Do You Believe in Magic?

Do You Believe in Magic?
It was the night we had all waited for, the night that was to bring 15 years of a magical journey to an end. As my friends and I walked into the movie theater, we were immediately surrounded by people dressed as witches and wizards, snitches and half-giants. We continued to retrieve our tickets and walk toward our respective theater, passing movie posters declaring, “It all ends here”. For the generation that has grown up with Harry, Ron and Hermione, the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow Part 2, was the end of an era. Memories of my parents picking my siblings and I up after school to go see the first installments in the franchise came flooding back. After seeing the film, there would no longer be countdowns to further books and movies, there would no longer be further insight into the world of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It would in fact, all end here.
What started as just a single children’s book when a generation of early elementary school kids were just learning to read, had turned into seven books, eight movies, one theme park, one interactive website, and countless Potter based fan sites, organizations and items of merchandise. These books managed to create an entirely new world for my generation to grow and learn with. I have memories of learning how to read with the early Harry Potter books, and reading them to my younger siblings. As the characters got older and matured, so did I, and the last movie premiering the summer after I graduated high school marked the end of my childhood along with many others who had grown up with the series. With her writing, JK Rowling has effectively morphed the culture of adolescents around the world.
Since the first book was released, over 325 million copies of the books have been sold; they have been translated into 65 different languages, distributed in over 200 countries and made JK Rowling worth about one billion dollars (“Harry”). With that level of success, alternative authors have not even been able to come close to those numbers and it is likely that none will. The success of the tales of this young wizard is insurmountable including all the high amounts of revenue from all facets being used to widen the Potter experience. With “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” having the most successful opening day and the highest-grossing opening weekend in history, raking in approximately $168 million at the box office (Sragow), and $160 million being made from Potter based toys, and countless jobs being provided around the world (“Harry Potter Economy”), it is safe to say the series has also strongly influenced the economy and reset standards for all children's books.
According to Motoko Rich, writer for the New York Times, “Of all the magical powers wielded by Harry Potter, perhaps none has cast a stronger spell than his supposed ability to transform the reading habits of young people”. In a world being taken over by technology, video games and cell phones, the need for children to turn to books for entertainment is growing indefinitely. Studies performed by the United States Department o Education have shown a decline in reading for entertainment, but according to Steven Herb, director of the Education and Behavioral Sciences Library at Penn State University, Harry Potter has “put on the brakes on that decline” (Hoover). He told the Post-Gazette that there has been a reported increase in fantasy and serial fiction sales, and that the books have been a “cultural and social benefit” (Hoover). As our culture becomes more immersed in technology, the more children are relying on violent video games and movies to entertain themselves. With the creation of the Harry Potter books came an increased interest in reading. As a typical teenage girl, who “never has time” to read for fun, I have found time to read an entire Harry Potter book in a 24 hour period. By creating characters that are relatable to kids and teenagers, and having them facing universal concepts such as good vs. evil and the difficulties of growing up and by creating this alternate reality in the form of books, interest was piqued by people of all ages. You can go on the internet and find hundreds of quizzes sorting you into the different “houses” of Hogwarts, and telling you which characters you relate to, all in an attempt to become part of this alternate reality created by these infamous books.
Not only has the series gotten people more interested in reading, it has sparked inspiration for many clubs and organizations around the world. Not only is the wizarding sport of Quidditch now an official collegiate sport, organizations like The Harry Potter Alliance are actively making efforts to better the world in multiple ways. The world created by Rowling has been extended to real life and therefore become a part of modern, adolescent culture. The Harry Potter world has managed to infiltrate everyday lives of millions by carrying on the magic into physical activities, not just reading and movies. No other book series has been fortunate enough to have these kinds of results. The organization known as The Harry Potter Alliance claims to be fighting real world parallels from the books, including issues of literacy, equality and human rights (“What”). Furthering the impact of this fictitious world.
The impact of this magical world has spread like wildfire around the world. It has infiltrated all forms of entertainment and for many has weaved its way into the every day lives of fans around the globe. It has brought together people from around the world and jumpstarted a social and cultural phenomenon. With characters universally recognized, and concepts that are considered timeless, there is no doubt that the magic of Harry Potter will live on.

Works Cited
"Harry Potter's Success in Numbers." EW.com. Entertainment Weekly, 27 July 2007. Web. 28 Oct. 2011

Hoover, Bob. "Harry Potter a Classic? Successful? No Doubt." Post-Gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 15 July 2007. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.

Sragow, Michael. "The Secret to Harry Potter's Success - Baltimore Sun." Featured Articles From The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun, 18 July 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2011

"What We Do." The Harry Potter Alliance | The Weapon We Have Is Love. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.

"Harry Potter: The Harry Potter Economy | The Economist." The Economist - World News, Politics, Economics, Business & Finance. The Economist, 17 Dec. 2009. Web. 28 Oct. 2011.