User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4156657-20110716194954

I discovered Harry, Ron and Hermione as a 23-year-old in 1999. Once I’d finished the Sorcerer’s Stone, I read quickly through to Azkaban and joined the other fans in awaiting Goblet of Fire. I was hooked. When the first movie came out, my husband-to-be and I were the first in the theater, and with each subsequent film, I became a child again, with the next Harry Potter book or movie as far away as Christmas morning. J.K. Rowling may not have been there for my childhood, but her wizarding world eased the difficulties of adulthood, which are no less troubling than those experienced by kids. Rowling spoke to me, primarily, because she understands these difficulties and refuses to shy away from naming them and sharing her readers’ dismay in discovering that evil is real, dangerous and threatening our world. In the Harry Potter books, as in our Muggle world, even good people can be tempted to turn bad.

I was raised in an abusive home, with a mother who resembled the Dursleys more than the Weasleys. Rowling invited me into a loving home when she allowed Harry to visit Ron’s home. Mrs. Weasley was the mother I craved and all of her children, but especially Fred and George, were the brothers and sister I had wanted for all of my childhood. I grew up in economic privilege, with parents who had influence, but I would have traded all that I had for Ron’s shabby dress robes and frayed hand-me-downs. The magic of the books was secondary to the human emotions they engendered: I was entertained reading about all of the magic the wizarding world possesses, but it was the love, friendships and insights into human nature that kept me hooked on Harry Potter.

A 15-year-old recently told me she doesn’t like Harry Potter. She loves reading and is a bright student, but she said she never got into the series and was rather bored by them. BORED??!!? I couldn’t imagine this, since if anyone gave the books a chance, I’m certain that they would find something in the stories that charmed them. Rowling writes about our world, as much as she writes about the magical realm. Her enduring popularity tells me that she has managed to create stories that resonate with a global audience: she is writing about humanity. Even as adults, we have grown up alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione, so we can never outgrow the novels. She’s taught us about ourselves, how we are capable of great nobility as well as great wickedness. She’s shown us the power of a mother’s love, whether the mother is evil or good, her love will supersede everything else. Why else would Narcissa risk Voldemort’s wrath by lying about Harry’s death? She was protecting her only child, Draco. Mothers in Rowling’s estimate have a powerful role in protecting their young, and even though I had seen firsthand that not all mothers are as devoted as Lily Potter, I was comforted to learn that most mothers are.

Rowling shows us the good in evil, as well as the evil in every good person. Harry, though a true Griffindor and loyal to the core, allows his anger to push him towards the Dark side on occasion. His grief at losing Sirius occasionally clouds his mind, and he’s prone to breaking rules, very much like Tom Riddle. But despite the fact that he’s not perfect, he still manages to do the right thing, even when it’s not easy. Rescuing Draco from an out-of-control fire, allowing Diggory to touch the Wizarding Cup at the same time, saving Dudley from the dementor, he shows us how to be noble. Those of us battling the Muggle World often fall short of nobility, but Harry teaches us that we should still strive to rise above our own pettiness. If he can do it, why can’t we?

Rowling’s books have taught me how to be the adult I want to be. When I become a mother, I hope to have Lily’s devotion, Narcissa’s protectiveness and Mrs. Weasley’s strict yet nurturing temperament. As a woman, I aspire to have the bravery prized by Griffindor, the determination prized by Slytherin, the non-judgmental acceptance of Hufflepuff and the clever intelligence of Ravenclaw. I hope that when it’s my turn to fight Voldemort, I will be worthy of the challenge.