Fan Art Friday: Harry Potter

Hello everyone! For my first Fan Art Friday, I decided to honor Harry Potter, one of the most famous fantasy novel series in the world and one that I have loved since childhood . It consists of seven books written by British author J. K. Rowling between June 1997 and July 2007, which describe the adventures of Harry Potter, an orphan boy who discovers that he is a wizard when he turns eleven and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (the same school his parents also attended), to develop his magical abilities. At Hogwarts, Harry meets his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, learns important things about his past (and his family) and prepares to face Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard who murdered his parents when he was a baby. The main story arc of the novels concerns Harry's conflict with Lord Voldemort, who intends to become immortal, overthrow the wizard governing body (Ministry of Magic), and subjugate all the wizards and Muggles (non-magical people).

One of the most important themes in the series is undoubtedly Love, an intense and powerful emotion of affection towards another living being that inspires us to do good things for others, driving us to commit extraordinary feats for the well-being of our loved ones and all those around us. Love is depicted as a particularly powerful form of magic. Lily Evans willingly sacrificed herself to save her son Harry from Voldemort as a baby, granting him a lifelong protection that cannot be undone, and Harry makes a similar sacrifice to save his friends at the end of The Deathly Hallows. A certain key prophecy in the series describes Harry as possessing a "power the Dark Lord knows not", referencing his capacity for love.

Rowling's wizarding world is richly defined with a wide variety of characters (such as the Golden Trio, the Weasley family, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Albus Dumbledore, Minerva Mcgonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, Dobby, Hedwig and many others who became very endearing to us) and places (there are different magical schools and communities around the world), its own monetary system (wizards use gold Galleons, silver Sickles and bronze Knuts to buy magical items), all sorts of magical creatures (dragons, unicorns, phoenixes, hippogriffs, nifflers, bowtruckles, acromantulas, grindylows, gnomes, etc) and magical games (Quidditch is the most famous). Each book introduced new concepts and facts about the wizarding world that we discovered at the same time as Harry, who was unaware of most of these things because he was raised by his Muggle uncles (the Dursleys), and that made the story more engaging. But even though the main series ended many years ago, Rowling continued to expand her world through her official website and the Fantastic Beasts film series. She is an incredibly talented and imaginative woman who has become my favorite writer .

I grew up reading all of the Harry Potter novels, from the first (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone) to the last (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows). I have read each book many times, so many I can't count, but I enjoy them and never get tired of them. I have also seen all of the movies, and while they are good, they don't compare to the books, which have the full, detailed story. Currently, the streaming service Max is developing a Harry Potter series, which will have several seasons and will be more faithful to the books. As a Harry Potter fan, I am looking forward to its release and to seeing what else Rowling's wizarding world brings .

"If there is one thing Voldemort cannot understand, it is love. He didn't realize that love as powerful as your mother's for you leaves its own mark. Not a scar, no visible sign… to have been loved so deeply, even though the person who loved us is gone, will give us some protection forever. It is in your very own skin." — Albus Dumbledore

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.” - Harry Potter

"I'll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up ... It always does in the end." - Luna Lovegood

“We’ve all got both light and dark inside us. What matters is the part we choose to act on...that’s who we really are.”- Sirius Black