What is the Harry Potter Fandom?
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| J.K. Rowling (10) |
If anyone has ever had the opportunity to read the Harry Potter novel series, or watch the films, then they are most likely fans. Harry Potter is an original novel written in 1997 by J.K. Rowling, and it shares the journey of a young boy, Harry Potter, who discovers his wizard ancestry and attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He makes two new friends, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger, who help him battle evil magic beings to protect Hogwarts and its students. There is nothing more exciting than a bunch of powerful beings fighting one another with sorcery, which is why so many people come together to talk about this great series. After the fame and popularity of the first book, J.K. Rowling continued to write the series for the next nine years. In 2001, the movie series of Harry Potter began its fame. The movies brought the stories to life. As the characters grew up, so did their fans, and that made it more relatable for the viewers. Theaters were filled and bookstores were sold out. The Harry Potter fandom is a whimsical community that consists of children, teens, and adults of all ages and genders, but is mostly made up of white male millennials. Most people are just regular fans who appreciate the series as it is. But other diehard Harry Potter fans call themselves "Potterheads" and participate in several activities based on the novels and films. Potterheads take this name with pride and seriousness, because it is more than just a story to them, it is a vital part of their existence.
Entertainment activities
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| Most Popular Harry Potter Role-Playing Game (7) |
Potterheads enjoy activities associated with the series including fan fiction, fan art, and role-playing games. Fanfictions are actual books or written pieces that tell a story about characters related to the original series. One common fan fiction book is 525,000 words with 188 chapters, and it's called All the Young Dudes (Duka, 2024). This book is a story about the Marauders, Gryffindor students at Hogwarts, before Harry Potter was born. Harry Potter's parents are also main characters in this fanfiction, showing their adventures and life challenges before he existed. There is also a separate fandom called the "Marauders" who favor the fan fiction books over the original series (Conner, 2023). Though this fan fiction is actually very clever and unique, there are other fan fictions that have caught the attention of viewers. There is one fan fiction that wrote "Harry Potter and the Tumbling Towers," which is about Harry and his friends encountering death eaters during the terrorist attack on the twin towers (Bailation, 2011). Death eaters are dark wizards and witches who support Lord Voldemort, one of the main villains in the Harry Potter series. This is a strange fanfic to write about because it is such a tragic event that has happened in our history, that it could be a difficult read for people who have experienced this horrid attack. But Potterheads have a range of ideas for fanfiction which is why it's so entertaining to so many different people. Fan art is another way that Potterheads express their love for the series. Harry Potter Fan art consists of comic strips, love tropes, and theories in the form of art. The art conveys a certain feeling that fans want to express in their artwork. The most common art is created to ship couples that would look good together in the series. This gives Potterheads the creativity to change the story line to better satisfy their fantasy. Here are some examples of different types of art, some are cartoons while others are realistic, but all have a purpose to share the fans' perspective of the series. The last common activity for Potterheads is role-playing games. Role-playing games are video games where you choose your Harry Potter house, attributes, and skills to become one of the characters (MKAU Gaming, 2020). Some role-playing games are Harry Potter Magic Awakening, HEX, and Hogwarts Legacy. This is important to Potterheads because they enjoy the excitement of living through the characters experiences and having the ability to cast spells and use magic. These entertaining activities are important to the Potterhead community because they build friendships and develop strong communities for Potterheads. They feel involved in the creation and continuation of the Harry Potter series.
Harry Potter Superfans
Potterheads all have a unique way of showing their appreciation for this magical film, but how far will they go? There are some fans that are so infatuated with the characters that they go to extreme lengths to become just like them. Fans feel that they have grown up with the characters and have developed a para-social relationship with them, where the fans know everything about the characters, but the characters don't know them at all. Here are some examples of things that superfans do to express their Harry potter admiration. Some superfans do small gestures such as getting Harry Potter themed tattoos. Some tattoos are simple, but others can get wild. For example, one superfan got a large, detailed design of harry potters face on their leg. It takes a lot of commitment and courage to get something that elaborate done, that's the difference between a fan and a superfan. Another superfan got the demonic snake and skull symbol from the film. This is a way for superfans to express who they are and represent their fandom.
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| Snake & Skull Tattoo (4) |
Superfans also dress as the characters on a daily basis. One superfan wore a different Harry Potter outfit every day for three months without repeating the same outfit twice (Holmes, 2021). Getting to dress up as your idol and be a part of cosplay events is inspirational. These are normal behaviors for a fan, but some fans go even further than that. There is one superfan who reached out to the actor Tom Felton and asked if he could legally change his name to Draco Malfoy, his character name, so that he could adopt him. The superfan then proceeded by mentioning that he had already legally changed his own name to Lucius Malfoy which was the name of Draco Malfoy's father in the films. Not only did he want to adopt this actor, but he attempted to change both their identities to fit the characters in the films. Tom Felton politely declined this offer. If you didn't think that was crazy enough, two parents made a post about how they raised their daughter to faithfully believe in Harry Potter and told her teachers to go along with it (Matthews, 2020). The parents continued to gas-light their daughter into thinking that everything she saw in the Harry Potter films was real. Her parents justified this by saying "We're adding magic to her childhood and giving her motivation to reach her full magical potential." Her teachers and family also played into this so-called religion and had her dressing up in cloaks and attempting to cast spells. They admitted that they would probably lose her trust once she found out the truth, and honestly, I wouldn't blame her, that's a whole new level of obsession. By clicking on this link, you will see some more crazy Harry Potter stories. But superfans don't always have these intense behaviors. They also like to do fun things related to Harry Potter, such as visiting places where Harry Potter films took place or places that are Harry Potter themed. They also tend to collect absolutely anything Harry Potter themed and decorate their houses with these items. Watch the following clip to understand the life of a superfan.
