Throughout my life, the one thing I have always treasured above almost everything else is the close friendships I have developed with a handful of people. Do you know the type of friendship I am talking about? The friendship where you can be your complete self, and these select few people not only accept your weirdness, but mirror it. The friendship that makes you question how you ever really survived before these people came into your life. These friendships mean a great deal to me, and a few of them began at an unexpected place . . . a Harry Potter convention.

Going to Harry Potter conventions was like a mothership calling me home. I grew up entranced by this incredible world J.K. Rowling brilliantly created. I constantly got lost in the books, captivated by the movies, and found myself wishing I could attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. To those non-Harry Potter fans (how dare you?!), I know I must sound crazy when I say that Harry Potter was a giant part of my life. To my fellow Harry Potter fans, I am sure you let yourself get absorbed by the magic of this story just as I have.

So, is it really such a surprise that I have gone to Harry Potter conventions? In 2012, I attended LeakyCon (now called GeekyCon) in Chicago, not knowing what to expect. I had never been surrounded by so many Harry Potter fans in my life. I was overwhelmed, but ecstatic. Everywhere I turned there were people dressed as characters from the story, decked out in their House colors or talking animatedly about Rowling’s magical world. That first year is where I met three people who would turn out to become a few of my closest friends.

People always make fun of me when they hear that my friendships with these three individuals were formed at LeakyCon. However, after attending the convention four years in a row, I have come to realize that a Harry Potter convention is a perfect place to make long-lasting friendships. When I say that the people there are the nicest people I have ever met, I am being completely serious. I went to the first convention with my friend, not for a second thinking I was going to make other friends. Usually, when going on vacation with someone, you don’t leave the trip with three more friends. The fans at these conventions are dorky, nice people who are just as happy and excited about being there as you. It was nice to be able to turn to the stranger sitting next to me on line and easily start a conversation about a franchise I hold so dear to my heart – because everyone there also adores Harry Potter.

For me, those weekends were filled with constant happiness – from sitting in panels that discuss far-fetched Harry Potter theories and buying Harry Potter merchandise to getting autographs and pictures with Harry Potter actors and dancing with my friends at the annual Esther Earl Rocking Charity Ball.

I met Ansley, Lizzie and Ashley because of LeakyCon. Four of the best weekends of my life were spent at LeakyCon. Harry Potter defined my childhood, and it still has a prominent place in my life today. As J.K. Rowling once said, “Whether you come back by page or by the big screen, Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.”