A while ago, one of my new friends, Ahura, whom I had recently met, brought his PlayStation 5 over to my place so we could check it out and talk about it. Ahura is a highly talented 16-year-old who excels in anything he’s passionate about. From the moment I met him, I could tell he was different. Growing up in a family of filmmakers, he had a unique perspective on things.
When he mentioned he had a PS5, I got excited. I had only heard about how incredible it was, but now I had the chance to see it up close. But what made this experience even more special was the fact that he had Hogwarts Legacy installed on it.
I’ve been a die-hard Harry Potter fan since childhood. Finding Harry Potter game CDs in Iran wasn’t easy, especially for someone like me who wanted to collect every single one. And getting my hands on the original English books? That was an even bigger challenge. But after a lot of effort, I finally got some, and reading them in English felt like stepping into a whole new world. Even now, whenever I want to relive that magic, I binge-watch the entire film series.
Now, imagine someone like me—someone whose life has been intertwined with the world of Harry Potter—getting to play a next-gen game set in that universe for the first time! Ahura launched the game for me, but that night, I didn’t play. I just sat there, watching everything carefully. I always look for a challenge in games, so I deliberately set the difficulty to the highest level.
The next day, I finally got my turn to play. The level I was about to face was truly tough, but from the moment I took control of my character, I felt like I had stepped into a real, living world. The hallways of Hogwarts, the spells I had to learn, the magical creatures—it was like a dream coming true.
After many attempts, I finally beat that difficult level. The sense of victory in a world I had adored since childhood was something beyond just winning a game. It reminded me of how deeply connected I still am to the magical world of Harry Potter, and how, after all these years, it can still amaze me. Maybe only those who grew up with Harry Potter can truly understand this feeling…