Goodbye Harry Potter

Many, many, many summers ago, when I was just a girl of 15 years old, I babysat for two wonderful kids.  Everyday we played, read and did math problems.  They taught me many games (chess and nertz) but the most important thing they taught me was to imagine.  I have always had a great imagination and as a kid was never bored of transporting myself to other worlds, but this was different.

" Leah, do you want to be in our play?" she asked.
"Of course," I replied.
"You could be Hagrid," he said.
"Hagrid?" I questioned.
"From Harry Potter," they responded.
"Harry Potter?" I asked.
"Here, read this," she said handing me a book, a portkey really, into the world of J.K. Rowling's imagination, into the world of magic, friendship, challenges, tragedy, comedy and the boy who lived.

I have always considered myself a reader but reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone lead me on a reading journey I will never forget.  From the beginning, I was pulled into Harry's world.  I empathized for the boy who lived in the cupboard below the stairs, the girl with frizzy hair and the redhead who always got teased by the mean Draco Malfoy.  I was in awe of Dumbledore and Hogwarts.  Secretly I would wave a pencil around, practicing the spells (wingardium leviosa, pronounced lev ee oh saw) then I secured a wand but alas I am a mere muggle (don't tell Forest because I keep telling him I am destined for a career at Hogwarts). 

One of the most magical things about the Harry Potter series is that it got the world reading.  Imagine millions of people lining up or pre-ordering book after book and all reading on the same day.  Reading is a wonderful thing, the best really and I can't believe the spell J.K. Rowling held over the reading world.  What she did was amazing, I knew a lot of people who didn't read but would pick up Harry Potter. 

As the last book came out, I waited by my mailbox in a chair from noon until 4 p.m. when it finally arrived (the last delivery of the day according to the mailman).  Once I opened the book I kept reading until it was finished.  When the book was finished, I felt empty knowing I had read the last book and that the series was over.  The silver lining was that the movies would still be coming out.  I went to the movies dressed up in my Hogwarts robes, Gryffindor scarf, HP glasses, Gryffindor tie and holding my wand.  Similarly I was transported into the wizarding world for two sometimes two and a half hours.  I would leave feeling hopeful, excited for the next movie.  Now that silver lining is gone as the last HP movie opens at midnight and tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., wand in hand, I will say goodbye to the last Harry Potter movie (but not in 3D).