‘Happy Birthday Harry’. It’s been 25 years since we were first introduced to 11-year-old Harry Potter, the boy who lived; that means he’d have turned 36 this week, the same age as the series’ epilogue puts him at.
It is coincidently the same age as I turn this year – and perhaps that’s why I’m writing about this milestone moment. When I was introduced to the books, I was 11 and dreamed of a world with magic and dragons – a place where an owl might drop by with a thick parchment inviting me to come to Hogwarts, the ancient school of witchcraft and wizardry. This obviously didn’t happen – but the spell cast then has remained.
I’m not the only one whose mind has trilled with spells, thought of hippogriffs and flying on broomsticks – I set out to find fellow Potterheads (the state is common enough for us to have a group name); to try to decode the charm the set yields; to figure out the lure of the lore and how it has helped people.
For 32-year-old Kriti Puranik, these books were more than just stories; they were a balm. “My father used to beat me up brutally quite regularly. Reading the series or the book in hand was the best escape and comfort I could afford through those years. It also helped me shape my thought process about forgiving and the importance of love and kindness,” she tells Gulf News.
Books or movies?
While the movies focused on the two big houses: Gryffindor (Harry Potter) and Slytherin (Voldemort), the books had a more tempered approach, fleshing out each of the four houses, allowing fans to not just identify with the cunning or courageous but also critical thinkers and a justice seekers.
Puranik’s brush with the first book, which goes by two names – ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ and ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ – depending on where you are in the world, was thanks to a birthday present. “I was introduced to Harry Potter by my uncle. He had sent me a copy of the first book as a birthday gift through another friend. Little did he know that Hogwarts would soon become my escape for all the years to come,” she says.
“When the ‘Order of the Phoenix’ came out [in 2003], I was in Melbourne. My mother still reminds me about how I made her stand with me all night outside the [book] store just to get my hands on a copy,” she laughs.
“I may be older now but every day is about being a Hufflepuff, mentally sorting people into houses. I re-read the series each year and am on the second book [‘Chamber of Secrets] for this year. I promote the series to every child I meet. If there is one single series of books that can be comforting, teach friendships, bravery, betrayal, camaraderie, love and resilience, literally everything that takes up human psychology and be a study in brilliant storytelling, this is it! All my birthday cakes have been Harry Potter themed. For my 32nd birthday, I got a huge map of the magical world around Hogwarts from my friend, the time turner necklace and a pair of gold snitch studs,” she says.
Age doesn't affect connection
Anupriya Sharma is another avid fan who joins the legions of re-readers each year. “I bought the third book [‘Prisoner of Azkaban’] in Singapore when it came out. I was the only adult standing in line with a whole bunch of little kids,” she laughs.
I bought the third book [‘Prisoner of Azkaban’] in Singapore when it came out. I was the only adult standing in line with a whole bunch of little kids.
When 39-year-old expat Sana Gaglani introduced her children – 11-year-old Mishkaat and 7-year-old Mishal – to the books, she may not have quite expected the influence it would yield on the young minds.
Besides helping them on a day-to-day level; Mishkaat says that she uses it as comfort food; it’s had some interesting practical effects. Mishkaat coupled her love for coding with her love for the books, creating games based on the Harry Potter series. She’s used it as a reference for her theatre auditions and for dress-up day at school. “It increased my love for book reading,” she adds.
– Albus Dumbledore, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone'
“I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed. ‘Never be ashamed,’ my ol’ dad used ter say, ‘there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth botherin’ with.'”
– Rubeus Hagrid, 'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'
“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”
– Albus Dumbledore, 'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone'
“Sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often. Best to say nothing at all, my dear man.”
– Albus Dumbledore, 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'
“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
– Albus Dumbledore, 'Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets'
“The ones that love us never really leave us. You can always find them in here.”
— Sirius Black, 'Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban'
“Words are, in my not so humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic, capable of both influencing injury, and remedying it.”
