Thank you for the magic!

When I was 12, a family friend of mine gifted me Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a parting gift. I had not read any of the Harry Potter books previously, and I was the kid who used to read books half way through and leave them to start a new one. So when I got the last installment of the Harry Potter series as a gift, I do not know what sparked it, but I wanted to read the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and so I bought it on my summer vacation in India, and that was probably one of the very few books that kept me hooked enough to want to read the next six books in the series without a break. So, not only did J. K. Rowling create the world of Hogwarts, wizardry and magic for possibly the entire world, she cast a spell on me to becoming a bookworm for my lifetime. So to me, she is as real of a witch as any of the magical characters she spun out of her creative and imaginative writer's brain.

I have read the books, I have watched the movies, I am getting the collectibles, I am watching the next beautiful installment of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - yes, I'm hard core invested in the make belief world of wizardry. Call me a fanatic, call me weird, but the truth is, Potterheads like me, we believe in the magic that J. K. Rowling brought into our lives. The reason is simple - the story line, was breathtaking. It was not a fantasy series written for children. It was not a dark series written for adults. It was not casting a bad light on any character. And it was definitely not attempting to write a love story with magical creatures and make a hit of it. The books were so much more than just fantasy.

The series taught me that true friends will stick with you, no matter what. Even if it means defeating a troll in your first year, not even knowing the M of magic. It taught me that people are not good or bad, it's their actions that are good and bad. It doesn't necessarily have to define their character. And almost every character in the series had something to teach me.

1. Harry, Ron and Hermione - you showed me what true friendship can be like. That fights, arguments, etc. - they don't need to break you. They happen. We can get past it.

2. Hermione - thank you for showing that being a bookworm and smart, doesn't make you unadventurous or boring. It's a good quality to have. Especially when you have friends like Harry and Ron, who can't be bothered to look up on anything.

3. Ron - you cracked me up. You are the one friend who made everyone laugh through a bad time. And that's a tough quality to have.

4. Harry - you showed that it's okay to be human. Just because you were a hero in the wizarding world, did not mean you had to be brave or strong or witty or smart. You continued to do what you wanted. Yes, you liked the limelight, but who wouldn't?

5. Dumbledore - okay, to be honest, you were the biggest politician in this whole thing. But that's not a bad thing. Because of you, Harry knew what to do most of the times. You were a father figure to him. You cared about him. And you knew, that he had to do what he had to, even if it meant putting his life at danger. And that's because you were a good teacher. And supporter.

6. Sirius Black - you were the family that Harry wanted. Even if it was for a very short time. And he could never thank you enough for that. And neither can us Potterheads. Same goes for you, Remus Lupin.

I would continue thanking so many more characters for so many things, but these few characters taught me lessons to hold on for life.

So on your birthday, J. K. Rowling, I would like to thank you for the magic you brought into the lives of all us Potterheads, and here's to the hope that you continue to weave more magic out of the wand that is your creative head through your latest venture The Crimes of Grindelwald.

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