User blog comment:JoePlay/Wizarding World Giveaway/@comment-4188423-20110723065312

Harry Potter-- a thought, a journey, and an inspiration. Those are the various nouns I use to answer the not so well-thought out question "What is Harry Potter?" Though that is not the question which many of us are spending time out of our busy lives to answer, it helps me to reach my point over the other argument "What does Harry Potter mean to you?"

A thought- the very beginning of a new world. Jo Rowling got the idea of writing a book about an impulsive boy on his way to wizard school on a train coming back from a job interview; one of the many job interviews she had whilst on the road to finding a job she would love. Her journey was hard, being that she did not receive the best education as a child and having in mind the idea that writing is her all-time favorite thing to do. On that journey to making Harry Potter a reality, Jo went through, yet beat, depression and realized one thing: Good will always overcome evil, or in a less Harry Potter-like language: Even though you may have a very hard time in life, keep holding on and eventually some good will come out of it. Jo made it through that journey and the simple thought of a young boy unknowing of the world outside of Privet Drive became the same boy each of us looks up to for hope and love.

A journey- In each and every Potter book, a journey is made, which each contribute to the overall journey of defeating Voldemort. When studying epic poetry back in 8th grade, I learned that one of the main themes of an epic is that "The journey is greater than the destination." But is that true for Harry? Well, on his journey to defeat Voldemort, he made two amazing friends for life, became part of a new family, and befriended a giant. His journey consisted not only of good things, but also bad things. For example, he learned to cope with death and was taught "Death is but the next great adventure". Potter's journey was very similar to Rowling's, as they both faced death, fear, and violence, but they fought for the finish and both received a blessing, one being the other's.

An inspiration- Harry Potter is a children's book. As Jo has learned to quite some extent, "Children's books make no money." May I ask how old some Potter fans are? Some are 8, some are 14, and some are 42! Harry Potter has become a part of people's lives! They each have kept those same Harry Potter books on their bookshelves throughout the Harry Potter journey and continue to reread them. Approximately 14 years ago, the same Sorcerer's Stone book that we read today to our own children today was rejected by many publishers until finally Bloomsbury bought it. People didn't think that it would make any money, as it was a children's book. Yet Harry Potter has become the top-selling book of all-time! Whoever told JK Rowling that her book would not sell was full of bologne! The making of Harry Potter can teach each and everyone of us that if someone tells you that you can't do something, keep in mind that you have magic stored in your heart waiting to break free and show them what you got.

Finally, how does a thought, a journey, and an inspiration explain what Harry Potter means to me? Here's a clue: Harry Potter gives me hope. Hope that I can overcome the hard times in life, hope that I will one day find where my journey is leading me, and hope that I will one day be able to tell the tale of how I didn't care how many time someone told me I couldn't do something and then ended up proving them wrong.