My parents shared my autism diagnosis when I was 9 years old.
I was obsessed with “Harry Potter,” and they used it to explain how I was different from other kids.
My parents gave me the confidence I needed at a critical age, which I’ve carried throughout my life.
Every time I was excluded from another kid’s party or not invited to playdates, my parents made me feel like everybody was missing out on how cool I was. Not invited to somebody’s 7th birthday party? No problem, we were going to the toy store and getting ice cream instead. Excluded on the playground? We’d play games together at home.
I was diagnosed with autism when I was a toddler. I was sensitive and shy. I vaguely remember visits to speech and occupational therapy and a parade of adults playing with toys and board games to teach me social and conversational skills. I was an only child, so didn’t think anything of it — I was used to having adults around.
The way my parents told me about my autism was empowering
When I was 9 years old, I was given the keys to the kingdom of self-discovery. Like many 9-year-olds in the early 2000s, I was obsessed with the “Harry Potter” series. (This was before J. K. Rowling’s comments about trans people and people with autism.)
“You have magical powers like Harry Potter,” my mom said to me one day.
Harry held a special place in my heart. We shared a prophetic July 31 birthday, he was true to himself, and he lived in a world beyond my imagination. He was cool in a world full of uncool people.
My mom began to tell me about autism and what the fairly common developmental disability, characterized by differences in communication, social skills, sensory processing, and repetitive behaviors, was all about.
“Different is neither better nor worse,” she said. “It’s just different. And different can be extraordinary.”
My mom likened it to Harry Potter — he was different too. He didn’t quite fit in with the muggles back home, where he was often ridiculed, but he also didn’t fit in with the wizards and witches at Hogwarts, where he was famously The Boy Who Lived with the lightning-bolt scar on his forehead that was a constant reminder of his differences.
This revelatory idea became a building block of who I was. My mom and I focused on my strengths: my memory, my sensitivity, my creativity.
We already knew I had a hard time making friends, so we didn’t overemphasize my weaknesses. But knowing I had autism — and how my parents chose to bring up the subject — made me feel cool.
I share my story to empower people who are neurodiverse
What strikes me about that fateful day is just how forward-thinking it was. At the time, my parents were unfamiliar with the concept of neurodiversity, the idea that all types of brains are to be accepted and respected. You don’t need to know the right language of social justice, inclusion, and belonging, to be a great ally.
My parents are the best allies I could ever have. They instilled such confidence in me. As an adult, I became a stronger advocate for myself and others because I had never wished I was neurotypical or somebody else.
Loving yourself as a person with a disability in a world rife with ableism is a magical power in itself.
Haley Moss is an attorney, contemporary American pop art artist, author, and advocate for people with disabilities.
Harry Potterfans will be delighted that more new content from the magical universe is forthcoming in the form of a prequel focussing on Severus Snape.
For now, few details are known about the project but it is being created by Warner Bros and will air on HBO Max. There’s no information yet about the release date or even the plot, beyond the fact that Snape will be one of the main protagonists.
It is also reported by ‘We got this covered’ that Hermione will be feature heavily in the series and could perhaps even get her own show.
The backstories of these characters offers a goldmine of opportunities for the writers and producers. Potterheads should stay on the lookout for further updates on these developments as they happen.
Farmers affiliated to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will stage a nationwide agitation on September 8 to demand guaranteed remunerative prices for their produce. On Thursday, leaders of the RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Kisan Sangh said the Centre should either bring in a law to ensure that minimum support prices (MSP) are actually paid to farmers or amend 2020’s farm reform laws to do so.
This is also a demand of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha platform of farm unions, which is opposed to the BJP and has been vociferously protesting the three farm reform laws for almost a year now.
