Getting Into Harry Potter

[Avery Ackart]

How did I get into HP? Well, I was 16 and had never heard of Harry Potter. I happened to be staying home from school and turned on the Rosie O'Donnell show. I saw that she was interviewing this blond english woman. Rosie was absolutely gushing about how much she loved the blond woman's book, about how she wanted to play a character in the movie. So I said to myself, if Rosie likes it this much, maybe I should give it a try. I took down the name of the book and the author then changed the channel.

I was sick so I asked my father to get the book for me. At the time I had no idea that there was more than one Harry Potter book and neither did my father. He accidentally got the second book, Chamber of Secrets. I didn't want him to go back and get the correct book since I wasn't even sure if I'd like the one he'd given me. So, I decided that I'd read the second book and if I liked it, I'd restart the series from the begining.

I remember at exactly which line I realized that I was gonna make my dad go back to the bookstore and get the first book: "'WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU,' thundered his uncle, spraying spit over the table, 'ABOUT SAYING THE 'M' WORD IN OUR HOUSE?'" I couldn't understand why anyone would get so worked up over a silly little word. I stayed up all night reading COS and by the same time the next day I was reading SS.

So that's my story. Thanks for listening.
Avery Ackart ( Gryffindor, ay551, USA )

[Avery Brookshire]

I got into HP when I was about 11 or 12 during the summer. I found out about them from my cousin's a little earlier, but I was skeptical and thought they were kind of stupid. What could be so cool about a boy who's a wizard, I thought. Although during a camping trip that summer with those same cousin's, my love for Harry Potter was well on it's way. Since I was a girl, I was left at camp by my brother and older cousin Cory many times with nothing to do, as was my younger cousin Ryan. He had brought along his Chamber of Secrets book, and having no other book to occupy me, he let me read his. Needless to say, I finished his book in two days, and he was quite angry with me for reading it faster than him! The day after we got back from our trip I had my own Harry Potter books and went through them countless times. I think I loved them even more because I was their age while I was reading the books, so I could relate to them. What will I do when the series is finished? I can only hope that wonderful things like HOL will still be here! Now I am proud to be called a Harry Potter fan.

Avery Brookshire (Gryffindor, av550, USA)

[Emma Greene]

Well, at first, I did not really like Harry Potter. My mother was working as a librarian and borrowed many books for me to read. Seeing how thick the book was, I was not very interested. I told my mom I did not want to read Harry Potter. Thus, she never did borrow back Harry Potter books anymore. I had to admit. Why did I not like Harry Potter that time? It is so interesting!
By the way, my friends at that time, was so into Harry Potter. Guess I was really dense and still did not understand what's so good about Harry Potter. My opinion changed when I watched the first movie. It was so good! I started to develop a liking and asked my mom to borrow their books! I read them all. It was so nice. I guess my friends helped me also. They kept talking about Harry Potter and I guess it's too good to be ignored! /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

Emma Greene~Hufflepuff~em551

[Alexander Abercrombie]

I first became interested in Harry Potter after the second book came out. My mom and dad bought me the first two books for Christmas and I even read the Sorcerer’s stone on Christmas day. After I had read the third book, I realized that the series was becoming a hit so I started talking about it in school. By that time I had read these books over and over and over so I knew every little detail about them. I found a few people in the school who were just as addicted to the books as I was and we talked about them a lot. At the same time I was beginning a thing called MUDing. It stands for Multi-user dungeons and it’s a text-based RPG. I found one on the books for Ender’s Game and Harry Potter and was instantly addicted to it. But as time flew by I found myself wanting more visual stuff. And that’s when I met up with this kid named Isaiah Amoz. What a creepy kid. He was also an HP fan and was starting his own RPG site. He got it off and running and had about 20 people signed up in a few days when he completely disappeared off the web. After that I went back to the MUD for a while but then just recently when I decided I still wanted to find a good, stable RPG. And that’s how I got addicted to the HP books, websites, and everything. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Alexander Abercrombie (Ravenclaw, al558, USA)

[Samantha Wanzo]

When I started liking Harry Potter When I was in Seventh grade. I had to do a book report for my 2nd period class and I already ran out of books that I wanted to read. (I didn't like reading that much anyway so I though of it as a plus). Anywho, my aunt found out about my assignment and she handed me the Harry Potter book. I got to admit, I wasn't thrilled about the whole thing since for one I didn't like reading and two I heard alot of people said that Harry Potter was lame. I sighed and took the book anyway.

