Harry Potter and The Spell of Influence

"Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home"

Those words will always manage to cause chills to run down the spines of every Harry Potter fan. The words of JK Rowling at the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 will forever be the sentence that can cause my eyes to instantly go glassy. Hogwarts had always felt like home to me, more than my actual home ever had been, hearing those words felt like comfort, reassurance, and acceptance.

Harry Potter has been in my life since as long as I could remember. My mother introduced the series to me when I was seven years old and ever since then my life revolved around that fantastical world that JK Rowling created. Its influence on my life is uncomparable to anything else as I spent my childhood and teen years collecting memoribilia, going overseas for conventions and attractions, dressing up in robes for events, and the peak being the time I flew from South East Asia to America just to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I didn't even identify myself as my MBTI test, but as my Hogwarts house which is and forever will be Ravenclaw. Everyone who knows me knows how excited I get by it, how much I love this series. It was that fandom you could never let go and has become a part of you for the long run.

Fotunately, I'm not the only one who feels that way. Harry Potter is a story that has captivated generations, be it the younger or the older. Through pages and through screens, nothing could ever compare to the influence Harry Potter has to pop culture media. Even those who aren't fans could find themselves knowing what house they're in or who's their favourite character. It's the bestselling book series, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Their movie franchise is also considered one of the most successful ones in history.

The big question is, how could a series have such influence over lives? And has anything else come close to the level of success and influence it holds on pop culture?

The answer is quite simple. Because it's real. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of JK Rowling's world building, something that I find lackluster in comparison to the fantastical world of Lord of the Rings, the bloodthirsty reigns of Game of Thrones, the cruel portrayal of a dystopian future of The Hunger Games, and the imaginative galaxy far far away of Star Wars.

Set in 1990s England, Harry Potter had a very small canvas to paint their world in, with it being centralised to Hogwarts for approximately most of the series. But in a more controlled environment that was easily introduced, it gave JK Rowling a easier control over characterisation and portrayal. We could see the characters grow as they faced each happenings with no faded over screen. The strongest example was Harry's heartbreaking breakdown in the Order of the Phoenix

“I DON’T CARE!” Harry yelled at them, snatching up a lunascope and throwing it into the fireplace. “I’VE HAD ENOUGH, I’VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON’T CARE ANYMORE —”

It's during that very scene where we see Harry, not as the shining hero he's portrayed to be, but as what he actually is: a boy forced to shoulder the weight of a prophecy in which he has suffered loss and pain. He never asked for this to happen to him, he never wanted to be the chosen one, but it was the burden he had to bear. It was something a lot of people have felt, the feeling of having to do something they were so tired of doing. That feeling of breaking down from the pressure. Harry isn't the perfect chosen one, but he's the most realistic. Most of the characters are painted so realistically that we can relate to them, we can see them become our friends, accompanying us in this cold world, assuring us that everything will be alright in the end.

Maybe it's because the setting itself is relatable. It was set in a school, with bullies and mean teachers, procrasination to do homework, and all that. While reading Harry Potter, we can connect to the characters by the smallest things that we do in life. Like Ron and Harry making up things for a Divination assignment, Hermione thinking the subject as a whole is complete nonsense, perfectionist Snape and his blatant favourtism, all that and more could easily be us in our normal lives. It made us feel like we were at Hogwarts with them, that we too are part of that story. It was a comfort to most, finally finding their place in this world. Anyone could imagine they're a wizard blending in with the muggle community. High fantasy worlds such as Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings, dystopian futures like the Hunger Games, and sci-fi brilliance like Star Wars, will never have the same effect because despite everything, it's not relatable in terms of worlds.

One of the biggest reasons of course, is how it's appealing to all ages. With a magic school being a draw to a younger audience, older audiences will slowly find things that they had not realised before. Maybe even find secret hidden meanings in the material. How the entire wizarding war saw many victims, including children. How the theme of loss is explored brilliantly, and how abuse affected Harry growing up. It was a fun read for children but as they grow up, it slowly becomes more complex as it's slowly revealed the real meaning behind each and everyone of those things. Parents will introduce Harry Potter to their younger children at any age and they'll grow up with the characters as they did.

So no, I don't believe that any series could have such a mass effect such as Harry Potter, nor will there ever be one again. What JK Rowling has created, even though not perfect, will forever be the biggest influences in pop culture media above all else.

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