Most people reading this are probably wondering why I need to devote an entire post to HP, but very few people actually know how much my life tends to hinge on this series.
When I was much younger my mother had forbade me from reading the Potter books as they were "satanic". Apparently she had read some article about Rowling's supposed real-life witchcraft that inspired her novels. Let me state up front that any such account is false. J.K. Rowling has stated on multiple occasions that she does not, and never has, believed in magic. She HAS stated that she believes in God. Any tabloid that says otherwise is plainly false. Anywho, around my sixth grade year she told me I was free to read whatever I wanted as she firmly believed I was old enough to form thoughts and opinions on my own apparently. I actually read in a jumbled order my first time as my school library had only books 3 and 4 on the shelf. Now I don't want to brag, but I finished book three and four within two days as I had absoliutely no life back then apart from reading. Side note: I actually still held the school record for reading three years after I left midschool; it may still hold but I am far to lazy to go check at this point.... The main point of all this was to simply explain that from the first moment I started reading the books I was in love. This was not fleeting teenage crush. No, this was something much deeper and heartfelt.
Shortly after I started the series the 5th book came out so it was not a long wait at all. I think this is why I never made a huge deal out of the release. However when HBP came out it was a much different story. At this time in my life I had many "friends", but none that I would "hang" with on a consistent basis. Due to this I spent most of my summer days at home. My sister was always too polite and quite to bother me much, but my older brother liked to make it his life goal to ruin mine. This was no cute sibling rivalry; so get nice pictures of joyful teasing out of your mind. My brother emotionally and mentally manipulated and abused me simply for the sheer knowledge that he could. I hold none of this against him now, and I don't even think he knows how bad he was, but my parents and sister were witnesses to this. Due to this abuse I would usually stay locked away in my room reading. I could relate to Harry in this way as his summer months were usually spent in similar ways. Harry had a few things up on me though.
First, and most obviously, he had friends at school who deeply cared for him. Even though I had "friends" that I would occasionally joke around with, I never really had true friends when I was younger and even up into parts of high school. The people I considered my friends would usually let me eat lunch with them, but when they would go do what normal kids do after school (have fun) I was never invited. So even during the school year I really just had my books.
Harry also excelled at various things. These included quiddich, Defence against the Dark Arts, coming up with witty retorts to bullying, and having courage to stand for what's right. I did cross-country and track, but was almost always last. I was so bad at music that I was the first student ever not to be allowed to march in Bayfield. Whenever someone was mean to me I always ended up looking the less intelligent at word-play. And my faith was very far from being my own.
At this point I realize this sounds much like a whiny sob-story, but it is about to turn around.
After reading the final HP book something clicked in my brain. I finally realized the point of it all. I finally figured what made Harry such a likable character, and it was just that: his character. Though far from perfect Harry exemplifies what it truly means to fight for what is right. To hold love, honor, and equality above ones own selfish agenda. I could go on for hours about how the inner/overarcing themes of HP are the perfect example of altruism, but for your sake I wont. I finally realized how petty I am, and how much of a waste of a life I had been. It revolutionized my way of thinking. Not overnight mind you. This process has been long and still may never be completely finished, but it was the Harry Potter series that helped me start. It was this series that made me strive for perfection in music, which after only eight months of playing drums I was not only marching with the band, but I was drumline captain. By another four months I was outplaying the top drumset player who had been drumming for close to seven years. I say none of this to brag, but only to make an example of what determination can do. Also for the record my mile time is close to two whole minutes faster than when I last did track.
I have the HP audiobooks and now have listened trough the series close to twenty times (no joke). I have also ready through the series 8 times. I listen to these books at work, in the car, at home during Christmas, and virtually anywhere I can. I am so emotionally tied to this series that every time I finish book seven's epilogue I go on the verge of tears for about two days straight. I become so emotionally impassioned that I have twice now packed up all that I own in an attempt to simply just leave my town right then and go devote my life to doing good and bringing down evil wizards.
I know there was little point to this post and the thoughts are very scattered, but it was about time I wrote about this. Also I had been meaning to write on this blog for a few weeks and this just seemed like the easiest topic to write on as my other works (aka. my written testimony) have just been to mentally difficult and draining to write, as that post I am trying to make perfect. If you haven't read the series then please do as it is amazing beyond proper explanation I hope you enjoyed my rant on Harry Potter. If you did not enjoy it then I apologize for wasting your time... Actually that was a lie. It's your own dang fault for reading this.
Live Long and Prosper,
Benjamin Renfro