At first I felt so obligated to read it, and then after the first couple of pages (Yes... Dudley and his fat piggish self made me laugh and I had a change of heart) well, I started to see things differently. I was so happy and so angry at the same time. For one because I love books that have a since of magic in them and yet I was angry because I felt foolish for taking in what others had to say about the book. I wish I had gotten my hands on it sooner.

As I read on, I wondered what it would be like to have a place like Hogwarts. To just get away from everything and do the extraordinary, learning new things. I was in love. That's when I started looking on the internet to see if I could get to one. I typed in "Virtual Hogwarts" exactly four years ago and the site "HP Galleries" Came up. I was super excited but I didn't get to get in. So I waited patiently for the 2nd year to roll around and lookie where I'm at. I've been here for three years (on off for certain reasons but still hanging in there) and I'm VERY proud of myself.

-=[Samantha Wanzo/Gryffindor/sa311/3rd Year

[Prof. Ceit Uiseag]

I first heard things about Harry Potter when I was in first year at university (1998-1999), and I was aware of the hype, but not of what the books were actually about. As far as I knew, they were children's books, probably pretty good children's books, but children's books for all that. The hype continued to grow, and I continued to be vaguely aware of it. Then in my second year, my parents bought me three books for Christmas - PS, CoS and PoA. My dad is a librarian, and my mum used to be one, so they both have their fingers on the pulse of what's supposed to be really good (and what actually *is* really good /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> ). Despite this I was a little puzzled at being given kid's books, so they stayed on my little pile of Christmas presents until the evening of Boxing Day, when I was bored and had nothing to do. I picked up PoA, at which point my dad took it from me and replaced it with PS (I don't know why I hadn't realised they were a series...), and I started to read. From the first page I was hooked, and had read all three books by the time I returned to university in january. I then re-read them countless times while waiting for GoF to come out, and after I graduated, I was living at home again, waiting for OotP to come out, and working in a boring job, and was about to use one of my days off to go down to Glencoe to see part of the set for PoA, so I was looking up various HP things on the internet, and stumbled across HOL, and, well, that was that really, I'm a PotterHOLic for life now *g*.

(Ceit Uiseag/Hufflepuff/ce400/UK)

[Riona Carcaroth]

I started reading Harry Potter in 1998. At this time hardly anyone knew about the books. My sister and I got the first tweo books for christmas and when I started reading the first one, I just couldn't stop anymore. It took me one day to read the first book and another to read the second. When I was done reading my sister read the books and then my dad and my mom. Only my youngest sister didn't read them.

After we all read the second book we kept looking for the third one and when my dad finally bought it about half a year later, he wouldn't let me have it, so I sneaked in into his room when I thought he was asleep and read it whenever I could.

In Summer 2000 I read the fourth book in English and since then I couldn't get myself to read the German books anymore.

Around Summer 2000 I heard about Harry Potter Fanclubs for the first time. They were talking about a very popular German one on the Radio. I went online to check it out and soon I worked on my own page. Since then I'm online looking around for Harry Potter Stuff all the time, always watching out for anything I could use for my own page but sometimes also looking for sites like this one where I can just be a student and enjoy being a Harry Potter Fan.

[Shamus Reggin]

Well I have to admit, I was once a potter hater, hate is a strong word but I just didnt think I could get into it. About three years ago I had flu really bad So I stayed in bed and watched TV. HP and TSS was on so I gave it a chance from the minute the movies was over I made my sister grab me every book that was out I spent the rest of my sickness reading Potter. From then on I was die hard Potter, everything Potter I can get my hands on I will.

[Aphy Snape]

How I got into Harry Potter ....

