Where is my wand?

I saw the most recent Harry Portter movie this weekend, Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince. After the movie I tried to find my own  reason to why Harry Potter is so special to me and the other fans.

I can almost say that the reason is not the character, Harry Potter. In my opinion he is made more than what he appears to be by the people around him. Granted that I feel sorry for the kid for losing his parents in a tragedy, he is too confused and most of the time awkward in any social setting. He has too much to carry as a teenager and usually it makes me uncomfortable to watch him cope with the realities of his life. That is why I believe not Harry Potter alone, but Harry Potter together with all the muggles, owls, wands and the attendees of Hogwarts is what draws me into Rowling’s world of magic.

The idea of having a world outside of our “own” is not a new concept to us. It was apparent in Alice in the Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz and the Matrix. Most of us (like me) love the idea of having an escape pod to a completely different world where the indefinite problems and conflicts we face here  are no longer valid. Grocery shopping is no longer an activity at Hogwarts and it is just a wand hit away. Walking no longer makes sense as one can fly anywhere with the magic brooms. Broken noses can be fixed right away and the train ride is just to majestic to ever let go.

Once the movie starts we are all hypnotized with the famous Potter theme song, flying above the muggle world to Hogwarts where we focus on the ideals of a magical world and forget about everything else. We desperately wish to be behind the white screen, running around the ancient castle-like buildings with our own wands.

I guess we are all a bit disappointed. Until now we have all been stuck with a soda and popcorn instead.