User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4153775-20110716033011

I have spent half my life with the Harry Potter series. I remember the first time I heard about it, right after the third one came out when I was seven. The school librarian was telling us all about it, and I was fascinated. I immediately went home and told my mom all about it. Mind you, until this point, I had no interest in books at all. That year, my mom got me the first three books for the holidays, and we spent the next several months reading them together every night before bed. The books are the very reason I discovered my love of literature. The release of the fifth book was the first time I ever went to the midnight release, and I was amazed to discover that I was not the only person who was such an avid fan. I had dragged my grandfather along with me, him dressed as Hagrid, and me as Harry (something that I wish I had pictures of, especially now that he's passed). This was the first time I'd worn a costume for something other than Halloween, which is only important because I am now a costumer/cosplayer (though I'm not a fan of that term, as it usually implies anime, which I'm not a fan of), and one of my favorite costumes is Harry! (The links below are pics for those who are interested):

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/228043_10150179381546909_530611908_6961613_6332445_n.jpg http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/265017_10150230723651909_530611908_7409191_5935334_n.jpg

When the sixth book came out, I'd convinced myself that I was too old for Harry Potter, and that I wasn't going to read it. But my dad knew how much it meant to me, and a few days later, as I was boarding the bus to leave for summer camp (I'd be gone for the rest of the summer), he thrust the book into my hands, and pushed me onto the bus. I can never thank him enough for that, as I doubt I would have ever finished the series if he hadn't. I realized that I don't have to give up things like dreams and fantasy in order to grow up, and that there really was no rush to do so. Though I have to say, avoiding finding out the ending to the Half Blood Prince in a summer camp full of people reading it was nearly impossible!

The seventh book came out the same day that my father died of cancer. During the months leading up to this, I had been forced to grow up a lot. I had had to take on many of the family responsibilites around the house, as my father was incapacitated, and my mother was busy taking care of him. When my friend notified me that the final Harry Potter book was out, I told her that I "didn't have time for things as childish as Harry Potter." But a few days later, after the funeral, my father's business partner brought me a copy of the Deathly Hallows. She told me "Aaron, I know you've been forced to grow up a lot these last few months, but I've known you since you were in diapers, and I saw you come into the office with a new Harry Potter book every time it came out. Take some time for yourself, and enjoy it, honey."

Since then, I have never let my fandom falter. I am, and always will be a diehard Potter fan. Last summer, my younger sister finally decided to read them, and instantly fell in love (after a decade of mocking me, mind you). I've read through the entire series somewhere around fifteen times, and seen the movies more times than I can count. At the end of this summer, I leave for college (Emerson, a school who's biggest sport is Quidditch!), and so the end of the series could not have been better timed. This really does feel like the end of my childhood. I've grown up with Harry, but just because the series is over, does not mean that my (or any of our) fandoms are. Harry Potter will always be a huge part of my life, and I sincerely thank Mrs. Rowling for everything she has created. All I can think is, "Mischief Managed."