What makes a true HP fan?

[joebthegreat]

You're not a true HP fan until you've tattooed his lightning-bolt scar to your forehead. You're not a true HP fan until you go running down the streets in your school robes, with your wand in hand, shouting curses at those who follow you. You're not a true HP fan until you've lost a friend arguing about Snape. True HP fans can lose marriages, and children, but they stick by what really matters. They stick by the books.

...

Or, you know, my definition is someone who read and enjoyed the books.

[MrsScamander]

Anyone with any degree of passion about the Potterverse I would consider a fan. If an HP book or movie has caused you to think critically about the world around you in terms of the themes set forth by JKR, I would consider you a fan. If you've happened upon something in the books or movies that made you want to find something else out about the wizarding world, then you are a fan. If you have felt strong emotion identifying with any of the characters in the series and maybe gotten to know yourself a little better because of them, then you are a fan.

Those are some examples that would draw the line for me between a casual reader/viewer and an HP fan.

[FireflySkies]

I would be a hypocrite if I said a true fan has read the books, and not just seen the movies. I love the Lord of the Rings movies, but I'll admit that I've never been able to get through the books. Many attempts, no successes (though I've read The Hobbit). And yet, it would hurt to be called a... Whatever the opposite of a true fan is-- a false fan?

I don't know, but I would say a true fan is someone who has read/seen the story and loved it. I don't think you have to study it in depth, know every little fact, or read the series five times over. That would make you a very dedicated, interested fan indeed, but no less of a true fan if you haven't done those things.

That's why I don't much care for the term "true fan". To me, it turns devotion into a competition, and I don't think that's necessary. I don't think it's even fun, turning your love of the series into knowledge grandstanding and having that passion get called into question all the time. But maybe that's just the Hufflepuff in me, haha.

[joebthegreat]

Originally Posted by FireflySkies

I don't know, but I would say a true fan is someone who has read/seen the story and loved it. I don't think you have to study it in depth, know every little fact, or read the series five times over. That would make you a very dedicated, interested fan indeed, but no less of a true fan if you haven't done those things.

That's why I don't much care for the term "true fan". To me, it turns devotion into a competition, and I don't think that's necessary. I don't think it's even fun, turning your love of the series into knowledge grandstanding and having that passion get called into question all the time. But maybe that's just the Hufflepuff in me, haha.

I completely agree with this. All you need to do is enjoy something to be a fan. An example I would give is the music I listen to. I don't need to know the name of the guy hitting those drums to know I like a particular song.

But seriously, read the HP books. (And seriously, don't read the LOTR books).

[GryffindorQuest]

I think that we shouldn't be saying that some people aren't true fans, but welcome everyone who discovers Harry Potter, and encourage the new fans to be part of our world =) Personally, I keep trying to persuade everyone to read the books x)

And if you're not a true fan of something, you know it, and admit it. If it hurts you when someone says you're not a true fan of something, then you're a true fan.

I think you are a true Harry Potter fan as long as you love Harry Potter ( but especially if you've read the books ).

As it has previously been said, it doesn't matter how you started, how big your Harry Potter collection is, how old you are… as long as you love Harry Potter. But fans who understand nothing to the story, are full of prejudice, pretend to be a fan just because they are in love with a character or an actor, are too much pervert, destroy their suspense just to know the end before the others (reading nothing but the end of HP7 for example), criticize Joanne Kathleen Rowling, etc… sometimes scare me.

I don’t think we can say that you have to love / to dislike the movies to be a true fan. That just depend of how you see the movies, if you rather compare them to the books, which are better than the movies (then you’re likely to dislike and criticize the films), or if you see them as a beautiful work of art related to your favorite story, not meant to be a copy of the best books ever, but that brings Hogwarts on screen with awesomeness and beauty (and you’re likely to absolutely love the films, even if there is still some things in the movies that aren’t right). I’ve been at first a fan of both books and movies, then, since the GoF, I belonged to the first group, and now I’m back in the second group since a bit more than a couple of years =) And I strongly advise to everyone who belong to the first group and wish to make it up with the movies to go to the Harry Potter Studio Tour when they can, where you can see all the awesomeness of the movies, how much they’re brilliant. When I went here I had not only the feeling to dive in the films, but also to dive in the books, because there are so many things that come directly from the books and that we hardly ever see on screen. And honestly, when I stepped into the Great Hall I just couldn’t breathe properly and nearly fainted – while I thought it was impossible to faint of emotion - it really is magical!

There is something a lot of fans don’t understand (but seeing what you wrote, most of you do) : Having a lot of Harry Potter merchandise, going to the Wizarding World or to the Harry Potter Studios, attending Premieres, having your own Quidditch team, having met J.K. Rowling, having autographs, etc… is definitely great, awesome and wonderful. But that don’t make you a bigger Harry Potter fan, that makes you a happier Harry Potter fan, and that’s different. For example, when I get my Nimbus 2000 or when I went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour, or to the last World Film Premiere, that made me a happier fan, but I wasn’t less fan before, and that isn’t a reason to say I’m a bigger fan than someone else who doesn’t have a Nimbus or haven’t been to the studios or to a premiere. I can’t afford a trip to Orlando even if I desperately want to go to the WWoHP, and that doesn’t make me less fan than people who had been there many times. It is how we feel that matter, and people saying that they are the biggest Harry Potter fan of the world are really annoying. It is stupid to compare our love for something, it can’t be calculated like that… In my opinion as long as you don’t stand anyone saying he is a bigger Harry Potter fan than you then you are one of the few thousands biggest Harry Potter fans of this planet =) (And I am one of these ! =D) Because people who aren’t huge fans of something admit it, for example, if we go on with The Lord of the Ring, I love it but I admit I’m not such a huge fan and that there is a lot of bigger fans of the LotR than me. And you don’t need to be one of the biggest fans of Harry Potter to be a true Harry Potter fan of course

It is only you that can say if you are a true Harry Potter fan =)

And after, of course, it is great to read Harry Potter countless times, to know little details, to collect Jo’s drafts, etc… But… Let’s all be happy to be Harry Potter fans and stop saying who’s a true fan and who isn’t, and who is the biggest fan, and all =) I completely agree with barrychenault who said

I'm pretty sure anyone on this forum is likely to be a true fan. Every post I have seen has just really made my heart smile...it's great to be able to discuss the best part of my childhood with people who care as deeply about it as I do. Long live Harry Potter!

Oh, and if J.K. Rowling also dedicated the seven book to you, then you are definitely a true fan