Looking Back on 20 Years of the Harry Potter series

When we hear “20th anniversary” of anything, that make us feel old, right? Well, this little ole fantasy series called “Harry Potter” turned 20 this year. Let that sink in.

I understand not everyone in the world read the series or watched the movies, but think about this: 500 million Harry Potter books were sold worldwide, in 80 different languages.

 

 

The series revolves around more than just a bunch of kids performing spells. It tells stories of strength, bravery, hope, growing up, building relationships, understanding who your true friends (and enemies) are, and standing up to evil, not only to protect people, but to experience closure.

This post is dedicated to my own cheesy memories and current experiences with the series. Grab a box of chocolate frogs and some Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans – it’s gonna be a bumpy ride.

Harry Potter Movies Returned to Theaters

For one week, the Harry Potter movies were re-released in Cinemark theaters throughout the US to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the series. It felt so surreal…buying a ticket for a movie that came out when I had just hit those teenage years.

While I didn’t have time to see EVERY movie, a friend and I picked our favorite movie to rewatch in theaters: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. We went on Labor Day, not worrying about work and enjoying the movie.

My friend Sonia and I stopped by Walgreens before heading to the movie. We picked up a few boxes of candy, because who doesn’t love a great deal instead of paying something outrageous at the theater?! The Walgreens cashier looked at us and asked, “Are you going to the movies? I know…I do this too!”

 

 

Admittedly, this was my third time watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in theaters. I saw it with my dad the first time because he went to just about every movie with me, except The Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (I was in college, went to the midnight premiere, and fell asleep!). The second time around, I received two free movie tickets in my Goblet of Fire GameCube game, going to the movies with a childhood friend. There was no way I would pass that up! #nerd

Watching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire…13 years later.

But this time…WOW! I got chills throughout the movie. I’d watched the movie on TV countless times – it’s my absolute favorite book and movie in the series. But of course we notice different things when we watch something again at a different age.

There was plenty of laughter in the theater, and plenty of quiet times in the more serious moments of the movie. I loved rewatching the Yule Ball (poor Hermione), the Triwizard Tournament challenges, and watching Harry stand up for himself against Voldemort.

 

 

 

I always admired Harry’s loyalty to his friends, his bravery in everything he does (from standing up to school bullies to fighting the Death Eaters), and his courage to remain true to who he is.

Harry demonstrates love in all that he does – he fights in memory of his parents. He shows his love and affection for his friends, classmates, and professors. He battles Voldemort on numerous occasions, with the power of love.

If you aren’t rolling your eyes by now, then I know you understand how powerful love is!

 

Writing about the Harry Potter series

The series has made an appearance throughout my own writing career. I first wrote about Harry Potter professionally when I gave a speech about J.K. Rowling – her career, her writing, and her time in the spotlight.

A year later, I wrote about the Harry Potter series coming to an end as Editor-in-Chief of our college newspaper, interviewing my friends about their thoughts and experiences.

 

 

It was so nostalgic re-reading that story because 1) it could have been written a lot better – I silently edited my own writing – but then again that was a long time ago! 2) it was fun to see what people were saying back then. Social media wasn’t entirely the craze it is today, and 3) it’s great to see my writing growth.

Well, 6 years later, I wrote about the series again. This time, I shared magical date night ideas to celebrate the 20th anniversary! I realized how much I’ve grown as both a person and as a writer since that time.

 

 

Working at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Back in 2014, I worked at Universal Orlando Resort’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opening Diagon Alley. Let me tell you – that was the nerdiest job interview ever!

The person who interviewed me later turned out to be my Diagon Alley store manager. She asked me to rate my Harry Potter knowledge on a scale of 1-5. I rated it as a 4.5 because I was “a little rusty.”

She asked me questions about the series, some obvious, and some not-so-obvious (where were Harry’s parents buried?). Once I was hired for Diagon Alley, they assigned me to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions, the store where Hogwarts students pick their school robes and school spirit wardrobe.

We went through orientation classes, a Harry Potter class (with a test), and we received certificates to prove our Potter knowledge. These classes were required to work in both Diagon Alley (Universal) and Hogsmeade (Islands of Adventure) to ensure we could answer guests questions and participate in “theming” with guests (playing along and providing accurate information from the series).

 

 

At the Madam Malkin’s store, we sold everything from official (very expensive) Harry Potter robes, to Gryffindor gear, to Hogwarts House vests. An enchanted mirror installed and later approved by Warner Bros. even complimented guests as they walked past the mirror.

So many little kids walked in the stores, asking questions about the movies and trying on robes. I really enjoyed working the cash register since the front of the store was fast-paced. One of the strangest things about the Universal stores is guests are allowed to walk behind the cash registers to check out additional merchandise.

 

 

Riding Escape from Gringotts (in secret)

I remember one particular moment (one of many) in the weeks before Diagon Alley officially opened to the public. We spent much of our time in Diagon (before it opened) testing the food, walking around to learn the area, participating in team-building exercises, playing trivia, and hiding in Knockturn Alley to stay out of the Today Show camera shots.

We ate at a large, cafeteria-style restaurant during lunch, and then walked back to our store to clock in. One day, as I walked back with two coworkers, other Diagon team members dressed in bank security uniforms walked past us.

As they passed, they quickly mumbled under their breath, “Hurry up if you want to ride Gringotts.” We stopped. What did they just say?? We felt like we were in a movie. We knew couldn’t waste any time!

 

 

We RAN back, clocked in, asked our managers if we could go (they said they didn’t know what we were talking about ;D), and then we rode the roller coaster for the very first time! We didn’t know what to expect. There weren’t any YouTube, point-of-view videos to watch. We couldn’t read any reviews before making this very important decision. We felt like kids, riding the roller coaster before anyone else in the park.

I could write an entire post about my exciting experiences working at Universal, but that’s all I’ll share for now! I have lots of fond memories working at Universal, and celebrating the series with other “Potterheads.”

It’s still crazy to think this is the 20th anniversary since the beginning of the series, but they did a great job in celebrating.

What are your Harry Potter series memories?

Alright, you’ve heard enough sappiness about the Harry Potter series from me. Did you grow up reading the books? Are you just seeing the movies for the first time?

I’d love to hear about your memories involving the Harry Potter series!