On Coltrane's Passing Away - A tribute to the Harry Potter series

Note to the reader: I had written this after the passing away of Robbie Coltrane, who played Rubeus Hagrid, groundkeeper of Hogwarts. When my sister texted me the news, my mind just flashed through all memories we had growing up with the books, movies and fan theories.

So here's to the first book that got me into reading.

Here's also to my sister, who, because of the age gap we share, practically raised me in many ways.

The following piece/ write-up was on my Instagram highlights for a while and then I realized, it should probably be here to stay permanently. So here it goes! :)

Harry Potter was the book that got me into books. It started when my sister began narrating them as bedtime stories to me until she decided that I was old enough to read them. She had already finished telling me the first 3 books by then.

We never owned the books, but by the time I came of reading age, my sister and I (mostly my sister, hehe) would find every means possible (borrow from a friend/library/ friend's friend) for me to get the next volume.

I remember waiting for Sunday afternoons when my family would to go the British Library after church either to renew them for the umpteenth time (cause they were too huge for a 10-12 year old) or hope that the next book would be available and no one would borrow it by the time we reach.

Sophy and I would stay up late so she could narrate the parts I didn't understand/fill me in with more details. We would bond over the characters I liked at that point. She ensured to keep me away from spoilers (like SNAPE).

My grandma once complained that when we were visiting parts of Kerala to meet our relatives that I never spoke a word during the journey cause I was always glued to my book, when I was generally a talkative kid (oops, I guess I'll work on that!).

Years have gone by, and I've expanded my reading now. I've read from less problematic authors. I've even moved to genres apart from fiction. But the HP series will always be the OG of reading for me!

It is true what immense power fiction can have on you. It was more than a series. It introduced me to the world of fiction - the world of magic.

And most importantly, it introduced me to the world of reading.

-PIECES OF MY CHILDHOOD-

15.10.2022

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