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 hea...

To continue enjoying this please login or subscribe today.