Getting Into Harry Potter

[Emilor MacKinnon]

How I found Harry Potter
I wrote an "IC" version of this elsewhere in HOL, but here's the real deal... Before my children were born, I was in the Merchant Marine. I held a U.S. coast guard unlimited tonnage mate's license and was sailing for an Oceanographic research organization. I had been sailing 8 or 9 months of the year for about 5 years, and for anyone who doesn't know, you get pretty disconnected with what's going on in the "real" world when you spend that much time away from home, television, newspapers, etc. So, I had heard about Harry Potter, but I had no idea the books were any kind of a phenomenon, or how popular they were becoming.
In the spring of 1999 I was doing a biological trip off the coast of New England when a message was wired to the ship that my mother, who was on a business trip in Colorado Springs, had been rushed to the hospital with severe stomach pains. Thank goodness the ship was due to head into port in Massachusettes the next day, I found out that morning that she had been rushed into emergency surgery and we have a very small family (only child talking), so I was the only one who could have gone to be with her.
While waiting impatiently at the airport for my flight, I went into the bookstore (you know, they always have really good bookstores at big airports) to get something to read. My mom and I are insane readers, 3 or 4 books a week easily. There was a display of HP1 and HP2 in hardcover in the middle of the floor-50% off regular price! Well, I thought, right genre, we both love mystery/sci-fi/fantasy books and I figured they would be a light read, just right for her in the hospital and me out of my mind with worry!
So, I got to Colorado, she got her insides fixed, and I flew home with her. Then she mentioned a wierd dream she had while she was all doped up on painkillers...about a boy who went to a wizard school! lol /laugh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":lol:" border="0" alt="laugh.gif" /> We both had to re-read them to get the parts we hadn't been paying attention to the first time! And ever since we both love Harry Potter, and grab one of them whenever we don't have something else to read. In fact we have a running joke whenever one of us has had a frusterating day...."I wanna go to Hogwarts!" /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" />
Emilor MacKinnon (em652, Canada, go,go Gryffindor!)

[Fiona Freedom]

I got into Harry Potter when I was 11. My uncle from England sent me the first book for Christmas and since i've always loved both reading and fiction/fantasy books of this sort, I decided to read it. I didn't expect anything special though-the books weren't really publicised in America yet as they hadn't come out. Boy was I wrong...
I have always been the same age as Harry every time I read the next book, which I think is kinda cool. Maybe thats why I felt like I related to him so much. I just loved the fact that he was so alone and abused (especially in book 1), as sick as that sounds...because i have sometimes felt that way myself and it feels good to know that you're not the only one. As the books progressed i guess I got hooked by Harry's resilient spirit-despite all the misfortunes that have happened to him and the burden put on him with the voldemort thing he has always remained just a normal boy trying to have fun, friends, and good grades. He never gets totally depressed or angry or does things just to be mean or even cocky, all of which he has a right to-instead he's loyal and brave and smart and most of all his capacity for love is tremendous. Even if he's not real, he stands for a lot of things that are good in the world and in people, and he has given me hope for my own little world ever since i started reading the books 5 yrs ago...
My life is very different now, and a lot better than before, but even if the books remind me of the depressing times I had, I keep re-reading them and re-reading them-it's like a healing ritual. Remembering the lost little girl I used to be helps build my strength and determination to make something of my life today. I often feel like Harry's trials and changes as he goes though life have reflected and aided my own developement. So thanks J.K Rowling-your writing has seriously changed by life. /smile.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" />

Fiona Freedom (Hufflepuff, fi607, USA)

[Tyler Wood]

I think I got into Harry Potter when I was 10 maybe even 11. I was always in the library because I had no friends and everyone made fun of me. Well everyone except for my sisters. One day I was in the library and noticed that a new book was on the shelf. I picked up, started reading it, and fell in love with it. I felt as if I was brought into this amazing world where anything was possible.

When a new book comes out I have to read it at least 2 times in a week. The same goes with the movies. When a new movies comes out I go see and most of the time Igo see it again. I have read the series 8 times and I woking through it again. I also know all the lines from all the movies.

Now everytime my parents see me reading a book they think that it is Harry Potter. The scary thing is, is that they are usually right. So thanks to J. K. Rowling.....

