Harry Potter.

 This post contains SPOILERS. You’ve been warned.

 Was in short probably the most amazing book I’ve ever read.
& I mean that to the fullest extent of my heart.

I’ve followed this book series since the age of 9, when in third grade, our teacher began reader The Sorcerers Stone to us, intrigued by the book I went home and found we owned the first three. My parents had bought them for my older sisters who’d reluctantly read them and threw them off to the side, saying I wouldn’t like them and they were to hard for me to understand.

But when I grabbed that first Harry Potter book and sat down to read it, finishing it before my 3rd grade teacher had barely reached half way through the book, I was left wanting more. And so I read the new two, and I read them again, and again, and again. Now I’m not the kid you hear about who never read and then found the harry potter books so decided to, no I’d always read, and the Harry Potter books were just another reason for me to.

My friends thought I was silly, reading the books over, and over, and over for nearly two years. But I got the posters, the bookmarks, the calendars, if it had Harry Potter in the name, I owned it. I remember for christmas either my 3rd or 4th grade year, all I asked for was the 4th harry potter book and I opened all the presents and I got loads of cool toys and things to play with, but all i wanted was that book. I had nearly finished feeling rather dissapointed when there, the very last gift was a box. I opened it, thinking it seemed just to big, but inside that box, was none other then my book. & i read that book all day and for the next few days, my toys could wait, i had the 4th harry potter book.

 And then there was a 3 year pause between books. I never really lost interest, but slowly my obsession died away, my posters and collectibles were given to a thrift store or to younger children, and I stopped obsessively reading the books. Then the 5th one came out, I remember my parents got it that weekend, I devoured it in 2 days and loved it. But I believe it was the first time I’d ever cried over a book.

The sixth one then came out two years later, but because of a mistake w/ my sister taking it w/ her up to her college, I was forced to wait nearly three weeks and the ending was ruined for me only a few days before I was due to get it. I believe the magic for me didn’t really happen in the 6th book, which is probably why it’s one of my least favorite of the series.

And then it was the 7th book. This summer it was due to come out, and I’d long lost that obsession I had nearly 6 years ago. But I still loved the books, don’t get me wrong. I believe it was seeing the 5th movie. The most intense. The darkest and the thickest plot that slowly put me back into my obsession. I reread nearly all the books. I hadn’t done this in years. But I did all in preperation of the final book.

And then I got it. Midnight at a Borders. I was taken by a friend. & then I started to read. And while reading this book, I found what I had lost so long ago. My passion for why I loved these books so much. J.K. Rowling is probably the most talented woman I’d ever heard of. The Harry Potter books are nothing less then Magical. And I believe that without a doubt.

I finished the final book in less then 48 hours. And when I finished, it took me another 20 minutes to stop crying, just to catch my breath. The series was over. This wonderful series that I’d follow since I was a young girl in elemantary school, the series that had followed me to high school, and even captured the attention of some of the friends who’d teased me so when I was a little girl.

I don’t think they’ll ever be another series like Harry Potter. I don’t think another series will EVER come close. Finishing that book, knowing it was over, was like a best friend dying. Through everything I’d gone through, it’d always been there in my bookcase waiting to be read. It never faltered to bring a smile to my face or tears to my eyes. Harry, Ron, & Hermione were more then book characters, they were who I saw in the people all around me.

The lessons I learned from these books will stay with me forever….no one is perfect, friendship is the greatest thing you can have, death is not something to fear, & love really is the greatest power of all.

 The Deathly Hallows was the end to a phenomenon of our time. A phenomenon which I hope to carry unto my kids, so they can to find and discover and the magic of Harry Potter and his friends.

yyea. i’m obsessed. but that’s okay. cuz i’ve got harry potter and all is well :)

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