Harry Potter truly defined my childhood. When I was just 10 years old, ,my Grandmother bought me books 1-3, exclaiming gleefully that she loved them and thought I would love them too. I will admit I was skeptical at first, my brother promptly devoured them and being so young and naive (and still under the impression boys had cooties) I figured anything he liked, I would not like. How very wrong I was. Not even 5 pages into The Sorcerers Stone I realized that this was something special. Quickly, I became consumed into the world of Harry Potter. I had very vivid dreams of receiving my Hogwarts letter by owl, packing my things into a magical trunk, and leaving with a friendly half-giant into the world that I had longed to be in. This, of course, did not actually happen. However, something truly wonderful about the books is that they allow you to escape into the world that otherwise you would not have been a part of. With each new book (and eventually the movies), my love for Harry Potter and the terrific author that created the series continued to grow. I would lose sleep waiting for the next Harry Potter book to be released, so worried about what happens in his journey, so worried what would happen to my friends I felt I had made in the books. I remember clutching my book to my chest and crying when Sirius died and then again when Dumbledore, Dobby, Tonks, Lupin, and Fred had also passed. I truly felt (and feel) that the characters in the book, so beautifully created had become actual confidants to me. Friends that I could escape with to a magical world so far away from my own. That’s what Harry Potter always gave me, a place to escape. No matter how terrible of a day I had experienced, no matter a fight with a friend or family member. No matter my first real heartbreak, I always had Harry Potter to turn to. To become enchanted with. Bewitched by. And with the books over and now the movies as well, I feel like I am saying goodbye to not only a wonderful series but goodbye to friends I embarked on a spellbinding adventure with. Goodbye to a magical childhood that I am so reluctant to let go of.
I know that when the vampire craze is over, books like Twilight will die out and the “twihards” will move on. But I also know, with certainty, that the fans and friends of Harry Potter will not let this die. Harry Potter will live on in the hearts of all of us and we will pass this adventure along to our friends, family, and maybe one day our children.
I just wanted to say my own good bye to such a beloved story. Good bye to such a beloved friend, Harry Potter.
And thank you to an amazing and immensely creative author, J.K. Rowling for truly making my childhood magical.
