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
Haley Keller 