User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4156295-20110716165753

Harry Potter has taught me so many valuable lessons and morals throughout my life since I was eight years old - to be brave, stand up for what you believe in, to remember who you are and your heritage, to defend your true friends and family to death, and that there are so many more important things in the world than yourself. The series of Harry Potter also gave me a home, mentally. Reading all of the books, watching all of the movies, attending all of the events has made me feel like I belong somewhere with people who feel the same way that I do, which I've rarely ever felt in my life. I have such a close relationship with the series because of the hope it gave me as a child, and the hope and faith I still feel at 17 years old (yes I have parental permission for this) when I reread the books or watch all of the movies and attend midnight premieres. I feel a connection with Harry because I lost my father when I was a baby, and often learn about his life and how much I am like him from other people. I know what it's like to feel an empty gap in your heart, a curiosity about your life that can never be satisfied. All in all, Harry Potter is my escape.