J.K. Rowling just gave Harry Potter fans a(nother) huge gift: She has acknowledged that, as far as she’s concerned, we all went to Hogwarts.
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean that it is not real?”
This Dumbledore quote from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is not only considered one of the best in the series, but also thought of as J.K. Rowling’s biggest gift to her fans.
Having interacted with millions of people around the world who consumed her novels, lived and breathed Harry Potter and let themselves be transported out of reality and into the fantastical world of Hogwarts, J.K. Rowling recognized that she had not just given her fans a good story; she’d given them a refuge.
Related: Harry Potter screenwriter helping J.K. Rowling pen Fantastic Beasts
Fans of all ages used Harry’s adventures at Hogwarts to find themselves, either as they grew up with him, or later in life. Harry Potter may be considered a children’s book series, but it certainly wasn’t embraced that way.
Even years after the series’ conclusion, the Harry Potter fandom is still as strong as ever. New readers discover the books every day, but more impressively, the fandom that existed back when it all began is still going strong. We carry Harry and Hogwarts with us, and we still need Rowling’s world in our lives.
J.K. Rowling has, beautifully, acknowledged this on Twitter, once again embracing her fans, and proving that she truly understands:
.@m_abs All these people saying they never got their Hogwarts letter: you got the letter. You went to Hogwarts. We were all there together.
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 7, 2015
.@m_abs Of course it happened inside your head, but why on earth should that mean it wasn't real?
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 7, 2015
It’s a brilliant thing for an author to not only invite fans to truly embrace her work (rather than scoffing at them for getting too invested in a work of fiction), but also put herself at level with us.
We were all at Hogwarts, every single one of us, and she was there too. We read the books, we Sorted ourselves, we imagined running around the halls of the school. We had favorite professors, favorite classes, we knew what position we’d play on the Quidditch team, and we were all there together.
It’s a powerful thought, and it reminds us of this speech she gave at the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 premiere:
Other times J.K. Rowling was awesome on Twitter:
– J.K Rowling tells struggling fan: “Don’t ever give up”
– Matt Lewis strips for steamy photoshoot, J.K. Rowling is scandalized
– J.K. Rowling reveals Moaning Myrtle’s full name
– J.K. Rowling celebrates Battle of Hogwarts by apologizing for Fred’s death