“There is no point in announcing MSP rates if most of the farmers are not actually getting that price in the mandis. Many farmers are not even getting their production costs covered,” BKS general secretary Badri Narayan Chaudhary told The Hindu on Thursday. “We will give the government time to take action and respond to our concerns until the end of this month. But if they do not, we are prepared to carry out a dharna at the national level on September 8,” he added. He said the BKS was not asking the government itself to necessarily procure all crops at MSP rates, but rather to ensure that no buyer, whether government, private or corporate, is allowed to pay below MSP rates.
In Nagpur, organisation secretary Dinesh Kulkarni told the Press Trust of India that a legal guarantee must be provided. “The government should ensure this remunerative price in the present farm laws or make a separate legislation for the same. The government should make guidelines in respect of contract farming wherein crops are not purchased below MSP. This should be at least implemented for the 23 crops that are currently under the MSP regime,” he said.
The protesting unions of the SKM have also been demanding a legal guarantee for MSP, along with a full repeal of the farm reform laws. Mr. Chaudhary said that the BKS’ stance on the farm laws is more nuanced. “Yes, there are improvements and amendments needed in the laws. But the government has said it is willing to amend the laws. Rather, it is those unions’ demand for full repeal which has halted negotiations,” he said. He added that the Supreme Court has stayed the implementation of the laws for the last eight months, even though its committee had submitted its report over six months ago.
Calling all Wizards and Muggles! If you’re looking for a magical getaway, we have the spot for you. Head to the Blue Ridge Mountains and claim this castle, decked out with all the details a true fan will appreciate.
The Wizards Hollow is one of five treehouses that make up the “Treehouses of Serenity” outside of Asheville, NC. The owners have made it their own version of Hogwarts and it’s almost 600 square feet of enchantment. Consult the sorting hat to claim your house flag, discover the invisible cloak, or simply collapse into one of two queen beds with perfect Potter décor.
You’ll also find a spiral staircase leading to a loft with an additional bed—look on the steps for some extra fun details. Even the bathroom gets in on the fun with some special surprises. Don’t forget to look for the owls around the house!
Outside, the castle boasts a sprawling deck and firepit, perfect for lounging while you sip on Butterbeer. You’ll be treated to mountain views and you’re only 10 minutes from downtown Asheville, assuming you ever want to leave.
This Airbnb is rightfully quite popular and it’s booked up until May 2021. The good news is that on November 1 at 8 am ET, you can hop on to reserve your spot for the first available month. At $364 per night, it’s well worth a special getaway!
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat on Friday said the target of the organisation should be to reach every household when it will celebrate its centenary four years later, according to an RSS office-bearer.
The RSS chief who reached Dhanbad on Friday on a three-day visit to take stock of the organisation in Jharkhand held a meeting with senior leaders of Jharkhand and Bihar.
“The sarsanghchalak (Bhagwat) exhorted us to work hard in order to ensure that when the organisation will turn 100 in 2025, the swayamsevaks should reach every household with extension of branches in all villages,” an RSS functionary who attended the meeting said.
RSS members were also told how their conduct should be and how their lives should be devoted to nation-building, the office-bearer said.
The RSS Chief is scheduled to address media on Saturday.
Earlier, Bhagwat was given a rousing welcome by state BJP leaders, and ABVP and Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh activists as he reached Dhanbad from Patna on the Ganga-Damodar Express in the morning.
The organisers took him to a guest house, the main venue for the programmes during his visit.
“He holds meetings for organisation extension across the country round the year. During the visit to Dhanbad, he will conduct such meetings,” an RSS functionary said.
On Saturday and Sunday, he would meet officials of various branches of the state RSS.
During the visit, he is also scheduled to meet 100 eminent people from different fields.
Javed Akhtar’s statements were painful for crores of RSS workers, a BJP leader claimed (File)
Mumbai:
The Shiv Sena has come to the defence of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (the BJP’s ideological mentor) after poet and lyricist Javed Akhtar’s comments comparing the RSS to the Taliban.
Javed Akhtar was “completely wrong” in comparing the two, the Sena declared.