Tyler Wood (Slytherin, ty555, USA)

[Melody Greenspell]

*~Melody Greenspell (Hufflepuff, me554, Australia)~*

Hmm... I can't believe I never posted here. Second year, and I never bothered to post here, even though I would earn points- pathetic I know. Now I'm actually going to do it, so here is how I first got into Harry Potter...

In Year 3 or 4 (Those two years join as one in my mind because I had the same teacher /wink.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink.gif" /> ) my teacher decided to read Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to the class. We got through a couple of chapters, and I don't know what happened, but she just stopped reading it- I guess she forgot. Anyway, a little while later my dad bought me the book and offered to read it to me. Now don't get me wrong, I was a very competent reader, and I still love to read up to this day, but I love being read to, so of course I agreed. I used to enjoy it so much, that once my dad had finished for the night I would turn my lamp on and read a bit more- and then I'd hear it again the next night. Silly, I know, but I couldn't help myself. By the time he had finished the book I was addicted! I loved it so much. I became one of those freaky kids at school that people would go "She's weird. She's like obsessed with some book." And that's what I was like. Then my teacher found the Philosopher's Stone and picked up from where she left off, and finished the book. When the movie of the first book came out later that year, my teacher decided that the whole class would go to see it as an excursion. I was so excited, but I really wanted to see the movie with my Dad first, and we were seeing a preview, so I couldn't see it beforehand with him. Then, like a miracle, my teacher asked for several parents to volunteer to come along, of course I got my dad to come, so everything worked out happily for me.

Some time later on, my dad got me the second book, and read that one to me too, and so a tradition sort of started. And, as you probably have guessed, the tradition was that he read every Harry Potter book to me. Now, up till this day he is still reading the books to me. Unfortunately for him, he didn't know that the books were going to get so big when he agreed to read them all to me. You have to see his face when I tell him the next book is coming out, because he just knows it's going to take him months to read it all.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

It was half way through Year 7 (last year) that I found a little quiz to see which Harry Potter character you were most like. I did the quiz and I was most like Hermione. I followed the link to the website it came from, which was just a website a girl had made, and it was filled with Harry Potter drawings she had done. (This is going somewhere, I promise. /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" />) Anyway, I spent a while checking out the website and all the drawings, and then a found a group of pictures that the girl had drawn for a virtual Hogwarts, which she said was called.... Yep, you guessed it, HOL! /rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" /> The amazing thing was, I had been wishing I could find something just like that, I'd looked through some other virtual Hogwarts, but they were all empty and un-used now. So, of course I clicked the link and found myself at HOL. After a while of reading through everything I was determined to join. Problem- It was just past the sign-up and the next one was in December. But that didn't stop me. I remembered the website address, and waited for 6 months. (See how determined I was?! /tongue.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":P" border="0" alt="tongue.gif" /> ) Then when the time game, I signed-up as fast as I could and waited. I was sorted into Hufflepuff, and the greatest website in the world became my home. I have loved HOL since the day I started, and I'm hoping I can make it all the way till the end of my seventh year.

Harry Potter opened my world to magic. I had never really thought about liking fantasy or magic before I read the books, but HP got me hooked. Now I have a little corner in my room, which has a table where I keep my Runes, a bunch of books on magic, gemstones, and more. Magic is now one of the main things that interests me, and I have the Harry Potter books to thank for that.

[Draconya Green]

How did I get into Harry Potter?
When the first Harry Potter book was publishied and everyone read it I thought it is rubbish. To that time I could not understand the people who were reading this book. Then there were the second and the third book and everyone was reading them too. I did not want to read these books because I thouht they are like every other one.
Then in one October (I did not know which year) I started to read books in English to improve my English. These books had only fifty pages so they were not very long. I enjoyed reading them but after a while I wanted to read longer stories.
One day in November of the same year I went into a bookshop to look for books in English. I found "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's stone" and said to myself that I could read this book. (Just to see what everyone finds so interesting.) So I told my parents that I would like to have the book and they bought it for me as a christmas present.
After I read the book I thought that I have to read the other ones too. Then I tried to read the book in German but it was boring so I decided to read the other books in English like I did it with the first one.
In a really long time period I read the second, the third, the fifth and the sixth book. I also watched the movies. I began to like all this Harry Potter stuff and could understand each and every person who liked it from the beginning.
So I can say I ended up as a real Harry Potter fan.

Draconya Green (dr607, Slytherin, Germany)

[Icarus Nazca]

My "getting into Harry Potter" was a long time coming. One of my younger brothers began reading it almost as soon as it came out, and, of course, loved it. He began to try to make everyone he met read it, even getting my dad to do so.

