MuggleNet's 'Dear Mr. Potter' contest winners

Over the last 10 days since we announced this contest, we have received 300 essays from fans all over the world explaining how the Harry Potter series has influenced and affected their lives.

For many of you, the Harry Potter series has been a dramatic change to your reading and writing skills and overall life goals as well as some truly magnificent life-changing events. It has helped in times of bullying and depression, made the older fans feel young again, and gave a deep-rooted belief system in doing what is right, not what is easy. It was truly a daunting task to decide which ones would go to Lily Zalon, the creator and author of Dear Mr. Potter, for final selections, but we have our final results.

Congratulations to the following winners (you can read their essay by clicking on their name):

First Place: Saraf Ahmed
Second Place: Rachel Barrett
Third Place: Sherry Griggs
Fourth Place: Laura Kelly
Fifth Place: Irvin Khaytman

Each of our finalists will be receiving a copy of Dear Mr. Potter signed by Lily Zalon. To order your own copy of this fantastic book about Love, Loss, and Magic, go to the HPA website.