books. One thing I can’t accept in the third book is when gryffindor didn’t get the Quidditch Trophy. But the book is still cool. HP and the Goblet of Fire is thicker than the previous books, but it makes me more spirtit to read it.

HPB is a confusing story, it can make my tense up. I’m so proud with Rowling, writing the interesting and cool books. Can’t wait for the next book and the movie!

Aiko ghwitches (Gryffindor, ai621, Indonesia)

[Sophia Manasa]

Comparatively, I was a late-comer to the Harry Potter phenomenon. In fact, I failed to read any of the books until book five was about to be released the summer before my junior year in college. My boyfriend enjoyed the books. He had gotten into them after his mom had, and she had started reading them so she would know what her piano students were talking about when they came in discussing them for hours! He was all excited about getting the fifth book, and so I would know what he was talking about, I started reading the first one. I was hooked. I read them all in rapid succession, one right after the other. He thought me addicted. (I suppose I was, a little.) Since it was summer, all I had to do was work and read. It didn’t take me long to polish off the whole series. I was so upset when I finished (the same feeling I got when I read the Lord of the Rings trilogy). When you read something amazing, and long, you get sucked in and then suddenly it is over.

Well, I remained a busy undergrad and I didn’t have internet access at my apartment then so that was the end for then. I just (not-so-patiently) awaited the sixth book. The sixth book was released the summer of my graduation from college, and I still held my steady, if mind numbing, job at a restaurant. I did have internet access and quite a lot of time. This is when I became immersed in the Harry Potter world through the online community. I read all of the books again last summer, leading up to the release of book six. The new book created so many more questions that there was plenty to keep me busy clue hunting and researching for a while. And while I was continuing my search in September, I came across HOL, which has kept me interested, busy, and discussing ever since.

Sophia Manasa (Ravenclaw, so625, USA)

[Pandora Alanis Black]

How did I get into Harry Potter? Mine is quite a curious story. There's this wonderful bookstore near my house, and the guy who owns it is a friend of the family and a very nice person, so whenever I'm bored, I go to that bookstore, to chat or find something good to read.

One of those days, I was walking around the neighbourhood and decided to drop by. There was a huge lot of people waiting to pay for their purchases, so I just stood aside and waited. And while I was doing that, I couldn't help but overhear the conversation two little boys were having.

"You know that bit when Harry takes the stone out of the Mirror of Erised? I mean, wasn't it just cool?" was saying the first.

"Okay so it was, replied the second, "but Hagrid's motorbike in the beginning, that was the best bit."

Utterly confused and at a loss to who this Hagrid bloke was, and who could have named a mirror 'Erised', I decided to keep on listening into their conversation while pretending to stare dreamily into space. However, this did not answer nearly as many questions as it raised. Who was Lord Voldemort? What kind of place was Hogwarts? And why did they have a Giant Squid?

I asked my friend after all his customers had cleared out, including the two children, and he told me to read the Harry Potter books, because they were excellent. So I took 'Philosopher's Stone' with me, and the following day I was waiting for the bookstore to open, hungry for more! And from that day that changed my life, until today, I haven't been able to live without Harry Potter.

- Pandora Alanis Black, Gryffindor, pa638, Spain

[Mafalda Clearwater]

It all started at work. One morning I saw Harry Potter : "The Prisoner of Azkaban" on my desk. I ask my friend and he told that the book is belongs to his girls friend. After a few days the book is still in my desk. One day at lunch time I took the book and read a little and that time I just think 'nice'. But one day I get stuck in my office because of cat and dog rain. First I read news paper to kill time. Finish with news paper I took magazine. Boring with magazine I look around to find some interesting else to do and my eyes catch the book, 'my mind think: way not, I can read it until the rain stop'.

Than it happen. I can't stop reading the book, after chapter 1 finish I go to chapter 2 and then chapter 3 and then chapter 4, and... it’s end in the end of the book. Whao!! I just can not believe that I finish reading the book in 2 hours! I never finish a book (any book!) in that short time in my life, I just fill so interest in this book. This book is deferent. Oh yeah... I can tell you that! And I got home very-very late for that.

