Daily Times

The Boy Who Lived has to be one of the most popular chapter titles in modern literary history. The opening lines of this chapter, too, must be etched in the memory of those who have read it. “Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.” This chapter is part of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone; the first novel in the series of seven books authored by J. K. Rowling.

The magic of Harry Potter began on June 26, 1997, when the first book of the series was released. The year 2020, despite all of its gloominess, will be the 23rd anniversary of the book’s release. The readers across the world, especially children, were introduced to a boy who wore a pair of round frame glasses. The book later introduced other characters that became part of modern storytelling and children’s literary fabric. We were introduced to Ronald Weasley, a brave friend who always supported Harry. There was Hermione Granger, daughter from a muggle family, who used her logic and courage to get things done. The group of Harry, Ron, and Hermione were seen together in the book series from the first time they met until the end of the seventh and the last book. In the movies, too, their friendship was unshakable.

The children were introduced to the humble and wise Albus Dumbledore. He personified all the greatness that was associated with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Most of Harry’s knowledge came from Rubeus Hagrid, a 12-feet tall giant who taught Harry cool tricks and connected him with people who became Harry’s friends. Some characters were part of the dark side. Professor Severus Snape, who always saw Harry with detest but later turned out to be his greatest supporter. Draco Malfoy was one of Harry’s biggest enemy. He hated anyone having an iota of connection with the muggle world. His father, Lucius Malfoy was another character that never looked at Harry with good intentions.

While the characters and their unique names, as in this series, do attract attention, Rowling’s imagination did wonders. She conceived the unique names of places, animals, characters, and events. She discussed fictional people and communities that made the story rich with facts and invigorating details. Although the Harry Potter series is a character-driven story, the readers did connect with the setting and the places as well. Places such as Burrow, Godric’s Hollow, Little Hangleton, Little Whinging, Diagon Alley are all fictional but their feel and essence seem all too real. Whether they are mentioned in the books or the movies, they seem to be places we want to visit someday.

Rowling’s art of storytelling was always up to the mark. She kept the characters perform one act after the other. It kept the story moving forward. This is an intricate process where the author needs to ascertain that the character’s feelings are aligned with the dialogues and the plot. Moreover, continuously explaining the intentions of other characters and the setting they are present in must also be looked upon. Rowling had to remember the persona of a plethora of main characters and had to dwell upon the actions of all the supporting characters. It would have been a wildly exciting process to create a story outline for each book of the series. Rowling would then have to ponder on the characters that would play a key role. One can only imagine the efforts Rowling would have put into writing each one of the seven books. She would have felt the emotions of all characters such as to name a few the joyous personality of Hagrid, the cruel feelings of Voldemort, the courage of Harry, the friendship of Hermione and Ron, the strictness of McGonagall, the wisdom of Dumbledore and the coldness of Snape.

Rowling imagined a world where good and evil resides side by side. She created characters and their family chart. She linked all characters in their specific places in each book of the series. She made a world of her own: the Harry Potter Universe. Amid her words readers of all ages find a place where they can be themselves; where they can be free from worldly limitations. It is a place where they can be with Harry Potter and accompany him on his many adventures.

The writer is an independent researcher, author and columnist. He can be reached at omariftikhar@hotmail.com and Tweets @omariftikhar