My family is a very literary one. I have grown up reading book after book after book. More often than not, my punishments have usually been ones involving the taking away of my books or threatening to "take all of the books and put them out on the street with a sign that says 'free to a good home'." That being said, in my family, if you were reading, then that was wonderful. My parents hardly put restrictions on what we read and when I finally cracked open Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I was enchanted. I read and read and reread and then reread again. I was in love (and still am) with the books and thought that everyone should read them. But then, I found out that a lot of people refuse to read or let their kids read the books on a religious foundation and I didn't understand it. "It's such a wonderful and magical world, why can't everyone experience it?" I would think to myself. It wasn't until I got to college that I actually met people who were part of that group that wasn't allowed to read Harry Potter because their parents wouldn't let them.

I am strong and outward in my faith. I love Harry Potter. I always have. While still having my strong beliefs, I still watch every "Harry Potter Weekend" Freeform gives me, I still go to midnight release parties, I still celebrate Harry's birthday (I actually did all three of these activities the last weekend in July...). Even after all of this devotion to the beloved series, I still hold my relationship with the Lord closest to my heart.

Harry Potter is basically a love story. It is a story about love, loyalty, friendship, and bravery. A love story in the same way that the Bible is one massive love story. Now, I am not saying that Harry Potter is the Bible, but I am saying that its themes and ideas are not unlike it. The Harry Potter series is a story of deep love and sacrifice. It is Harry's mother's sacrifice for love that saved him as a child when his parents were murdered mercilessly by Lord Voldemort. Harry then, in the final book of the series, meets the Dark Lord in the Forbidden Forest, and ends up sacrificing himself in the hopes that the ones he loves will have a better life once Ron and Hermione (but ends up being Neville) manage to kill off the last horocrux and eventually destroy the Dark Lord. However, after he sacrifices himself, Harry is transported to his "parting" where he meets his deceased mentor, Albus Dumbledore, who explains that he, Harry, now has the choice to go back to his world and his people or he can simply go "on." Harry ultimately decides to go back and vanquish He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for good. A story of a man who sacrifices himself in the name of love and is eventually resurrected sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it?

Now let's pause for a second and look at one of the most celebrated children's series: The Chronicles of Narnia. These books have been widely celebrated among the Christian community since they were released. The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe specifically. It is not unknown that C.S. Lewis was outspoken and strong in his faith, so is that why these books, chalk full of magic and witches, are celebrated by Christians while the Harry Potter series (also full of magic and witches) are reprimanded? Because the people knew of Lewis' intentional Christian subtext? J.K. Rowling is also a religious woman. In fact, back in 2000, she was asked if she was a Christian, to which she replied:

"Yes, I am, which seems to offend the religious right far worse than if I said I thought there was no God. Every time I've been asked if I believe in God, I've said yes, because I do, but no one ever really has gone any more deeply into it than that, and I have to say that does suit me, because if I talk too freely about that I think the intelligent reader, whether 10 or 60, will be able to guess what's coming in the books."

Many people have argued that the books have/will give the children the desire to become a witch or wizard or begin practicing wicca or paganism. No, it hasn't. It has given them an imagination. The Harry Potter Series, not unlike The Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings, has given children (and adults) a world to which they can escape to, where the most extraordinary things can happen. Yes, we long for those worlds to be real, but we do not wish for the dark, harmful side. It is the magic, the love, the wonder that we ache for.