Academic achievers found their champion in Hermione Granger. Through the story and the universe, different types of outsiders, too, felt a sense of belonging that made them excited for life. Then one fateful birthday, “Yer a wizard, Harry” gave him the identity and the community that had eluded him for eleven years. Harry Potter first came to life as a small, skinny underdog who was unwelcome even in the house he lived in.

What makes the story of Harry Potter so special? Let me share just three key themes from the books: For a series that once faced rejection for being too British in its presentation, people from all over the planet seem to find something to relate to in Harry Potter-a character, a cause, a culture. It brought back fond memories of when I fell in love with Harry Potter myself.Īfter all this time, the septology continues to impact people in such powerful ways.

They also talked about the rich influence Harry Potter has had on the world since it came into being-from inspiring kids to read, to reawakening a love of fantasy and wonder in adults who had forgotten how to believe. It certainly didn’t disappoint, as the cast who had literally grown up with the series and become its faces shared beautiful anecdotes about bringing the ground-breaking work to life. The media were buzzing on what revelations we might get from the special, what the massive cast coming together after so many years would look like, and what it would feel like to go back to Hogwarts one more time.

The event was highly anticipated, with trailers dropping months in advance of the stream drop on New Year’s Day. Earlier this month, HBO Max released a Harry Potter reunion special to commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the film series.

Harry potter's hermione