In summer 2001 I was about to start on a teacher training course for 4-8 year olds (British Key Stage 1). As preparation for the course I was told to read childrens literature and one of the recommended authors was J K Rowling. I had heard all the hype about the books, especially when Goblet of Fire came out and decided to read Philosopher's Stone. I bought it from my local supermarket for a few pounds and started reading. Next day I went out and bought the other four!

I'm totally hooked now, I preordered Order of the Phoenix as soon as it was available for order and did the same for Half-Blood Prince as soon as the date was released.

Aphy Snape (Slytherin, ap551, UK)

[Lea Black]

I have to admit that I found Harry Potter via the movie first.

I bought myself a DVD machine and had to buy a movie to go with it to take home that day - my first choice was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

I was hooked from the movie - watching it every single day until I was finally able to get my hands on the book. I tried borrowing it from a friend's daughter, but she wasn't sure I should read it until she was finished. So I went back to the store where I got the movie and just bought the first 4 books, which is how many were out at the time. It took me very little time to read through them and I was completely hooked.

I do recall having Order of the Phoenix delivered to my door from Amazon.ca on the day it was released. It arrived about noon and I shut down my phone and computer and just read until it was done - the following evening.

I've since been to my very first Conferences - I went to Nimbus in Florida and this past summer I attended Convention Alley in Ottawa, Canada. This coming summer I'm looking forward to going to England and attending ACCIO and meeting up with even more Harry Potter fans such as myself.

What I've discovered is that we are varied and I've enjoyed every meeting.

Harry Potter people are good people!

Lea Black, Hufflepuff, le523, Canada

[Samantha Reign]

I have always been an avid reader scince I was three years old. I mainly liked history and mystery books. When Harry Potter came out I checked out the book from the local library, after a LONG wait. As soon as I received the book, I locked myself in my room so I wouldn't be desturbed. As soon as I got to the second chapter I started to lothe the book. I'm sorry to say that I thought it was boring. After about five attempts to get past it, I just put it down and gave up.

I never had a second thought about the books until the first movie came out. I worked at a movie theater and as it got closer to the release date and even after I was continuously asked my opinion of the books and how they compare to the movie. It was embarassing to reply that I have not read them.

On my break one night, I sat down in one of the theaters and watched half an hour of the movie. By the time my break was over, I did not want to leave to theater in fear of missing something. After that night, I placed a hold on the first book.

This time I could not put it down. I finished it in less than two hours and ran to my computer to place a hold on the others.

Samantha Reign ( Gryffindor, sa563, USA)

[Dani Myrrdin]

I don't know that my story is unique in any way, but here it is. I am an avid reader, as anyone who knows me can attest. I always have a book in hand or close by. Belonging to a Sci Fi/Fantasy Book Club, I had seen Harry Potter books listed in their catalogues, but had never paid much attention. Then when Goblet of Fire came out, I caught a news report on people lining up to wait for the release at midnight. So I sat there staring at the TV, wondering what all those people were on /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> and what the big deal about Harry Potter was. About a month later, I was sufficiently curious enough that I bought Sorcerer's Stone in paperback. I had it read in less than a day. I went back and got Chamber in paperback... same story. Finally, I realized that unless I wanted to wait forever, I needed to get the books in hardbacks, so I went back to the book club where I first saw the books and ordered them all. Now I am the proud owner of the American and English editions of the books and am eagerly awaiting HBP. Curiosity killed the cat... /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> and all that... /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />

[Johnathan Myrie]

How did I get into HP you ask?, Well, it all started when I was 10 in the 5th Grade (This was in 2000-2001). I was looking for some sort of book to read, because I was beginning to get bored. My best friend suggested that I read Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. I went to my local library and checked out a copy of Harry Potter. I read the book. I was enchanted by JK Rowling's story. It was just so full of detail and wonder, it was as if JK Rowling lived in this magical world herself! I was hooked. Then, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets was released. I read that too, hoping it would be as good as The Sorcerer's Stone and...it was even better than the 1st! I was then so deep in the Harry Potter world. Since then, I have read all of the books, and have seen all of the movies (although they don't compare to the books). I also joined some online Hogwarts Schools, and HOL is one of them!

