When I was ten years old, I read Harry Potter for the first time. It was a life-changing experience that opened up my imagination to a whole new world, and taught me valuable life lessons that I still think about to this day. Although many people may see the Harry Potter books just as a long story about a young, orphan wizard who attends school while trying to defeat the greatest wizard of all time, I see it as a whole new world full of thrilling adventures and life lessons. I believe that everyone should read all the Harry Potter books, so they can open up their minds to the magical world.

My sister introduced the books to me when I was in third grade, right after she had finished reading the series. She expressed to me for about a week straight how amazing the books were, and how I should read them. I was hesitant because the books seemed huge to my ten year-old self, but I finally caved and began reading. Once I started, I could not stop. I was as addicted to Harry Potter as smokers are to cigarettes. I was captivated by the writing of J.K. Rowling and the entire plot focused on Harry Potter and his adventures at Hogwarts with his best friends Ron and Hermione.

I was so fascinated by the books because it was so easy to get drawn in by the characters. They were like ordinary people that you could relate to, yet they got to live extraordinary lives and go on unreal adventures. Reading the books made me feel like I was right with the characters and experiencing the magical world with them. The books are so much more complex and interesting than the movies since they contain so much more information than a two and a half hour movie could squeeze in. The books also allow your mind to think more for itself, and imagine things the way you want to instead of being shown.

While reading Harry Potter for the first time, I understood what was going on, but I was too young to grasp some of the lessons and bigger pictures in the books. After reading each of the books many other times, I now get the points J.K. Rowling was trying to get across. Harry Potter taught me the importance of friendship. The friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione was so special; they were always there for eachother when nobody else was. Ron, who came from a family with little money but lots of love, took Harry in and made him a member of his family since Harry had no family of his own. Blood is not what makes people a family. Harry Potter also taught me about the power of love. Love is stronger than any kind of evil. Harry, a boy full of love, is able to defeat Voldemort, a man who has never felt love in his life, no matter the other powers he has attained in his life. Love is ultimately a man’s greatest power.

I learned about how courage and bravery are some of the most important traits a person can have. Bravery means standing up for what you believe is right and acting upon that, even if there are people out there that would not agree with you. Our choices and actions are what define who we are.

Reading the Harry Potter books opened up my eyes to a lot of choices and lessons in my life, and I believe they can do the same to everyone else.