Harry Potter became an interest to me around the ages eleven or twelve, which was four years ago. Funny enough, I had hated Harry Potter back then, let alone reading the books or even liking it. I had seen a lot of my silly, weird, and obsessed friends who collected a lot of the Harry Potter books and talked about the story often, which upsetted me even more.
I remembered yelling into their faces, asking what was so darn interesting about a boy who knows magic tricks. It annoyed me so much that they were more willing to talk about the story rather then play video games with me, like they used to. Furthermore, they completely ignored me altogether and started to hang out with those who were also into the same topic as they were...which was, of course, Harry Potter.
Seeing this, I swore to myself never to become an obsessed fan of anything as they were--particularly to something so absurd such as Harry Potter.
However, I broke that oath just a few weeks later after I swore to it. You could say it was either my sixth grade teacher's fault or my parents' fault...either would do fine.
One day, my teacher decided that our book reports needed to be on books that were much longer (not to mention much more tedious to read) since all the books we ever wrote on were only 150 pages long or less. Hearing this, my friends and I went to the library to check out the books that were at least 200 pages. As usual, I'm always slow to choose and all my classmates have gotten the best ones...except one.
In the corner, sitting on a shelf was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (since we Americans call it "Sorcerer"). Absolutely, I refused to check out that book and continued my search for another book that's long (and tedious to read). It didn't take more then ten minutes for me to give up on my search so I walked out the library empty-handed, still too stubborn to check out the Harry Potter book.
A couple of weeks passed by and my teacher had us all present our book reports. All my friends went up one-by-one to do theirs but when it was my turn, I told the teacher I didn't do it because I couldn't find a book that was 200 pages long and written for kids my age.
The teacher scolded me, threatening to call my parents--which it turned out, wasn't a threat at all. When I got home that afternoon, my Dad rounded on me, asking me furiously to explain why I received a bad mark for a simple book report. I used the same excuse I did with my teacher and like my teacher, my parents did not accept it either.
My Mom drove me to the library once again. Swearing and cursing under my breath, I grabbed the Harry Potter book, which was still lying there surprisingly, threw it on the counter in front of the librarian and had it checked out.
Once I got home, I still refused to read it and put on my headphones to listen to music instead. My Mom came in, telling me that I better do the report otherwise she's going to ground me from both the TV, internet, and video games. Swearing and cursing once again, I picked up the book and began to read.
Yet, without realizing it, I read the book for hours and hours, not hesitating to come down for dinner or even to go to bed. It was much better then I thought it would be and from there, I then understood why my friends liked it so much or why so many people own a copy of it. It was the best story I've ever read from the 11 years I lived on this planet.
Everything else, is history. As you can see, I was once one of those "HP Haters", but somehow, I joined the "Obsessed Fans" side and never left since then (I am now 15 turning 16).
Narcissa Galadriel Lupin (Slytherin, na409, United States)
Getting Into Harry Potter
Moderator: Prefects
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Maree Washington
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When Harry Potter first came out I thoughit would be very stupid. When the first movie came out I thought that would be even worst. When my multi-class teacher put that movie in for us to watch, I thought I was in for the worst 3 hours of my life. Little did I know it would be the gratest thing I saw that year. After school I went to the scolastic book fair at my aunt's school. I spent the whole time I was there reading the Chamber of Secrets, and made my aunt buy it despite the face that y brother owned that and the Prisoner of Azkaban( that I never touched, I real treasuer was in my house and I never read it). Needless to say I have been inot Harry Potter ever since. Some of my friends, even claims I got him/her in to Harry Potter also. /dry.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="<_<" border="0" alt="dry.gif" /> /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
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Crystal Key
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- Location: Gryffindor, of course!
I can remeber it perfectly, the disgracful details especially.
When I was six I had sworn that I would never read Harry Potter books, ever. I know it is unthinkable, I sometimes deny it. But, then I moved and found the fourth HP book in some old boxes of presents, I was seven then I think. I read the first chapter and fell in love with the book, after all who couldn't love Harry? My dad found the rest of the books for me, I read them all, and the rest is history. Well, then I joined HOL so it is not really history, I joined like two weeks ago.
Crystal
When I was six I had sworn that I would never read Harry Potter books, ever. I know it is unthinkable, I sometimes deny it. But, then I moved and found the fourth HP book in some old boxes of presents, I was seven then I think. I read the first chapter and fell in love with the book, after all who couldn't love Harry? My dad found the rest of the books for me, I read them all, and the rest is history. Well, then I joined HOL so it is not really history, I joined like two weeks ago.
