The pervading power of Potter

“Every child in our world will know his name”

We can only speculate as to whether J.K. Rowling could feel the impending extent of the literal truth that this sentence would soon come to bear when writing the opening chapter of _Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone_, a book that for many adults and children alike became the gateway into a fantastical world of magic, myth and madness.

Even for those that wouldn’t describe themselves as die-hard fans, the story of the skinny, bespectacled boy wizard will undoubtedly, by now, have secured some form of significance in their lives.

I’m sure you will not dispute the fact that at least once during your childhood, you dressed up as Harry (or another character from the series), considered how extremely cool it would be to be able to zoom around on a broomstick (perhaps even secretly tried), longed to attend a school where there were ghosts and poltergeists and portraits that moved or even just anticipated a trip to the cinema with friends to see the latest instalment of the young wizard’s story.

Now, more than ever, at a time where the large part of our future is perhaps only a little more than a blur of uncertainty, Harry Potter will remain in the hearts and minds of many, reminding us all of the importance of strength in whatever it is we may strive for.

Despite the eventual success of the phenomenon, Rowling, like Harry, comes from fairly unassuming beginnings. While she was surviving on social security benefits, scribbling ideas in local cafés whenever time and the demands of being a single parent would permit, he was raised in a family that neglected and overlooked him.

In this sense, the story of Harry Potter mirrors the story of its birth beautifully, both tales accounting the desire to find identity, the fear of not being accepted, and most of all, the struggle to succeed; a struggle which, through stories of love, friendship, courage and redemption, is magnificently depicted.

Originally rejected by twelve British publishing houses, it was Bloomsbury that at last made the captivating world that until then only existed within the author’s head a reality.

It is strange to think that the series was initially marketed towards a target audience of young boys, when it has now reached possibly the widest range of readers in literary history. It has crept into adult imagination to fill a void largely ignored in the world of ‘grown-up’ fiction, which is evident from the writing and the themes, both of which deepen and darken intensely as the novels progress.

Harry is made to endure loss after loss; to encounter truly terrifying creatures; to embark on dangerous, life-threatening missions; to bear ridicule and slander from his community and to be impossibly brave in the face of death. Yet it is neither the writing nor the sheer genius of the ideas per se that make the books so special. What does is the way in which Rowling enabled us, as her readers, to grow up with them, to stay connected to the characters and to the story whilst we ourselves were growing and changing.

Surely enough, a ten year old reading the first book would not grow up to find that he was suddenly reading children’s stories, because as well as immaculately encapsulating the charm of childhood and the angst and anguish of teenage years, Rowling subtly yet impeccably illustrates the bits in between.

The small, intricate details that chronicle one stage of Harry’s journey to the next – the changes occur so accurately that they go unnoticed, but demand that we grow up with, and not ‘grow out of’ Harry Potter. It is this elusive quality to the writing that allows Harry to truly become everyone’s hero.

Essentially, Rowling’s saga embodies all of the values and ideals that dwell at the very core of human existence. For many, it is a form of escapism: a world filled with excitement, adventure and adrenaline. But aside from all the vigour of dragons and goblins and giants, it is a story about the virtue in innocence, the fight for what is right, and, principally, the immense power of love.

Even if we don’t spend hours tapping bricks every day trying to make secret entrances appear (not that we ever have), belonging to what has come to be coined the ‘Harry Potter Generation’ has affected our lives far more than we would have imagined.

For many of us, the end to the saga, closing with the final movie instalment last year, marked a crucial milestone: the realisation that the ‘growing up’ process is complete – we are now essentially alone in everything we care to venture. But with Harry in our minds, we can be comforted by the continuing influence he will have on all we think and do.

At this time especially, with our nearing graduations and the not-so-distant prospects of finding a job in the current economy, I am certain a part of us all wishes that instead, we too were out on the road hunting evil with two loyal accomplices by our side.