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States Under the Spell of Popular Series

How the Harry Potter Books Have Captivated Audiences Around the US

By Melody PorterPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Harry Potter has stolen the hearts and imaginations of bookworms and movie fanatics alike. The franchise has entered numerous industries (games, theme parks, food and beverages, toys, etc.) with its novel offerings based on the sensational series.

Have you seen Universal Studios, and what they've created?

Even though it's been years since our Hogwarts letters should have arrived in the mail, we'll always have the memories of the stories, the franchise, the movies, the characters, the spells, and of course, the books.

It’s hard to imagine that all this was started with a little book written by the, then broke, and not at all known, J.K. Rowling in 1997. Since the release of this first book, the popularity of the series has skyrocketed, and not just in the US and Britain; the series has been published in 80 different languages around the world, and, based on sales, it is estimated that one in fifteen people in the world owns a Harry Potter book. Obviously, J.K. Rowling was on to something with, "The Boy Who Lived."

With the worldwide fame Harry Potter has accumulated, it can be nice to scale down, and explore the popularity of the series within your own community. Which of the books do the people in your state love the most? Which spell is the most captivating to your region of the US? It's fun to see the different regions and states compared to the favorites in each area.

The most popular book of the seven in the US (based on Google Trends data) is by far Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The final installment of the series was the most popular in 28 of the 50 states; captivating fans around the country.

This was followed by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second of the series, which earned the love of seven states. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, followed, capturing the hearts of five and four states respectively. The first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (also known as The Philosopher’s Stone), wasn’t completely forgotten, proving the most popular in Tennessee and Utah.

As far as spells go, Lumos was the most popular in the greatest number of states. Supposedly people in Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming are very interested in turning wands into lighted torches. Stupify and Expecto Patronum also proved popular in a number of states. While not the most exciting spells, it makes sense that these are some of the more popular, as they are used rather frequently in the series.

Interestingly, Avada Kedavra was the most popular spell in both the West and Northeast regions of the United States. This is the “Killing Curse” (one of the Unforgivable Curses), and the spell that Voldemort used to kill Harry’s parents, which begs the question: why are there some spells that aren't illegal? It's safe to say there's some spells (and even some potions!) that should probably be illegal. Other spells might be illegal, but it would seem the wizarding world isn't terribly worried about the ones that aren't the Unforgivable Curses. In fact, there are a variety of potions and spells that should be illegal.

On the other hand, there are some spells that would make our lives so much easier. This list is completely built out with the different spells from the Harry Potter franchise, and what they do.

Whatever your favorite book, or the spell you find most intriguing, it is impossible to deny the huge impact this magical series has made on people and communities around the world. Its powerful lessons have been spread throughout the world, and have united people from all walks of life.

pop culture
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