Crystal
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stargazer
I first started read ing them When I was about ten. At first when I was 8 -ish I started reading the second one thinking it was the first. I got really confused and just stoped Then Once I saw the second movie I began to read the third book and so on. Now Harry Potter is the only book I will read besides any book that has to do with Magic and stuff like that...
P.S. The reason you may not have seen me on this before would be because I just joined.
P.S. The reason you may not have seen me on this before would be because I just joined.
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Josie Monkelly
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This is actually funny to me. When Harry Potter first came around, I didn't see what the big deal was. My friends, interpreters, everyone around me seemed to be reading the books. I, on the other hand, wasn't. I was into the Lurlene McDaniel books, and some other books. Granted, I didn't even know what Harry Potter was all about, and I didn't care at the time. It wasn't until after the first Harry Potter movie had been released on DVD and VHS when I started getting into the whole craze.
My mom and I were at Walmart, doing some grocery shopping and whatnot. We saw the "Harry Potter & the Scorcerer's Stone" DVDs, and Mom thought we should buy it. I tried to convince her that we should just rent it. What if we bought it, and didn't like it at all? That would have been a waste of money, I thought. Mom bought it anyway. That night, we sat down in the living room and watched it. I actually had liked the movie, and I didn't think I would! I must have been in the 8th or 9th grade at the time.
After watching the movie, I was telling Mom I wanted to read the books. Another day, we were at Sam's Club, just browsing and buying random things. We saw that they had the first three books in a set, so Mom bought it for me. I started reading the first book, and I was hooked. Soon enough, I had all three books read. One day, I was over at a friend's house, just hanging out. She had all four books (only four had been out at the time) in hardback, and I told her I still have yet to read the fourth book. She let me borrow her copy of the Goblet of Fire, which was really nice of her. Only took me a few days to read the entire book.
Mom also bought the fourth book for me, in paperback, just so I would have it with my collection. We also went and saw the Chamber of Secrets in theater, twice, and even bought it when it came out on DVD. And when the fifth book was being released, I was going to wait until the Mall opened, to buy the reserved copy of the Order of the Pheonix, when I read in the newspapers that a local bookstore was going to have a midnight party. I decided I wanted to go to that, instead. We have the reserved book card to my sister so she could get her own copy. I bought two copies of the fifth book at the bookstore after midnight. Mom thought I was crazy for even wanting to do this. I had fun though. Took me like three days to read the fifth book, and I reread it as I couldn't remember what I had read.
As of today, I have all three movies on DVDs, and all five books in paperback AND hardback. The hardback copies I'm just holding onto, as part of my collection. The paperback copies are the ones I read. Funny how a movie could get someone so hooked.
Josie Monkelly (Hufflepuff, jo600, USA)
My mom and I were at Walmart, doing some grocery shopping and whatnot. We saw the "Harry Potter & the Scorcerer's Stone" DVDs, and Mom thought we should buy it. I tried to convince her that we should just rent it. What if we bought it, and didn't like it at all? That would have been a waste of money, I thought. Mom bought it anyway. That night, we sat down in the living room and watched it. I actually had liked the movie, and I didn't think I would! I must have been in the 8th or 9th grade at the time.
After watching the movie, I was telling Mom I wanted to read the books. Another day, we were at Sam's Club, just browsing and buying random things. We saw that they had the first three books in a set, so Mom bought it for me. I started reading the first book, and I was hooked. Soon enough, I had all three books read. One day, I was over at a friend's house, just hanging out. She had all four books (only four had been out at the time) in hardback, and I told her I still have yet to read the fourth book. She let me borrow her copy of the Goblet of Fire, which was really nice of her. Only took me a few days to read the entire book.
Mom also bought the fourth book for me, in paperback, just so I would have it with my collection. We also went and saw the Chamber of Secrets in theater, twice, and even bought it when it came out on DVD. And when the fifth book was being released, I was going to wait until the Mall opened, to buy the reserved copy of the Order of the Pheonix, when I read in the newspapers that a local bookstore was going to have a midnight party. I decided I wanted to go to that, instead. We have the reserved book card to my sister so she could get her own copy. I bought two copies of the fifth book at the bookstore after midnight. Mom thought I was crazy for even wanting to do this. I had fun though. Took me like three days to read the fifth book, and I reread it as I couldn't remember what I had read.
As of today, I have all three movies on DVDs, and all five books in paperback AND hardback. The hardback copies I'm just holding onto, as part of my collection. The paperback copies are the ones I read. Funny how a movie could get someone so hooked.
