Victoria Maclean is a self confessed Harry Potter super fan who has created her own success from devastation. Here she tells her story as to how the boy wizard, and JK Rowling had helped her create a life to be proud of. From sadness and sorrow, bullying, abuse and heart ache, to becoming an actress, singer, voice actor, an inspiration to so many, friend to all and a world famous Harry Potter fan. Devoted, warm hearted and inspiring, Victoria shares her story and reminds her readers that it's not where you begin that matters, it's where you end up.

Sample Chapter

Chapter Six
A Wizard in Training

My phone rang. "Hi, is this Victoria Maclean?"....."Yes" ...
"Hi Victoria, it's Dana calling from BBC Radio Wales, I think you can guess why I'm calling you ha ha!" I asked: "Is it something to do with Harry Potter by any chance?"

This wasn't the first time I had a No Caller ID call from a Radio or TV station on my mobile, so I wasn't phased. Since being in the public eye as a world famous Harry Potter Superfan, I get this when ever there is a new book or movie coming out. I seem to be the go to girl for interviews which I really love. After all Harry Potter is my life so any excuse to talk about my passion and obsession is always a good one.

I think I'm what you would call a 'conservative' Harry Potter fan. I don't walk around the house in my Harry Potter school robes, or play Quidditch or believe the films are real, I like to be known as a fan who loves everything about the books, films and now the play. I love to find out about how things were created and made, the stories behind the stories, follow what the actors are doing now and also meet fans from all over the world, whether this is at comic cons up and down the country or online through my Harry Potter Collector UK Facebook page. I'm very open minded. I don't care where your from, your background, your colour, religion or race. I just love all Harry Potter fans. We are like one big happy family.

For me, Harry Potter is about escapism. Being able to forget your own life for a while. It has been a comfort blanket for me through many troubling times in my life so far. For example, when I found out Stuart was having an affair while I was very heavily pregnant, I ended up being in a very big black hole. I needed to switch off so I would put Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on loop all night so I could sleep. To this day I thank that film, for stopping me from going insane and miscarrying my baby boy. So when he was born, he was to be called Harry!

I have been a fan of Harry Potter since I bought the first book back in 2001. I was pregnant with my first son and heard about the new film being released. As I was stuck at home, I decided to start reading Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Being dyslexic, I knew it was going to take some time but I was determined to get through it. With my then husband on hand to help with any difficult words, I started to read. It was amazing. Not only was I reading a really good book, but it was my first ever book I had read and also, a book I just couldn't put down. Two weeks later, I had finally finished. I was hooked. I loved it and I couldn't wait to read the next story. Lucky for me, this had been released a few year earlier so I could go to the bookshop and get it.

That is one good thing about me, if someone thinks I can't do something, I love to prove them wrong, and in the past this is all I was told. So I read and read till I had got to book three, the Prisoner of Azkaban which was to become my favourite. Even though I was three books in, I still wasn't overly obsessed with Harry Potter like I am today. Don't get me wrong, I loved it, but back then for me it was all about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Back in April 2007, Deathly Hallows part 1 was in production. Shell Cottage was the home of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour after they were married in the Harry Potter series. In the book, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna, Griphook and Olivander are captured by the Death Eaters and taken to Malfoy Manor. Dobby comes to free them and apparates them all to Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tidworth, Cornwall. But in reality, it was a West Wales beach near Pembroke. Freshwater West beach to be exact and it was just down the road from where I lived at the time, so my sister and I took a trip to be nosey.

Arriving at about 8am, we could clearly see something was happening. We could see all the cast and crew trailers, and the production team were getting ready for a day of filming. The weather was amazing and so warm for that time of year, so it was to be a brilliant day ...

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