“Mama, I’m making a Benny Polyjuice potion. It’s hard, but I have to do it because I go to Hogwarts next week.”

I heard this statement last week from my son, Benjamin, who was yelling it up to the dining room from the playroom in the basement. Indeed, when I went down to see what he was doing, he had his “cauldron” (toy storage bin) filled with various items from his playroom - a piece of paper to represent hair, a stuffed pineapple toy in place of a mandrake, toy coins to signify spiders and more - creating his own version of the Polyjuice potion used in “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Those who drink the potion will turn into a frog, he said.

Anyone familiar with the words Polyjuice, Hogwarts and mandrake know they are from J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter” books. Her seven works have had an impact on those who read them - children and adults alike. Harry Potter lovers have read all the books (or are working on it), know exactly which Hogwarts house they belong to (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin), take quizzes online or via an artificial intelligence device and attend “Harry Potter” events and shows. They have fallen in love with characters and have learned valuable life lessons.

A particular impact and reminder for me are the quotes by Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Two I, thus far, have treasured are below.

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.” - “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” - “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets”

I love and admire the clarity, calmness and resourcefulness Dumbledore brings to the characters and to me as a reader.

I know I will come across more as I continue to read to Benjamin. We have read the above books, numbers one and two, respectively. The books we are reading are great, too, for young children as the illustrations by Jim Kay are very colorful and imaginative. I was going to wait until Benjamin’s birthday to buy him book number three, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” but I was not able to hold off until then. His birthday is in a month and a half - clearly too long to wait. I will add we read book number two, which has 272 pages, in about one month. For Benjamin, who is almost 5 and can be quite squirmy, this is quite an accomplishment.

Until the next book arrives, Benjamin and I are watching the first two “Harry Potter” movies and listening to the second audio book, which we borrowed from Coplay Public Library. The library has this collection available for takeout with an active library card.

We are also looking forward to Northampton Area Public Library’s Harry Potter Week celebration, set for Feb. 14-19. On Feb. 14, Kids Craft in a Bag pickups begin for a take-home Dumbledore-looking wizard project, perfect for younger ages. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

For older ages, also on Feb. 14, Harry Potter book night activity kits are available to be picked up, with one for grades 2-5 and another for teens. Kids will be able to make a bookmark based on their house colors. Registration is required at northamptonapl.org.

Veronica Laroche, new director of NAPL, said, “Along with the crafts, there will be a packet of puzzles, such as mazes, word games and trivia. I think the coolest thing planned is a virtual game of Harry Potter Clue, where you have to figure out who committed the crime, where it happened and how it happened. The game is set up like a virtual escape room, so you can complete it individually or as a group with family or friends.”

The virtual Harry Potter Clue launches Feb. 14.

Laroche is a big fan of “Harry Potter,” she said, but she didn’t begin reading the books until she was in high school.

“By that time, I believe the first three books were already out in the United States. I devoured the first one in a weekend, staying up late every night because I just couldn’t bring myself to stop reading. And then I moved on to the rest of the books that were out until I finally had to wait impatiently with the rest of ‘Harry Potter’ fans,” she said.

“There’s just something magical about ‘Harry Potter,’ and I don’t mean the actual witches and wizards. It’s the kind of series that reflects people in a very real way, despite the fantastical setting,” Laroche added.

A bit farther away but still an easy drive is the Wizarding World Harry Potter: The Exhibition at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.

“This groundbreaking exhibition will celebrate the iconic moments, characters, settings and beasts as seen in the films and stories of “Harry Potter” and the Wizarding World using best-in-class immersive design and technology,” according to The Franklin Institute’s website. “From the mysteries of Hogwarts castle to the antics of its mischievous yet brilliant students; from daring duels to dragons and dark arts; from glittering Gringotts to the magnificent Ministry of Magic, the exhibition will bring magic to life, connect visitors with the larger global community of fans of the Wizarding World and reveal the artistry and craftsmanship behind the blockbuster films.”

This is absolutely on our list to visit. The exhibition opens Feb. 18 and closes Sept. 18.

Another place to visit, coming in May to Peddler’s Village, New Hope, is a second location for The Cloak and Wand. My family discovered this unique store during our fall 2021 trip to Mystic, Conn.

“The Cloak and Wand is a fantasy store dedicated to the wizards and witches of folklore, myth and literature,” the website states.

We found many “Harry Potter” items at this store in Mystic and are excited for its other location closer to us. And, in addition to retail items, there is a potion bar where you can order custom-made concoctions.

To enjoy special “Harry Potter” nostalgia from the comfort of your own home, “Harry Potter 20th Anniversary: Return to Hogwarts” became available Jan. 1 on HBO Max. The film celebrates the anniversary of the first “Harry Potter” movie, which was released in November of 2001. The first book was released just a few years before that.

In June of this year, it will be an astonishing 25 years since the first book was in the hands of readers, who had yet to discover how undoubtedly remarkable and captivating these works would be. Almost 25 years later, and readers are still yearning for the mysterious world of Harry Potter and his friends, professors and enemies.

Now that is something truly magical.

Stacey A. Koch

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press