Harry Potter lives in my blood, as surely as Lily Potter’s protection from Lord Voldemort lives in Harry’s. (That’s right, that’s the level of geek you’re about to wade into…. PREPARE THYSELF!!) From the first paragraph I read in the dim, dark past of college I have loved this world.  J.K. Rowling is my favorite modern author and I will continue to read any and every book that she writes. I was very pleased and proud that my favorite chapter of the series, “The Forest Again” from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was in fact her favorite chapter as well!

I also have the most amazing niece in the world… sorry, but that’s not up for debate 🙂 She is smart and funny and strong and I dearly, DEARLY hope that one day she loves Harry Potter as much as I do….

I want her to travel on the Hogwarts Express, to feel the thrill of being sorted into her house (I have a feeling she may be a Gryffindor), to cheer at a Quidditch game, to fight the Deatheaters, to learn what friendship looks like in its many forms, to watch a boy and his friends do what is right even when it is very, very hard and to cheer as good wins over evil, even while she cries at the terrible losses that were bound to come as well.

But I would describe my sister as Harry Potter neutral- she’s watched a couple of movies but hasn’t read the books and it just hasn’t grabbed her yet. She’s definitely more of an Outlander Sassenach than a Member of the Order of the Phoenix. As such I very seriously informed her that I wanted to be in charge of my niece’s Harry Potter education- I would of course check with her before I did anything and would make sure she felt my niece was ready for each book before giving it to her, but I would decide how to open this world to her. So I instructed her not to try to show her any of the movies again (she’d already tried once and I cried Foul! BOOKS BEFORE MOVIES!!!) but I digress….

I cast my mind around for an idea. How would I introduce her to this magical world? Would she be interested at a really young age? What if I tried too early and it doesn’t take and then she doesn’t want to try the books later? What if I mess up her Harry Potter future forever?!?!?!?! So there’s some pressure here 🙂

Slowly my plan started to form…

I decided to let my niece experience the events in the book along with Harry in an enhanced way. So on Christmas she will receive her school trunk, complete with vintage paper lining and her initials in gold on the lid. Inside she will find a variety of different packages all wrapped up in brown paper and twine. The large one on top will say “Open me now” and inside she’ll find a copy of the Illustrated Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I think the beautiful pictures will help her, since she’s a little on the young side (Just shy of 6 years old when she gets book 1), to stay interested in a longer book.

The rest of the packages will all have numbers on them and they are not to be opened yet. As her mom and dad, grandparents, and hopefully me (while I’m in town for the holidays) read to her, she’ll come across these stickers/ notes at different places in the story. Each will tell her the number of the corresponding present to open. Each little gift will have something to do with the story at that moment.

Stay tuned as the story unfolds!