To Have a Home: A Tribute to the Harry Potter Series

 

Hogwarts Castle

As I watch the last Harry Potter film last July 15, I couldn’t help but become so emotional. I told myself that I wouldn’t cry but I just can’t help it. Harry Potter has been a part of my life since I was 10 years old. The movies and the books have always been something to look forward to every year. And now, I can’t believe that it’s finally over. Voldemort has finally been defeated. The epic climax is finished.

I can still remember the time my first book was given to me. Out of the blue, my mother handed me a copy of the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, with the intention of inspiring me to read books. She wasn’t wrong but she underestimated the magic of JK Rowling. Eventually, I became a hard-core fan, and I still am until now.

My very own Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows poster. "IT ALL ENDS. 7.15".
My very own Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows poster. “IT ALL ENDS. 7.15”.

As I grew older, I never got tired of Harry Potter. I read and reread the books whenever there was a new movie coming out and when I felt like it. I even watched musicals on YouTube and downloaded the audio books so I could listen to the story whenever I commute to and from school. I even dressed up as a Gryffindor for my creative graduation picture.

Harry Potter has become an integral part of me. I can’t imagine my life without it. I grew up with it and loved it so much that watching the last movie felt like losing a brother was so dear to me. Harry Potter taught me so many lessons. It’s a story where I have encountered and understood love, friendship, and bravery in its deepest sense.

A death of a brother (Fred Weasley).

I could never describe what I felt for Harry Potter before. No, not until I heard a song called To Have a Home from A Very Potter Sequel. I felt compelled to share this because it has captured my heart in every way. I probably watched this video more than 10 times today and every time I see it, I cry a lot. Yes, I cried for more than 10 times today.

Home,
I’ve heard the word before,
but it never meant much more
than just a thing I’ve never had.

A “place,”
They say, “Hey, know your place!”
But I’ve never had a place to even know,
or a face that I could go to
if I needed someone there…

I’m laughing
it’s hard to hide a smile
My god, it’s been a while
since I have had a reason to.

To think
it’s been here all along
somewhere to belong,
and a reason,
a something-to-believe-in

I’ve finally found it,
a place where I’m wanted…
This must be how it feels to have a home

I used to dream about it
but never schemed or counted
on fantasies or wishes-
it breaks a man to see what he misses

For so many nights I’d pray
for a better life, a better day
but I never thought that it’d come true
It’s finally here and I don’t know what to do
and I’m trying not to cry

This must be how it feels
to have a home

I’ve finally made it
I’ve hoped and I’ve waited
and for the first time in my life, I don’t feel so
alone

My heart starts to heal
to know this is real.
This is how it must feel
to have a home!

Some people might not understand what I’m feeling but maybe those people like me, people who were captivated by the magic of Harry Potter, would feel the same. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is home. It’s family. It’s something worth fighting for. It’s a place of comfort, and a place where you’ll never feel alone.

Though I have to grow up somehow, I know that it’s not really over because it will forever stay inside my heart and waiting for me to come back. Harry Potter and Hogwarts will be there to welcome me home. Always.