— Albus Dumbledore, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2'
Mishal meanwhile uses her skills on a piano to belt out music from the movies. “I also enjoy the car rides when we (I, my sister and my mother) quiz each other about the HP books,” she adds.
Canadan expat Pooja Sardana is 39 years old, and her love for Harry Potter has only grown over the years. “The series was so beautifully written and relatable and though it felt silly to read a children’s book and wait in anticipation for it in my 20s; it was just so engaging,” she says.
The thing about 'Harry Potter' – the story of the underdog who wins – is particularly poignant because, she says, it has magic, but it’s not about magic – not really. “It was about the characters and each one brought something to the table. The struggle between good and evil, right and wrong and finally when you start questioning it all at the end and see the other motivations, that’s what I think really struck as not really being a children’s book but rather a compelling story.
There are so many incredibly outlined themes here, the losing of innocence and of celebrating differences, of the importance of family, about finding heroes in the strangest of places.
“There are so many incredibly outlined themes here, the losing of innocence and of celebrating differences, of the importance of family, about finding heroes in the strangest of places. And as a person in their 20s trying to find myself in the world as an expat, who is in a different country speaking a different language, far from home - it allowed me to explore other ways of being the person I am,” she says.
Ayla Khakwani is a recent addition to the Potterhead family. At age 10, she began to read the saga two months ago – today, she’s seven books in and hooked. “When I started reading the book, I couldn’t put it down she says. My favourite character is Hermione, who is super smart,” she adds.
Why Hogwarts is important
Dr May Mazen Hasan, Specialist Paediatrics at UAE-based Medcare, says it’s highly beneficial to foster a love for reading in a child. “Reading can support children manage their feelings, emotions and mental health. Books help in good times and tough times. It allows children understand different emotions and experiences in life. It helps them increase their attention span and teaches them to listen more attentively when being read to,” she explains.
It also allows for discussion and the ability to present a point of view. “Expressing how the child feels towards the book is a very important step in understanding how the content affects them,” she adds.
Reading can support children manage their feelings, emotions and mental health.
Fantasy and pretend play in the world of children has a lot of positive benefits, says Dr Hasan. “It encourages imagination and creativity, builds one’s ability to be flexible, improves language and communication skills.”
‘Cradle Series’ by Will Wright: This saga centres on a seemingly talentless boy in a world of ninjas and epic wars as he tries to build himself by sheer force of will. He only discovers the secret to skill when he exits his comfort zone – something we could all learn from.
‘Mother of Learning Arc 1’ by Domagoj Kurmaic: This web series sees Zorian, a mage in training, get stuck in a time loop where each month he finds himself headed back to magic school. While this loop allows him to learn more than his fellow magicians, it’s also a space that leads him down dark doors, to face off against angry necromancers and – well – quite a lot of death.
Kirstan Lloyd, Clinical Psychologist at UAE-based Reverse Psychology, adds: “Psychoanalytically, literature is a lot like dreams. Books offer a vehicle to express or process unconscious desires, tensions or wishes. The reader can project themselves into the writing and process their own psyche through the story or by identifying with the characters. Books can also be powerful teachers and purveyors of archetypal life lessons.
Psychoanalytically, literature is a lot like dreams. Books offer a vehicle to express or process unconscious desires, tensions or wishes.
"Moreover, books can be a wish fulfilment: a world that is more black and white than the real world, where we can believe that the underdog (the protagonist who we usually identify with) is able to triumph over the forces of evil (be it their tormentor, abuser, Lord Voldemort). We can believe that goodness prevails and that the bad guys get their dues. We can also believe that maybe, just maybe, we will receive a letter to Hogwarts, which will save us from our metaphorical cupboard-bedroom under the stairs and open us up to our own inner magic, allowing us to embrace our true selves and be seen for who we are: the boy that lived. We can project our suffering into the protagonist and use their victory as a beacon of hope that one day we will self-actualise.”
