Can you imagine if magic was real? If by uttering a few words you could cast a spell, or by drinking a potion you could grow taller. What a world it would be, certainly a dangerous one, but also a fantastical one. I thought it would be fun to write about some of the fictional worlds that would be oh so very special if they were real.
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn’t.”
One of my favourite quotes from Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland, a much loved children’s classic of mine. This book teaches that the unusual is okay, it is not to be feared or cast out. I love that message, I love what this book stands for, but more importantly I love it’s magic. Twists and turns take us down a world where impossible is not a word, a world where playing cards are alive and rabbits can tell the time.
If you haven’t read Alice in Wonderland, I can bet you’ll still know what I’m talking about, and why is that? Because this story and its magic has spread through every childhood home and every school, it has captured our imaginations because it allows us to unlock them. Can you imagine if taking a bite of a cake could shrink you down to being tiny? Or what if you took a wrong turn on your walk home and suddenly a wise old caterpillar smoking a pipe was offering you advise?
The world of nonsense that Lewis Caroll has created is one that I would love to spend a day in. I know there are scary moments to be in the world of Alice, but I also think there is wonder to be found and excitement.
“Of course it’s happening in your head, Harry, but why on Earth should that mean that it is not real?”
Let’s remove Voldermort and death eaters from the equation and focus on how amazing it would be if we could really step into Molly Weasley’s house, or ride a broomstick to get to work. Where Alice in Wonderland was a nonsense world, the Potter universe is one of spells and potions. The kind of magic we more commonly know, the kind that has rules.
Every child waited to get their Hogwarts letter, to go to Diagon Alley and pick out their wand, to be sorted into their house and make friends with other Witches and Wizards. Even though we knew it wasn’t going to happen, we never gave up hope. If this world was real, the fun would be endless, the possibilities would be endless. I know this power can give way to bad magic, but for the sake of this lovely positive blog post, we’re going to forget about that. I would absolutely love to be able to cast spells and learn how to be the best Witch in my year.
J. K. Rowling has created a world that slots into our own so well that we can often forget ourselves and really believe that it is real.
What magic would love to see come to life?
I want a love potion and I know exactly who I would use it on.
I’ve thought a lot about this… not just about a love potion but your post in general and being able to read minds or being invisible or seeing into the future.. probably typical stuff but it would really come in handy right now… oh and printing money. Yeah
Ohh interesting, I didn’t think about the use of love potions!
Not even gonna lie. I don’t need to fly on a broom or disapparate or wear an invisibility cloak. Nope. I want Hermione Granger’s time turner. Oh man, I would get SO much done. ALL OF THE BOOKS WOULD BE READ. My house would be clean, I would be well-rested, I would be able to get some writing done. That time turner is seriously the only magic I need to be happy!
Yesss! That would be a brilliant feature for sure!
I wish the fantastic things in The Night Circus were real.
That would be amazing!
The wizarding world is going to be my answer. What could be better than wands and Butterbeer?
Well exactly!
I wish the world of The Night Circus could be real, or the world that Stephanie Garber created in Caraval. It’s entirely unique, dark and mischievous, but still wholly whimsical and wonderful.
Plus, I would not mind meeting Legend!
Oh my god YES, that would be amazing!!
Disapparating might cut down on travel pollution and congestion, savig me lots of time, but then I’m sure it would be disabused by some people.
I’d quite like world of Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen to be real. There was some fantastic mood reflecting changing wall paper, and a house that protected the occupants.
I feel like I’d put on a lot of weight though if I could just apparate everywhere!
I’m reading the Harry Potter books for the first time at 18 years old and it’s taking me back to the feelings of being a kid again. I definitely wish the wizarding world was real. I feel like I missed out on so much magic by not reading these books sooner!
They are so brilliant, the magic is just so special!
This is why I loved the Inkheart trilogy by Cornelia Funke. If you haven’t read it, read it. The movie didn’t do justice in the least bit. It gives you a taste of bringing a book to life, is all I can say.
That one was very popular when I was a kid!