#HappyBirthdayHarry: The magic of Harry Potter lives on as Potterheads introduce the series to their young ones in the pandemic

Rowling, in the month of April, announced 'Harry Potter at Home' online activities for kids, and parents also made the audiobook of The Philosopher’s Stone available for free for the entire month. “The teachers, parents, and carers working to keep children’s lives as normal and happy as possible while we’re all on lockdown deserve a bit of magic,” tweeted the British author. Despite it being 23 years since the first book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone came out and 13 years since the last book was published, the magic of Harry Potter, who turns 40 today (July 31), and his world of magic will never cease to appeal to us. Rowling also celebrate Interestingly, Potterheads, who turned to the series to find love, hope, comfort, and magic as kids/teens, have been revisiting the series once again in the lockdown albeit through their own kids. Cooped up in their homes, many young millennial parents, who had been massive Harry Potter fans themselves, while introducing their children to this world of magic — through books and films — have re-read/re-watched the series with a new perspective and new learnings. ' I feel my son is taking a keen interest in Professor Snape’s character, just like I did' “In times like these when you don’t know what lies ahead and there’s an invisible fear, you want to return to something that you are familiar with, something that gives you comfort hence I decided to read the series again with my 7-year-old son, Vihaan,” says Aniket Mishra, 35-year-old banking professional from Kolkata. “I read the series several times in the past, but reading it to my son was a different feeling. As a young boy, I was trying to find answers to questions and solve mysteries, but this time I am the one offering answers to all the questions that my son has regarding the characters. We just finished reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and I feel my son is taking a keen interest in Professor Snape’s character, just like I did. Now we can’t wait to read The Prisoner of Azkaban and watch a few movies once we finish reading,” adds Aniket, who is also teaching the meanings of the spells to his son and together, they’re also taking Harry Potter quiz online. 'She now wants me to read the books to her again'Pune-based travel'My daughter loves the friendship that Harry, Hermoine, and Ron share'While some parents thought opportunity to teach their children empathy, togetherness, and compassion through Harry Potter books and films. “Albus Dumbledore's line, ‘Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light,’ has kept both me and my kid — daughter Riya, 8 — motivated in these testing times and helped us find hope,” says Gunjan Arora, 33, Delhi-based software developer, adding, “I think parents aiming at teaching their children how to embrace diversity, be kind and yet courageous, shouldn’t look anywhere beyond the Harry Potter books/movies and its characters. We began with reading the books, followed by the movies. While Riya is fascinated by the stories of the castle, the spells, and the wand, what she’s loving more is the pure friendship that Harry, Hermoine and Ron share and how important kindness and being non- judgemental is through Dumbledore and Harry’s empathy towards Hedwig and Dobby, the elf. As for me, it was a reminder of sorts. Oftentimes, the values we imbibe as kids/teens are fogged or forgotten as we grow up and get busy with our lives. Re-reading the books was a great way of reminding myself that it is important to be kind to others and embrace people for who they are!”