26. Harry Potter

First it was the books. A dear friend of mine asked me one day, several years ago, if I had read Harry Potter. Being totally immersed in work back then, I had not even heard of the phenomenon. So he introduced me to the series by lending me the first book, which he promised I would enjoy. Despite work and other business, I quickly finished the book and returned it to him the next day, begging for the next, which he promptly lent me. In two days, I was ready for the third book, which had just been released that year, and as soon as my friend had finished reading it, the book was in my hands. After that, I eagerly awaited each new installment, also eventually purchasing my own copies which I read again and shared with my youngest son.

By the time the first movie came out, my youngest and I were waiting in anticipation for yet another book, and every year that a movie was released, he and I would make it a point to catch it after all the die-hard fans had seen it. We preferred not to wait hours in line for the movie so we watched it a couple of weeks after the opening to avoid the crowds of Pottermaniacs.

When the last book finally came out, it was just when we had moved to Canada, and it was one of our very first purchases, along with groceries and household needs. There were two bookmarks in that book—my son and I would take turns reading it, I when he was sleeping or watching TV or doing something else; he when I was busy with housework or something else. Turning the final page of the final chapter in the final installment was almost like closing the doors on a chapter of one’s life…but that didn’t stop us from waiting for the last 3 installments to be turned into movies and released for public viewing. Indeed, if we could only watch one movie a year, it would have been Harry Potter.

Which brings us to the last installment of movies, which, rather than being just 3 installments, was stretched out to 4.

No, I still have not seen the final film. I eagerly look forward to seeing it, that is certain, and I am a bit sad that I have not seen the last 2 with my son, nor will I see the final one with him. It’s been running 3 weeks now and it is time to catch it, after all the impatient ones have been there. I know I will savour the ending, no matter that I don’t like the way it ends, because it will mark the end of a journey that has spanned more than 7 years…is it 9 or 10 since I first discovered the phenomenon that has enthralled the whole world for a decade or thereabouts?

Now they should get on with the rest of the Narnia chronicles, and the rest of the Golden Compass series so that we fantasy buffs have something more to look forward to.