APPLICATION TO HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

Honestly, this was supposed to be my first article while reviving the blog, but I had to wait for this very day – July 31, to commemorate this special one. That’s right, two of my favourite people share their birthday on this day. J.K. Rowling was born on 31-July-1965 and Harry Potter was born on the same day, 15 years later (Don’t struggle with your math, pal, it’s 1980). It also marks the day Harry found out he was a wizard; he got his call letter from Hogwarts. Every birthday, I wait for one in vain.  A good story often takes its reader on an emotional journey from despair to elation and hits many notes in between.

With the experience of writing 25+ PhD application essays and 15+ MSc personal statements, here goes my imaginary application material to study at Hogwarts.

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TO WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

As Albus Dumbledore puts it, “It is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities”, engrossing myself in the mastery of wizardry has put me a little ahead of my peer group, and studying in Hogwarts is that choice which will address my quality of being more than ordinary. Hogwarts has always been a dream, not just because of its prestige and reputation, but because it will be the perfect fit for my skillset and talents. At Hogwarts I will be able to bring my own unique understanding of the flora of the world, and use this to perfect my potion making, defence against dark arts and astronomy skills while contributing to the learning economy in the school myself. As a child I would relish in listening to the exhilarating wizarding wars that my ancestors fought in and often imagined myself in their place, fighting for the greater good.

When I was in primary school, my elder sister borrowed The Philosopher’s stone book about one of the great wizards ‘Harry Potter’ from our school library and started reading it. At that age, whatever my sister does/thinks reflects on what I do, because she was practically my best friend back then, even now. I've read the books multiple times and watched the films in Hogwarts universe more times than I can count. Once, I even watched all eight films back-to-back. It took around nineteen hours to watch them all and I was rather tired by the time I went to bed!

Being a determined person right from my early childhood, I have logged thousands of hours learning everything related to witchcraft and wizardry right from potion making to defence against dark arts. Upon researching Hogwarts’s D.A.D.A course, I can say that I am deeply intrigued in the vast curriculum which spans from dark creatures to charms and spells. I also admire the teaching style which emphasis practical lessons with theory homework as I believe that it is important to put our skills into practice and I enjoy reviewing what I have learned. Below I summarise few of the episodes from my life to support my application to Hogwarts.

I’m this mad potterhead (what muggles call) who made her sister’s wedding card to be designed in Harry Potter theme. If my parents did allow (Of course no Indian parents’ would allow, please don’t try asking), I’d have made the whole wedding hall like the Start-of-Term feast in Great Hall. I’m also attaching a photo evidence to support my statement. There’s a single fraught moment in my life where I have to face the deepest satisfaction, anxiety, dread, and bittersweet tears I have ever known: finishing Hogwarts: A History, A History of Magic and other books in the recommended reading list of Hermione Granger – the greatest witch of all time.

During my undergraduate studies, I started a cultural event for the muggles called ‘Harry Potter and the Horcruxes of Techofes - Hunt the Horcrux and break apart the immortal soul’. First round was the Ordinary Wizarding Level with basic quiz about the wizard world. Second round was a magic monopoly played with Galleons and housing done using a sorting hat. Although I cheated in-between, to pair up my friend with his crush. I hope it doesn’t count as a disadvantage to my application. Third round was hunting imaginary Horcruxes around our campus. One of my muggle friends even knitted house scarfs for our event. The event was a huge success and it helped me increase my knowledge about magic.

Right now, I’m in the land of Harry Potter, with a pandemic around me that restricts my long-standing plan of taking a Harry Potter tour from happening in the fullness of time. During my masters in United Kingdom, I took a tour to a place that mimics the Diagon Alley and a shop named ‘The Great Wizard’ in Edinburgh, purchased the merchandise of Hogwarts and disguised as a wizard. I know, this one’s impressive, so here goes a photo attached as an evidence. The robe costed £50 and sadly, I couldn’t afford it.

Interests include Quidditch and propagating Whomping Willows from cuttings (well, the fun is in taking the cuttings, as I’m sure you know!). Since I also have the unique experience of living amongst muggles and even with muggles, I would also like to become a voice for muggles in the wizarding world as I believe that they should have more rights.

I've been suffering the annual disappointment of not receiving an owl with my acceptance letter for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry these 22 years. Thus, being an ideal candidate to study at Hogwarts (with a preferred house: Gryffindor), I request you to accept my application and provide me with financial assistance to study at your esteemed school of magic. The pandemic in muggle world may restrict me from taking face-to-face classes and I may have to start my term online, but I would prefer starting my classes in Hogwarts. Would you like to surprise me? My birthday is on November 18, so if my application is considered for winter intake, please send my acceptance letter on my birthday.

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I can't quite put my finger on why the Harry Potter saga is so popular. Perhaps it's the imagination behind the books - all the characters, the quirky places, the unusual little details - which make it such an intriguing collection of stories. Or maybe it's simply that we all have a fascination with magic - even though we know it's completely made up. Reading the books transports us into an alternative world, where anything is possible. Although I love watching the films, I have always preferred reading books: the images jump off the page and you're free to imagine for yourself how everything should look.

J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series is something that I grew up with. And here I finish my dedication to this living inspiration on her birthday.  

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

I would like to thank my friend Mallory Thorp for capturing my crazy pictures with HP merchandise, Karthik Kumar for designing the monopoly, Vijay Kumar and his friends for being the co-organiser of HP event, to whomsoever (I forgot the company name) who helped with designing my sister’s wedding card, my sister for making me the potterhead I’m today, all my non-HP fans for tolerating my chit-chats though you people never understood what they mean and all my potterhead mates for having healthy discussions and unhealthy arguments with me.

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