Harry Potter: Revisited

I am not ashamed to admit it, I am 25 and I LOVE Harry Potter.

Over the years, admittedly more in recent years, many people have given me the side eye when I proclaim my love for all things Potter. Some have even gone as far as telling me that they feel sorry for me! An adult who liked to read kids’ books?

Sorry for ME? Here are the reasons why I don't feel sorry for me.

Harry Potter has been my constant companion since the Christmas my brother and I received The Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. I believe I was 8. What started as a bed time read-aloud quickly became an all-out war over who would be allowed to read the next chapter first, once lights were meant to be out, of course. That year also brought my first Harry Potter party. It wouldn't be my last!

Over the years I have visited Hogwarts, the Burrow, Hogsmead and Diagon Alley enough that I know them like the back of my hand. I know Ron and Hermione well enough to know that we would be great friends (I always felt that a fourth friend named Kristen was needed). I know that if I had received my owl inviting me to attend Hogwarts I would be in Ravenclaw… but we all know how unreliable owl post is these days.

I remember the summer at the end of high school where my best friend and I had a race to see who could read the whole series the fastest, back to front, because what better way is there? The online Harry Potter quizzes we would take, just to make sure there was nothing we didn’t know.

Don’t even get me started on the madhouse our house became when a new Harry Potter book was released! Mum had to buy AT LEAST two copies to help meet the household demand. Over the next few days there would be a house full of tired, grump kids (and adults) who were all too afraid to shower, use the bathroom or go to sleep because the minute they put the book down it would be snapped up by other family members who were circling like wolves. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was the first book that kept me up all night, there was no way I was letting it out of my sight until it was finished!

As I sit here listening to my Harry Potter audiobook, colouring in my Harry Potter colouring book reminiscing over my recent 25th birthday (Harry Potter themed of course) I feel very lucky. At a young age I discovered a series of books that hooked me. I discovered a series of books that grew as I did. I discovered early on that any book can be enjoyed by anyone of any age and that there is nothing wrong with that.