In the way home I just keep thinking that I must have that book, not just that book but all series of Harry Potter Book!. With that idea on my mind I turn my way and go through to book shop. I found the first three books in the series. And I read them all in one weekend. I was hooked!!! I wanted more...more...more!!! I just keep read them all again and again… and again….until Goblet of Fire was released. And I couldn't help but pick up a copy and devour it whole! A fantastic read...and I couldn't wait for more.

Well I love all series of Harry Potter Book. I have read at least three times each one and never fill boring to read it again…again...and again!. And the amazing is I always find something new and interesting.

Mafalda Clearwater (Gryffindor, ma795, Indonesia)

[Adele James]

How I Got Into Harry Potter

It was just after the first three books were released in Australia (which is a bit behind the rest of the world sometimes). I was in year 8 at school...I was about 13. My mother bought them for my little sister, since she had been quite unwell and off school for about a month.

I read the back of the books, and I thought the sounded cute, but I didn't read them at the time. My Mum read them to my sister, and they both thoroughly enjoyed them and recommended them to me. But I was busy with homework, band rehearsal, piano practice, choir, and girl guides, so I didn't read them.

About six months later, halfway through my first year of highschool, my sister was diagnosed with Burket's Lymphoma - one of the rarest forms of childhood cancer. What happened was we took her to the hospital about fifteen times because she was so sick, but we kept getting turned away. Then on the last visit the cancer attacked her spinal chord and nervous system, and half of her face collapsed and she lost control of half of her body. THAT's when they took us seriously. She was put into ICU, and we were told that she only had about four days to live, if that, and only if she responded immediately to treatment.

She did, thank god, and she spent three months in the ICU wing. We only had one car, so my Dad would drive Mum into the hospital at six in the morning and go to work himself, and then straight after work go to the hospital to be with my sister. They wouldn't get home till 9pm most nights, and I was left on my own.

That's when I started reading Harry Potter. I had severe depression because I was unwell myself with undiagnosed coeliacs disease and glandular fever, was being bullied at school, everybody kept telling me my sister was going to die, and I was alone. I read the first two books and connected with Harry. Then I read the third book, Prisoner of Azkaban, and I saw myself in Sirius. Someone who can't change the situation they're stuck in, and it's a horrible situation. But Sirius still had this unsquashable hope, and this iron will to survive and make it through every horrible thing that happened to him, as did Harry. They became my role models.

When my sister was released from ICU into the children's oncology ward, I got to visit her, but most of the time she was unconscious from the chemotherapy. I read Harry Potter constantly by her bedside. It was my escape from the terrors I saw around me. Harry and Sirius became my rocks, so when another person I knew died, I didn't think it was hopeless. I knew I could keep going because Sirius survived Azkaban, where he would have relived seeing James and Lily dead every day, and Harry survived Voldemort all those times.

The Harry Potter series was my escape from reality at a time when I needed it the most, and I know now that it saved my sanity and my life. I just wish I could thank JK for that in another way than buying her books and loving them. My sister is cured now, which is a miracle, and I know that I'll never ever stop loving the Harry Potter series. JK's creations gave me hope and strength to keep going at a time when I needed help the most.

Adele James (Gryffindor, ad601, Australia)

[Nettie Dumbledore]

How I Got Into Harry Potter.

Way before the first movie came out, it was suggested to me that I should start to read the books. I turned down this idea as to me they were childrens books and way bellow my age. However before the first movie came to the big screen a friend of mine aswell as my brother suggested that before I go and see it I should read the books to give me a better idea of what the story was about. I still turned my nose up at the idea. After I had watched the first moive I was blown away, the movie was great. It was further suggested again that I read the books before anymore of the moive came out. I took my brother up on this idea and borrowed the first book. I started to read it that night, I had to admitt it as defeat. I really couldn't get into the story.

