Rating: 5/5 Falcons

In the years after the release of J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 1997, the Harry Potter series went on to sell over 500 million copies worldwide, with readers captivated by the storyline following a boy and his wizarding journey. The series not only changed lives, but also convinced every little kid who read it that they were secretly a wizard. 

I, of course, was one of the little kids who thought this, and was sorely disappointed when Hagrid did not come knocking at my door on my 11th birthday. Despite this shocking revelation, I continued to read the series religiously for many years to come.

There are many elements that make Harry Potter such a fantastic series, but one key factor that made it stand out was its main character trio: Harry, the brave, clever protagonist who was always in some sort of danger; Ron: the clumsy, sarcastic redhead who could always make the reader laugh; and Hermione, the smartest student in the grade who every little girl aspired to be. Their warm dynamic and empathy for one another, such as Ron leaving his family to help Harry hunt for Horcruxes, made the series enjoyable and created a sense of home for me. 

I remember when I became a little too obsessed with Harry Potter, to the point where I actually believed I was a wizard. Once, I had a dream where I used my magic wand to make a stick levitate. When I woke up, I excitedly went to my desk and tried using my wand — bought from my last trip to Harry Potter World — to levitate a book. To my disappointment, it did not work, causing me to break down in tears at the realization that I was a Muggle, a person who is sadly lacking in magical powers.

Although I love all the books in the series dearly, the one that will always remain superior is “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.” (And no, it is not because of Cedric Diggory.) In the book, Hogwarts hosts the Triwizard Tournament, in which the three biggest wizarding schools in Europe come together, each selecting one representative to participate in the tournament. Of course, although underage, Harry is somehow chosen to be a second representative of Hogwarts, thus beginning an action-packed story line filled with dragons, beastly merpeople and gut-wrenching plot twists. I loved reading about underwater rescues, maze chases and especially the Yule Ball.

Although I am way past the age to be reading “Harry Potter,” I hope to always treasure this memorable series that helped define my childhood.