Today I went to see the final installment of the Harry Potter movies. At the end it was like saying a final goodbye to a great friend. I admit that I shed many tears. It really was like a loss.
You see, Harry Potter has meant many different things to me over the years. First, as a teacher, it gave me some common ground with my students. Let's be honest, at this stage in my career, there is quite an age difference. I'm not always current! So it was great because tell me what kid who doesn't know who Harry Potter is? The books and the movies led to some lively conversations over the last 14 years. There were many debates about which was better... the book or movie. We spent many hours discussing what would happen in the next book. And that final book..wow! We talked extensively about what happened and the closure it brought us.
Secondly, Harry Potter has been a best friend to my friend Barb and I. Barb is a retired English teacher, and she shares my love of the written word. We are always sharing book lists! As soon as the Harry Potter books came out, we would race each to see who would finish the book first! We would have literary discussions as we read. It would be, "How far are you?' or "Have you read this part yet?" It was a killer to be the first one done and have to wait until the other finished! Then we would spend hours dissecting each book. Barb always defended Professor Snape. She knew all long that he had some redeeming qualities. I, on the other hand, was ready to throw him under the bus! We also had a standing date to go to the movies. Now, we did miss a year or two due to life conflicts. But today, we saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 together. It took us three attempts....we got postponed twice. Once due to my illness and the other for grandkid babysitting duties. At the end of the movie we sat and cried together. It was like she and I lost our best friend! We also spent the entire trip home discussing the movie. First of all, we agreed that the movie was actually better than the book. The director really did a great job at bringing all the loose ends together. Then we talked about our favorite characters....Neville was hers and Luna was mine...and how we would miss them. We also talked about how we won't miss the slithering snake! A special thank you to Barb. You see she went to see the movie on Sunday and didn't tell me until our friend Pat accidentally ratted her out. She still went with me and I'm glad. Other than a couple of my nieces, there was no one else I wanted to spend such a special occasion with.
Lastly, there are my nieces Adrianne and Jordan. Since they were 12 and 9, I have been buying them the books. I first heard about Harry Potter from the Rosie O'Donnell show. She was so excited about it and urged everyone to read them. In fact, she was the first person to interview JK Rowling on national TV. I decided to read it. I fell in love and bought the first book for the girls. I also bought one for Mikaela, but she wasn't so fond of it. But Jordan and Adrianne fell in love with the little wizard and his friends. From that moment on, I would buy a copy for each girl when it would come out. They would grab them and devour them! In fact one year Adrianne came and spent the night with me. We went to Walden Bookstore at midnight and stood in line to get one of the first copies of book #4 (I think it was #4). When we got home, Adrianne claimed she was going to stay up all night and read. I said, "Not me. I'm too old!" Guess who ended up staying up all night and who fell asleep!!! The old lady obviously still has some mojo! Then one year I showed up in Florida with book #5 for Jordan. She was so excited. Then there was movie #6. I travelled to Bowling Green, my alma mater and Adrianne's. We hit our favorite BG bar, Howard's, for a cold one before going to the midnight premiere. What a night!
So, you see, when I say that I feel like I've lost a best friend today, I'm not kidding. Since 1997, Harry Potter has given me so much. He and his friends have entertained me for years. I have enjoyed every book and movie. He also helped me create memories with loved ones that will last an eternity. He allowed me to bond with my nieces in a way that wouldn't have been possible without his wizardry. He also gave me a favorite movie line. Until today, I only had two movie lines I would quote. One, is 'Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.' (Rhett Butler from Gone with the Wind.) Two, 'You did what in your cup?' (Mater from Cars) And now my third one.....'Not my girl you bitch!' (Mrs. Weasley to Bellatrix Lestrange)
And with that I say, "Farewell my friend. Thanks for the memories". It's amazing how one fictional little boy with a lightening bolt on his forehead could give so much enjoyment to a 49 year old woman. Good night Harry Potter, sweet dreams.
Make Every Day Count...
Denise
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