It's All Over For Harry Potter and Crew — and Me

I'll admit it: I'm a bit obsessed with the Harry Potter series. Not in a I'll-dress-as-my-favorite-character-for-a-midnight-screening kind of way, but I've counted down the days, with a sense of sorrow, to the release of the final movie in the series.

Other than the books, I don't own any Harry Potter memorabilia. I can't quote the books, nor do I know any oddball trivia about the characters. But I read every book. I watched every movie. And I nearly teared up a bit during the final installment.

Yes, I finally saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part II. I thought about seeing a midnight screening when it came out a few days ago, but I'm several years older than when I first began with the Harry Potter series, and staying up that late doesn't go over that well come the next morning. Besides, I wanted my senses to be sharp in order to soak in and appreciate everything that was happening in this final film of an incredibly epic series.

I can appreciate the Harry Potter series on a number of levels (I may get into that in a future post). What J.K. Rowling created on a host of napkins all those years ago is something to admire. Now, to have it all come to an end is, I'll admit, saddening. I remember when the seventh book arrived in the mail. I had pre-ordered it. I'd never pre-ordered anything in my life. I had re-read the previous six books in anticipation of diving into the final book of the series. As the pages stacked from right to left, I grew reluctant. I didn't want to finish. I knew there was nothing more. What's most surprising about these feelings is that I was adamantly opposed to even trying to read the first book for nearly 6 years. I didn't think a children's story included magic and wizards was anything I'd be remotely interested in.

How very wrong my assumptions proved to be.

I know there are people who may laugh at my fondness for the series. I'm 28, so I shouldn't be gushing about a piece of children's literature. But those who laugh probably haven't read the books. That's part of why I have such respect for Rowling and world she created: it speaks to and entertains a broad audience. There's a reason why she's sold millions of copies of each book and why it's the highest-grossing movie series ever. That's not by accident or genius marketing. It's by one person convincing another person and that person passing it on to someone else and so on. I, too, was once a doubter. Now I can't wait to have my children read and watch Harry Potter some day.

Oh, and I'm considering naming my first dog Potter. (Seriously.)