Harry Potter
I’m always shocked when I meet people a little older or a little younger than me who didn’t grow up reading Harry Potter. For a moment, I wonder if it’s even possible to connect. And if my future spouse hasn't read it, how will we raise our kids?? I know this is an extreme response and I’m an adamant believer in not judging people’s preferences, but this particular case tests my resolve. That's the impact of the Harry Potter generation.
Every member of this generation has fond memories of staying up late reading Harry Potter under the covers or waiting in line at the bookstore to get their hands on the latest copy. A lot of kids first discovered their love of reading through Harry Potter. My brother certainly did. Our mom read the entire series to us out loud, despite the stigma against it in the missionary community (because witchcraft 🙄). Every road trip through the hills of northern Thailand, every international airport layover, every foot rub she demanded in return for lending us her voice. If we weren’t begging for another chapter, she was. Harry Potter is in our family’s DNA.
The movies came out when I was 11 years old, the same age as the protagonists. I’ll never forget how Mom and Dad tricked us into thinking we were traveling to a completely different city when they were actually driving us three hours away to an English-speaking movie theater in Chiang Mai. When they pointed out the poster and I finally realized where we were, I fell backwards into their arms, completely overwhelmed by their undeserving generosity. As silly as it sounds, that moment is still the best picture I have of God’s extravagant grace towards me.
On our last beach vacation before my brother and I returned to the States for college, we managed to find a misprinted copy of the final book. We spent the first three days barely leaving the hotel room as we read the final chapters of the story. Tears streamed down each of our faces and Mom fought through sobs as she read the last few pages. Harry’s story was coming to an end - and for us, the end of an era. We had a few more movies to see but the magic had already begun to fade.
Sometimes I wonder if every generation has its Harry Potter and this was just ours, a childhood obsession overblown by nostalgia. But then I catch myself processing the world today through the perspectives and lessons these books taught me. That evil exists. That we must stand up to it at great risk to ourselves. That living in denial or standing idly by is no moral solution. That we may be awkward and ordinary but we are also swelling with importance. Even now, our dear Emma Watson carries on the spirit of Hermione in her global work for a more just and compassionate world. I know Harry Potter is powerful because like all of us, this story formed her, too.
