User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4170701-20110719182903

Harry Potter is one of the only things that I have in common with every single one of my friends. It connects us. It has given us something to talk about throughout the years and has made us all closer. For me personally, it has given me a place to escape from reality. An entire world of characters, places, and magic. I'm usually more into science fiction, but I don't think anyone can resist the wonder of Harry Potter. As a kid, I half expected to receive an acceptance letter from Hogwarts. One of the fondest memories I have of one friend in particular, is when we were at the midnight release of the sixth book. Just yesterday, I had one of the best days of my life baking a cake with another friend. We attempted to make it look like Hogwarts, and even though it didn't turn out all that great, it was so much fun hanging out with her while we got frosting all over ourselves. We also decided to name each of our friends as different Harry Potter characters on facebook. (Which is why my name shows up as Forge Weasley right now, since facebook wouldn't let me change my name to Fred Weasley.) And I don't think I'd be the first person to admit that I felt like I actually lost someone when certain characters died. All in all, to me, Harry Potter means fun, magic, wonder, friendship, adventure, joy, fond memories, and a huge chunk of my childhood. It's hard to describe the sort of sadness I felt after I saw the last movie. But I think a piece of Harry Potter magic will always live inside me.