Josie Monkelly (Hufflepuff, jo600, USA)
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Jenny Marsden
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how i got into harry potter? i got into harry potter because of my grandmother. my grandmother gave me the books because i got into the 4th grade spelling bee. she gave me the first 3 and i started to read them. then she bought me the 4th book. and so on and so forth. ever since i have been overly obsessed my grandmother always got me the books. (until the new one) i have read all the books 10 million times it is not even funny! that is how i got into harry potter! /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />
Edited smileys, five at the end of a post are not necessary, Dom
Edited smileys, five at the end of a post are not necessary, Dom
Last edited by Jenny Marsden on Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
Emily Callis
wand: pine wand,nine and one-half inches long, kelpie heartstring
Go Cardinals!
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Annie Doodle
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- Location: Hufflepuff
That is a very interesting story to tell. Way back when the first book came out, I was all weird and decided to read it for the hey of it. It never really occurred to me that I'd like it...lol... I was thinking that the movie wouldn't do it justice (since most movies don't) and then JKR kept coming out with them. I'm a crazed fanatic for HP and then I heard that there was an online Hogwarts, and I about died. I rushed on (even though they weren't taking names at that point) and started asking all these questions about it.
Now I'm in the coolest house, just waiting to start something that I think will be very worth while.
To add a nice and true quote: "Never lie, cheat, steal, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must cheat, cheat death. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."
Now I'm in the coolest house, just waiting to start something that I think will be very worth while.
To add a nice and true quote: "Never lie, cheat, steal, or drink. But if you must lie, lie in the arms of the one you love. If you must cheat, cheat death. If you must steal, steal away from bad company. And if you must drink, drink in the moments that take your breath away."
Last edited by Annie Doodle on Sun Jul 03, 2005 10:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Davena Kelpie
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Well, my niece and nephew used to spend a few weeks in the summer at my place and when they were young I would always read to them before bed. So one day I watched Rosie O'Donnell and she was talking to JK Rowling. I thought the book sounded like something that the kids would enjoy. So I bought the Philosophers Stone and started to read it to them. They were only 8 and 9 at the time so they quickly got bored with it after a few chapters but I was already hooked.
My niece has since read all the books and loves them as much as I do. My nephew however has little patience for books (despite my efforts) but he does like the movies! Me? Well I am completely addicted!!
Davy /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
My niece has since read all the books and loves them as much as I do. My nephew however has little patience for books (despite my efforts) but he does like the movies! Me? Well I am completely addicted!!
Davy /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />
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Brea Daniels
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- Location: Gryffindor
I heard about Harry Potter when I was in high school, but I never really gave it much thought.
In August 2002. right before I entered my senior year of high school, my brother talked me into watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I ended up liking it, but still didn't think much about it. Then, in November, my brother and sister-in-law bought me the first four books. I didn't start reading them right away though.
Chamber of Secrets came out the next day, and my mom took me to the theater to see it. I had also enjoyed that movie. I was telling one of my friends at school how I had gone to see the movie. We started to discuss the first two movies. Then she started saying how great the books were.
So, after that, I started to read the books. As soon as I started reading them, I couldn't put them down. After that, it was all my friend and I could talk about.
Ever since then, I've just been really into the books.
Brea Daniels (Gryffindor, br607, USA)
In August 2002. right before I entered my senior year of high school, my brother talked me into watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I ended up liking it, but still didn't think much about it. Then, in November, my brother and sister-in-law bought me the first four books. I didn't start reading them right away though.
Chamber of Secrets came out the next day, and my mom took me to the theater to see it. I had also enjoyed that movie. I was telling one of my friends at school how I had gone to see the movie. We started to discuss the first two movies. Then she started saying how great the books were.
So, after that, I started to read the books. As soon as I started reading them, I couldn't put them down. After that, it was all my friend and I could talk about.
Ever since then, I've just been really into the books.
Brea Daniels (Gryffindor, br607, USA)
Whee!
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Sonne Lindemann
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- Location: Slytherin
I started reading the books way after the second movie (they'd already made the PoA movie by then, but not released it). I remember I so wanted to see the first movie at the theater when it came out, but all my friends said they didn't like "fantasy movies", so I didn't go (I was still too young to go by myself). Then years after that I saw the CoS movie at the video club and I decided to rent it- yep, without seeing the first part lol. And what can I say? I really liked the story, though I was a bit confused by it, so I went to the club again and rented the first movie. It explained a few things, but not everything.
And then one day I was watching TV and ta-da! new PoA movie will be relaesd next year! And I'm like "oh, so cool that strange cloacked creature, I must buy the PoA book before it's released, can't wait till next year!" So I bought my first ever HP book (PoA) by catalog, and I loved the book (the Shack part got me by surprise). I realized the movies might've changed lots of things from the book because I didn't understand a few things- like why Harry said James had saved Snape's life- and I said heck, I'm buying the first two books. Well all I got was CoS and GoF first, later bought all SS, and OotP together. I even bought a notebook to write down little details on it (kind of a personal Lexicon), and went to watch the PoA movie the very first day, which was so cool because I met lots of HP fans and discussed the books and movies with some of them (none of my friends have read the books... I'm not even sure if they even know there are HP books).
