The Nerdiest, Most Magical Moments of My Short Life

Harry Potter fans are a special breed of humans. We camp out in bookstores for 13 hours just to get our hands on 759 pages.  We have a special reserve in our savings accounts to visit Hogsmeade once in awhile, and sometimes we fly across the country to spend a weekend with like-minded kindred spirits. I’ve spent most of my life in this fandom, so what are some of the nerdiest things I’ve done just to be part of the wizarding world?

 

The Hogwarts Letter

 

 

On my 11th birthday, I used my calligraphy set to write my own Hogwarts acceptance letter and school supplies list. I then proceeded to slide it under my bedroom door to deliver it to myself.

 

T-Shirts Galore

 

 

I may or may not have designated an entire drawer of my dresser to HP T-shirts.

 

It’s Not Spew, It’s SPEW

 

 

During a college Honor’s Society awards ceremony, I listed SPEW under the space for campus organization involvement. The Dean read it off, not knowing why there were a few snickers from the audience.

 

Pet Naming

 

 

I named my dog “Remus” because I just can’t let go… and then later named another one Dobby.

 

The Bookstore Camp-Out

 

 

For the Half-Blood Prince release, I insisted on getting to Barnes & Noble at 11 a.m. to make sure I was first in line.

 

Jetlagged but Worth It

 

 

A last-minute offer came up that I couldn’t turn down. So I worked a 9-to-5 day, hopped on a plane 10 minutes after leaving work, and made it across the country by 11 p.m. I did all of this just to spend a heavenly 48 hours in LA. Touring the Loot Crate headquarters was like walking into my perfect world. No regrets!

 

The WB Logo Waterworks

 

 

I found myself sitting in a Fantastic Beasts preview screening and unashamedly crying when the WB logo appeared. What? I never thought I’d experience that moment again!

 

Conducting “Research” in the Movie Theater

 

 

I brought a notebook, a pen, and the Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them textbook to the movie theater for research purposes. This was also the fifth time I’d seen the film in theaters. #GoBigOrGoHome

 

I Can’t, I Have “Work”

 

 

I have declined weekend invitations by saying “I have work to do.” That’s code for “I have a Skype meeting with some super awesome people from MuggleNet, and then I need to streamline some documents to make our informative wizarding content easier to push out to our readers.”

 

There you have it. Fandom makes us do funny things. What are some nerdy moments in your life inspired by your love for the wizarding world?

Amy Hogan

I was 9 years old when I discovered the magic that is “Harry Potter.” I am a proud Hufflepuff and exceedingly good at eating, reading, being sarcastic, and over-thinking small tasks. Since I spent too much time worrying about the correct way to write this bio, this is all I was able to come up with before the deadline.