Ten years ago a journey began, a journey through a seven-book series and the eight movies that brought the books to life.

Upon opening the first novel in the first grade, senior Sarah McLaughlin developed an instant attachment. She read each “Harry Potter” story and grew beyond fascinated.

The fictional world of wizards, wands, and even chocolate frogs came to be an enormous part of her life.

 Over the 10 years, McLaughlin has collected a heap of Harry Potter related keepsakes.

 Pulling out a pair of pink flower earrings, she shares how these are the ones that Hermione Granger wore to the Yule Ball in the fourth movie.

 Skimming over her collection she points to a poster. “This poster has been on my wall for six years,” she said.

 Then picking up the stack of seven movies, she recalls the excitement and anticipation that came with waiting for them to be sold on DVD.

 “The first day they came out I had to be at the store to get them,” she said, holding her favorite of the eight, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince,” of which she has the special edition.

 Not only has she collected all of the movies, she has collected all seven books too, along with poster books, coloring books and a notebook received in the fourth grade to keep as a journal.

 When 8-year-old McLaughlin started this journal, she was already looking years ahead to her 11th birthday, hoping to get an acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

 This one fond recollection encapsulates how McLaughlin has spent much of her life in hopes of becoming a part of this mysterious world of witchcraft and wizardry.

 “They’re the kind of people you’d want to be friends with,” McLaughlin said of Harry Potter and the rest of the magical characters.

 But out of all the Harry Potter cast, Hermione Granger has always been her favorite. She became a role model to her, influencing McLaughlin to have hopes of being the young wizard.

 Though Hermione is her favorite, she still has that passion for the others. “They’re not just characters in a book,” she said. “They become a part of your life.”

 Not only have the characters in Harry Potter been an inspiration to McLaughlin, but they have been a guide to her through the difficult stages of her life.

 When her grandfather passed away, she went to the novels to seek security. While reading she found that her relationship with her grandfather and Harry’s relationship with Dumbledore was surprisingly similar.

 Noting the death of Dumbledore, she said “It was comforting to see how Harry went through it and came out better.”

 Through thick and thin, the series has always been there to support her, so she is sad to see it come to an end.

 But with a chuckle she said, “I still have to visit the theme park in Florida.”

 And rereading is always there for her to travel back to the wizarding world.

 Once she picks up the first of the series she cannot put it down until she has read them all the way through.

 “I can’t even eat or sleep until I finish them,” she said. “It’s not just a book series, it’s an experience.” To McLaughlin, the story is over, but will live on forever.