User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4184520-20110722012735

What is Harry Potter to me? As a little kid, I hated reading. It was always something that was required of me by teachers. As I grew up some, I found that there are books that I do enjoy, but I have very selective tastes. In Kindergarten, I decided I wanted to be a teacher. My mom is a teacher, my dad is a teacher, my uncle is a teacher, and my aunt is a teacher. You could say it runs in the family. But I soon grew to realize that being a teacher wasn't for me. I just don't like little screaming kids or laziness. I couldn't deal with children who didn't do their homework. My parents, being Southern Baptist and very religious, banned me from reading the Harry Potter books, as they were suppose to be representative of Jesus and contain real magic. :/ However, one day I was flipping through channels and came upon the start of the first Harry Potter movie. I became fascinated at once. Being in high school with a job, I immediately drove to the nearest Walmart and bought the next two movies, as those were the only two movies out at the time and watched them. After I was done, I had to know more, so I went to the school library and checked them out. My parents couldn't keep me from reading them at school. I started with the first one and was amazed at how much details were left out of the movie. I read non-stop until I finished the sixth book. I had to wait a little while for the release of the final book. I have been to every midnight showing of the movies since and have seen the last movie three times already. Reading Harry Potter made me realize that I want to be a writer. I was always a good writer, and it's something I'm really comfortable with. But I want to affect the world the way J. K. Rowling has with her wonderful tale. Harry Potter is the first series were I became emotionally invested. I've never before became so enraged at characters like Snape and Umbridge. I hate her with every fiber of my being...AND SHE'S NOT EVEN REAL. There are few people in this world that I hate, and I hate them because they have done terrible things to me, and I HATE THAT LADY. I don't even hate Voldemort as much as I hate that lady. Anyways, it astonishes me how much emotion she has provoked out of me, and I want to do the same for others. Harry Potter has made me realize my dreams. I was meant to be a writer, and it is thanks to J. K. Rowling that I have realized that and that I have the courage to try.