20 Years of Harry Potter: Could You Do It All Again?

Today is the 20^th Anniversary of the very first release of the very first Harry Potter book. So many many people have read the books, watched the movies, played the games, cosplayed the characters… But it is a small group who did all of this from the very beginning with JK Rowling. If you had the opportunity to start it all again, would you? Could you?

I have been accused of cruel and unusual punishments on my spawnlings. Nothing quite at the Umbridge level (after all, I actually do love my kids), but there have been a few times when other people have twitched an eyebrow and queried my motives. The most common concern is the reading of Harry Potter books. But not for the reasons you may think.

EG Dad and I came up with this idea to introduce the spawnlings to Harry Potter at the same age as the characters (or close enough to). Originally, the plan was to gift Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to Sinister on his 10^th birthday, the same age as the main character (yes – before the 11^th birthday where he receives the letter to Hogwarts). Each year thereafter, he would receive the next book, growing in age with the characters.

Only problem: by the time Sinister’s 10^th birthday arrived, he was in Year 5 in the gifted program at school. Almost every other student in his class had read the entire series. The teacher even allocated the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for ‘novel studies’.

Yeah, he hasn’t been able to avoid all the spoilers. Most, but not all.

However, Sinister has loved this idea. I kept asking him over the last 12 months if he wants to stick with this idea. And he keeps saying yes! He loves the idea of growing with the characters. He really gets the characters because he IS the same age as them. He is a kid. Just. Like. Them.

That was until he recently finished Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. And now he is torn! Sinister really wants to read the rest of the series. But on the other hand, he says he doesn’t want to spoil this unique experience of growing with the characters.

If you could read the Harry Potter series again, without any prior knowledge or memory, and read it with the characters… What Would You Do?

Check out our other posts celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Harry Potter:

• A Look Back at 20 Years With ‘Harry Potter:’ Such a Beautiful Place It Is, To Be With Friends
• Passing Harry Potter Down to the Next Generation
• Harry Potter’s 20th Anniversary: From Elitist Intellectual to Ravendor