Unfortunately, I happen to be an extremely stubborn person. I balked at what I percieved to be his orders to read it, and flat-out refused no matter how hard he begged. I did watch the first movie when it came out, and thought it was a very interesting idea indeed, but refused to admit that I had liked it.

"It was all right." I would say.

Years (literally) passed by. My best friend wanted me to read the books because she was into the fanfiction and wanted to share it with me. Still came my refusal. I did, however, feel myself begin to weaken.

Finally, a year or two ago, I made a deal with my brother. If he would play FFX, then I would read his book.

Truthfully, I began reading it before he furfilled his part of the deal. I went to the library (even though my brother owned a copy) and rented the book, reading it in secret. Of course, I loved it. I think I read them all in about a week. Then I went out and bought them all, plus the "extra" books; Fantastic beasts, Quiddich, and A Muggle's Guide (excellent resource for fanfiction.)

So, I have been completely turned around and transformed into probably one of the largest HP nerds in my area. Oh well. Everyone needs something to keep them entertained, I suppose.

Icarus Nazca (ic600, Ravenclaw, USA)

[Jasmin Rey]

This is my story...

When I lived in Finland, and I was seven years old I was playing with my best friend, we were playing wizards and witches because our last class redaing book had been NARNIA. We loved it. When the bell rang and we had enetrd the english class, we were to get a new classreading book. Immediately when I stepped into the library I saw a new series of books. They were called Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. All of my class mates ran to get the books because they were new. I didnt. I thought I was stupid, of course I didnt know that Harry Potter was about a wizarding world. I thought It was just another popular...book...that was popular because it didnt make sense. So I took another copy of NARNIA. So 6 months passed, My friend and I still hated Harry Potter, we actually HATED it. How stupid were we!? We refused to have anything to with Harry Potter!
My other friend was always talking about Harry Potter, She talked and talked and talked, I didnt believe her, but she got me to see the first movie..I thought It was great! But I wanted to stay cool, and refused to say I loved it. For two weeks I kept on seeing me with Ron, Harry and Hermione in hogwarts in my dreams. I couldnt resist it. I blabbed and blabbed and blabbed about it all day, then when I finally stopped, my friend looked at me angrily, she said " you lied to me!" but hen she smiled and said "but so did I" and we still laugh about it! We bought the books for each other for Christmas and always when I went for a sleepover to her house we read Harry Potters aloud! Now, I have all the books in English, Finnish and the first in Spanish. I also have muggles guide to the wizarding world and other HP things. I still feel stupid about thinking that HP was not COOL!

Jasmin Rey (Gryffindor, ja694, Finland/Australia)

[Ubu Hayakawa]

My story is pretty short. When I was in 6th grade, all of the kids at school were into this series of books I had never heard of called Harry Potter. I laughed when my friends tried to get me to read then saying they were stupid. I used to hate reading. Long story short, I felt left out and one day just went to the school library and cheked out the 1st HP book. I fell in love with it and here I am 6 years later addicted to it! I now love reading especially HP books. I am one of the only students at school who wears a gryffindor scarf too (I made it myself) !

[Camilla Loren]

How I got into Harry Potter... I personally like to pride myself in being an original USA fan of the series, before the 4th book came out.

I was in Elementary School when the original books came out. I went to a Montessori school, meaning that we choose how to divide our time and can work at our own pace. I would always love to work with my friends, and one day one of my friends talked about Harry Potter. I had never heard of the series before, so I didn't know what to exspect. Later that year I saw the books at a bookstore. I mentioned to my parents (hinted, actually) that THOSE were the books my friend was talking about (the 3rd book just came out in the USA), and I would like them. About a week later my parents decided to surprise me with them (liking the fact that I loved reading). That was history.

After that, many conversations at school were about Harry Potter, and it was a very fun time. (We were even convinced that we were going to Hogwarts. Well here I am now).



