If my letter to Hermione wasn’t a sign, your creation is extremely important to me. I can say that Harry Potter is one of the top five most influential things in my life. (We won’t argue about what number one is.)
As a child, it helped shape my view of the world in the best possible way. It gave me a place to escape to, and one I still escape to frequently. It gave me characters to look up to and aspire to emulate.
When I got a little older and realized I wanted to be a writer, you were my biggest inspiration. You still are. I will always attribute a lot of my desire to write to wanting to create worlds like Hogwarts.
While I loved reading before, the fandom turned that love into something stronger. I have you, Jo, to think for that even being a possibility.
I had no idea when I went to see the first Harry Potter movie at eight what was about to change in my life. That change has meant more than almost anything.
Sincerely,
Haley Keller
