I am “generation Harry Potter” (and please, I really do not wish to discuss JK Rowling right now). What I mean is that I was just the right age when the books where first published and I grew up with them being a few years younger than the protagonists.

Now I did not have the most ideal childhood. My home situation was complicated and I was home alone a lot. I also was a sickly child and had to stay home from school often. I did not get much but I wish for a new book every now and then and when I was home alone because of a tonsilitis my mom bought me Harry Potter. I was 9.

Since then HP somehow became my comfort zone, my safe space. Whenever I felt like shit I would hole up in my room and read through the HP books. As a teen I never told anyone since I already understood it was weird to read a book again and again to flee from reality. But I figured it will phase out once I am an adult and “figured stuff out”.

Well, it didn’t. You can guess how old I am given the above information and through all my 20’s and then 30’s til now I kept turning to the HP books whenever something bad happened. Especially something grief and death related.

Yesterday my grandmother died completely unexpectedly (I mean, she was old but she was relatively well until now and she was out for a coffe and cake and then dinner the day before yesterday with my parents even. Sudden fatal heart attack not even 24 hours later. I missed the chance to see her again after months of not visiting. We had planned a day together on Dec 1st. I am incredibly sad and full of guilt).

I took off of work today and now I am at home, sudden crying outbursts all the time and it’s like my whole body and mind scream for my personal method of “relief”: Lay in bed with a hot cup of tea and HP and the sorcerers stone and just nope out of real life. I know this is not healthy and a little weird but it helps me so much.

I just wanted to know if others know this feeling as well… and what your comfort book and story is.

  • LeChatNoir04@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    I watched the latest Fantastic Beasts movie this weekend (meh) and the disappointment got me thinking about the wizarding world in general, and how even despite the latest releases being mediocre, how that universe feels like home to me. It’s as you said, I’m from the same generation, I was in the right age when the books came out, and I think it’s impossible to shake off the affection and comfort those books bring me (not that I want to).

    • Ruadhan2300@alien.topBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      Wholly with you.

      For me, Harry Potter as a franchise peaked at Goblet of Fire.
      The climax and the return of Voldemort is literally the point where the series started going outside of the scope that I bought into as a kid. Every single book, play and film produced after that singular moment is downhill from that point, with rare highlights that resurface.

      For me, the whole franchise is fundamentally about a boy who learns he’s actually a wizard, goes to wizard school and is blown away by the magic of that experience.
      I truly do not want anything outside of that, and nothing that strayed from that formula has managed to stick with me.
      I have to think hard to remember the plots of the later books in any detail.

      Fantastic Beasts did very very little for me. It was nice to see wands and magic in new ways, but it wasn’t what I look for in my Harry Potter franchise stuff.

      I think if there was a way to draw me back to it, it would be a TV series set at Hogwarts. Maybe when Harry’s parents were at school. Give me that golden glow of happiness that Harry’s early years captured.