In an editorial in party mouthpiece Saamna, the Sena pointed out that the RSS, for example, had not supported the religious frenzy that accompanied the ‘beef’ issue, and underlined “no frenzy in the name of Hindutva is accepted here… neither the Shiv Sena nor the RSS support that”.
“We won’t accept madness in the name of Hindutva. How can you say those who favour the concept of a ‘Hindu rashtra‘ are of Taliban mindset? We don’t agree with this, ” the party said.
The Sena editorial said “nations like Pakistan, China have supported Taliban rule as human rights, democracy and personal freedom are of no value there. The mindset of Hindustan does not look like that. We are tremendously tolerant in every way,” the Sena editorial said.
“Under the guise of the veil of democracy, some people may be trying to bring dictatorship… yet they have a limit. Therefore, it is not proper to compare RSS with Taliban.”
“On every occasion…. whenever fanatic and seditious distortions have erupted in the country, Javed Akhtar has torn the masks of those fanatics. He has sung ‘Vande Mataram’ irrespective of fundamentalists’ threats. But we do not accept the comparison with the Taliban,” the party wrote.
“Despite being Hindu-majority… this nation still waves the flag of secularism. It is reasonable expectation that the majority of Hindus should not be suppressed continuously… Javed Akhtar, what we are saying is right, no?” the editorial asked.
The RSS, ideological parent of the BJP, has long held that India is a Hindu ‘rashtra‘ or state.
“Just like the Taliban want an Islamic State, there are those who want a Hindu rashtra. These people are of the same mindset – be it Muslim, Christian, Jews or Hindus,” he had said.
When I was a young “Harry Potter” fan in India, the Patils meant so much to me.
Their hideous on-screen Yule Ball outfits, however, were a wasted opportunity for representation.
The Patils were robbed of their identities, illustrating Western media’s larger diversity issue.
My decade-old copy of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” still looks new, except for the tiny dog-ear in chapter seven on a page I revisited time and time again.
On that folded page, we readers witness our first Sorting Hat ceremony and meet “a pair of twin girls, ‘Patil’ and ‘Patil.'”
Even though I had little more than a last name, I was immediately invested in their character development and what would come next for them.
Unfortunately, J.K. Rowling didn’t give them growth, and the movies didn’t provide them with opportunities to progress either. Really, the movies did these twins dirtier than I could’ve imagined.
As a young Indian Potterhead, I instantly identified with Parvati and Padma
The Patils don’t get much screen time in the movies.
Warner Brothers
It was because of my culture that I had such a big response to the introduction of minor characters who, really, would have no important role in the series.
Patil is a common family name in India, where I live. When I first read “Sorcerer’s Stone,” India’s president — the first and only woman to hold that office — was Pratibha Patil, a name that could’ve been a good choice for a third sister if the Patils were triplets.
I was used to the name in my regular life, but seeing it in the Wizarding World was something else entirely. “Harry Potter” wasn’t just a series of books; it was a phenomenon and a watershed moment for young-adult fiction.
It was also overwhelmingly British, with characters who were either clearly stated or implied to be Caucasian, people who had names nobody around me had, and kids who had blond and red hair — a spectrum absent from our rainbow here in India.
In this unfamiliar landscape, the presence of the Patils became my own personal connection to the world of magic.
As a young Indian girl, I was sure the twins would probably dress like me, eat like me, and even live with a family like mine.
But the Patils had disappointing character arcs — if you can even call them that — and were immediately shoved to the side
Upon their first mention, the twins don’t get first names.
Paige DiFiore
The Patils’ character arcs seemed promising in “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”
We see Parvati more closely since she is a Gryffindor like the leads Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She gets as much dialogue as some other supporting characters. In a pivotal scene, we see her standing up for Neville Longbottom, who was being bullied by Draco Malfoy, thus embodying the “daring, nerve, and chivalry” that sets Gryffindors apart from the rest.
Slowly, however, I noticed the Patil sisters fading away.