Rituals & Ceremonies
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| The Yule Ball Ceremony (11) |
There are many rituals that Potterheads believe in because of the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter demonstrates how regular everyday items have been used for magic, but most Potterheads don't realize that the stuff they see in the films isn't real. They actually think the opposite. After reading some posts on a Facebook Harry Potter Club page, I noticed that they solely believe that this stuff is real. One post says, "My daughter is grounded after using the word mudblood, it's not because it's a bad word, I just refuse to raise a Slytherin." This is offensive to some wizards and witches in the series and is usually used by Draco Malfoy who is a Slytherin, and in this case they take it really seriously in their household. This goes to show how fans pass on their joy of Harry Potter onto their children, who will also one day be fans if they follow in their parents' footsteps. According to Seales (2015), one ritual that Potterheads attempt is standing in toilets and flushing them. They believe that they are portals to another world, it is a rare thing for fans to do but they do get the urge to do it because it will be on their conscience for the rest of the day. Another ritual is going out to check the mail for a Hogwarts letter after seeing a white owl (Seales, 2015). This one is definitely more common among fans because they believe in conspiracy theories from the Harry Potter series. Not only do they follow rituals, but they plan ceremonies that correlate to Harry Potter. Potterheads will plan weddings and birthday parties to be themed as Harry Potter because they want it to be part of their everyday life and celebrated on grand occasions. There is one specific ceremony that people attend and that is the Yule Ball (Ovelar, 2024). This is an event that was shown in the Harry Potter films. It is an extravagant way to dress up and decorate for a fun Harry Potter night. To conclude, Potterheads can't control themselves of the excitement when it comes to Harry Potter, they feel overwhelmed with joy and these rituals and ceremonies keep them as active supporters.
Personal Experience & Conclusion
My sister is 17 years old, and she has been a fan of Harry Potter for the last two years. She has read all the books and watched all the films at least three times. And she is currently decorating and remodeling her room to be Harry Potter themed. She is the only Potterhead that I personally know but I love seeing her express her excitement whenever she wants me to join her in Harry Potter festivities. In her words "I don't know how I fell in love with the series so fast, but if I could do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat." Overall Potterheads enjoy a variety of activities and lifestyles to fit their obsession of Harry Potter and fill their sense of belonging. They feel spiritually and physically connected to this series and have a passion for sharing their magic with others. It could be strange to see some of these things happening, but it's also magical to see the impact that Harry Potter has on a lot of their fans. As long as they're happy, nothing else should really matter. So, if you see someone standing in a toilet anytime soon, just don't question it, they're probably a superfan of Harry Potter.
Works Cited
"A Deep Dive into Potterheads." YouTube, uploading by Kurtis Conner, 10 November 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnCF7qKmIbk.
Bailation. 2011. “Tumbling Towers Chapter 1, a Harry Potter Fanfic | Fanfiction.” Harry Potter & the Tumbling Towers, www.fanfiction.net/s/7369112/1/Tumbling-Towers. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.
Duka, J. “20 of the Most Popular Harry Potter Fanfiction Stories (2024 Edition).” Fictionlit.Com, 4 Jan. 2024, fictionlit.com/harry-potter-fanfiction/.
Fairchild, L. n.d. I Was Chosen. Photograph, Pinterest, https://in.pinterest.com/pin/34973334598509428/.
Holmes, M. “The Most Over-The-Top Harry Potter Fan Moments Ever.” Ranker, 10 Feb. 2021, https://www.ranker.com/list/the-13-craziest-harry-potter-fan-moments-ever/mark.
Matthews, L. “Parents Say They’ve Raised Daughter, 7, to Be a ‘witch’ in a Wizarding Family.” The Mirror, 29 June 2020, www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/family/parents-say-theyve-raised-daughter-22269310.
MKAU Gaming. 2020. Warner Bros Games Announces Hogwarts Legacy. Digital Image, MKAU, https://www.mkaugaming.com/warner-bros-games-announces-hogwarts-legacy/.
Ovelar, I. Potterheads – Subcultures and Sociology, 2024, haenfler.sites.grinnell.edu/potterheads/.
Seales, J. “15 Weird Things You Think about after Reading Harry Potter.” Bustle, 1 Dec. 2015, www.bustle.com/articles/126386-15-weird-things-you-think-about-after-reading-harry-potter.
Sidnell, K. 2023. Hogwarts Legacy already broke a record before official release despite controversy. Photograph, Unilad, https://www.unilad.com/technology/hogwarts-legacy-breaks-records-release-019575-20230209.
Williamson, N. 2023. Harry Potter: A Yule Ball Celebration Coming to Sydney This Winter. Photograph, MuggleNet, https://www.mugglenet.com/2023/04/harry-potter-a-yule-ball-celebration-is-coming-to-sydney-this-winter/.
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