I Miss You Harry: A Reflection on the Wizarding Phenomenon

 I Miss You Harry

A Reflection on the Wizarding Phenomenon

  

There are several instances in my life that I have felt magic, but nothing quite feels like the first time I fell in love. It was sudden, intense, and took me by surprise. Specifically, my relationship was with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. We were quite serious for a while, at least before everything came tumbling down.

I was a cliché, the child who began reading because of Harry Potter. I would go on to love other books, other stories, but nothing compares to the first one. That feeling of wonder is impossible to recapture. When I opened Harry Potter for the first time, I felt magic down to my very soul.

Harry Potter is a cultural juggernaut. Aside from the original seven book series, it sprawled into websites, more books, movie franchises, a world at Universal Studios, plays, musicals, and assorted merchandise. It helped engage generations of readers and is still the best-selling children’s book series in history.

Harry Potter and I went through a lot together. There would be other books and other authors and I would eventually lose my respect for J.K. Rowling, but Harry? Harry could never lose me. He was an entity that had helped shape me into the person I was, who started my journey down the world of literature. No one could take him away from me, not even contrived movies with plot holes, not even drug scandals, not even TERFs.

Harry and I have had fights over the years. I have analyzed him, seen his flaws, torn him apart, but ultimately, we always come back together. Really, there is no man that will probably be as faithful. Unfortunately, his presence in pop culture has exposed the darkness within the wizard world, and I am not talking about Lord Voldemort.

Despite not suffering financially, J. K. Rowling clearly craves the fame she once had. Unfortunately, that has only caused people to become disenchanted with that very creation. From culturally appropriating Native American figures to slandering the very trans kids who supported her, she has managed to alienate many of the people who once adored her. Of course, after reading the books again, many fans, myself included, are forced to face the truth: this person was always there. We were just blind to it, distracted by the magic.

Rowling’s politics and continuous expansion of the Harry Potter universe has created many questions about death to the author, whether that is enough or not. On a less controversial note, it has also brought up what qualifies as canon and whether the author is truly the Word of God. So, while she might live with a bit more infamy, in some ways she has gotten what she wanted. No one will stop talking about her and her work. She will likely not be forgotten soon.

I am not sure where we go from here. I love you Harry, but sometimes, love is not enough.

 

About Crystal Sosa

Crystal Sosa is a PhD student at Texas Woman’s University. She is also a professor at San Jacinto College and a native to Houston. She spends her free time writing fantasy novels or talking about the queer agenda. You can contact her at csosa6@twu.edu. You can find more of her work here.