This beloved series has helped many children and adults get through tough times. J.K. Rowling wrote these books and made the characters that we all know and love, lovable. The story taught me about courage, to believe in myself, to fight for something that is worth dying for, and above all else it taught me friendship is everything.

See, I almost never got to pick up these books. In fact, I was told that I wasn't smart enough to read Harry Potter let alone any "big books" as the librarian stated to me. I was required to take an AR test each week (for those of you who don't know the school basically test you over the book and ruins the whole experience of reading for pleasure.) I was heart broken back in 4th grade because all I wanted to do was read Harry Potter. Coming home that day I told my father about the situation at school and he was probably the most unhappy parent knowing someone called his child stupid. My father then went out and bought me the five books that Rowling had put out of the series. After receiving these I was ecstatic to open these suckers up and read! In a matter of 5 days I had read all of these books. Reading them in class, outside of school, late night. I was hooked and couldn't get enough of the story. I remember the day I walked into the school library and took those stupid AR tests. The librarian set me up and I chose the tests I wanted to take. To say the least, the kid that was too "stupid" and not qualified to read, passed every Harry Potter test.

The point of this little story was to show you, the reader, that you will be called stupid. You will have people out there that will do nothing but doubt who you are. You have the power to show the ones that throw nothing but hate towards you that you are more than meets the eye. My father believed in me and I believed in myself. Thanks to J.K. Rowling and Harry Potter I felt as if I had a friend when I was younger. Here I am, a senior in college, forever holding a place in my heart for this story. I will always remember that because of those books, and because someone believed in me, I overcame someone's words and proved them wrong.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light." –The Prisoner of Azkaban