Fan Focus: Olivia – July 19, 2015

15-year-old Gryffindor Lilly from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

How did you become a Harry Potter fan?

My best friend Tulsi’s 7-year-old birthday party was Harry Potter[-]themed. I won an invisibility cloak (which I still have!) while playing a lot of amazing and fun Potter-themed games, and we did a scavenger hunt right out of […] Philosopher’s Stone. I had so much fun that when I returned home, I asked my parents to get me the first book. Harry Potter has been the strongest, most constant interest in my life since I was 6, and I love these books with all my heart.

If you could have one prop from the set of the films, which would it be?

Probably the [R]esurrection [S]tone. The chapter [“]The Forest Again[“] was the most difficult for me when first reading the series. It was heartbreaking listening to Harry’s thoughts as he walks to his death, and the [R]esurrection [S]tone always seemed to be an object of comfort and peace for him. Alternatively, I’d like Harry’s school trunk so I could fill it with all my favorite Potter mementos.

What was your reaction to the news about Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them?

Oh, man. I found out right after school, and I screamed. I put on my Hogwarts robes, took out my wand, and ran outside yelling, “We’re back, [M]uggles!” (Which was probably a breach on the International Statue of Secrecy, though in the chaos of the celebration, the American Ministry let it pass.) I ran to the local bookstore and made sure everyone there knew, then to the coffee shop where I gave instructions for a Butterbeer Frappuc[c]ino. The next day, I wore my robes to school. I’ll never forget the amazing warm feeling that rose in my chest once I found out that it’s not over yet. (Though I suppose it was never over for me.)

Describe what being part of the Harry Potter fandom has meant to you in seven words or less.

Sharing the love and imagining better, together.