Friend,

There was always a complicated dynamic in our family when it came to Harry Potter. There were four kids in the family, and when the first book came out, we were all about reading age. With each new book, my parents bought one copy for us to share.

Sharing these gripping books was always going to be a challenge. On top of that, my mom worried about black magic in the books being harmful to her family. She investigated the books before she let them into our house. She decided that the books were alright—for a time. 

The story of why my mom exorcised our Harry Potter books made me think: What makes someone afraid of a children’s book? Probably the same fear that causes a child a ruin her friend's birthday party by stealing a piece of a board game.

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