Well then I started surfing the net and found lots of amazing websites and group dedicated to HP and got completely hooked by it. And now here I am, can't wait for the HBP to come out!
And then one day I was watching TV and ta-da! new PoA movie will be relaesd next year! And I'm like "oh, so cool that strange cloacked creature, I must buy the PoA book before it's released, can't wait till next year!" So I bought my first ever HP book (PoA) by catalog, and I loved the book (the Shack part got me by surprise). I realized the movies might've changed lots of things from the book because I didn't understand a few things- like why Harry said James had saved Snape's life- and I said heck, I'm buying the first two books. Well all I got was CoS and GoF first, later bought all SS, and OotP together. I even bought a notebook to write down little details on it (kind of a personal Lexicon), and went to watch the PoA movie the very first day, which was so cool because I met lots of HP fans and discussed the books and movies with some of them (none of my friends have read the books... I'm not even sure if they even know there are HP books).
Well then I started surfing the net and found lots of amazing websites and group dedicated to HP and got completely hooked by it. And now here I am, can't wait for the HBP to come out!
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Ben Ackerman
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I didn't really care for Harry Potter. I didn't hate it but I didn't like it. One day I was extremely bored and my sister was reading the thickest book I had ever seen. I ask her "What are you reading?" and she replied "None of your beezax!" which is typical because me and my sister always say stupid things to each other (that's why we fight alot over stupid things lol /cool.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="B)" border="0" alt="cool.gif" />). So she clung to that book for a long time. Then she got up to get lunch and I picked up her book. It was Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. When I read the title, I quickly losed intrest. Then I snatched the remote and turned on the television, tossing the book aside. I flipped through the channels and found nothing intresting. So I turned the television off and I decided to give the book a chance. I started reading it and in the beginning, I thought the book was really lame and boring because of the explanation of the Riddles and what happened. Then after I read about 2 chapters, I became mildly intrested. After I read about 5 chapters, I was hooked on Harry Potter! As soon as I finished it, I begged my mom to go to the library to get the other books in the series. She ended up going to the bookstore and purchasing them. I didn't know which one to read first. I started reading the first one and I lost intrest in it. Then I picked up the second one and I read it and to my surprise, I liked it! I then decided to read the first book. I read it, liked it, and then I started reading the third book (this was before the 5th book came out). Now I'm a Harry Potter fan! I own all the books (1-4 in paperback and 5 in hardcover) and I have all the movies (1 and 2 on video and 1-3 on DVD)! Harry Potter rocks! If I could go back and do one thing, I would make sure to read the series in order. Even though I like the books, I would like them more if I would have read them in the correct sequence.
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Dawn Christensen
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this needs to be deleted! sorry! my real story is on page four!
Last edited by Dawn Christensen on Sat Aug 20, 2005 11:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Amaya Hitomi
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My brother was into it before me. Several people tried reading the first book to me but I always complained that it was boring and took to long to get past the intro. Now my brother doesn't read Harry Potter anymore and I'm obsessed. I can't beileve how hard it seemed to read the first book when I was younger and now I can get through it in almost 20 minutes /happy.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid="^_^" border="0" alt="happy.gif" />
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Alentia Crystalis
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Haha, it was really hilarious how I got into Harry Potter.
A few years ago, probably a few months before the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie came out, it was my birthday. A whole bunch of my friends were buying me things and I told one of my good pals Ally to get me a really good book (for summer reading). Well, Ally was a huge Potter fanatic and she loved the book when she first got it. Well, she brought her gift to my birthday party at a restaurant-Dave and Buster's-and well...here's what happened:
We were all hyped up because there was this platter of...basically...SUGAR. Everything was giving us major sugar rushes and then we started opening gifts. Ally and a friend of mine were handing me gifts and we were all laughing really hard and all of us were going ballistic! So for some reason, Ally and my friend Kath start tossing the gifts at me-hoping to catch me off guard or something. Well, when it came to Ally, she bought me the Harry Potter book-which was nice-but it was the hardback version and Kat had another big book (the whole LOTR edition, who knew) and both of them basically threw it at my head.
I was unconcious for a couple of minutes.
