Fan Focus: Robert – December 8, 2013

23-year-old Robert, Ravenclaw from Ontario, Canada

How did you become a Harry Potter fan?

I became a fan of the Harry Potter series before I hit double digits. I remember my mom bought me the second book while shopping one day and I tried reading it, but when I didn’t know what was going on in the book, I put it down with the intention of never reading it. Then for Christmas that year, my Aunt gave me the rest of the series (books 1 and 3) that were out by that point. That night I started reading the first book and I didn’t put it down until I was done reading the three books.

What would your Patronus be, and why?

Over the years, my Patronus has changed from many different creatures but I believe I’ve finally settled on the one that fits me most: a fox. I’ve always had a strong love of foxes and I recently had a few close encounters with a family of foxes that was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life.

What Potter fandom memory would you keep in your Pensieve?

In 2011 I planned and hosted the second “Potterfest” – a celebration of the Harry Potter series. The first one I held in 2009 had only 16 people show up, so I was nervous about having only a handful show up to the second one. When I got to the venue, there were already people lined up, and we ended up having over the room capacity for the event! It was truly exciting. Since then I have founded the Harry Potter Society of London, Ontario and we have monthly meet-ups that are of course based around Harry Potter. I think my Pensieve would have a collection of memories from the various events we’ve held!

What was your reaction to the news about Fantastic Beasts & Where To Find Them?

I personally was completely confused because I woke up that morning to my Facebook feed exploding about a new Harry Potter movie. I thought I was still asleep, actually. Then it sunk in and I got really excited because it meant I would be able to dress up for more midnight releases!