User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4153220-20110716010256

I started reading Harry Potter a year after the third book was released. I was never a fan of fantasy novels so when my mom suggested I read them, I was hesitant. But I decided to give them a shot. I was 12, an aspiring author and very lonely kid. The more I read, the more emotionally attached I got to all the characters. I couldn't put it down. I finished it in two days and started on the next, only putting the books down to sleep. I even propped the books up as I ate breakfast and lunch. Even while sleeping, the book was never out of arms reach. I awaited the release of every book and every movie. I dressed up for release parties, lost sleep just reading, collected any and all memorabilia I could get my hands on, even hand making some of my own.I was growing up as the characters grew up. Harry Potter taught me that it's okay to be a black sheep. To be different. To be strange even. I broke out of my shell. I became comfortable with who I was. I learned to embrace my flaws and my differences the way many characters in the novels did. I made new friends through the books. When I would see a stranger with the book, I felt as though we shared a secret experience without ever saying a word. Hogwarts and the wizarding world became a safe haven. A place I could get lost in when I didn't want to be where I was. A place where I was accepted. Where it was ok to stand out. I felt safe, knowing that I wasn't alone. There were and are millions of people out there from all walks of life, who, like myself, connected with the characters and world. We all shared a common bond through J.K. Rowling's novels. I am now 22 and am still as loyal to the series as ever. I read the books to my children at night and watch the movies with them from time to time. When they are older, I know they too will appreciate Harry the way we all do. We are all connected and always will be. It's up to us to decide what we do with this connection now that the movie series has reached it's close. So what does Harry Potter mean to me? Bravery. Love. Understanding. Acceptance. Unity. Magic.