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Mark over on Markreadsharrypotter just asked that very same question, and all the stories make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside about the power of books and compelling characters. PLus, I'd really like to know the stories of all my friends here, so:
How did you lot get into Hermione Granger and the Two Loveable Dunderheads?
This is how it happened for me:
In the summer of 2000, I was turning 15, had just spend five years at a grammar school where I was being bullied to the point of throwing up every morning and was about to start at a new school in the hopes of finding people who actually liked me, and I was terrified that I might find out it actually is ME, not THEM that is the problem, despite my parents telling me otherwise (Thank GOD they signed me up at the new school. Best thing to ever happen to me). I was pretty much friendless, so my formative years had been spend as an escapist bookworm. When I wasn't reading, I was miserable.
To give me a boost of confidence and a treat before the start of my new life, my parents sent me off on a 4 week language course in Florida, because I loved English (yes, I was THAT kind of kid. Still failing in school at that point, though, because I didn't dare draw attention of any kind towards me in class. The German school system places you with the exact same 20-30 kids all through 5th-10th grade. So there really wasn't any sort of escape for me. It was an all-day-long party). As we said goodbye on the airport, one of the other german kids pressed CoS in the English original onto me. I scoffed at it in the car, because I thought the blurb sounded ridiculous and the illustrations on the german covers I remembered seeing at the bookshop were ugly as sin - HP mania was just two months shy of rocking the whole world.
One friday night, I ran out of reading material (I was an insomniac, as well. I am sure my everyday life the previous 4 years had NOTHING to do with that...), so I grudgingly grabbed CoS. By saturday afternoon, I was on a bus heading downtown to see how many books this series had. Bought PoA, inhaled it. Begged my parents to give me the 32,- Mark I'd need to buy the hardcover version of GoF (which was the book I hid behind during my first week at the new school. Good thing the kids who remain some of my best friends today were kid and tenacious enough to drag me to lunch with them regardless), then circled back to PS.
I loved it and its character so much that I went online (at an Internet cafe... oh, quaint old times) to look up all available illustrations. Unsatisfied with what I saw, for the first time in my life, I picked up a pencil for drawing rather than writing. Inspired mainly by Tealin's amazing work, I became (and still am) a fanartist (I know: shocking news, isn't it?), which led to me ditching med school for art school after graduation 5 years later. This summer, I've graduated as a Graphic Designer, Illustrator and Book Artist.
So in a very big way (and millions of small ones), HP really did make me what I am today. I've embraced that fact by having my first tattoo six months ago be a quote from HP. But I'm not telling you what it is, yet, because it is a quote form a later book.
Harry Potter has been an escape for me, and it showed me a passion and later a profession I most likely would not have stumbled upon otherwise. I love those books on so many levels.
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Tense 
Strangly enough a couple years later when my teacher was reading the hobbit I did the same thing. However I just couldn't make it past the first ten pages of Lord of the Rings.
and then chamber of secrets was coming out. my om came into my room and put an envelope on my stomach, i opened it and read the tickets and shot up so fast! it was for the opening day of chamber of secrets. this movie experience i remember a little better because i felt like an outcast, i wasn't dressed up. and it was so packed me and my mom had to sit in the front row next to tonnes of people.
then i got into the books. i bought ootp the day after it came out and read it, even though i hadn't read the first four and had no idea who cedric was XD
and i just kept reading and watching the movies. i used to play at recess with two other boys in robes and everything. i was hermione and they were ron and harry. i was areally creative child, always singign and drawing and writing stories, and harry potter just set this spark in me. i've never looked back since, i remember feelign so alone when i thought i was the only one who liked it as much, but i;ve come to realize that harry potter is the one thing that can bring together people from all over, no matter what small ontario town or big american city they come from.
i went to a festival the night DH was relaeased. there was fire breathing and baloons and a hanuted house and quidditch tournaments and games and sorting and when i finally got my hands on that final book, i wanted to cry. i love HP so much, i can't even imagine what kind of person i woudl be without it, it has taught me so much, it has gotten me through so much and i will alsways love it.