Now things changed when the movie number four came out at the cinema. I had watched all the other films by this time and loved them. Ofter then film had ended I felt empty and wanted to know more. I decided the following day to go out to the local bookstore and buy books five and six. I read them both in the space of a week. It was fantastic and I can't believe that I turned my nose up to one the most fantastic series of books ever made. All because I thought that I was to old to read them. Guess age dosent matter when it comes to a good book or movie.

Nettie Dumbledore (Gryffindor, ne613, UK)

[Rokes McVain]

*Getting into Harry Potter*


It all started in fourth grade or third grade I am fifteen now so I have come a long way and let me just tell you that the Harry Potter series has helped me a lot. As a kid I had always had a hard time reading and spelling in fact you may find some mistakes in this paragraph.

In first grade when everyone else was learning the alphabet with ease I struggled partly because I could not see very well, the doctors did not seem to catch that till latter, and because it just simply took me longer then the rest.

So when I was in third or fourth grade my sister who is four years older then me started to read the first book in the Harry Potter series because she had heard from all of her friends that it was a good book. So when she saw me eager to read the same book but just not able to because it was hard for me she decided to read it to me. She read and read starting from the first book all the way to the fourth. So I guess seeing the words and hearing them I started to improve. By fifth grade I was reading at a seventh grade level.

So in the end that book did not only help me when it came to reading but it also helped me in my relationship with my sister. To this day we are fans of the book we go to the midnight movie premieres at the theater and the midnight releases of the newest book. And even though we live practically in different worlds we will always have a connection. That was my start to the obsession of Harry Potter.

Rokes McVain (Gryffindor, ro608, USA)

[Allura Narawiel]

When I was at the first class of High School my Indonesian teacher had gave an assignment to students in class that is she asked us to made a book review.

She was let us to chose the book that we wish to made the review about it.

Some of my friends including me were chose to made a review of a Novel, at that moment I was making a review from a Novel written by an author coming from my own state, Indonesia.

That Moment was precisely the time of launching of Harry Potter Book The Prisoner of Azkaban Indonesian edition at my state.

A friend of mine was made a review concerning that Harry Potter book which has just released.

On collecting of the assignment she brought that book to class to show it to our Indonesian teacher, since we were obliged to show the book that we were made the review from it when we collecting the assignment.

Of course at that moment I do not know yet Harry Potter at all, some of my friends in class discuss about that new book, they were so splashy and I heard they made much of the book.
Because I was feeling vexed I tried to joint forces with them which was gathering to discuss Harry Potter book The Prisoner of Azkaban.

I asked one of my friends which get there, what is narrated by that book? And she was straight away said that it is a good book and suggest me to read it.

Because not yet feel so interest I indirectly buy it but I tried to borrow it from a friend, but in the reality when I trying to borrow the book my friend tell me that I had to wait because not merely me which wish to borrow that book, I have to queue up.

When finally I get innings, my friend owning that book uninterruptedly warn me to take care of the book, she really loves that book, I said that she is so fussy.

But don't know why when reading the book of Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban I feel to be anaesthetized, cannot transfer my view from all of the articles at that book, cannot drop it from my face even at the moment I have to eat.

I bring it to school and read it in every opportunity like time commutation of lessons and at break time.

Then I am understand why my friend is so fussy so that I do not break her book even a little part of that book of Harry Potter, because I have the way she did, become heavy devotee of book concerning life of little wizard Harry Potter a written by J.K. Rowling.

Allura Narawiel ( Ravenclaw, al752, Indonesia )

[Shyann Stephenson]

In elementary school, there was always kids in my class who would read the Harry Potter books.

"That's stupid!" I would exclaim as a little 9 year old. "Who wants to read about a wizard?" However, when I reached the 5th grade, all four books were already out, and my teacher divided the class into four groups and each group had to read one of the books. I was not looking forward to this assignment, but was placed in the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone group. Forced to read the book or fail the English part of my class, I had no choice. I was NOT a failing student.

