Harry Potter: My Journey

Year: 1998. You are in your very first year of college. You join coaching classes for a new subject called Accounts as you will have to study it for the next five years. You enter the class room and take a seat somewhere in a far corner, away from the stage. The professor enters. He is tall, very well dressed and very handsome. You are completely bowled over by his personality as all you have seen so far is guys with the facial hair that looks not-so-nice! No I don't blame them, for they cannot shave at an early age too, thus they have to put up with that, and we have to put up with them!

I will skip the details about how moron most of the guys were then (come on, even you guys will agree that you looked morons!), but looking at a handsome professor made almost all of us go crazy about him that very instant! We attended each and every lecture, paid attention at smallest of the things, asked for queries after the lectures and did such other teenage stupidity!

One fine day during the lecture, he mention a name - J. K. Rowling and her book called Harry Potter. This was in 1998 or 1999. That was the time I had just started reading books. Since I was brought up in a small town, I didn't know much about novels. Nancy Drew name was the only name that was not new to me, rest all the authors were unheard of. Rowling sounded more like an alien. But since it was a recommendation from my professor, I decided to give it a try. That's how I first heard about Harry Potter when it released. She was not so famous then, but people loved the first book!

That time, I lived in a hostel. Pocket money life, limited budget and could not afford the books. Somewhere in 2000 or 2001, I bought first three Harry Potter books second hand copies, and I still have them. At that time, fourth book had just released. I finished reading first three and then bought the fourth one. The reason was simple - I didn't know whether I would like the books or not. Thus, didn't spend money behind the fresh copies.

I remember waiting for the book release since book number 5. I was one of the first ones to buy the 7th book and finish it in one go. I started reading at 10 am and finished it by 4 am next day! I have been that crazy. I have read each book at least 50 times and seen each movie around that many times. I saw The last movie twice already today itself. And don't know for how many times I will again see it!

Harry Potter series is over. But I am sure the fans will keep reading the books again and again. Maybe not 50 60 times, but at least once or twice a year there will be a Harry Potter marathon. It's amazing how something leaves so much of an impact on you.

I am in my late twenties, but I still want Hogwarts to be real (I believe it to be true too), I laugh on Fred and George jokes, love to hate Voldemort, feel so sad for Snape, I cry whenever I see Dobby or Snape die, I love Bellatrix's character - she is hot, I feel betrayed when Dumbledore hides things from Harry - and the list goes on and on. I have lived through Harry Potter, I have lived with Harry Potter and will continue to do so!