User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4136727-20110711190709

"What does Harry Potter mean to you?" To me, it means childhood. My mother read Sorcerer's Stone to my sister and I back when I was in kindergarten, and even over ten years later I can't pick up that book without hearing her voices for the characters. I remember quite distinctly many parts of that book--laying on my stomach, fiddling with the corner of a blanket while I imagined Harry, Ron, and Hermione sneaking out of the dormitory under the invisibility cloak... When I hear "Harry Potter" I think of hearing the first book read aloud. I think about the characters themselves, from the sneering, pointed face of Draco to the bushy mane of Hermione's hair. I think about the houses, of what the bystander's might be thinking as I watch the movies I know word-for-word. More importantly, I think of my growth as a writer. My first work of fiction was a Harry Potter fanfiction. I remember quite clearly the plotline; An ordinary girl finds her way into the world of Hogwarts. She befriends the 'Golden Trio' (Harry, Ron, and Hermione) and helps them through their adventures. And while it was a cliche and mediocre piece of unfinished work, it was still nonetheless the gateway into fiction as I know it. Through J.K.Rowling's works, I have found the writer within myself and let it expand. So what does Harry Potter mean to me? Hope, for one thing. If Rowling can take a simple idea spurred from her own imagination and create a world so marvelous, so unique that it's grown into a franchise that many all around the world love, then perhaps my writer's mind may not just be a way to pass the time after all. Perhaps I, too, may be able to succeed--like Harry himself succeeded countess times with the help of his friends and his own Gryffindor courage. "Harry Potter" to me means comfort. Nothing says winter break like curling up in PJ's with my battered copy of one of the Harry Potter books, something to munch on, and some freshly brewed tea. There isn't a better way to let go of the troubles and drama that is High School than to pop in one of the Harry Potter movies and loose myself in the magic. It's easy to tell just how strong a bond Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have formed thanks to their time together--even past the script itself, you can tell that their interactions as Harry, Ron, and Hermione are truly genuine on a level that can only be achieved by long-term friendships. And while some of the movies stray almost frequently from the books, I love the subtle additions each director has brought to the world of Harry Potter. I owe quite a bit to J.K.Rowling for creating such a marvelous world, and I can't wait to see the eighth film come Thursday at midnight. And though I am by no means the most avid of fans--seeing as I've never tried looking for Hogwarts or tried to recreate Butterbeer--I am definitely a die-hard fan of hers. I was a little apprehensive at first, when I heard that she'd be possibly continuing, but I know she's level-headed enough not to simply continue for more fame. I think I'm a bit excited, actually, to see what she'll come up with. Maybe it'll be something to do with Hufflepuff--the house that everyone seems to neglect. So what DOES "Harry Potter" mean to me? Memories of childhood, growth as a writer; hope, inspiration, comfort, and future. I know I'll never completely give up Harry's world--though it may become overshadowed by other interests from time to time, I can honestly say that two, five, even ten years from now I will still love the world of Harry Potter just as much as I do today.