Are you a Harry Potter child?

[Voldemorts8thHorcrux]

I just realized something today. I began reading HP at age 7, and I'm going to be done with the movies at almost age 17. Besides the cool HP symbolism, this series has been just such a substantial part of my life. Between this amount of time, I've always been an avid fan, still am, and I'm thinking it's probably the second biggest influence on me besides my parents, and only my parents because they affected me before HP .

Anyways, do you think you're a Harry Potter child? How much has this series affected your childhood and your attitudes, morals and beliefs? Or just in general? Do you think of it more as another series, or a significant part of your life?

[merrymarge]

No, I am not a HP child. I was in my 40's when I started reading the series. But, I have loved fairy tales, magic, and flying. And having a good imagination. Then there are the themes of the books-- love, friendship, perseverance, acceptance, good vs evil. these are pretty common themes in a lot of books, but even so, the way it's written shows how we need to be reminded what is important in life.

[Harry23]

I was 9 when I watched the first movie and I'll be 19 when the last one is out.

HP has affected me a lot. I've obsessed over it for so many years so its played a significant part in my life.

[xhanax315]

I was nine years old when I began Reading Harry Potter, and I can't believe I'll be twenty-one in just a few months. The series have shaped the person who I've become. I've said this many times before and I'll say it again, if it wasn't for the series I don't know that I'd be here today. I lost sight of myself, and through Harry and his story I was able to escape my own pain and endure his. My whole life has revolved around Potter, and since the series is drawing to a close with the lasts movie coming out, I'm afraid I'd find myself lost as I was before.

[AldeberanBlack]

I was a HP teen.

[Luna_Lovegood17]

I started reading them when I was seven. And they definately impact my life. I love the series and the characters in this book are my only true friends.

[dobby_rocks]

No No sadly I was not. I didn't read the books until Jan 2003, I turned 20 that May. Now my niece started reading them young she will 20 on Thanksgiving so she was probably 8 or 9 when she started reading them.

[guardianswan]

yes, I started reading the series at 11 and will be 22 next year when the last movie comes out. it's going to be so sad! haha. Harry has been such a substantial part of my life, I really feel that I've grown up with him. I hope that doesn't come across weird!
Although I wouldn't go as far to say I'd be a different person if I hadn't read the books, I think the books have been a big influence on me

[bellatrix93]

I was around eleven when I started reading Harry Potter and I'll be eighteen when it is over. The series, the characters were my only friends when I was lonely, and that wasn't uncommon or rare during that time of my life. I don't think the series shaped or changed my beliefs, but it definitely taught me lots of things, mostly the last four books. I'm not sure if I can explain this, but I don't think I would've been the same person without having read the series.

Originally Posted by xhanax315

and since the series is drawing to a close with the lasts movie coming out, I'm afraid I'd find myself lost as I was before.

I know what you mean, and I really hope this wouldn't be the case for anyone who found pleasure (or more than that) in the series.

[MISSsnake]

I actually grew up reading Harry Potter... yes yes.. I was 11 when I got the first book as a birthday present from my aunt... And I have to say I was very angry. You know, everything was full of Harry Potter at the time (the news, the magazines, classmates talking ONLY about the series...) so I somehow became fed up and I swore to stay "impartial" ... I thought I could perfectly manage without reading the HP books... and then I got mine as a present and it made me furious!!! I rejected to read it at first... but you know - my curiosity won at last and after 2 years!!! I decided to read the first book. And I got fascinated.... LOL Since then I have to say that the series has had a huge impact on me. It changed some of my attitudes and helped develop my imagination! I am 23 now, studying at a university and I am still sooo obsessed that I have decided to write my thesis about the HP series... so definitely YES - I was a Harry Potter child and now I am a Harry Potter adult.

[Sirius_Weasley]

I was 11 when I first began reading them and 12 when i finished. I'll be 13 1/2 when i finish the movies

[Miss_Bellatrix]

Yes, I'm definitely a Harry Potter child. I started reading the books when I learned to read (I was about 7 years old) and right now I'm 16 years old. I've grown up with Harry Potter and it has affected me in a great way. The books made me read other books as well, and they are the main reason to why I love to read!!

