Just a Humble Harry Potter Nerd

To answer your question... yes, I have read every one of the Harry Potter books. So what if I know that to scare away a dementor you have to use the ‘Expecto Patronum’ charm, which can only be conjured by a really happy wizard. So what if I know all the rules to the game Quidditch. So what if I can name almost everyone who’s a part of The Order of Phoenix. So what if I am listening to the Harry Potter soundtrack right this very moment! So what if I'm nearly the biggest Harry Potter nerd -Save for my dear friend Emily A, or perhaps my sister Boo- in the entirety of Cass County!

The question I am asking is this, what's the big deal?

When the first Harry Potter movie came out I was 8 years old. The night we bought it my family was on vacation with a bunch of people from our church, I remember my mom telling me not to tell everyone we had bought it. Confused, I asked "Why mom?" "Because," answered she, "some children aren't allowed to watch that movie". The answer must have sufficed for an 8 year old cause I don't remember asking any more questions.

I love the movies... not as much as I love the books. -Understand that when I say love, I don’t mean real unconditional love like Christ's. I mean maximum like for materialistic things- I know that there are people out there who think it is those books are full of witchcraft and evil or they are no good because they are about witches and wizards. An ill-informed people.

Here is my argument; I believe there is a difference between witchcraft and magic. The difference being this- witchcraft is real, evil, and scary and practiced in many societies in the world. Magic is just pretend, a street magician once told my brother "There is a trick behind every act." So whether fiction or real, magic is only pretend.

"But then!" they argue "why is it called school of witchcraft and wizardry?" to this I would reply- undoubtedly in my most sarcastic tone, "you really think there’s a Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry out there?"

If I was in an argumentative mood I may say, "Fine what's the difference between the Narnia books or say the Lord of The Rings books?" "Well" answers them, “those where written by a Christian author." . . . That's invalid. You’re saying that because a Christian wrote a piece of fiction about witches and wizards, you’re going to let your child read it... But because a non-Christian wrote a piece of fiction about witches and wizards you not going to let them read it? hmmm. What's the difference?!

Honestly, the book isn't even about witches and wizards... It's about good vs. evil! the battle you can find in every fiction book you read, the battle that wars in nonfiction as well, The battle of good and evil that wars within our very souls. It's a story of the ever prevailing all villain called evil, of the small underdog resistance called good. Let it ever be, that good fights and wages war and in the end triumphs over evil!  We read fiction, because it is fiction. Because it is a window looking in on a world so very like yet so very different from our own. By looking through it, we can be encouraged, challenged, and taught.

My concluding remark is this, read such books with a cautious heart and discerning head by all means. Just don't banish a book, just because it's about witches and wizards.