I don’t think I’m the only one who fell into a slight funk at a few minutes past 2 a.m. last Friday morning. Along with the 4,800 other people who’d crammed into a sold-out multiplex, I’d just experienced Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
The last Harry Potter movie represents the end of an era for the now-adults who grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermione. Countless newspaper articles have addressed these Harry Potter twins, like this recent piece in the New York Times, which tells the story of a girl whose self-imposed deadline to get a job after graduating from college was July 15, 2011–the day of the movie release.
As far as a critique of the film, I’ll just say that I loved it–of course. The Battle of Hogwarts was just as thrilling as I’d imagined it would be; in my theater, Mrs. Weasley’s revenge on Bellatrix Lestrange got the applause it deserved. The pace of the story was so fast that my hands were sore from being clenched by the end of it all. There were audible (and multiple) gasps–and tears–in the audience.
Since Harry Potter is on the mind of so many book lovers this week, I thought it might be fun for readers to share their Harry Potter stories. When did you discover the series? What is your favorite book? Favorite movie?
Or are you one of those people (who-shall-not-be-named) who don’t get what the fuss is about?
Me--at King's Cross Station in 2008.
I’ll go first. My mother saw J.K. Rowling appear on a talk show (Rosie O’Donnell, I believe) sometime after Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone came out, and before I went off to summer camp in July 1999, she bought me the first two books in the series.
I was 12, and I knew it was love from the beginning (after devouring the books, I started thinking in a British accent and I wanted to be Hermione so bad). From that moment on, I went to every midnight book release party–with the exception of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, which came out while I was a camp counselor. Everyone had the novel delivered–the most mail camp had gotten in a single day. The entire camp nearly shut down as countless girls skipped activities to read about Harry, and counselors and campers alike sneaked out of their cabins at night to have secret book meetings. We made t-shirts that said, “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.”
I could go on, but instead I’ll let you share: Why do you love Harry Potter?
I’m rereading the series now, just to keep it going a bit longer!
10 years ago, I was a mom reading the books to my young son. My Brit/reading-teacher mom had bought them for him though he was only in Kindergarten. He would fall asleep after a chapter or two, and I couldn’t put the books down! Since then, we have enjoyed all the books together, though he read the last few to himself, and watched all of the films together, usually on opening night. Last week he was at Scout camp, and I waited for him to be home so we could experience The End together. It’s definitely been a wonderful decade for me, watching the series and characters grow, then the young actors along with my son and family. My younger children are watching the first few films at home now, and will read the books eventually, so I know our Potter love will continue.