My Life as A Potterhead
Published June 09, 2007
The fall of 1998 came and went for me like any other year. I was just starting middle school in a new town where I didn’t know anyone (with the exception of my sister, Samantha). I was enrolled in difficult honors classes. I was just starting to notice boys and actually caring about what I wore to school. And I was still new to the wonders of The WB and MTV. I had no idea that all across the country, something was happening.
At playgrounds, schools and grocery stores, people were spreading the word and talking about the same thing. They say that word-of-mouth spreads like wild fire, and so it was, that seemingly ordinary fall when the name Harry Potter was passed in excited whispers from one person to another. For on September 1, 1998, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in the United States. And the world of pop culture and literature has never been the same.
I love to read. I always have. But I’d never been in love with a book before. I’d never had genuine affection for a fictional character, or touched the worn out and torn cover of a book with such loving fondness. I’d never much cared about when a new book was to be released, let alone obsessively count down the days until it came out. However, that all changed when I first picked up that precious Harry Potter book, which had already been passed from my mother, to my sister, and now to me.
I had refused at first. Why did I want to read some little kids’ book about a stupid wizard? However, with all the talk of muggles, Quidditch, and some guy called “He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named,” curiosity got the better of me.
So, almost two years after it was first published, I cracked open the book and proceeded to not put it down for the rest of the day. Lucky for me, the next two books in the series were already released by that time, so I quickly moved right on to Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. In a matter of a few days, I was officially a Potterhead, the affectionate name that fans of the series call themselves. And while it may seem silly, I can truthfully say that those few days of meeting Harry and discovering the magical world of Hogwarts have changed my life.
The first thing to know about us Harry Potter fanatics is that we will, without a doubt, try to convince you to read these books by any means necessary. We will offer you one of several copies of the books that we own. Why do we have so many? Well, because you have to buy the paperback because it’s easier to carry around (as you will not put it down once you start reading), but it falls apart with so much wear (again, with the not-putting-down thing), so you have to buy another one.
Miss Cordy is a senior at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. She is seeking a double-major in Political Science and Advertising/Public Relations. She has written for her local newspaper, focusing on the world of entertainment -- movies and television. Her favorite movies are the Lord of the Rings series and her favorite TV shows are Heroes, Lost, The Amazing Race and Dancing with the Stars. 
- My Life as A Potterhead
- Published: June 09, 2007
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Books
- Filed Under: Books: Adventure, Books: Families, Books: Fantasy, Video: Family, Video: Fantasy
- Writer: Miss Cordy
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I agree Tim. Im 76 yrs old and have been a pothead for 40 yrs. I live in a cardboard box with a TV but no place to plug it in. Same thing with my toaster oven. At least I have a good canopener and laptop.
Thanks Ms. Cordy, I wish if I had read this book when I was in high school... it would have really helped out. I'm pretty good at reading something and living in it and forgetting the real world..I was from another country and put in American High Shool, do I need to say more? There were times I didn't think that I would make it, and i prayed for something to make it easier...like i said the book would have helped,if I known about it..but oh well, i sort of survived but not without permenant damage. Anyways, I'm 23 now, with a BS in Advertising, like u Ms.Cordy. Live in the Potter world as long as possible!
Great job, Miss Cordy! I call my wife the resident Potterologist of the household. She approaches the publication of Volume VII with delight and dread.
While I've never been infatuated with the stories themselves, Rowling's ability to inspire such devotion and fervor in her readers will always amaze me. Dealing with archetypes as simple as the magically gifted young hero or esoteric fantasy environments, she has managed to add something else that permeates to the essence of her work. That ineffable something extra has led not only to her success as an author but to a greater appeal that attracts people with such ferocity. Is it the light of love that her protagonists will never allow to be extinguished? Or is it the broad spectrum of humanity that she is able to encapsulate squarely in each of her characters that speaks so deeply to the reader? Surely, if every author were to discover the secret of this facet of human nature that is so stirred to passion we would never leave our homes for want of another book. So, Rowling, I salute you for igniting this flame in peoples across the world, for your gift is a rare one--you've made my friends very happy.
Great article!
I know exactly how you feel. I was convinced that I would never like Harry Potter, but my younger sister and best friend kept trying to get me to read at least the first book. So finally in Spring 2005, I gave in. I literally did not put down the first 5 books for about 2 weeks. I read them, then reread them, and then found myself totally and completely in love with Harry Potter. I drove an hour to get Half-Blood Prince at it's midnight release and am planning a huge celebration for Deathly Hallows as well. I have been, and continue to be, a Lord of the Rings fan for years, and I never thought I'd love a book like I do Lord of the Rings. I was wrong apparently!
When my parents tried to schedule the family vacation this year over the third weekend in July, I kindly informed them I would not be attending and that I had a long awaited date with the last Harry Potter book. My mother was a little miffed, but I got my way.
Thanks so much for this article. It's great to know other Potterheads out there who are as crazy for Harry Potter as I am!
Thank you for all of the kind comments! It is much appreciated and I'm glad I'm not the only crazy Potterhead out there!
I only wish I had put it so succinctly.
We have all shared something beautiful together. There are so few things in the world which unite us in love - Harry Potter has been one of the best, bringing a love of reading to many who were self-described "non-readers."
I hope to share Harry and his friends (and enemies!!) with my own grandsons very soon.
I know of no greater treasure to give them than a life-long love of reading.
When I was in college my 8 year old neice begged me to read these Harry Potter books *with* her (the first 3 were out at the time). I took the first book home and told her I'd take a look at it. I finished the first book that night and came back the next day asking for the second one and told her I wouldn't read it with her because it would take her too long and I wanted to find out what happens!
When I found out the date of the last book I was upset because it would come out soon after my first child was born and I knew that I probably wouldn't be able to sit and read this book almost non-stop like I have the others! As it is I'm dissapointed with myself because I wanted to read Books 5 and 6 over again before 7 came out and I can't find the time with a newborn!
I am both excited and dreading the last book coming out. I think it is really going to affect me when I really realize that it's over. But I also look forward to sharing it with my child when she gets older, as I have shared the series with my mother (I converted her to a Potterhead as well!).
I can actually say that I am not the only one out there that had that same thought when Harry first arrived. I was in my late 20's when he came out.
I said the same thing, I'm not going to read that stuff, it's for kids. My son wouldn't even read it and at the time the books were to long of a read for him.
One day sitting at home and nothing to do I crabbed the first Harry Potter book (my mom bought for my son for Christmas and it was never read). I couldn't put it down. Same here...lucky for me the other two were out.
Since then I can say I am a Potterhead/Potterfan whatever you want to call it!
I'm not at all surprised that this article is so wonderful because you are a wonderful writer.It was especially fun to read as I was apart of all of those years and it was because of you guys that we all started reading the books and catching the fever.I too was resistant at first as I am with anything that I'm told I have to do,but with your close in age cousin(my daughter)in the house ,on the couch surrounded by two to three HARRY books,I began to read and read and read.It's been a blast talking to you all on the phone and to you all face to face over the years when we get to visit on vacations about our POTTER THOUGHTS. Never got to do the theater adventure together,but watching the dvd's together has been great times.Thanks for the terrific article and congratulations.I must call later, we just saw the "ORDER OF THE PHOENIX" last night !!! WOW, great job,everything looked just as i thought it would. Later with Love, AUNT KATH
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Excellent article ! I am a 46 year old obsessed Potterhead ! In life we all need some escape from all the negative things around us. The world of Harry Potter allows the "child" in me to surface !