Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish. A prompt is given each week, and I hope to do it every week so I always have something going up on Tuesdays. This week I am discussing the top ten reasons why the Harry Potter fandom is the best fandom.
Our Devotion.
Our devotion to the Harry Potter series has no end. The last book has been out for about a decade, the last movie premiered 5+ years ago, and we are still keeping the story alive. We are still theorizing, writing fiction, making art, and discussing our favorites of each character, book, moments.
It Makes You A Better Person.
Not too long ago a few articles came out declaring that reading Harry Potter actually made you a better person. It is scientifically proven that reading Harry Potter helps fight prejudices that happen in the real world. It makes the reader a more empathetic person, and I find that to be something so amazing and true. Of course, not everyone who reads Harry Potter is automatically a good person, but if helps shape the minds of most of the readers to be more compassionate then that is a good thing.
J.K. Rowling.
J.K. Rowling is an amazing story teller, but she also speaks up about current events on her twitter. She cares about the wizarding world and the events happening in the real world as much as we do and she stands up for the things she believes in. I may not agree with her on every thing Harry Potter, but I do not deny she loves the story as much as we do. Plus, she donated so much money to charity she dropped off the Forbes Billionaire List. Her quote about it, "I think you have a moral responsibility, when you've been given far more than you need, to do wise things with it and give intelligently."
Quidditch.
If our sports were as exciting as Quidditch I'd be a raving lunatic fan. What I love about the fandom is that we treat Quidditch as a real sport by having Quidditch teams, Quidditch ping pong, and merchandise for teams like the Chudley Cannons. I absolutely love this, and I really want to watch a Quidditch game sometime.
We Are Everywhere.
Potterheads pop up in everything. We are always sorting other fictional characters in Hogwarts houses, we have Harry Potter references pop up in everyday life whether it is IRL or online, and you see Harry Potter references in literature and in the media, whether that be TV or movies. The phenomenon that is Harry Potter is everlasting, and we aren't going anywhere.
Harry Potter Merchandise.
We incorporate Harry Potter merchandise in our everyday lives. Scarves, gloves, hats, t-shirts, sweat pants, car decals, stationary, weddings, etc. I have a Head Girl pin that I wear occasionally when I want to channel my inner Hermione. When I see someone with HP merch I get so excited. Also, Warner Brothers and other companies that make HP merch get us Potterheads. They understand we want great authentic and quality merch. Which I appreciate.
Harry Potter Tattoos.
I think Harry Potter tattoos are some of the most beautiful tattoos I have ever seen. Like the merchandise, we wear our HP tattoos with pride and we feel a part of our own little gang. If I see someone with a deathly hallows tattoo, or if someone sees my HP tattoo, a comradery forms in a way I haven't experienced with any other fandom. Harry Potter is amazing at bringing all kinds of people together.
We Are Passionate.
When you're this invested in a world, especially if you grew up with the story and characters, you develop a lot of strong opinions and bonds. I will go down with my opinions about Ron Weasley being an amazing character, James Potter being the right fit for Lily, and Severus Snape being a bully and awful person who did good at the end. Because everyone has these deep seated opinions, debates happen, but in the end we remember that it's because HP means so much to all of us and we have that in common.
The Community.
We have created such a big community because of these books and movies. We have found friends in real life and through the internet because of our shared loved for the boy who lived. The series may be fictional, but it's real for us. The themes and lessons learned are real and helped shape a lot of us today. At least once a day I am reminded of the series, whether it be online, a quote I remembered, a character I am channeling to get through something, or just re-reading the series for comfort.
Hogwarts is Our Home.
No matter how old we are, we are still waiting for an owl to bring us our Hogwarts letter that got lost in transit. Until then, we all know that Hogwarts will always be there to welcome us home. All we have to do is open the books, press play, or create things inspired by the wizarding world. It's a comforting thing to know that something we grew up with will always be there but it's also comforting to know that we aren't alone. Harry Potter means the world to so many people, and there are good reasons for that.
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