What I found from the Harry Potter series

by Tomoko
(Saitama, Japan)

One of my goals for studying English was the "Harry Potter" series. When I was an elementary school student, I began to read this series in Japanese and I started studying English harder. One of my goals at that time was reading a Harry Potter book in English. Then, when I was a high school student, I read the last book of the series in English. It was difficult, but I was so happy to read it in the original version.

In this story, we can look into Harry's school life in Hogwarts. I love this kind of story more than the battle part. In Hogwarts, students are separated into 4 dormitories and live there for all school years. All meals are served in a great hall and we can know what they have and what English people have usually and for special times.

Students get points for what they do at school, and they have a Quidditch (the sports for wizards and witches, which uses flying brooms and some magic balls) tournament. At the end of the year, the dormitory whose score is best wins a prize.

The students whose attitude is good are chosen as perfect in the 5th year, and in the 7th year, the students who get the best grade are chosen as the head boy and head girl from each dormitory. They have to take care of their boarders.

It is completely different from Japanese school. I think they regard the position of people more clearly than Japan, like status of family and what they do at school. The former is found in the problems among "Pure blood (only Wizards' and Witches' family)," "Muggles (People do not have magic powers)," and "Half-blood" through all books. Slytherin students have a strong prejudice, especially to people who are from the Muggle family. I think there are deep, complex, and long term problems which lie in England.

I will stop writing here, for those who have not read "Harry Potter."