Ten years ago, I was an awkward fifth-grader with embarrassingly round glasses, feeling like an outcast in Mississippi. At age 11, I encountered a magical place where I fit in — Tiger Stadium.
Around this time, a movie premiered paralleling my situation.
The release of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” in 2001 altered pop culture forever. The on-screen depiction of this imaginary world made anything seem possible, especially for Harry, whose literary life had three installments left.
I already explored Pottermania last semester for the first half of the “Deathly Hallows” film finale, and I abhor the abused adjective “epic” — but even the trailer for “Part Two,” due July 15, deserves this descriptor.
And it won’t really end there.
In December, I visited The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando — and almost applied to be a house elf at the magnificently recreated Hogwarts. Stepping into this theme park feels like immersing yourself into the films. Its creators spared no intricate detail.
I will spare you any spoilers, however. Just start preparing for one of the best vacations ever.
Even visitors who aren’t hardcore fans of the phenomenon can appreciate the park (I went with two Muggles), proving the bloody brilliance of “Harry Potter” isn’t just J.K. Rowling’s novels or their cinematic equivalents — it’s the massive, timeless subculture they inspired.
Kelly Hotard is a 19-year-old mass communication junior from Picayune, Miss. Follow her on Twitter @TDR_khotard.
 
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Contact Kelly Hotard at
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