Camilla Loren (Ravenclaw, ca693, USA)

[Tim Hannah]

How did I get into Harry Potter?
Well, if we all remember back to when the first book came out, I think it was around 1997. I was in about grade four going to a small primary school in, Australia.
At this primary school we used to library lessons every Wednesday and it was during one of these that our teacher introduced us all to Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone. Now at this time I had no idea this short book, written by an author I had never heard of, was going to become a worldwide hit and become one of the best selling novels of all time. So, being the lout I am, I payed no head to the paperback novel.
That Christmas however my uncle sent me a copy of the book, and not wanting to offend him by not reading it, I took it up and soon became greatly engrossed in the plot, story, characters and original idea. I went on to read the next five books, some being read by my mum to all of the family so we didn't kill each other trying to read it first.
Overall, Harry Potter is a great original book, written by a very imaginative author, a book that will probably go down as a classic in the years to come.

[Gertrudis Leheureux]

Traditionally, there has been a total lack of original juvenile literature in Spain. Not until recently, primarilly in the wake of the success of the Harry Potter series, has the youngest generation of Spanish authors dedicated their talent to kiddie lit. The Harry Potter series wasn't translated or marketed in Spain until about 1999. I'm a Canadian who has lived and worked in Spain these last 16 years as a simultaneous translator. I ask you: What canadian hasn't grown up on Anne of Green Gables? I love homey stuff as much as a I love fantasy and science fiction. For me Anne passed to Jo March who gave way to Elizabeth Bennet. As I passed through high school, books by Edward Eager, C.S. Lewis, E.B. Nesbitt turned to books by Tolkien, Heinlein, Asimov and Prince Valient. Anyway, in 1999 there was a particular evening before which I had to go up to Madrid from Valencia on the train for some gig at some conference that promised to be very serious, very important and full of deep agricultural meaning for future generations on this particular planet. Bla. Bla. Bla. On the t.v. there was a news report about a book that had taken the British public, young and not-so-young, by storm. J.K. Rowlings appeared in a bookstore surrounded by maybe a dozen children (and very little press) promoting Philosopher's Stone. Since I can't get on a train without a whole bag full of toys and am quite capable of tossing the entire personal hygene kit (change of socks and whatall) to make room for colouring books, comic books, tour books and anything else to while away the hours, I headed straight for the biggest bookstore in Valencia and found Harry Potter being sold like hotcakes at a Policemen's Sunday Breakfast Benefit. On that particular trip to Madrid I read one and only one book. I read it again on the way back to Valencia. I gave it as a gift to a friend, bought myself another copy and ended up giving that one away as well. I think I've bought and presented about 40 copies of all of the subsequent books to friends over these last few years. The movies for book II and IV both coincided with my birthday and formed a part of my midnight b-day party. Much to the chagrin of an axious public, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince still hasn't come out in Spanish (though I myself have already read it 4 times in English). Last summer when Half-Blood Prince came out, I announced that I would translate it out loud to anyone who wanted to listen. About 15 kids showed up with an assortment of parents and over the space of about 3 weeks we all "read" it together at a place down by the beach.

Gertrudis Leheureux (Ravenclaw, GE629, Spain)

[Fingolfin Elensar]

I was in first or second grade and my mom came home with some of the Harry Potter books. I asked to be allowed to read them but she wouldn't let me saying that harry was 11 in the first book and i was only 7. Supposedly because he was 4 years older than me the books would be innapropriate.
I heard a lot about them over the next few weeks everyone who i knew was reading them my best friend's older brother was even reading them in hebrew. I went to stay over at my grandparent's house and I asked my Zayde (yiddish for grandfather) to read the first harry potter book to me.
It took a long time for him to read them to me i was now in second grade and we were only half way through the book. So I decided to take matters into my own hands i found the fourth book on a shelf and i stayed up almost all night reading it (I then slept until 2:00pm the next day). My grandparents were proud of me being the only eight year old that they knew that finished the fourth book in less than 8 hours straight, my mom however was a different story.
My mom hadasked me to borrow the 3rd book from my grandparents so that she could read it. I waited until she was half asleep and then i asked her if i could read it she unknowingly replied yes. She woke up a couple hours later and asked me where the book was and I told her that it was in my room. She got all mad when she heard that I had read it and when I told her that i had asked her if I could read it and that she had said yes she said that it was unfair to ask her when she was asleep.
The harm was already done and I had already read the book so she let me read the first 2 i then bought all 4 paperback and waited for the 5th one to come out. I now no much more about Harry Potter than she ever will.

[Arthua Malenson]

HOL-ID-ar656

How I Become To be a Harry Potter Fan....

