Thoughts & Things

Elizabeth LK and the Magic of Harry Potter

This is something I wrote as a review for my goodreads page. I am currently in the process of reading the Harry Potter series yet again, and it has been awhile (sadly) since my last re-read. I thought I might share this here, as it is something I feel is very reflective of myself and of my childhood. It also shares what I feel to be a pretty impressive story on how I got my hands on a new copy of Philosopher's Stone after mine had been lost.

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I have been reading Harry Potter since I was a little kid. Only the first three books were out, and I received them in a boxset of the paperbacks with the original covers. After this I pre-ordered each book in hardcover. I recently realised that the last person I lent my copy of Philosopher's Stone to had lost it. This was a devastating blow since I must have only been about seven when I got these, and I have a lot of sentiments attached to each one. I set out to replace it, but the new covers are ugly, and they wouldn't match the cover styles of the six other books in the series that remain in my possession.

I set out to find a used copy. All of the ones online were poor bets. They were over priced, and I couldn't guarantee the condition they would arrive in. I made several visits to local used bookshops to request a copy of Philosopher's Stone with its original Platform 9 3/4 cover. Nowhere seemed to have it, although I had myself put on their call lists. I finally went into a particularly excellent local shop. It is one of those places that you could imagine seeing in Diagon Alley; it has towering shelves, narrow rows, books stacked haphazardly about, and you can barely navigate the place as it is so filled with books. So rather than trying to find a specific edition of a specific book in this overwhelmingly filled store, I walked up to the counter and waited for assistance. No one was there yet, and it took a moment for someone to come. Then from around the corner, the clerk walks up to the counter. And in his hand, he is holding a copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone in like-new condition with the original Platform 9 3/4 cover. I am sure I practically shouted at the man to tell him he was holding the exact book I was looking for. "Do you, uh, wanna buy this one?" I went home with my own copy of the book that day, completely satisfied.

In any case, I have just re-read Philosopher's Stone for probably the hundredth time, and, as always, it was like visiting one of my oldest and dearest friends. It was wonderful to meet all the characters again, and to read about all of their adventures. To laugh at all of the jokes I remembered, and to laugh harder at the jokes I had forgotten. It felt good to feel that suspense again, despite remembering well how everything turns out.

I always loved reading as a child, even before Harry Potter. But Harry Potter made me love fantasy and the building of worlds. Harry Potter made me love series. I bonded with real life friends over the books, the movies, the games. Harry Potter made me want to be a writer. I still recommend the series to everyone I know who hasn't started or finished the series. I plan on keeping all of my own copies of the books, not just for my own love and enjoyment, but so that if I have any children, I can share that magic with them. Nothing warms my heart more than seeing children reading the books or talking about them when I volunteer at the library.

I can't wait to read through the whole series again. There is something truly special about bringing the magic of my childhood into my adulthood that I will never get tired of. Particularly while I am having a difficult time, and truly need that magic.