None of my friends actually understood my obsession with Harry Potter-the world's favourite bespectacled boy wizard. There's a small but significant reason behind why I like the series so much, despite having read every book just once front to back (albeit I've watched every movie at least 50 times). The story goes 9 years in my past, to the year 2001, even before the first Harry Potter movie was released. I'd just been "blessed" with a pair of ugly, dark brown eyeglasses, similar to the ones worn by Harry. I never really got a chance to wear them in school...most of the time they would be an object of playing catch-catch by a few tall bullies in my class. My untidy, fast growing hair earned me many black remarks in my school diary, and I wasn't very happy with the domination I faced because of my small size.
And then came Harry Potter, smashing the Indian movie screens on 12th April, 2002, and slowly but steadily, my life began to change. Wizards, Vampires and Werewolves had always caught my attention as a child, and I began reading the first book with an unexplainable interest. Every time Rowling described Harry's personality, I'd see a lot of myself in him. Although one of my friends can still beat me hands down as far as resembling Daniel Radcliffe in appearance is concerned, I was soon nicknamed "Harry Potter" by a lot of my friends, and subsequently, even by a few of my teachers. My "bullies" soon ignored me, and I began to lead a quiet life, the way I wanted it to be!
I was a lesser known name outside my classroom for a major part of my schooling days, but it didn't take too long for people to see the remarkable similarities between Harry and me... the untidy jet black hair, a thin face (that I owe to years of bad eating habits), knobbly knees and "small and skinny for his age" as Rowling has described him. I've had a few experiences where random people on the road have called me "Harry Potter"! Except the magic, the green eyes and the lightning-bolt shaped scar (I even drew a similar scar on my forehead with a red sketch-pen, for the record), I and Harry were twins!
Years passed, I read more about Harry, and realised how our lives were somewhat similar. Harry doesn't have parents, though, I'm lucky enough that we have this difference between us. But apart from that, we both have a little trouble expressing what we feel, both are good only at ONE sport, both like to be left alone when it comes to deciding situations, both choose to divulge secrets only to their best friends. Except that Harry's Ron and Hermione for me has been my younger brother Priyaj. I even have three relatives who resemble the Dursleys and treat me the exact way how Harry is treated. Both of us are strongly guided by our own conscience, and have a keen feeling of what is right and what is wrong. Our two worst character flaws are "anger and occasional arrogance", as even Rowling says (about Harry). This just shows how human Harry is, setting aside the supernatural powers that he has, I somehow feel that there's a Harry in all of us!
Throughout my school life I've had many Snapes, Mad-Eyes and Slughorns teach me, I even had a Science teacher who was just like McGonagall! I've met a "Colin Creevey", lots of "Draco Malfoy's", yet not a single Sirius or Hagrid. Or maybe I haven't realised this because my parents seem to be a lovable combination of James, Lily, Hagrid, Sirius and Lupin as well! Dumbledore for me was my grandfather, who, in a very short span of time taught me a lot of things that I'll never forget. I haven't found a Ginny yet, but then again, I haven't really met a family as loving and HUGE (can't forget that, can we?) as the red-haired Weasleys!
My Harry Potter addiction didn't wear off even in Engineering. Somehow I found ways to keep Harry's world alive in my heart, then be it my feeble attempt at writing "Albus Severus Potter Goes To Hogwarts", or almost having written a letter to J.K.Rowling asking her to write one more Harry Potter book.
I'll never grow tired of Pottermania. The haunted grounds of Hogwarts may be out-of-this-world, but with its blend of earthly familiarity and practical magic, it has absolutely captivated my mind! Harry's gripped me so tightly that no matter how much I try, I can't shrug off the memories of those days of waiting for the stamp less "thick and heavy" envelope "made of yellowish parchment with the address written in emerald-green ink, and a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H on its back side", or the night before my 11th birthday, when I desperately waited for the door to bang open and a half-giant to tell me, "Yeh're a wizard Tanuj!"
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