Anyway, when I woke up everyone was hovering over me wondering if I was okay-and then I stood up and went back to gift-opening. After the party, I was curious about the books that hit me so I figured-hm? Harry Potter, the skinny book, or Lord of the Rings, the extremely huge book? Harry Potter. So in the car, I started reading it. And I couldn't stop!
So I kept on reading...and reading...and reading...and I'm here today. Still reading-and anticipating the new book Half-Blood Prince. Who knew?
Alentia Crystalis (Gryffindor, al601, United States)
A few years ago, probably a few months before the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone movie came out, it was my birthday. A whole bunch of my friends were buying me things and I told one of my good pals Ally to get me a really good book (for summer reading). Well, Ally was a huge Potter fanatic and she loved the book when she first got it. Well, she brought her gift to my birthday party at a restaurant-Dave and Buster's-and well...here's what happened:
We were all hyped up because there was this platter of...basically...SUGAR. Everything was giving us major sugar rushes and then we started opening gifts. Ally and a friend of mine were handing me gifts and we were all laughing really hard and all of us were going ballistic! So for some reason, Ally and my friend Kath start tossing the gifts at me-hoping to catch me off guard or something. Well, when it came to Ally, she bought me the Harry Potter book-which was nice-but it was the hardback version and Kat had another big book (the whole LOTR edition, who knew) and both of them basically threw it at my head.
I was unconcious for a couple of minutes.
Anyway, when I woke up everyone was hovering over me wondering if I was okay-and then I stood up and went back to gift-opening. After the party, I was curious about the books that hit me so I figured-hm? Harry Potter, the skinny book, or Lord of the Rings, the extremely huge book? Harry Potter. So in the car, I started reading it. And I couldn't stop!
So I kept on reading...and reading...and reading...and I'm here today. Still reading-and anticipating the new book Half-Blood Prince. Who knew?
Alentia Crystalis (Gryffindor, al601, United States)
Gryffindor <3
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Lilith Phoenix
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Well, it all happened long, long ago some Christmas morning. I had already Known a few people to read the Harry Potter books, and they said they loved them, but I thought they would be incredibly stupid. Anyway, Christmas morning rolled around and I got the first two HP books in paper back. I smiled a fake smile, and said "Thanks, I love them", but then I chucked the books onto my shelf and forgot about them untill later that summer. I had sprained my ankle pretty bad playing dodgeball and was laying around looking for something to do. As it was summer, everything was reruns. So, I hobbled into my bedroom to perused a good book, one i hadn't already read a billion times. And near the back of the shelf I found these dusty paper back novels that I decided to read, as bored as I was. So I sat and read. And I finished the books that same day. They were so spell binding that I cursed myself for ever thinking that they could be stupid. Now I have all five books in hard cover and, obviously I like the books a lot, or I wouldn't be here, would I?
Lilith Phoenix (Gryffindor, li603, USA)
Lilith Phoenix (Gryffindor, li603, USA)
Last edited by Lilith Phoenix on Sun Jul 10, 2005 6:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Morag McQueen
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- Location: Ravenclaw
I've always enjoyed reading stories. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was released when I was on holiday in Scotland and I had finished the books I had brought along to read, so I went into Borders, as I always do when I'm in Glasgow, looking for a good holiday read. I sort of stumbled across HP. It was one of many new books they had, but it's front page seemed very appealing to me at the time and I do enjoy fantasy stories, especially if they have anything to do with magic /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />
My mum took it as a good buy, because it had won the smarties prize.
Since then I've been hooked and I can't wait for the sixth book and the fourth film to come out.
Mum thinks I'm getting to old for Harry Potter, but I don't think there's an age line. You either like him or you don't.
Morag McQueen (mo601), Ravenclaw, Switzerland
My mum took it as a good buy, because it had won the smarties prize.
Since then I've been hooked and I can't wait for the sixth book and the fourth film to come out.
Mum thinks I'm getting to old for Harry Potter, but I don't think there's an age line. You either like him or you don't.
Morag McQueen (mo601), Ravenclaw, Switzerland
Many Thanks to the wonderful Efie from SparkleissaInk for both Signature and Avatar.
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Livia Taro
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Peter Ring
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- Location: Hufflepuff
How did I get into Harry Potter? Well, my mother bought the second book, not knowing it was the second book, for me for a Christmas present. Then she got the other two that were out at the time, book one and three. I started to read three, not really wanting to read it, but my mother made me stop so she could read it. After that I started to read the first book. I started to get hooked, so I read the three over and over until the fourth book came out, then did the same with the fifth. I became obbsessed, and well here I am now.
Peter Ring (Hufflepuff, pe604, USA)
Peter Ring (Hufflepuff, pe604, USA)
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Alaecia Kahn
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Ah, the story of my entry to the realm of Potterverse is a sordid tale of misdeeds indeed. Or possibly not, but that's what I'd like to think it is, considering the rather boring circumstances that caused me to read the books.
