July 21, 2011

Reflections: The End of an Era - Harry Potter

So I wasn't quite sure what to post about this week since my time is limited but I wanted to make a post reflecting on one of my longest standing fandoms, Harry Potter. I will warn you right now that if you haven't read all 7 books or seen all of the movies, you may want to steer clear of this post because I'm horrid at censoring myself from spoilers.

I was still in high school when I caught on to Harry Potter. I went to Marburn Academy here in Columbus and the younger kids were raving about these new novels and it was extremely hard to get copies from either the school library or the public library... Any of them. After a while, I got my hands on a copy of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and I was instantly hooked. I've always been a fan of fantasy and as you can see by my current blog layout, an avid Slytherin (although maybe not with the evil tendencies of the stereotype).

I think I related to Harry a lot. It's not that my family has been abusive or mean to me or that I have magical powers, but that feeling like you don't belong somewhere? It's something that any of us can relate to. There is so much character growth in the series and even the most unassuming of characters turn into heroes.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the only movie in the series that I decided to go see in 3D. I am very glad that I did. For the most part, the movie lived up to and exceeded my expectations as a fan. I really only have one complaint. Why didn't they show Lupin and Tonks' death scene? It was one of the more moving parts of the Battle of Hogwarts and it's something I would love to see an extended edition of. It was the only point in the 2nd half of that book where I truly felt myself bawling.

Let me give a little bit of background. When Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows came out, HP-Ohio rented out a bed and breakfast in Wilmington for the midnight release. It is still one of my favorite experiences to this day. We had Wizard Rock and probably the best part for me was reading the book as a part of a group. Having the support of people with the same interest and level of fandom as I do was something that made it a very special moment.

I've made so many friends over this fandom and I can truly say that Harry Potter fans are an amazing group. I currently have 2 full costumes, a student (Gryffindor or of course, Slytherin) and a Death Eater, and I am still working on a few more. I am working on a Victorian-era Hogwart's Student and have some ideas for it and also I would love to dress as Bellatrix Lestrange one year. Unfortunately my plate is pretty full as far as costuming but I think it should be able to debut in 2012.

I think this fandom will always be a part of me. Not to say that the others aren't. I have so many of them that it has been very hard to figure out which one's to devote my time to but I am very glad that Harry Potter is one of those.

No comments:

Post a Comment