I felt that isolation big-time

While death stalks the pages, love underpins the whole story; namely, how a dead mother's love offers protection against the most evil of evils. The ultimate fantasy of maternal love sustains Harry time and again when he is caught in the grip of Lord Voldemort and his ilk, and that love sees him through to the bitter end. Absent or dead parents are a remarkable feature of children's literature. The Famous Five would surely not have had so many adventures if there had been more parental involvement in their lives, other than mad Uncle Quentin and ineffectual Aunt Fanny. Roald Dahl also liked to kill off the parents or make them truly awful, like the Dursleys. For Shelley, Croft and Vanheusden, the books took off for them when they were on the brink of adolescence; at an age when they were starting to form their own opinions and imagining life outside the family. And they felt the pain of Harry's abandonment, even if they weren't orphans. Supermarket worker Christian Peris, 19, was sucked into Potterdom when he was grounded as a teenager. ''The only place I was allowed to go was the library and I started to read it. I was immediately drawn in because Harry was living in a cupboard under the stairs and I was more or less confined to my room. I felt very close to him.'' ''I didn't have the best childhood,'' says Shelley. ''I guess I could identify with Harry wanting to get away to this magical place where anything was possible. My parents divorced at a young age and they always fought, so it could be quite hard at home, especially having to go from one parent to another. I felt that isolation big-time. By the age of 13, I was aware that families didn't come in one set type and they were all pretty much stuffed up in their own ways. I longed for what Harry wanted the perfect family with two parents who loved him.'' McDonald's Rosetta Stone Greekemployee Vanheusden, 20, whose home in Frankston is adorned with posters, went through a similar experience. ''When I was 12, my parents separated and I had two younger sisters. I felt I had to be there for them all the time and not focus on how I was feeling. I had to get away from it all. Reading Harry Potter was about focusing on me for a change and not everybody else. I felt very alone. I couldn't go to anyone. I had to be there for my sisters, but there was no one really there for me, so these books were a form of escape.'' The books also served as a moral compass, informing young readers' choices on how to live. When The Philosopher's Stone first came out, it caused an outcry among some religious members because of its use of magic. But the entire story spun out over seven volumes revealed itself to be an intensely moral fable with the tenets of Christianity at its core; namely, good triumphing over evil, life and love winning out over death, and justice meted out to those who deserve it. Harry triumphs over adversity using old-fashioned courage and integrity, as well as magic. And he's so ordinary! Not blessed with film-star good looks or a particularly high IQ, like swotty Hermione, he's a shining beacon for normality. Every day, his actions are repeated around the world by regular Joe Soaps reaching unprecedented heights for causes they believe in. Says Crombie: ''It does have huge effects on the decisions I make in life.

Posted in: Rosetta Stone,Rosetta Stone Outlet,rosetta stone software,Rosetta Stone V3