User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4142180-20110713080801

What does Harry Potter mean to me? My childhood, of course.

My aunt, who lived in London at the time the books began to explode, sent me Chamber of Secrets and said I should get reading. I was nine at the time and had just moved to a new town. Soon enough, Harry Potter was huge around my school and my neighborhood, and believe it or not, I kinda looked like the character drawn on the cover of the first couple of books. I even had the dark brown messy hair and big glasses to match. Pretty soon people were coming up to me to ask for my "Harry Potter" autograph, calling me Harry and not even knowing my real name. It opened a lot of friendships (they eventually learned my name), but it also gave me something to talk about. It helped a ton in those first few odd weeks at a new school (4th grade).

I eventually read the first book before I finished the second (I was actually a little scared of the whole basilisk thing in the 2nd book haha) and I was hooked. I read all the books, saw all the movies, went on all the websites and was a fan. My dad, sister and I would read the books to each other when they came out because we wanted to experience them together. It was a real bonding moment for us.

I don't think I'll ever have an experience quite like enjoying the Harry Potter books with my friends and family, and it means the world to me.