But even when i finally relented enough to see the movie twice i was uncertain as to whether the Harry Potter series was something i wanted to get into or not.  You see magic had never appealed to me as a child:  my favorite movies were Lassie and Disney's Robin Hood, not Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or the Wizard of Oz.  I didn't really care for fairy tales; i didn't understand or enjoy fantasy.  It wasn't until after i grew up and became a fan of Lord of the Rings (and God used it to influence my life) that i became more open to the idea of reading and watching more fantasy.  And unfortunately watching the movie hadn't told me anything about the book's true content:  the movie is, after all, a much watered-down version of the book.  It's understandable considering the fact that--though Harry Potter has Christian themes--these books have been printed and movies then produced by secular companies with secular viewpoints.  But again, after reading that a certain forward was in fact false (see the Onion Layer by Layer or God-sends and Other Whoppers) i decided to read the books for myself and form my own opinion once and for all.

Rowling captured me with the first chapter of her first book:  for one, her style of writing reminded me of my ever-so brief forays into the worlds of Roald Dahl... only better.  I remember reading about THE BOY WHO LIVED and wondering:  "what's so bad about this?"  As i continued reading i found the dialogue amusing, the descriptions colorful, the details brilliant, and nothing overtly objectional.  There were no warning signals, nothing to be concerned about, in fact, i found that the book was very clean, moral, and i couldn't put it down.  It is a more intereting and a better read than many children's books out there today, not to mention that it is actually saying something worthwhile.

I decided, of course, to remain objective throughout my reading of the book and then proceeded to read the entire series (that is to say the Sorcerer's Stone to Goblet of Fire, which were the only books in the series that were out at the time) in about a week.  Each time i have read the series it has only gotten better.  I have now read the first four books four times in order (in the span of about six months) and the Order of the Phoenix through four times in a row (over the course of the next six months).  The more i research the series and write about it the more i am convinced that these books are nothing for a Christian to be concerned about or against; on the contrary, these books are safe for kids to read and excellent for discussion.  As i continue to read of each book (for the fifth time and onward) i am more and more convinced that i should be fighting for Rowling because so many are fighting against her.

I know that there are some of you that i will never be able to convince that Harry Potter is good (my parents are among you), but you must understand that i am only trying to shed some light into a dark that Satan is trying to perpetuate.  He chooses to tarnish the things that God can use to bless us and turn them into lies.  It is my prayer that God will use this webpage to proclaim the truth and the truth alone.  It is true that this is entirely written from my point of view and with my opinions, but this is an opinion and outlook that God gave me and no one else.  You may call this Harry Potter Defended if you wish for in fact that is what it really is:  a defense of my sister in Christ and the stories God gave her to give to us.  All i ask is that you allow God to speak to you and tell you if i am telling you the truth or not.

Please feel free to explore these pages:  my editorials (Lumos Nox / light the dark), reviews of both the movies and the books (which are linked to above on the right under their respective titles), artwork (Swish), and fanfiction (Flick) were all created in the hope that someone would enjoy and benefit from them.  Stay tuned for updates as God leads me.

with love,
K.N. Senko