Guest Blog!: Why Harry Potter & The Goblet of Fire Helped Me Grow Up

For the past week I've been in Orlando, visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (and other theme parks). To celebrate that joyous event (as well as my birthday), my plan was to have a week of Harry Potter-ness on this here blog, but that plan was THWARTED by the evil, evil hotel I was staying at because they DID NOT HAVE WIFI. It was weird. I was confused. But I could not change it.

But now I'm sitting in the Orlando airport (BTW, the call letters for the airport are MCO, so in my mind I call it the Mickey & Co. airport.) and THEY have WIFI for FREE DOLLERS. I like that. 

So, at long last, here is the lovely guest blog written by the lovely Farrah from I Eat Words. After you visit her blog,  you should follow her on Twitter, for she is awesome. 

LET THE GUEST BLOG COMMENCE!

Many people listen to a song and are brought back to a certain point in their life, whether it was a bad breakup or an enjoyable vacation. For me, I grew up with Harry Potter. When I re-read each book, I’m taken back to a certain time in my life. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire means more to me than just 734 pieces of paper. When I read it, I’m 12 years old again. 12 is a good age, because it’s before you start worrying about your looks, what people think, or how cool you’ll be in middle school. And that’s the thing. The fourth book address issues and problems of growing up inside the world of the three main characters. Aside from the action and adventure, J.K. Rowling takes the tension and angst of being 14 and presents it perfectly.

A lot of things happened when I was 12. I lost my best friend to the popular crowd months after we’d both read and gone to the midnight release of the 4th book. I was still a nerdy bookworm, swimming in a transition stage between middle school and elementary school. I saw girls attempt to wear makeup, talk about boys, and even cry over them. I didn’t understand what was happening, and because I’m known to re-read my favorite books, I lost myself in Harry’s world again. That’s when I first started to realize that my world and Harry’s weren’t different at all. I mean, sure I was still hopelessly awaiting my owl, letter, broomstick, but the issues of fights, friendships, and dating and clearly presented in this book because that’s usually the age when things begin to change. And I was noticing them. I had fights with my friends just Harry and Ron fought. I stammered around guys my own age just like Harry did when he spoke to Cho Chang.

The thing is, I knew it wasn’t going to get easier. J.K. Rowling put these small tensions in the book for a reason—they’re relatable to even us muggles. So even though I didn’t find a wide open door of clarity, the fourth book helped me realized people change, grow, and even act different because, *hello*, those wonderful things called hormones are kicking in. And I may have not understand even little thing about teen angst when I was 12, but I was glad I wasn’t the only one going through it. In fact, I knew that somehow, even though all the broken hearts, angry words, and fragile friendships, I’d be okay. And I am. So even though 12 came with a lot of good and a lot of bad, I’m still sucked back into those memories when I read The Goblet of Fire. There isn’t any book or song in the world that can define who you are, but it sure helps when you can get lost in both.

By Farrah

Blog: www.ieatwords.net