A Harry Potter State of Mind in Winter Alaska

Photo by Paxson Woelber
by Melissa Mapes
The afternoon sun, bright but ephemeral, reflected off the snow, giving the expanse of Cook Inlet and the city of Anchorage a luminous glow. I leaned forward in my plastic sled, bracing myself against the bite of the frozen air as I rushed down Oceanview Hill. I envisioned myself flying. I was on a broom, like Harry Potter diving for the snitch in a game of Quidditch. Zoom to the left! Zoom to the right! Dodge a bludger! (Or, in my case, a tree.)
I was 16, but younger at heart, and sledding was the only winter sport I enjoyed. Had reading been considere...