Why Re-Reading is Worth it

“Harry had never been to London before.”

One of my study abroad courses is called “Harry Potter and the English Fantasy Tradition.” Most of the people I tell this either don’t believe me, or think that it’s a thinly veiled excuse to read Harry Potter and pretend I’m taking a class.

The truth is, I can’t think of anything more fitting to read before studying abroad in the UK, despite the fact that I can’t possibly count the number of times I’ve read Harry Potter – it must be a couple dozen at the least. Yet I decided that, in the midst of packing and moving and working and writing, I was going to read the entire series.

Today, just a week and a half before I leave, I was finally able to sit down with the Sorcerer’s Stone. I had almost gotten to the point of convincing myself that I didn’t need to re-read the series, that I would be able to write and discuss Harry Potter because it’s such an intrinsic part of me. But I was wrong. By thinking that, I overlooked the reason why I’ve read Harry Potter so many times in the first place: the magic of re-reading. I forgot that the reason I love books so much is because you find something new every time.

Go back to the quote at the top of this post. You probably glossed over it, just like I did every time I read this book before. But today, as my eyes scanned down page 67 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, that line caught my eye. Like me, “Harry had never been to London before.” And as I read the next few pages of Harry seeing the normal slowly change to the magical, I became excited to experience that myself. And I truly hope that I can enjoy just a little bit of Harry’s childish wonder as my eyes are opened to the newness of the people and culture that will surround me in just two short weeks.

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