First chapter...Second...Third...Fourth...Fifth...I had read up to Chapter 13 the night we recivied our books. I still didn't want to put it down, but was so tired my eyes were closing and I knew I had to rest them to get farther the next day. I finished the first book in three days (which is really fast to a 11 year old!).

Ever since then, I was obsessed! I had owned two copies of each of the books (Hard and Paperback). I had a Harry Potter Bedspread, Posters, Toys, EVERYTHING! Back then, Slytherin was my house of choice, and I had a large Slytherin banner I hung up in my room, a Slytherin backpack, the works. My best friend at the time, Geneva, and I had built a little Hogwarts Fort in my backyard and she would come over everyday, and we would pretend we were at Hogwarts.

When I reached the age of 13, I had joined my first Harry Potter Online RPG. That's when I was first sorted into Ravenclaw, which on that particular RPG, was the "Gryffindor"! It was the coolest house you could be in and everyone there was nice. I was active for a year, and then discoverd HOL at at the age of 14 in August 2005, and was sorted into Gryffindor. I'm 15 now, and would loved to continue HOL until I finish my seventh year. I'm looking forward to spending my time here with eveyone, they're all so wonderful!

[Gemma Eaton]

when i was 9, i read the 1st chapter of the 1st book. i got bored and stuffed it under my bed. a few months later, i found the book while cleaning. istarted to read it, and i got really into it! now im a full-fledged HP junkie!

[Kyros Corvall]

My Harry Potter story is kind of unique I'd like to think, whether or not it is, I'll leave that up to the eye of the beholder. Anyway, the first movie is the reason that I got into Harry Potter. You see, I began to see the previews for the movie and I was simply astounded. I remember thinking "all this from a book?" I was simply amazed what I saw just from the trailer. However, that's not the entire story. The first movie came out on November 16, 2001. Why is this relevant? November 16, 2001 was my 11th birthday. I realized the importance of this after reading the book since you start Hogwarts at the age of 11. It was just meant to be!

So, I ran out about two weeks before the release (and my birthday) to buy Sorcerer's Stone. I read it and just love it! Some of my friends had also read the books before so I had been exposed to the Wizarding World, but I never expected something so amazing!

The day after the release, the 17th, I went with a few of my friends to see the movie and I was just so excited to see the movie. I had fallen in love with the book and the movie all in a week. The next week, I ran out to get Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban.

I read the both of them within the next month and then I was a hardcore Harry Potter fan. It was that simple. I got Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Half-Blood Prince as soon as they came out. I also delved into the online world of Harry Potter about two years after the first movie. I didn't run across HOL until this year, but I did find some other wonderful fansites that I was happy to be a part of and enjoy.

Even today, a lot of my internet time is dedicated to the Wizarding World.

Kyros Corvall (Ravenclaw, ky800, United States)

[Morgana Sullivan]

My "Getting Into Harry Potter" story is quite...unique, at least, in my opinion.

I admit, it all started way back when Sorceror's Stone came out on VHS/DVD. My family was visiting my aunt and uncle out-of-state, so they decided to rent a movie for us. It happened to be just that: Sorceror's Stone. Now, you have to understand: Harry Potter wasn't a household name for us. In fact, my mother had bought into the whole Harry-Potter-is-evil scheme, without knowing a thing about it, and had not let my sister and I get sucked into the "hype" when it came out. Fortunately for her, we were homeschooled at the time, so we weren't really exposed to it anyway. I didn't even know what this "Harry Potter" stuff was about.

However, when we watched the movie (which, yes, my mom allowed), I thought it wasn't all that bad. (My sister's 6-year-old self was so scared by the trolls and other scary things, however, that she fell asleep. =) Anyway.) Still, though, with my mom not willing to let us read the books, I hadn't gotten sucked into the hype...yet.

