Lost in a Good Book

“This boy will be famous. There won’t be a child in our world that won’t know his name. There will be books about him, he will be a legend.”
– Minerva McGonagall

Even as I sit here writing this, even knowing I have constructed an entire month long celebration running on my blog, a small part of me cannot get my head around that it has been twenty years since Philosopher’s Stone was first published. Ten years I could comprehend, but twenty? It’s just, mind boggling. Harry Potter has been such a huge part of my life for the past twenty years. I can connect so many moments of my life around these novels and these movies it’s incredible that it has been so long since it first began; it honestly does not feel like it has been 20 years.

I was 9 years old when Philosopher’s Stone was published, and I was in my second year of uni when Deathly Hallows was published in 2007. From ages 9 to 19 Harry Potter was a key part of my life. I have so many memories associated with this series that it’s hard to picture my childhood basically without it.

Even the fact that in the tenth anniversary year (2007) the story was concluded, and now here we are ten years on again and it’s a duplicate celebration, ten years since the series finished, and twenty years since it all began. We can get even more meta when I remind you all that the epilogue of Deathly Hallows also takes place in 2017! (but we can get to that later).

Of course having the movies has added extra milestones and something to look forward to. The final movie came out in 2010 and even that does not feel like it was that long ago. Perhaps it’s because Harry Potter and his wizarding world is so much of our culture now. It is so incredibly popular and so ingrained in society that we’ve never really escaped it. It’s always there in some form, making it feel like it never really ended.

Key memories I have of this series include:

• Having Philosopher’s Stone read to us in primary school and reading along quietly in my own copy at the same time before being told off for reading along when I should just be listening.
• Staying up until about 3:30am reading Goblet of Fire under the blankets and trying not to gasp and squeal too loudly at everything that was happening. (I also learnt it is hard to read under covers because it gets quite stuffy, I don’t see the charm)
• Having to read the latest book as quickly as possible so it could be passed around the family so they could all read it as well.
• Foolishly thinking it was ok to wait until my birthday for that latest book (released a few weeks earlier) before realising it was torture and stressing over spoilers (this plan lasted only twice).
• Having intense discussions between classes in high school about theories about Half-Blood Prince and what “Severus, Please ” actually meant. Like, intense discussions.
• Being told (incorrectly) Professor McGonnegal died in Order of the Phoenix and panicking anytime she did anything.
• Rereading every book before the next one was released so I was up to date with what had happened.

Over the past twenty years I have reread the series numerous times, I have obsessed over fun facts and theories, enjoyed the myriad of content that it has inspired, had passionate arguments/debates about characters and scenes, and I have fallen in loved every time I open the first page.

I have been lucky enough to go to the Harry Potter Experience in England, I’ve tried Butterbeer which I would drink all day long if I could, and I have gotten my picture taken “running” through platform 9 3/4.  The one thing I am still waiting on is my Hogwarts letter (I would make a very good mature aged student.)

I can only imagine what the next twenty years has in store for the Harry Potter series as new fans discover the books and old fans grow more attached (if that’s even possible). I look forward to the day when it’s hailed as a classic, though I am fairly certain that day has already arrived.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Harry Potter.

The world wouldn’t be the same without you.

In addition to the seven Potter novels, Rowling has released numerous extra books and stories over the years. These are not new novels, instead they are books that exist in the Harry Potter universe that now exist for us to read. The first was in 2001 when she released Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (a textbook mentioned in Philosopher’s Stone) and Quidditch Through the Ages (a school library book Harry reads) as part of Charity Relief. The next came in 2007 when Rowling hand wrote seven copies of The Tales of Beedle the Bard (fairy tales mentioned in Deathly Hallows). It was then published internationally at the end of 2008.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 

In a 2001 interview Rowling stated that she chose the subject of magical creatures because it was a fun topic for which she had already developed a lot of information in earlier books. What was great about it was that it was published to look like one of Harry’s textbooks, complete with Newt’s name as author and even a ‘Property of Harry Potter’ sticker on it. Further editions have changed this, with both names appearing on the cover. An updated version was published earlier this year, with six new creatures added to it, and of course, it was recently turned into a film.

Quidditch Through The Ages

Like Fantastic Beasts, Rowling originally published this book as it would have appeared in the wizarding world, writing under the pseudonym of Kennilworthy Whisp, a renowned expert in the sport. It covers the sport’s origins, the details about each of the balls in play, the evolution of flying brooms, the introduction of the snitch and much more. The copy exists in the series as a library book and the 2001 first edition reflects that with a check out list in the front of characters who’ve borrowed the book.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Unlike the other two which were written for charity, originally only seven hand written copies of the book existed. Rowling has stated that the idea of writing the books was to thank six key people who had been very closely connected to the series. She had the idea to write the book, handwritten and illustrated by herself, just for those people. She then decided if she was doing six, she may as well do seven and auction if off for a good cause. The original editions were bound in brown morocco leather, and decorated with hand-chased silver ornaments and mounted semiprecious stones. Looking at pictures of them they are gorgeous, and I am so envious of those seven people.

All three of these books contain extra information about the wizarding world that isn’t in the seven books. But it’s not the only thing Rowling has created that is separate from the novels. While those books were written as in-universe books, Rowling has also written other things that reveal a little bit more about the world.

The Prequel

In 2008 Rowling wrote an 800-word prequel as part of a fundraiser. Rowling adamantly stated she is not writing a prequel, this was merely a good idea to raise money for worthy charities. The original was a handwritten story on a piece of A5 card which was auctioned off for £25 000.The story revolves around James and Sirius when they were teens. It was published online in June that year and can be read here. This original story was stolen earlier this year. The owner has stated that “If it’s destroyed, or if it’s lost, it’s a great loss” and whoever took it or may purchase it may not understand “the benefits to people out there [and] what it can do.” Already this story is expected to be worth £65 000.

The Short Stories

In 2016, three ebooks were released which contained short stories about Hogwarts that Rowling had written. I did not even know about these until I started researching so I am incredibly exited to get these and read them. Presented by Pottermore, these stories came from the Pottermore archives with exclusive new information added. The three ebooks are titled:

• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Heroism, Hardship and Dangerous Hobbies 
• Short Stories from Hogwarts of Power, Politics and Pesky Poltergeists
• Hogwarts: An Incomplete and Unreliable Guide