The Pottermania

What comes to your mind when you hear Harry Potter? Some people say it's “Magical”. Others might say it's “Mind blowing”. Few of them might disagree and say that it is not worth it. For me, it was my childhood. Well everyone is entitled to have their own opinion. But one cannot deny the fact that it is one of the most popular franchise.

The overall just

The Harry Potter series was created by J.K Rowling with its first novel 'Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’ released in 1997.

From then this 7 part books series has been made into a movie franchise that has gained wide popularity and recognition. This franchise was nominated for 12 Academy Awards over a period of eight films. Although it received none of the awards it was still loved by the masses.

With a series so popular you expect a massive fan base consisting of children and adolescent. But it also touched the demographic of adults and the elderly. Daniel Radcliffe who plays Harry Potter quotes ”it is the magic of the fans which made the franchise popular”.

The Harry Potter fan base call themselves as 'POTTERHEADS’. Famous personalities like Barack Obama, Prince William and Kate Middleton, Jennifer Lawrence, Seth Rogen, Keira Knightley etc claim to be Potterheads. Potterheads show up in various comic convention portraying their beloved character from Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore to Lord Voldemort also known as ‘you know who’.

Merch is important

To cater to this fanbase you have limited edition collectables from wands to snitches to time turner. As if the collectables are not enough, Bloomsbury (the publisher of the 7 part series) rolls out a new edition of the novels every few years. And with every edition, you get a new set of vividly illustrated covers that are bound to cast a spell on you.

Impact on people

People often tend to think that the series is nothing more than a really good story
to overcome boredom. However, this isn't the only reason why Harry Potter has such a cult-like following. The series has played a pivotal role in many peoples life. For instance, a girl named Maria Hooper (name changed) has claimed that the series helped her to overcome a condition like depression. Have you heard a series that saved someone's life? It did for Juniper. Juniper was a premature baby. She is born 4 months before her due date. Her parents used to read Harry Potter to her. With each passing day, she became better and better. Today, she is a healthy kindergarten girl who is also a Potterhead just like her parents. Her parents attribute her miraculous recovery to Harry Potter.

Nostalgia

Well, Harry Potter has that effect on people. It did change my life. It was part of my childhood. At the beginning of every summer vacation, there was a segment called May Movie Magic which featured Harry Potter movies on TV. I used to watch every single movie back to back. Even today I enjoy watching these movies. Reading the book series was even more magical. It made me fall in love with reading.

People ask me why am I obsessed with this series. The reason is that it's very relatable to me. The hardship of school life, friendship and the love for your family portrayed in the movie appealed to me. The characters were like my friends and my teachers. They taught me the nuances of human emotions and the power of love.

There is magic in all of us. We just need to find it.