We see the sisters occasionally in the first three books in the Gryffindor common room, at Quidditch matches, and in divination class. Then we see only glimpses of them as members of Dumbledore’s Army in the fifth book, exactly four lines of dialogue in the sixth book, and a couple of mentions in the final book’s Battle of Hogwarts.
The books don’t even leave us with a definite answer as to whether they survive the battle.
The girls’ big moment is also the series’ biggest waste of an opportunity to showcase Indian culture
Parvarti Patil with Potter and Weasley with Padma Patil.
Warner Brothers
In the fourth book, Parvati and Padma’s role as Harry and Ron’s dates to the Yule Ball is the peak of their character progress — I refuse to call it development because they do not evolve beyond one dimension.
For my teenage self, it was immensely reassuring to know that Indian girls were fully capable of being found worthy by the Chosen One and his faithful friend. It helps that that books describe the situation in a fluffy, rom-com manner and paint a lovely picture of the outfits they wore to the ball:
“Parvati … looked very pretty indeed, in robes of shocking pink, with her long dark plait braided with gold, and gold bracelets glimmering at her wrists … “‘Hi,’ said Padma, who was looking just as pretty as Parvati in robes of bright turquoise.”
Having read this and imagined many versions of what their outfits might be, I was excited for the film version of the sequence.
As soon as I saw Parvati and Padma, I had a strong suspicion the costume designers neither were Indian nor consulted with anyone who was.
The girls wore garish pink-and-orange lehengas, a traditional Indian ethnic costume that consists of a floor-length skirt, a matching top, and, occasionally, a scarf called the dupatta. It’s worn to celebrations, formal events, and festivals.
Most important, lehengas are tough to get wrong — they are naturally graceful, come in a variety of designs, and are often sold in sets, which takes the brainwork out of matching the outfit. Many Indian designers exclusively make lehengas, giving wearers a plethora of options.
It takes a lot of work to make a lehenga look bad. And yet, the film managed to do it, with candy-colored outfits that did not fit, weren’t accessorized properly, and didn’t even match the descriptions in the book.
Even worse, it wasn’t necessary to have the twins wear Indian clothes in the first place — the book mentioned only “robes.” If the filmmakers were trying to pay homage to the sisters’ heritage, they wasted a wonderful opportunity to showcase the sisters’ cultural background.
Disappointed by the caricature-ish clothes shown on-screen, Indian artists have even taken it upon themselves to recreate the Patils’ look for the ball, giving the sisters the outfits they deserve.
The Patils aren’t the first Indian characters to be robbed of their identities
Afshan Azad and Shefali Chowdhury, who played the Patils in “Harry Potter.”
Ferdaus Shamim/WireImage/Getty Images
Western media has a representation problem that goes beyond “Harry Potter.”
For a country with an approximately 14% minority population, the UK has a massive representation problem — which also exists in the US and other Western countries — that excludes people of color from art.
Western media’s representation of Indian characters has often been stereotypical, lazy, and borderline offensive — one need look no further than Apu from “The Simpsons” and Raj from “The Big Bang Theory.” This fetishization of the exotic takes two forms, with characters either used for tokenistic diversity or made the butt of jokes.
But Parvati and Padma Patil are neither — their ethnic origins are never really proclaimed or highlighted enough to merit accusations of tokenism, and they are never used for the punch line.
Instead, they represent untapped potential and unrealized opportunities. Rowling didn’t seem to understand the importance of these characters to people like me — perhaps if she had, we’d have a well-researched portrayal of two Indian girls.
As for the film, it required just a little hard work to make sure the only tangible on-screen visualization of the twins’ heritage was not a twisted, neon, gimmicky version of what is really a vivid and colorful culture.
As I grew up, my disappointment with the treatment of the Patils has become my own case study
Parvati and Padma Patil are now two of my favorite characters for a different reason.
They now remind me of the importance of representation and varied perspectives. They drive me to research thoroughly and put in as much effort as is required for accurate and nuanced descriptions. They remind me of the impact and importance that literature and characters we relate to can have on our perception of art.
