YOUTH Magazine| Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by: Ashley Wojtunik

Jaw dropped to the ground. Eyes wide open filled with shock, wonderment and a tinge of disgust. “You’ve never seen Harry Potter? Or read the books...what do you mean…”

That is the general reaction I get when I tell someone I know nothing about the Harry Potter Phenomenon. People seem to be genuinely concerned about me and wonder how I have made it this far in life. I’ve just never had any interest to pick up a book and join the “You’re a wizard Harry” bandwagon or wear a yellow and red scarf. However, I have finally decided to broaden my horizons and see what exactly it is that I have been missing out on all these years. After I double checked with the librarian that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was the first movie (to which I got “well…yeah”), I popped in the VHS expecting for my life to be forever changed. I will say, Hogwarts might be the coolest place ever.  Now I understand what people meant when they say they were waiting for their letter from Hogwarts to come and it never did so that’s why they went to (insert name of mediocre school). They have things that we actually need, like a remember ball. I would use that every second of my life. Also a talking hat would probably be beneficial too because I’m a typical college student who doesn’t know what they want and cannot make decisions. Also I’d rather have a potion final than a philosophy final ANY DAY. Forget about smart phones, let’s put our technology resources into creating flying broom sticks, wands, and invisibility cloaks.

            Aside from the amazingness of Hogwarts, I was a little unimpressed with the story (don’t hate me people). They say movies are never as good as the books and I do feel like if I had read the book first the movie might have flowed better. I thought the ten-year old versions of Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson were just too adorable so I feel like that is what I was really focusing on. I also felt really bad for Harry, poor thing was famous and had so many enemies and nothing was even his fault! Major Props of course to J.K. Rowling for building a huge empire based off these characters, but the story was just ok. Maybe I’ll be more interested in the second movie…what’s that one called again??