Here's why one should enter the magical world of Harry Potter...

“Harry – yer a wizard.” This one single sentence uttered by a big, hairy man was all it took for 11-year-old Harry Potter’s dismal life with the Dursley’s to change for the better. And along with that, it also gave an entire generation of readers a direct entry to the magical world of Hogwarts.

Harry Potter is a fantasy series written by JK Rowling. The series consists of seven books, the first of which was published in 1997. The books were later adapted into eight movies.

Harry Potter, an orphan, lives with his aunt and uncle, and their spoiled and insolent son, Dudley. They spare no chance at making Harry’s life miserable, and he’s thoroughly unhappy. His life changes on his 11th birthday, when he learns that he isn’t an ordinary boy, that he has magic in his blood. He’s welcomed into the wizarding world, which exists parallel to the non-magic world, secretive and hidden from the eyes of Muggles.

Muggles are non-magic people like you and me (I know, it’s damn dull and boring).

Harry is enrolled into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and he embraces his new life, learning magic and making friends. But, there’s also a dark side to this world. When Harry was just a baby, Lord Voldemort, the most feared Dark wizard of all time, murdered his parents and attempted to kill him, as well. But the unexpected happened. Harry survived with only a scar on his forehead, while Voldemort disappeared. His powers gravely weakened by his own rebounded curse, all because Harry’s mother sacrificed her life for him (love still holds the strongest power, even in the world of magic). The books are based around the adventures of Harry and his friends Ron and Hermoine and how they fight Voldemort and his army of death eaters.

For a long time, I’d been wary of the books due to its seemingly spooky nature. But once I started reading, I became bewitched by it. Rowling has written the books in a simple language, which planted vivid images in my mind, and made me feel as though I was actually watching the events unfold. Her words kept me engrossed with intriguing adventures, amusing events and awe-inspiring personalities. If you are a fan of fantasy fiction, then the Harry Potter series is a must read. The books are loved by young children and adults alike; although, in my opinion, this series is most suited to young adults. Grown-ups don’t usually prefer fantasy fiction, and the Harry Potter books are not very ideal for small children as things get increasingly darker and violent as the series progresses.

The ones who only have a vague idea about Harry Potter, tend to think that it’s all about the ‘hocus-pocus’, spooky haunts, dark villains, and its likes. That’s what I had even thought, but I can assure you most certainly that it’s not all that the books are about. The Harry Potter series is magical in every sense of the word. It’s also about life, true friendship, courage, loyalty, sacrifice and acceptance. And as the popular saying goes, it is not a love story, but a story about love.

J.K Rowling’s words left me dreaming about the majestic Hogwarts and its mysteries. It completely enraptured with the adventures of the lightning bolt-scarred hero and his friends. The action-packed tales and nail-biting events kept me hooked until the very end. The books struck the right balance between its various facets; while it was mysterious, intense and heart wrenching in nature, it had its fair share of humour and relaxing moments. I also felt that I could relate to the characters because the series mostly revolves around the life of teenagers.

Another matter that the books address is the discrimination and acceptance of differences. The wizards belong to different races. There are purebloods, half-bloods and Muggle-borns. The conservative side of the wizarding world considers purebloods as superior to others, as true wizards, while Muggle-borns, offensively called Mudbloods are considered to be filthy and undeserving of magic.

Out of the seven books, my personal favourite is The Prisoner of Azkaban, and the one I liked least of all was the Order of the Phoenix. In my opinion, the books are much better than its movie adaptations, as the movie-makers left out and twisted some essential aspects and features. I recommend everyone to read the books before watching the movies.

To all the Potterheads out there, let’s face it- at some point, we’ve all taken long sticks, imagined it as our ‘wands’, pointed them at an object and exclaimed, “Expeliarmus”. And needless to say, we’ve been disappointed when the spell didn’t work. The series might have ended a long time back but the tales penned down by the queen of magic continues to captivate readers across the globe. It is a series that one can’t put down easily, and I, for one, couldn’t stop.

So, if you haven’t read the series as of yet, go ahead, give it a try. Keep some ‘Firewhiskey’ handy just in case, ‘cause your life could just get completely magical’.

Nirmita Bhattacharya is a class XII student and an avid reader.