Perfect in my Mind

Perfect in my Mind

Monday, July 25, 2011

Harry Potter

I was ten years old when I first met Harry, Ron, and Hermione.  I remember reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and liking it--but not loving it.  A few years passed, and my friends eventually convinced me to give the other books a try.  I picked up the third book--Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and didn't put it down until I was finished.  I read for hours straight.  It was a thrill to turn each page.  A delight to finish each chapter.

It was 2002 before I had the oppertuninty to read the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  Although the book had been released two years earlier, there was a very long waiting list at our school library to read it.  2002 was a terrible year in my life.  Although I was only twelve years old, I had experienced a lot.  The girls in my sixth grade class were brutal to me.  Terrible rumors were spread about my personal life.  I was completely shunned by my classmates, to the point where I needed to switch classes to handle attending school.  Then my grandfather passed away, and the sadness I already felt was tripled.  While completely surrounded by family, I felt as if I was all alone in the world.  I felt anguish and worthlessness no twelve year old should ever feel.  But, in the midst of it all, I found comfort in the story of a little boy who beat the odds.  As I immersed myself in the fourth book, I found myself forgetting about the trials around me.  I was transported to a magical world where good always triumphed over evil--and being unique was something to be proud of.  The hero of the story was not always loved by the people around him--but he was strong, and courageous  and fought a valiant fight.  Hermione was not beautiful or fancy--but she didn't need to be.  Her intellect was what made her valuable. 


Years passed, and my life got better.  I attended several midnight book releases, and finished each book within days of its release.  While I no longer needed to use the Harry Potter series as a crutch, reading the books brought me much joy.  I learned lessons that will forever be important in my life.


This weekend, I finally saw the final Harry Potter movie.  

I've heard a lot of people say that it was an emotional experience for them.  Many have said they feel as though their childhood ended with the closing credits of the movie.  

But, this was not the case with me.  I didn't cry during the movie.  I didn't feel sadness as I watched the ending scenes of the Harry Potter saga hash out.  During most of my experience in the theater, I smiled with contentment.  

The series brought me too much joy for me to mourn its finale.

7 comments:

Alexis Kaye said...

this is fabulous. I'm not a Harry Potter fan myself, but it's awesome to hear about lessons learned from the books. I can definitely see where you would be coming from. Most people only talk about the entertainment. Leave it to you to make things more meaningful :) p.s. I gave you a blog award a few days ago. Hope you saw it! :D

Laynah said...

Love this. We so grew up with them! I remember the day I fell in love too, at 8 years old.

I also smiled the whole time :)

Unknown said...

I love this. I love the experience you had with it and am so impressed. It had amazing lessons didnt it? :)

Courtney B said...

This just breaks my heart that you experienced so much cruelty at 12 years old :(
But I love that you found peace with these books! I'm definitely a Harry Potter lover and always will be :)

Popcorn, Pugs & Peonies said...

It is great that you were able to find strength in the Harry Potter books. I haven't read any of them or seen any of the movies, and I often feel that I am missing out on something kind of big.

*Erin

P! said...

I was ruthlessly tormented at age 12 too and wish I had started the series then, because I feel like it would have brought me a lot of comfort. I can completely identify with you. Reading has always been a huge source of comfort and information for me and I'm glad you found a release in it too. Funny how a clever little story can hold so much power and promise in its words, isn't it? I identified with Hermione a lot- I wasn't rich or beautiful, but I was smart and I fell back on that a lot. I'm glad the series ended so beautifully. I adore this post to no end!

Katie said...

I was totally one of the criers at the end. [Cryers? Idk.] But I totally loved it. And I felt much the same way as you did about the books and my childhood. So much insecurity. So much doubt. So little friends. And the HP series was the perfect way to escape for a little while :)