And, of course, the sisters will always be a reminder for me to never wear neon pink and bright orange together — a fashion faux pas that should only be made once in history.
For the 20th anniversary of the Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone movie adaptation, Funko is releasing a new batch of Pop! figurines based on some of the best moments from the film, and they’re available for pre-order now.
The lineup includes beloved characters like Professor Dumbledore, Hagrid, and of course, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Each Pop! features a character during a pivotal scene from the first movie, so Hagrid’s figurine shows him at the Leaky Cauldron holding a bowl of soup, as he tries to explain who Voldemort is and why Harry is so well-known throughout the wizarding world. Meanwhile, Ron’s Pop! shows him tangled up in the Devil’s Snare (a magical plant that has the power to constrict anything close to it), while Hermione’s toy depicts her with her wand outstretched as she casts a spell to help Ron escape the plant’s tough tendrils. Dumbledore’s figure comes with a miniature version of Hogwarts and is inspired by the scene where he awards Gryffindor the House Cup.
There are two versions of Harry available in this collection. The first shows him holding the scarlet Sorcerer’s stone, while the second depicts him as he’s trying to find Platform 9 and 3/4 at King’s Cross Station in London. A third one of Harry attempting to catch one of his Hogwarts acceptance letters is also coming, but hasn’t been released yet. There’s even a Ginny Weasley Pop!, but it’s from her scene in The Chamber of Secrets at Flourish and Blotts (a bookstore in Diagon Alley) where Lucius Malfoy places Tom Riddle’s diary in her cauldron of school supplies.
Each Pop! is now available for pre-order on Amazon; however, the Hagrid and Ginny ones are only available at Target. They should all be released by no later than Friday, December 3. If you’re looking for more ways to celebrate the upcoming anniversary, check out this new collector’s edition box set of the films in a Hogwarts Express replica.
Over two decades ago, a magical young boy enchanted millions worldwide and created generations of both new and reinvigorated readers.
According to J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter was born on July 31, 1980. So, the Abilene Public Library plans to mark the occasion by celebrating all month long, because this beloved character deserves more than one day. Keep an eye out for displays and programs celebrating this iconic character like the Wizarding World room located inside our Main Library at 202 Cedar St.
Staff, of course, recommends reading all of the books (you can never read them too many times). Perhaps even an epic Potter film marathon. To further immerse yourself in all things Harry, the library has a fun array of Potterverse books for all ages and interests.
All manner of creatures and plants can be found in Jody Revenson’s book “Harry Potter: the Creature Vault.” Within can be found dementors, merpeople, trolls and more.
Also by Jody Revenson is “Exploring Diagon Alley: an Illustrated Guide.” Experience magical locations as you never have through detailed depictions of Gringotts Bank, Ollivander’s Wand Store and more.
“The Wizard’s Craftbook,” by Andrea Wcislek, covers many fandoms, including a large section devoted to Harry Potter. Gather your creativity, and supplies, to make that special someone a chocolate frog or wizard crackers.
Craft something to wear, or an adorable friend, using either “Harry Potter Crochet,” by Lucy Collin, or “Harry Potter: Knitting Magic,” by Tanis Gray.
Mark Brake and Jon Chase take a scientific look at sorcery in their book, “The Science of Harry Potter: the Spellbinding Science Behind the Magic, Gadgets, Potions and More!”
No discussion of Harry Potter is complete unless it includes a certain daring game of skill. Written by Rowling herself, “Quidditch Through the Ages” is an indispensable guide, and rule book, for anyone wanting to play and/or understand this exciting pageant of bludgers, snitches and quaffles.
The Harry Potter phenomenon created enthusiastic readers of all ages, not just children. The books, which spawned Blockbuster films, continue to be a driving force in current pop culture with amusement park rides and Potter themed products released yearly to the delight of die-hard fans.
However, it all started with a book about a boy under the stairs. So, join the Abilene Public Library as we pay tribute to this amazing character who captured our hearts and imagination with his courage, intelligence and kindness.
