User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4162825-20110718043751

Yesterday July 15th, my childhood ended, But let me start from the beginning. When I was no more than four years old, my mother came home from the bookstore, and called over myself and my two year old brother, saying she had a story to read us. She pulled out a book, and read us one chapter. Just one. And then she put the book down. Time passed, and my stay at home mom didn’t have time to read us any more. A while later, my father picked up the book and we went upstairs to his room. He laid down on his bed, with my brother and I on either side, and read us that book. It was something we all looked forward to, and every night was filled with magic. Over the course of the next ten years, the three of us read each of the seven books just like that. No matter what happened in our family, the books were something that never changed. About the time I was 9 or 10, we moved. I had to leave everyone I ever knew, all my family, all of my friends. But the book was always there. I told my friends I wasn’t moving, I was transferring schools, and going to a special school in England. The feelings of love, of family and friendship that this book holds for me cannot be explained. In 2007, the final book in the series came out. At fourteen I though I was too old to be read to, but my father took us upstairs, and read it to us. Looking back, I’m so glad he did. There is something about the book that makes it even more special when shared with others. For fourteen years, the books, the movies, and the magic has guided me throughout my life. I grew up as the characters did, and I had struggles just like them. They were my friends. They were my security blanket. I cried as they did, and loved as they did. Yesterday, July 15th at 12:01am, My childhood ended. I know many people say that, but mine really did. In about a month, I start my very first year at collage. I start my first year of being an adult. Yes, the characters are a bit older than me, but I still feel like we’re the very best and very closest of friends. When I say “the characters”, I just don’t mean the three main ones. I mean each and every antagonist, protagonist, minor character, magical/mythical creature and ghost that took me by the hand through the road to adulthood. I also mean every actor, every costume designer, caretaker, production crew, director, extra, and animal. I mean every prop, every set, and every last single take that it took to make it real. So today is the first day for growing up. It’s the first day to step out into the world, and make something of yourself. And It’s all thanks to you. You gave the greatest gift anyone could ever give. You gave me a world of imagination, that only a child can see as real. You gave me so many many memories that nineteen years from now, I will take my children by the hand, and send them off on the Hogwarts express with. I honestly can’t thank you enough. I don’t have the words. I just have raw emotion, and I feel like even that isn’t enough. I know that I will never be a wizard, I’ll never go to Hogwarts and take charms, potions, or defense against the dark arts. But one thing I do know is when ever I need a good laugh, or a good cry. My friends will always be waiting for me down at platform nine and three quarters.