Well at first I heard about the books from a friend. So i picked one up. I read the first book a couple of years ago when i was I think 9 or 10 yrs old. I instantly fell in love with them. I countinued to read annd read. I remeber the first book I had read, I read it 3 times myself and my teacher read it in school. As i moved into junior high I got more into Harrry Potter and using the computer. So took pictures of harry potter characters and made cool stuff with them. Harry Potter has been a good series that I enjoy.


Gryffindor:Arthua

[Blake Granger]

GETTING INTO HARRY POTTER

I first got into Harry Potter when I heard the first movie was coming out. My Aunt was already reading the books and she said that whoever didn't read the actual book didn't get to go. The first year I didn't get it done so I didn't get to go with her. I went with my cousin.
When I heard the Chamber of Secrets was coming out I started toi read it early. I got to that time. Now when the next movie, Prisoner of Azkaban's release date was put out I found out that it was coming to theatres on my birthday. So that is where I had my birthday party.
I finished all the books that were out before the third movie cam out. So then I knew all about Harry Potter. Now I was waiting for the 6th book to come out.
When it did I found out that we were going to have a Harry Potter festival in Princeton Illinois. They were going to turn the entire down town into Diagon Alley. My whole family are all Harry Potter fans so we were all excited.
We turned out going. We went to a Harry Potter sweet shop and came out with arm fulls of candy. It was all good. We stopped and got a wand at Ollivanders and we also went to get some butterbeer at the Leaky Cauldron. It was cool.
Now here I am, a first year on HOL and I am really enjoying it. That is how I got into Harry Potter.

[Mike Turner]

Well i started on Harry Potter probably on 2001, i was watching tv and i was changing the channel and saw that a movie was about to come on. So i sat down in my couch and started to watch it. When it started it said" Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", so it kind of became interesting for me. When it finished i couldn't even find the right word to describe it( The coolest movie i have ever seen). So i didn't know that there was a second one in the world so i've waited to see it. Finally i was watching it, it was so exciting. Then i was waiting for the third one, but i found out that there was also books on Harry Potter up to his 5th year. So i started reading the books starting at year 3, i finished that one and started reading the Goblet of fire. I found out that third was about to come out, so i went to watch it, it was amazing. So i didn't read Harry Potter for a bit, I started reading the Goblet of Fire again because i found out that it was going to come out. So i read it, and read the 5th one too. When the 6th came out i read in a month, then probably one month later i went and saw the Goblet of Fire. It was kind of cool but not that much because it didn't show that much of the parts from the movie. After that i found out that there was websites about Harry Potter, and you can go to classes and play quiditch and stuff. So i signed on to hol.org.uk and started to do even more stuff on Harry Potter than just reading and watching movies.

Mike Turner (Gryffindor, mi663, USA)

[Clare Granger]

I got interested in Harry Potter only after I read the first book. I was only in third grade and started to love the books. Finally now I am really into it, I even stayed up until midnight toget the 6th book!!!
Clare Granger, cl621,USA

[Lizzie Willsburry]

How I got inolved with Harry Potter? Back when I was younger, lets say 6 or 7, my brothers and sisters had read up to the fourth book. I really wanted to satrt reading them, but it just didn't happen. By the time i was nine it haunted me. All my friends had read all the books up to the sixth. They would be like What! You haven't read any of the books! Or can't you just try them out Lizz. Ect. I decided to start, knowing that it would take forever, because i'm a slow reader I only read it sparingly. I finished the fist on and almost finished the second one and was determined to read it more. By the time I was 10(my age) I couldn't stop reading them. What can I say, they'readdicting. Currently I'm on the 3rd book it's awesome. That's the story of how I found out about Harry Potter.- Gryfindor Girl

[Catriona Watson]

Harry Potter, hmmm let me recall. Well it all started one sunny afternoon as I was on my way to the usual book store I go to and they put up this huge banner with Harry Potter name on it. At that moment, I did not really care much about it but that name seem very familiar . I wonder who is it, is he an author or a new book title? And I thought to myself, ha! never mind, I will find out sooner or later. The name ‘Harry Potter’ was mentioned in magazines, newspapers and banners again and again. Then one day I came home from work and there it is laying on the table was the ‘Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone’ vcd. So I took it upstairs and watch it for the first time and guess what... I just love it. Then the next day, I popped myself into my usual bookstore and start reading Harry Potter books and they are fascinating or I should say ‘brilliant’.


Catriona Watson (Ravenclaw, ca698, Malaysia)