In 7th grade--3 years later--I met a girl who was soon to be one of my best friends. Her entire family was completely HP-obsessed. At her house, one day, we decided to watch SS again...this time with me actually caring. I loved it. A few days later, we watched Chamber of Secrets. Me being scared of snakes, and even more scared of spiders, I screamed a lot. And yet...I still loved it. That was a pretty big accomplishment. The months after that are a bit blurry, but I know I met two more best friends--both of whom were actually as equally obsessed as my other friend, AshLe. We began to talk about it more and more, and even would RPG over AIM...it was so fun, I had to read the books! It took A LOT of convincing that Harry Potter wasn't evil, and actually had many morals, for my mom to relent, but she did. By then I had seen the Prisoner of Azkaban movie with AshLe, too, yet it was so confusing without having read the book, I didn't care much for it.

It was then that my sister brought home the PoA book from her school library. I was ecstatic. I read it in 2 nights...and from then on have been more of a Marauder fangirl then I will ever be of HP. And that says a lot. /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> And when Half-Blood Prince and the Goblet of Fire movie came out, they were my first experiences with being a part of the fandom. We went all-out, dressing in HP attire and ordering tickets and books far before the date of release. My mom also saw GoF--and now knows what's going on, on top of completely approving and justifying that HP has great morals ("If Harry hadn't saved the little Delacour girl, she might've gotten hurt!", etc.)

I admit, I did read the books in a bizarre order--3, 4, 6, 5, 1...and have yet to read CoS. Oddly enough, though, I do know the ENTIRE plot, talk about it frequently, have aquired many HP avatars, belong to a Marauder forum and just very recently HOL. It's a pretty pathetic--yet wonderful--lifestyle, and I am proud to have been transformed from a deprived Muggle into the intrigued, fangirly Jo-admirer that I am today.

Morgana Sullivan (Ravenclaw, mo803, USA)

[Kyle Dagge]

I believe the first time i began reading Harry Potter was when my mom bought it for me so i would have a book to read for 20 minutes for homework in third grade. Back then I hated reading sooooo much that one night when i was reading Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone i literally ripped a page out of the book. Now that i am older i love to read and do it almost everynight and have Harry Potter and my third grade teacher to thank for it!

[Brenna Delaney]

My story is rather silly. I was one of the more voracious readers in my highschool. Knowing this, my journalism teacher asked me to do an article for our school paper on how the recent publication of Sorceror's Stone had led to an increase in the number of parents reading bedtime stories to their children. I had very fond memories of my father reading a chapter of The Hobbit to my brothers and me every night, complete with funny voices and singing, so I agreed to read the book and write the article. Since it was marketed as a children's book, I did not expect to find it to my liking. I was pleasantly surprised when I got home with it, and stayed up reading until daybreak because I simply couldn't stand waiting a whole six hours to pick it up again and find out how it ended. Mr Queen was quite pleased with the resulting article, though I can't say my fellow students were enthused, and I've been hooked ever since.

Brenna Delaney (Gryffindor, br802, USA)

[Ani Snape]

My story is kinda weird.

I used to absolutely HATE Harry Potter.
In my primary school, when I was about 10, my teacher decided to read us the first book. She was deathly boring and so I began to hate it.

When the first film came out, I went to see it with my school on a trip and thought it was good but still refused to read the books and still after watching the next two films, refused to read them.

I started to read the books just before the Goblet of Fire film came out as I was going on holiday and on impulse, purchased all the Harry Potter books they had. I read up to Order of The Phoenix on my holiday, came back and borrowed Half-Blood Prince off my friend.

Then I became hooked and ultimately, obssessed.

I have since read OoTP and HBP about three times and the others about twice.

My friends and I frequently have Harry Potter marathons. I've watched the films so much I can quote Philosopher's Stone in it's entirety. /blink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":blink:" border="0" alt="blink.gif" />

Even my mother knows character names and hums the Harry Potter film theme music.

It's from one extreme to the other really.

/smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Ani Snape (Slytherin, an819, England)

[Gossamar Moondancer]

/dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="<_<" border="0" alt="dry.gif" /> Well I didn't have anything to read so I picked the first book and now I'm on the fourth book and I started to read the books like a year ago. /laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> NOW I ♥ HARRY POTTER BOOKS