Johnathan Myrie (Ravenclaw, jo553, USA)

[Amanda Pierce]

How did I get into Harry Potter? Well, I guess I'm what you would call a "late bloomer" !

There is a young student across the street from me that kept referring to my house as "The Weasley House", or "The Burrow". You see, I'd rather have a root canal than clean my house, so it's in quite a state of disarray most of the time.

When I asked her why she referred to my house in that fashion, she answered "it's in Harry Potter !" So, of course, curiosity took its toll, and I went to purchase the first book. By the second day, I was back at the store to get the rest of the books !

The rest, as they say...is history !!!


Amanda Pierce (Gryffindor, am550, USA)

[Phoenicia Mellyn]

I never liked Harry Potter books originally.In fact,I always got annoyed when my friends started talking about it.I would always try to change the subject when I heard the words,'Harry Potter'.It was like that for a few years,until I watched Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone on TV.

I thought there was nothing better to watch anyway,so might as well.As I watched and I watched,I started getting into HP more and more.By the time the movie ended,I was cheering.Surprising,isn't it?

The next thing I did when I got up the next morning was to rush out to the bookshop and get myself a Harry Potter book.That book was the fourth one,The Goblet of Fire.I read and I read and I couldn't stop reading.I read at school,I read during lunch,I read while watching TV...I couldn't put it down.By the time I finished the book I was hungry for more HP books.

Finally I bought the VCDs of the first two movies to watch.I watched it again and again for quite a few days.When the third movie came out I wanted to see it straight away.When anything asscociated with HP came out I would rush out and get it.

So that's how I got interested in HP.All thanks to one little TV programme.. /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" />

[Sophia Darko]

Getting into Harry Potter... well.... I hated Harry Potter. Not necessarily hate, but greatly dislike. I don't know why, but I did. My Church had a big part to do with it, being that they are anti-Harry Potter and all. I basically didn't like it, because the Church didn't like it. I know its ignorant, but that's how I was. So later I found out that my bff liked Harry Potter, and I teased her... oh gosh did I tease that girl. I told her all kinds of things, like she's going to hell and what not. I asked her if she wanted to flip or fry... I crack myself up sometimes. She wanted me to buy her the first book, and I was like please... if I dont' buy it for myself, I will not be buying it for you. A few months after that another friend of mine started to get in to Harry Potter, and she made me watch Sorcerer's stone because she wanted me to go see Chamber of Secrets with her. I will remember that day forever. I remember that night clearly. Before we watched SS on DVD I went to my bff's work, and I harassed her some more about Harry Potter, I was truly evil. Then I went to my friends house and we watched it. I came to the conclusion that "Now, I understand why kids want to be a part of this world" After that it was all over. I saw Chamber of Secrets at the theatre, my friend bought me book 1 and movie 1, I became obsessed! Its ridiculous now. Harry Potter is the greatest fiction book ever! and I am truly thankful for my heathenistic best friend! ha!

Sophia Darko, Slytherin, so550, U.S.A

[Jessica Marie]

The first time I ever heard about Harry Potter was in my fourth grade class. My dad gave me the first book for Christmas that year, and at the time I thought that the books were kind of stupid because I could not understand why everybody wanted to read them so much. I finished the first book the summer after the fourth grade, and after that I was hooked. I really went nuts after I saw the first movie. Now, I am the biggest Harry Potter fan out of all of my friends. I think my dad is kind of mad at himself, though, for giving the book in the first place because he can never get me to stop talking about Harry Potter!

Jessica Marie (Gryffindor, je561, USA)

[Samantha Elisabeth]

I was almost stumped by this question. Now before you start firing up with questions like 'what kind of Harry Potter fan are you?' then let me explain. The reason I was stumped with the question 'How did you get into Harry Potter?' was because I can hardly imagine that there was a time in my life without Harry Potter. But after taking a trip down memory lane, it all came back to me...

