The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997: I was hardly 4 years old. The first movie premiered when I was in the 2nd grade, so I was around 7 or 8 years old at that time. Part Two of Deathly Hallows, the final movie, came to theaters when I was a senior in high school: I was 18. For over ten years of my life, I lived for every moment and word that J.K. Rowling published in her wondrous series. I went to the midnight book releases, dressed up as a different character every time, and barely slept the following days to discover what Harry Potter's life at Hogwarts had in store for him. I cannot forget the midnight movie premieres I went to either; I could simply not function during the daytime, for I was far too excited to see my favorite books come to life on the big screen that very night. I had a magical childhood, and I owe it all to The Boy Who Lived.

Openly admitting my love for Harry Potter lead to people my age and even some adults to giggle at how much I knew about the books and movies. It did not matter to me. I had a group of friends who I bonded with deeply over who our favorite characters were, who could figure out the differences between the movies and the books first, or who memorized the most lines from the newest movie. I learned to hold on tight to these friends, and that I will always have someone who is there for me, no matter the circumstances in life.

The first few books were read to me by my dad because I was far too young at first to understand some of the vocabulary the books presented. Once we got to Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the fourth book of the series, I decided to tackle my first immensely large book on my own: all 636 pages of it. Reading the books prompted me to get lost in my own imagination. I forgot about my everyday problems and instead hung onto each word that passed. I used to promise myself at the end of a long chapter that I would take a break, but I broke that promise continuously throughout the following years of my life. I could not get enough of the wizarding world and what it had to offer. I understood what it meant to stand up to your friends, even if sometimes it was one of the most difficult feats you had to overcome. I discovered that I did not have to be the bravest person to accomplish extraordinary tasks, as long as I believed in myself. Most importantly, I saw that horrible experiences can occur in your life, but they do not define who you are. You determine where your life's course is going to go.

Harry Potter is a sanctuary for an immeasurable amount of people across the world. J.K. Rowling wrote about the inclusion of every type of human that exists, and I think that is incredibly beautiful. The seven book series taught an entire generation of kids that the news media cannot always be trustworthy, those in power do not always have your best interests at heart, heroes are not as perfect as you might think at first, and even those with the best intentions can be wrong.

Here I am at this very moment in my life, and I practically do not go a day without referencing an inspirational Dumbledore quote. Every time a Harry Potter weekend comes on television, I'm on the couch or in my bed watching the movies again, as I have no earthly idea the exact number of times I have seen each film. There will never come a time that I will cease to be amazed by what J.K. Rowling created. I continue to get lost in the marvelous world of Harry Potter and find a sense of peace when I return to the books and movies again and again.

Harry Potter did so much for me starting at a young age and continues to this day. There simply are not enough words in this lifetime that I could compose in thoughts or writings that could thank J.K. Rowling enough for having such an alluring imagination and making my life and so many others as magical as we could hope for it to be.