SORRY HARRY POTTER FANS

Long years ago I made a tryst with destiny, never to read Harry Potter in my lifetime. Now the time has come when I shall break my pledge, not wholly or in full measure but very substantially. A time comes, but comes rarely when an inane yokel (like I am) realizes his folly and takes requisite steps to rectify his wrongdoings. Today, I step from darkness into light, from ignorance into reality. Today, as I read Harry Potter for the first time in my life, I feel guilty, I feel stupid, I feel deprived, I feel inconsolably sorry for having shown as much derision to Harry Potter and to JK Rowling as I have over the years. Had it not been for the sincere efforts of my friends, I would never have reconsidered my abysmal decision of despising Harry Potter. It is only due to their efforts, perseverance, tolerance, persuasive skills and passion for Harry Potter that I decided to read Harry Potter (intention was to prove them wrong). It is only when I reached page 223 (that was the last page of the book… don’t go and search for some earth shattering discoveries on that page) of the first volume of Harry Potter that I realized how erroneous, how mistaken, how foolish I had been over the years. There is no one but me to blame for the deprivation of fantasy I suffered. Had it not been for my obstinate attitude, I would have been in the league of the extra-ordinary gentlemen and gentlewomen (I mean Harry Potter readers). Had it not been for my irrational derision, I would have been respected in society and not looked down upon as an outcast. Had it not been for my erroneous belief, I would have been branded ‘COOL’ and not a ‘FOOL’.

I would like to take this opportunity to convey my sincere apologies to all Harry Potter fans, to Mrs. JK Rowling, to BloomsBury, to Harry Potter, to Hermione, to Professor Dumbledore, to Voldemort, to Ron Weasley, to Dranco Malfoy, to Hagrid, to Professor Snape, to Professor Quirrel to {Professor Flitwick, to the Dursley family and all other personalities that have Harry Potter what it is today. If in the event I may have verbally maligned any of the characters (which I have done very often), I sincerely apologize for all such heinous acts and plead guilty.

May I make it known that I am still not the most convinced with the concept (reading only one out of 7 books is surely not convincing enough… until you get till volume seven, you would still believe you are right). It is purely escapism epitomized. Anyway, illusion is far better than reality. Reality is also an illusion, albeit a persistent one. To admit, JK Rowling’s world is an amazing world to live in. I bet, Rowling’s world would be far more interesting than merely slogging for CPT (both dress-rehearsal and grand finale). What’s most admirable about Rowling’s writing style is her humility when it comes to vocabulary and not merely extravagantly exhibiting her exhaustive vocabulary. To Harry Potter goes the credit of making those persons take up tomes, who till then despised reading as a boring activity, an activity of the useless. To Mrs. Rowling goes the credit to inspire people to have faith in their ideas when the world opposes you. To Mrs. Rowling goes the credit of creating a world that never existed and making millions believe that it actually did. Harry Potter is more like a safety valve, where you can release all your stress. Maybe such a world would serve as a panacea for those disillusioned by the drooling reality and grinds of daily life.

In fact, Harry Potter is bliss. A fantasy, an escaped world, a heaven, a marvel, a phenomenon, a flight of imagination, Harry Potter is creativity personified. Its only when you read and see for yourself that you would realize how wrong you were. “I confess to almighty God, and to you my brothers and others (not sisters), that I have sinned through my own fault; in thoughts and in my words; in what I have done and what I have failed to do. And I ask Mrs. JK Rowling and all the Harry Potter fans, to intercede for me.”