When the first Harry Potter book came out (Philosopher’s Stone, for me – I’m not an American, and therefore not special enough to have the name changed), I briefly considered reading it, but the feeling soon passed. The was back in 1997, before the hype had started, when Scholastic had not even thrown their two publishing cents in. I remember, quite vividly, looking at the lonely copy in Woolworths – or was it WH Smiths? – and almost buying it. But instead, I choose a book on horses.
I didn’t hear much about Harry Potter from that day forth; it was only some four years later that I once again encountered the books in any substantial form. Of course, I heard all the stories in the media surrounding it, but I didn’t particularly want to read about a scrawny boy with glasses who was a ‘wizard’. In fact, I thought the idea had a lot of potential for cheesiness – how wrong was I? But, that year (that heralded the start of my second in high school) I was subject to a long drama lesson in which my friend James described precisely what happened in the early books. The topic was raised by an innocent comment by my drama teacher, and as I was paired with him, I got the full account of a Harry Potter obsessee.
That alone spurred my curiosity, but it still wasn’t enough to force me to go and buy the books. In fact, reading the first five was only a chance encounter. My dad is joined to a book club, and after so many purchases through the society you get a free gift. He asked for something on tanks (his lifelong obsession), but instead his order was mixed with one for a complete set of Harry Potter books (at that time, complete was the first four). I devoured them within a few days, and from that day forward, I was as addicted to the HP series as my grandma is to caffeine. I threw myself into the world of HP, catapulting into roleplays, fanfiction and forums.
And that, my dears, is how a 16-year-old girl became clinically obsessed with the series.
Alaecia Kahn [ Gryffindor - al633 - England ]
When the first Harry Potter book came out (Philosopher’s Stone, for me – I’m not an American, and therefore not special enough to have the name changed), I briefly considered reading it, but the feeling soon passed. The was back in 1997, before the hype had started, when Scholastic had not even thrown their two publishing cents in. I remember, quite vividly, looking at the lonely copy in Woolworths – or was it WH Smiths? – and almost buying it. But instead, I choose a book on horses.
I didn’t hear much about Harry Potter from that day forth; it was only some four years later that I once again encountered the books in any substantial form. Of course, I heard all the stories in the media surrounding it, but I didn’t particularly want to read about a scrawny boy with glasses who was a ‘wizard’. In fact, I thought the idea had a lot of potential for cheesiness – how wrong was I? But, that year (that heralded the start of my second in high school) I was subject to a long drama lesson in which my friend James described precisely what happened in the early books. The topic was raised by an innocent comment by my drama teacher, and as I was paired with him, I got the full account of a Harry Potter obsessee.
That alone spurred my curiosity, but it still wasn’t enough to force me to go and buy the books. In fact, reading the first five was only a chance encounter. My dad is joined to a book club, and after so many purchases through the society you get a free gift. He asked for something on tanks (his lifelong obsession), but instead his order was mixed with one for a complete set of Harry Potter books (at that time, complete was the first four). I devoured them within a few days, and from that day forward, I was as addicted to the HP series as my grandma is to caffeine. I threw myself into the world of HP, catapulting into roleplays, fanfiction and forums.
And that, my dears, is how a 16-year-old girl became clinically obsessed with the series.
Alaecia Kahn [ Gryffindor - al633 - England ]
Last edited by Alaecia Kahn on Wed Jul 13, 2005 12:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Callisto di Baste
- No broom
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:59 pm
- Location: Slytherin
When I was eleven, I was on the stage. One of those little Christmas productions/pagents you put on in Elementary school. I was the star. I was one of those kids with a strong personality, but still quiet and reserved, like I didn't know any other way to be, than in my own imagination. The pageant was held during Christmas break. Anyways, during the middle of the pagent, one of the smaller roles panicked because of a missing prop and mixed up the order of props.
When I rattled off my lines, I looked down and saw that the words I said, did not match the objects i held. So without having a clue what Improvisation meant, I wove my words into lines that would go smoothly with the play. I felt proud that I had managed to do something important, and I did it well. I also felt a little scared, about how easily the words fell out, as if I was the puppet for the intructor who taught us "what ever it take, the show goes on, the show is the most important thing." I went back to my memorized lines the second I could.
Of course, come the end of the show, the minute the curtains closed, and the mics were off, the cast turned on me.
"What were you doing?"
"You screwed up the show!"
"This is all your fault."
"Why didn't you stick to the script?"
"You made up lines?"
I was trying to fix what Greg mixed up by mistake!
