Thursday 5 February 2015

Harry Potter Book Night


2005 was the year that I (belatedly) discovered a book series that would change my life. Yes, I love Harry Potter that much. I read the first book in a week, which at the time (I was 11) was a record for me. After that, I read the whole series, engulfing one book after the other. My obsession was instant and very big. Some of the highlights of my Harry Potter obsession include:

1 - Going to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire for my 11th birthday, and getting to the cinema an hour early, as it was the time before cinema seats were numbered.

2 - Having a Harry Potter Scene It party when I was 13 (2007), which involved inviting my friends over to play Scene It and making Harry Potter theme food including Cauldron Cakes and Chocolate Frogs.

3 - Seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 three times in the cinemas.


My Harry Potter Wizard's Hat Cake
12th Birthday
Harry Potter Movie Exhibition


4 - Going to the Harry Potter movie exhibition in 2011 at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and being able to see the costumes and props from the movies.

5 - Collecting photos when the Sunday Telegraph had a Harry Potter photo album and released new photos each day.

6 - Getting a Pottermore account, and enjoying getting sorted into houses and exploring the world of Harry Potter in a totally different way.

7 - Joining The Deluminators, the Sydney chapter of HPA (Harry Potter Alliance) in 2014.


Waiting for our letters
Muggle Mug
Dreaming of Hogwarts


As you can tell I was a dedicated fan. For many years my door was covered with pictures from the movies, including a big picture of Daniel Radcliffe's face right in the center (probably my earliest celebrity crush haha). But there are thousands of fans out there, and for good reason too. J. K. Rowling created an amazing world, and I think there are so many reasons why the whole world fell in love with Harry Potter.

“There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them.”


Harry Potter has ideas that make everyone wish they were magical. First of all, Hogwarts. Who doesn't want to get a letter in the mail saying you can go to a school for magic. In the Philosopher's Stone, Harry is saved from a terrible life by his letter and taken in to a world he couldn't have imagined. This is an amazing concept that has everyone wishing they could go to Hogwarts and leave their problems behind.



Another thing that is amazing about the series is the relationships. Rowling writes brilliantly, making everyone wanting to be friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione a.k.a the Golden Trio. I love the banter between these three, and also how they stick with one another through so many things. There have been so many times I have longed to be off roaming the corridors of Hogwarts after dark, going to Hogsmeade or fighting trolls with these three.




I could talk endlessly about the list of things I love about Harry Potter. I love the little things that magic allowed Rowling to come up with, such as Quidditch, Flourish and Blotts, Berty Bott's Every Flavour Beans, and the Marauders Map. I love the twins banter, Lupin and Tonk's relationship, Dumbledore's faith and Hagrid's big heart. And the list goes on and on ...


“He can run faster than Severus Snape confronted with shampoo.” 


The thing I love most about Harry Potter is the way it brings people together. This brings me to the Harry Potter Alliance. HPA is an organisation that aims to, as they say on their website 'turn fans into heroes'. It is a way of being inspired by literature to do great things. HPA has chapters all over the world, and in 2014 one of my good friends co-founded the Sydney Chapter, called The Deluminators. We run campaigns to make a difference, and last year they included celebrating Esther Day and hosting a Yule Ball to raise money for charity. I love being part of this organisation that is full of people who love Harry Potter and use this love to make a difference in the world.

“We do not need magic to change the world, we carry all the power we need inside ourselves already: we have the power to Imagine Better.” – J.K. Rowling

 

House Tables
Yule Ball Photo Booth

The Deluminators

 
As you can imagine, I am very grateful to J.K Rowling for creating the world of Harry Potter. Without it my childhood would have been much different. I have loved thinking about what makes Harry Potter so great and reminiscing on my many crazy and fun Harry Potter fan moments on this Harry Potter Book Night. 

xx Viv

2 comments:

  1. One of the things I love about Harry Potter is how wide the age gap is of those of us who grew up with Harry! I have older friends who grew up with Harry, but I can also have conversations with people 10 years younger than me who ALSO grew up with Harry! That's pretty special. It's something that has impacted the growth of more than one entire generation.

    Also, it doesn't really matter how late you came into the fandom - fandom elitism should have no place :) I'm glad there are so many of us who are fans of the series! The more people we have to fangirl with, the better!

    I've never heard of the HPA before though! (I swear I live under a rock) That sounds amazing! I love that fandom can band together to do something good for the community :)

    Great post!

    xx Millicent

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  2. Ah you were so cute as a child! I completely missed this Harry Potter night thing. 2008 was when I first started Harry Potter and it was because my dad bribed me. He said if you read the whole Harry Potter series then I'll buy you a nintendo. Obviously I took the opportunity but by the time i finished the series I didn't really want the nintendo anymore.

    Great post, we never got to catch up in the hols!

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