Being the absolute book lover that I am, one time when I was around twelve my mum was shopping at Kmart and I asked if I could have a look at the book section (which I always do) she said yes, so as I was skimming the shelves a book caught my eye, it was (you guessed it) - Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. But before I could take a decent look at it, my mum found me and told me it was time to go. That was the first time I saw Harry Potter. But it definitely wasn't the last! My school's library had picked it up, and insisted that my Grade 5 teacher (my year then) read it to our class. As soon as I found out this book was a fantasy book, I was immediately interested. I love fantasy of all kinds, I have watched Charmed since it first began, my bookshelf holds mainly fantasy books and ever since I was little I pretended to be magical and to have powers when I played. But as soon as my teacher finished chapter two, I knew I was hooked - as was most of my class. As soon as we finished the first book, all the students (me included) were asking if we were going to read the sequel, sadly we weren't. But as my birthday began to draw near, I made it very obvious to my mum that I wanted the entire Harry Potter series. My wish was granted, and since then I have read the first four books three times and the fifth book twice. The books are amazingly addictive, I have collected numerous amounts of merchandise, discussed it to death with my other Harry Potter friends and
to be perfectly honest, feel kind of special in a way to be apart of the Harry Potter phenomenon. Sure, next generation will have heard of all the hype, see old footage of the release of the fifth book - but they will never know what it was like to actually be there. The excitement and suspense of awaiting the next book. The frustration yet, excitement of not knowing what's going to happen next. I've enjoyed the Harry Potter years so much, that it almost makes me a little sad to know that in a few short years - the mystery will all be over.

Signed: Samantha Elisabeth (Hufflepuff, sa565, Australia)

[Carlos Lerma]

Actually I read the first book by watching it in the library: I did not know anything about harry potter. I just take it off for a week and read it. I was so fascinated because i was looking for a story that has a continous script in time. Then i went to the bookstore and boiught the second book, chamber of secrets, whci to be honest is the hone that I dislike the most, /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> .
After this i was in trip and i bought teh movie which I really enjoyed but it has some elements missing from the book. I was back at the library and took off the prisioner of azcaban. After i read this I was a very fan now i had so many pages in my favorites about the worl of harry Potter.
I went again to the library and took the last one, in that time it was the lkast one, the globet of fire, which my favorite book because it involves differnet elements in this universe. like the death of a character this is important because it shows to us that is could be as real life not because it is a "children lecture" nobody is going to die.
Finally i take of my girlfriend to see the premier, at least in Mexico, of the movie Harry Potter PoA, it was very funny and well done, it was directed by a mexican; /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> I really enjoyed and i already have it in DVD to look for special features.
Finally i bought Harry POtter and the Order of Phoenix whci i consider an excellent book introducing new elkemts and perspectives because we are introduced to a different way of thinking of Harry and his friends.

Well finally that is my story through the world of Harry Potter. I have not seen the second movie /laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> and i have not read the other two books

Carlos Lerma (Gryffindor,ca562,Mexico)

[Julie Garnet]

At first, I didn't want to like Harry Potter. Everyone around me was becoming so obsessed with this one magical boy that I didn't want to get sucked up into some large following that would soon fall flat on its face. The third book had recently been released at this point. I was so determined to stay away from this series that I almost refused to read it when it turned up on a list of books I had to read to participate in my school's "Battle of the Books" reading program.

As soon as one of my friends heard that I finally had a reason to read Harry Potter, she loaned me the first book which I grudgingly accepted to take. "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" sat on my desk at home, untouched for the longest time. Everyone kept urging me to read it and I continued to refuse. Then one night, one extremely long night when I had a massive math test to study for, I became bored and absentmindedly picked up the book. Before I even realized what I was doing, I read the inside cover.

I'm not quite sure why, but the description on the inside cover was ten times more interesting than anything my friends had told me about Harry Potter. Moments later, I was tearing through the book at a feverish speed. Within a week or two I became a full-fledged Harry Potter addict and I still remain one to this day. I only have my stubborn friend who handed me the first Harry Potter book and would not take no for an answer to thank for this addiction.

Julie Garnet, Gryffindor, ju551, U.S.A