"Don't bother to talk to me again."
"What ever."
"Ginger Spice would be ashamed."
"I hope you die."
"Yeah, well you aren't my friend any more."
That line was said by my best friend, Natasha Kerry. It made me cringe inside, because the way my Grandmother raised me, I didn't have any friends before I moved to the United States. Natasha was the person who taught me it was okay to express emotions, to admit to have a weakness instead of being the diplomats granddaughter. She was the only person out of over 30 invitations, to come to my birthday party. Natasha was the first true friend I had. And she disowned me for trying to fix the play she was so proud of being in.
I turned around. I walked toward the dressing room, and quickly ran out of the auditorium. I got into the main school, dashed through hallway after hallway, until I ran through unfamiliar hallways, as quickly and as quietly as I could. I didn't want to be seen, found, heard, hurt. Didn't want my mother to tell me that she had saved a spot for my father but not me, since she thought I would eat with the cast...With my friends...
I threw myself into the first classroom I found, just behind a sharp turn. I pulled and by some miracle, the door unlocked. I remembered the janitors had cleaned early that day, so there wasn't any reason for the door to be unlocked. Yet, it unlocked for me. I remember shutting the door, locking it. In the soft light of the room, I made my way behind the teachers desk. I sat there, focusing on not hurting, not thinking, and being invisible, when I decided to shift because of the uncofterable knobby wooden wall of the back of the inside of a desk.
I reached with a short grubby left hand for the whatever that was behind me. I felt softwarm fabric, stiff, thick...it was a book! I turned around. The teacher had a whole bookcase under her desk! Hidden from the hands of grabby kindergardeners. I closed my hand around the book that felt warm, right. I pulled it out. There wasn't any cover, but the green not-cloth and the blue diamonds on a soft wood-notwood book made it feel as if it were a hope.I opened and pawed backwards until I found the first chapter, without reading the books title. I knew it wouldn't matter.
Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast...
...YOUR ABNORMALITY...
..hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelth birthday...
...spending the evening pretending not to exist...
I closed the book. Nearly two hours had passed. I held the book in my hands. I opened it to the title page. "Chamber of Secrets"," I had whispered to myself. A mantra in a cold lonely room, empty of even the ghosts of those who walked there.
I took a pen and paper off the teachers desk. "You don't know me, but your book helped me. I will bring it back. Soon. Thankz. Callie" I wrote in large childish blocks. I walked out, remembering to turn the lights off. Close the door behind me and on my sorrow. I wandered through the halls, a bit lost, until I stumbled into a familiar corridor and got back to the auditorium/cafeteria where the adults were finishing the meal portion of the evening (because they fed the parents after the show). I changed into my street clothes and walked back out to the room. I walked over to my parents seats. My mother smiled. "Did you have fun eating backstage?"
I figured it was best to have her think that. "Yes, Maman." I shuffled my feet, yawned, to feign exhaustion to she would force me to leave.
"Callie and you tired?" "No..." "You are. We're going home." I held the book well hidden inside my sweater. I was so busy with hiding it that i didn't notice when someone tapped my shoulder.
"Hey," Natasha said, with another tap. "Where were you?" I shrugged. "Out." Her eyes narrowed. "Did we make you cry?" I couldn't tell her, that she hurt me worse than that. Even when you're little kid, your first betrayal is the strongest and always the worst. Her tone was cold. It was best to lie. "Nah. I decided I was going to hang ut with my real best friend." Natasha was angry, of course. I had never talked back before. "Who?"
"Oh, just a real friend. Harry doesn't backstab people." Like you do. Even though you knew I was right.
"Want to be friends?" No. Never ever ever ever ever ever!
"Yeah." I'll always want to say yeah. I realized that then.
"Can I meet Harry?" WHAT?!
"No! I'd rather give up Spice Girls than let you meet him." I squeezed the place beneath the jacket where the "Chamber of Secrets" was. Where my secret was. She coul dhave my memories, my secrets, my loyalty, and my love, but Natasha could never have my Harry.
When school started, I managed to find the strange classroom I had taken the book from. When I got there, the janitor told me the teacher had quit over Winter Break. That just sealed the deal that who ever this Harry Potter person was, where ever he was, he had been left for me.
Callisto di Baste (Slytherin, ca605, US)
When I rattled off my lines, I looked down and saw that the words I said, did not match the objects i held. So without having a clue what Improvisation meant, I wove my words into lines that would go smoothly with the play. I felt proud that I had managed to do something important, and I did it well. I also felt a little scared, about how easily the words fell out, as if I was the puppet for the intructor who taught us "what ever it take, the show goes on, the show is the most important thing." I went back to my memorized lines the second I could.