[captive_lolita]

I started reading Harry Potter when "Chamber of Secrets" came out in Germany (1998?) because my mum's an English teacher and she'd obviously followed the good reviews JKR was having at the time, and recommended it to me. Only she got the reading order wrong so I read CoS first, thought "huh?" and read her English copy of the "Philosopher's Stone" to catch up. XD

But I only became an "avid reader" when "Prisoner of Azkaban" came out. So I guess that was 1999, and I've been reading Harry Potter since I was 13! Wow. I remember reading it in class, spending 45 minutes behind a curtain reading about Sirius (foreshadowing much? ) because I'd sat there for the 5 minute break and the teacher never noticed me, and once 10 minutes of lesson had passed I couldn't just get up and go "Oh, you've started without me?" without getting into trouble. XD

My dad brought "Goblet of Fire" back from America for me as soon as it came out and from then on I'd only read them in English. (Yes, I'm European and have an American GoF book cover! It's so cute and kitsch! XD Sorry.)

I actually remember getting "The Order of the Phoenix" pre-ordered when it came out in English and being very excited because that was when I became really aware that there was a hype going on. Some newspaper article said something about German kids fighting their way through 800 odd pages of English text just to be up to date, to read it while everyone else was.

And then "Half Blood Prince" came out and I was living in England and made my girlfriend (who I'm still with, but wasn't with at the time of OotP) watch the PoA movie, and she fell in love with Remus and since then she's liked Harry Potter, too, although previously she'd said she never would.

So... it's been with me for a very, very long time and I'm sort of not looking forward to it being forgotten like "Lord of the Rings" and "Pirates of the Caribbean", my other big franchise loves. But then I was actually quite happy to see a photography client's living room decked out with her boyfriend's LotR memorabilia the other day

Yes I'm a Harry Potter child. I was 9 when I started reading and I just turned 19 a few weeks back. It's affected my life in lots of ways but one of the best is helping me start a friendship when I was 11 with someone who is now one of my closest friends. I was a painfully shy kid so I never used to make much effort to get to know other kids but on my very first day of secondary school I was put next to a girl I didn't know in an art lesson and to break the ice a bit she brought up Harry Potter and asked if I was into it. By the end of the lesson it was like we had known each other for years. We've been able to share our mutual love of HP for almost 8 years now and we've been through so much together and it all started because we had Harry Potter to talk about.

I'm so proud I was part of the Harry Potter generation and I think for a lot of people who grew up over the last decade and a half it'll always be something we can identify ourselves by.

[memi]

I started reading Harry potter when I was 7 years old and now a'm 16 and I still love harry Potter series. It has greatly influenced me . It has always been , still is and always will be my favourite book.

[Zefyr]

I can't remember when I first started reading them, but it was a long time ago when I was probably 8-ish. I'm 17 now, and I still read the books at least twice a year or I start to go crazy. Not that I'm not crazy already..

[Luminera]

I started reading the series when I was about 8 I learned how to read because of SS. I remember being totally in awe of the book. I loved it. I still have the same book ten years later and it's literally in three pieces from being so old and read so much. All of the books I grew up on and same with the movies. I am now 18 years old and still a dedicated fan. I am a Harry Potter Child.

[BJMJOOO]

The first book was published 30th June 1997, 6 months before I was born. I started reading HP 4 years ago after my Nan bought a box set for my Birthday. The first film came out when I was 3 and I watched the films before I read the books.
So, yes, I am a HP child.

The series has helped me through lots of hard times and helped me stay friends with people, even though they get on my nerves and annoy me somnetimes.

[exl2398]

Originally Posted by xhanax315

I was nine years old when I began Reading Harry Potter, and I can't believe I'll be twenty-one in just a few months. The series have shaped the person who I've become. I've said this many times before and I'll say it again, if it wasn't for the series I don't know that I'd be here today. I lost sight of myself, and through Harry and his story I was able to escape my own pain and endure his. My whole life has revolved around Potter, and since the series is drawing to a close with the lasts movie coming out, I'm afraid I'd find myself lost as I was before.

reread the series whenever you feel like you are lost. it will ground you again

I started reading harry potter in my mid 20s, though I wished I would have started earlier.

[leah49]

I'm an HP young adult. I started the series when I was 21 (I think I was 21) and the movies will end when I am almost 29.