Its a bit of all three at the moment haha. I love the books because the characters feel so familar, even more so then some of my friends to be honest. I got into them when I was in grade 4 and my teacher had decided we were going to read the first book in class. Ive always been a big and fast reader (I had a speech impediment up until I was about 6 and a bad lysp until I was 10 and so I tended to sit by myself and read to avoid having to talk to people) and the teacher wasnt reading fast enough for me so I saved up my pocket money and went and bought the first book for myself. The class was only about ten chapters in by the time I bought it, and I still wasnt completely hooked by that stage but re-reading those chapters myself instead of in the broken, slow pace of the teacher had me fall in love with Hogwarts and the characters, Hermione was by far my favourite and she still is
The books and characters have helped me get through some of the most difficult times Ive faced by serving as a distraction and a comfortable place to escape to. I still believe deep down that my letter got lost all those years ago and that I truly belong at Hogwarts
The cover/chapter artist for the American versions of the books is from the same city as me, and apparently has some connection to my Grandmother. Gramma bought the book for my cousin for his birthday shortly after they were released over here and before it was really a big hit. After my cousin read the first book, he told me I would really like it. This was in.. '99? 2000? I was nine or ten. I read the first book to the point of memorization.
When I switched schools three times in four years, I spent a lot of time reading the first several books. They were the first books I read that were not too low of a reading level for me.
...I talk a lot. n___n"
I was around 8 or 9 at the time and a very tomboyish child, quite boisterous. Anyway, I did enjoy reading especially adventure so my brother gave me his copy of PS. I simply stared at then reluctantly took it.
See my first thought was, why in gods name would I read this? It's about a boy who gets hit by a train and receives a scar on his forehead...
This is coincidentally around the same time I learnt to never judge a book by it's cover... and also maybe I should read the blurb.
Anyway, in conclusion I read the book and needless to say I loved it and have ever since. The End.
My mum's best friend lent her the first three books when I was around eight. She read them to me, because I had no idea what a philsopher was! We read the next four together too, even though I was more then capable then reading them myself. The only bits I ever read were the chapter titles, whcih were read in a very bad attempt at a British accent. I've read them all a dozen times now, but the first time was always the best
When I was in 7th grade my god father gave me a copy of the first book right before it was super popular in 1999ish (I think). I dismissed the book because reading was something that was not enjoyable for me. I have dyslexia and I would only read books if I had to for school other than that is was like pulling teeth. A few months later in math class there was some free time and my friend was reading the third book. She started crying because she thought Buckbeak had died. I was so interested that she was crying over a book. Later on my mom had stolen my copy and read it herself. She told me I had to read this book, I did and my life has never been the same again. I can honestly say there is almost nothing in my life that I get so happy over. All the characters are like friends you have had all your life. HP has sparked the reader in me and since that first book I have been making up for lost time and reading 2 or 3 books at a time. I love the Harry Potter series!
I actually got into HP after picking up "The Half Blood Prince" one day in a bookstore. I literally sat and read the book for 2 hours before I noticed where I was
Nothing super special about mine. I was at a girl scout camp and a friend of mine was reading CoS. When I asked her what she was reading, she said "Leave me be Muggle!" I'll never forget that. Even though I didn't know what a Muggle was, I felt offended. I challenged her and she apologized, saying that she was distracted and it was a really great book. Being a reader myself, I understood. She suggested I pick it up.
I found the books from the school library. Finished SS in two days, pulled an all-nighter, without realizing it, on CoS, and read PoA in three days. Then I had to wait a few years for the rest. I've read most of them 3 times and am probably going to re-read them all again soon.
But I met some great friends because of HP. When I went to college, there was a Harry Potter Book Club! We've become really close and still get together every so often, even after graduation. Who knew a book could do so much?