Of course, come the end of the show, the minute the curtains closed, and the mics were off, the cast turned on me.
"What were you doing?"
"You screwed up the show!"
"This is all your fault."
"Why didn't you stick to the script?"
"You made up lines?"
I was trying to fix what Greg mixed up by mistake!
"Don't bother to talk to me again."
"What ever."
"Ginger Spice would be ashamed."
"I hope you die."
"Yeah, well you aren't my friend any more."
That line was said by my best friend, Natasha Kerry. It made me cringe inside, because the way my Grandmother raised me, I didn't have any friends before I moved to the United States. Natasha was the person who taught me it was okay to express emotions, to admit to have a weakness instead of being the diplomats granddaughter. She was the only person out of over 30 invitations, to come to my birthday party. Natasha was the first true friend I had. And she disowned me for trying to fix the play she was so proud of being in.
I turned around. I walked toward the dressing room, and quickly ran out of the auditorium. I got into the main school, dashed through hallway after hallway, until I ran through unfamiliar hallways, as quickly and as quietly as I could. I didn't want to be seen, found, heard, hurt. Didn't want my mother to tell me that she had saved a spot for my father but not me, since she thought I would eat with the cast...With my friends...
I threw myself into the first classroom I found, just behind a sharp turn. I pulled and by some miracle, the door unlocked. I remembered the janitors had cleaned early that day, so there wasn't any reason for the door to be unlocked. Yet, it unlocked for me. I remember shutting the door, locking it. In the soft light of the room, I made my way behind the teachers desk. I sat there, focusing on not hurting, not thinking, and being invisible, when I decided to shift because of the uncofterable knobby wooden wall of the back of the inside of a desk.
I reached with a short grubby left hand for the whatever that was behind me. I felt softwarm fabric, stiff, thick...it was a book! I turned around. The teacher had a whole bookcase under her desk! Hidden from the hands of grabby kindergardeners. I closed my hand around the book that felt warm, right. I pulled it out. There wasn't any cover, but the green not-cloth and the blue diamonds on a soft wood-notwood book made it feel as if it were a hope.I opened and pawed backwards until I found the first chapter, without reading the books title. I knew it wouldn't matter.
Not for the first time, an argument had broken out over breakfast...
...YOUR ABNORMALITY...
..hadn't even remembered that today happened to be Harry's twelth birthday...
...spending the evening pretending not to exist...
I closed the book. Nearly two hours had passed. I held the book in my hands. I opened it to the title page. "Chamber of Secrets"," I had whispered to myself. A mantra in a cold lonely room, empty of even the ghosts of those who walked there.
I took a pen and paper off the teachers desk. "You don't know me, but your book helped me. I will bring it back. Soon. Thankz. Callie" I wrote in large childish blocks. I walked out, remembering to turn the lights off. Close the door behind me and on my sorrow. I wandered through the halls, a bit lost, until I stumbled into a familiar corridor and got back to the auditorium/cafeteria where the adults were finishing the meal portion of the evening (because they fed the parents after the show). I changed into my street clothes and walked back out to the room. I walked over to my parents seats. My mother smiled. "Did you have fun eating backstage?"
I figured it was best to have her think that. "Yes, Maman." I shuffled my feet, yawned, to feign exhaustion to she would force me to leave.
"Callie and you tired?" "No..." "You are. We're going home." I held the book well hidden inside my sweater. I was so busy with hiding it that i didn't notice when someone tapped my shoulder.
"Hey," Natasha said, with another tap. "Where were you?" I shrugged. "Out." Her eyes narrowed. "Did we make you cry?" I couldn't tell her, that she hurt me worse than that. Even when you're little kid, your first betrayal is the strongest and always the worst. Her tone was cold. It was best to lie. "Nah. I decided I was going to hang ut with my real best friend." Natasha was angry, of course. I had never talked back before. "Who?"
"Oh, just a real friend. Harry doesn't backstab people." Like you do. Even though you knew I was right.
"Want to be friends?" No. Never ever ever ever ever ever!
"Yeah." I'll always want to say yeah. I realized that then.
"Can I meet Harry?" WHAT?!
"No! I'd rather give up Spice Girls than let you meet him." I squeezed the place beneath the jacket where the "Chamber of Secrets" was. Where my secret was. She coul dhave my memories, my secrets, my loyalty, and my love, but Natasha could never have my Harry.
When school started, I managed to find the strange classroom I had taken the book from. When I got there, the janitor told me the teacher had quit over Winter Break. That just sealed the deal that who ever this Harry Potter person was, where ever he was, he had been left for me.
Callisto di Baste (Slytherin, ca605, US)