I’m going to miss you so. You three, Fred, George, Ginny, Mr. & Mrs. Weasley, the rest of the Weasleys, Neville, Luna, Dobby, Dumbledore, Snape, Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, even Draco and his family, and everyone else I’m forgetting… So many of you. You’ve all been such a great part of my life, my friends, for 10 years, and now the journey is over.
My heart is pounding in my chest as I write this, tears falling down my face. It’s strange to realize after 10 years that you’ve become emotionally attached to a set of books and their characters, but I feel like a little kid who is, without realizing it, choosing on this exact day to stop playing with toys and to grow up. I’m 28, but this feeling I have, having finished the last book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is like a rite of passage into adulthood and it’s strange and scary and unknown.
What will my world be, how will it be different, now that I know the whole story, now that your journey is complete? I don’t know, probably not much different. They are just books after all… Just books… No. Dreams on paper. That’s more like it.
But now, I know the whole story and it changes everything, puts it into perspective. Makes jokes a little more treasured, interaction a little more understood, actions a little more important and relevant, forgiveness a necessary thing. I’m completely entranced, enthralled, bitter, happy, sad and confused by the whole thing and I loved every minute of it, all 10 years’ worth.
This is the end, no more books to be written, but Harry, Ron, Hermione, my friends… Your story will live on forever. I am sure of it. Good luck to those of you who lived and bye for now.
P.S. Thank you, JK Rowling, for sharing your dreams and visions with the world.
Stumble It!
July 26th, 2007 at 1:03 am
I had similar feelings on the day of Deathly Hallow’s release. (I posted on my livejournal at http://bubblylikesoda.livejournal.com/176350.html.
The wonderful thing about these books is that they will live on forever. We’ve been a part of history, and we will forever be Harry Potter fans. In the end, it will be the rereadings, the recounting of Harry, Ron and Hermione’s adventures with all our friends, our children, our grandchildren, etc., that keeps our fictional friends alive.
J.K. Rowling, you’ve made my life so much better by publishing the books. Thank you.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Frankly, I’m appalled at your sentiments. Harry Potter is hardly the most eloquent kind of writing, nor the most imaginative. I’m ashamed that someone would feel so strongly over such a whimsical story, but to each his own I suppose. Personally, I found the books great for the casual read, but undeserving of the attention that so many have lavished upon them.
M2BM’s comment to Albert in return:
Initially, I was hesitant to approve your comment because I am actually extremely saddened at the fact that someone is “ashamed” and “appalled” at the thought of me being truly touched and entertained by a fun set of books.
This is, in my opinion and that of many others, a great series of stories that appeal to people from several generations and have brought families together to discuss books that bridge the generation gap and are simply a truly fun read if nothing more.
Just because I enjoy them as much as I have and because they have been a great, intriguing, and entertaining part of my life for 10 years now does not mean you must feel the same way. Eloquence is not required by all readers, and some of us happen to actually truly enjoy a series of whimsical stories to get us
through the day. Without whimsy and pretend, what would life be? Pretty dull if you ask me.
The truth of the matter and what most adults seem to forget is these are CHILDREN’S BOOKS. I mean, I was sitting, thinking, brainstorming a way to
create a world like she has created the other day, something that children would grow to love and enjoy and I got stuck at step 1. It’s such an intricate
world with so many levels, characters, emotions, stories… ) Absolutely in defense of JK Rowling, to create a world such as Harry Potter’s, even if she
used other references as a guide, takes imagination. (I’ve never before heard of Quidditch, for example.) I don’t know how she does it, but I’m truly amazed by it.
I must ask you, have you never been touched by a book or truly felt for a character? Have you never felt connected with a story or person you have
watched or read about? If not, then you are most definitely missing out. The best writer, even if not eloquent, draws you in and makes you feel for the
characters. JK Rowling did this for me. Harry, Ron, and Hermione, among numerous other characters in the series, became a part of my life.
I’m sorry you feel the way you do about them. These types of books aren’t for everyone and I realize that. I enjoy them immensely, and appreciate the stories for what they are: great children’s books full of interesting characters and an intricate world created by an imaginative writer.
I stand firmly by my letter to three wonderful characters I will always think of as friends. I have not only grown up with them, but have grown to love and adore them, what more can I say?
P.S. Although we are strongly opposite on our points of view, I do wish to thank you for not being childish in your response like someone else who thought leaving their spoilery goodness laying around on my blog would be nice.
August 10th, 2007 at 1:10 am
1.Ron says, “Are you mental” and “Bloody hell” various different times.
M2BM: What kid doesn’t repeat themselves over and over and over again
2.Voldemort get’s angry.
M2BM: It’s “gets” and um yeah, he’s the villain.
3.Hermione is still a know it all.
M2BM: Right, and I can assure you we ALL grew up with someone EXACTLY like her.
4.Polyjuice potion, what a SURPRISE!
M2BM: Okay, don’t we use the same things over and over again in our lives?
5.Harry’s scar hurts, you’d think they have Advil in the wizarding community.
M2BM: Alright, ya got me on this one. lol
6.The Dursleys still don’t like Harry.
M2BM: If you’d read the 7th book, you’d know more about this one.
7.Someone dies! *Gasp*
M2BM: It’s a war, what do you expect?
8.Action filled wand battles.
M2BM: It’s a wizarding community in the midst of a war, what do you expect?
9.Harry feels awkward a few times.
M2BM: Also to be expected, he’s a growing teenage boy…
Face it people, the books were basically all the same
M2BM: So? I still find them enjoyable,
“not to mention poorly written with a story line that struggled to stay together and was barely pieced together with shady explanations”
M2BM: Did you read the books? If you did, I’m sorry you kept reading past book 1 if you felt this way about the writing.
Not to mention nice try, listing everyone who dies in book 7 in a comment on my blog. I do moderate my comments and that part of yours is unwelcome. Take your spoilers elsewhere, please and thanks.
I’m a Harry Potter fan, always will be, and that’s just the way it is.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Ok well I have to admit that as a thirtysomething male I to have similar, although not as strong, feelings about the end of the series. Also to all the “Well it isn’t even good fiction” crowd, so what? I and many others thoroughly enjoy it and it has turned many children on to reading which cannot ever be a bad thing.
Feel free to snip this bit or just read for your amusement: Is it the end of the series? JK has left a huge opening in the epilogue. IE the large gap between the final battle and the last scene or even the (remaining characters’) kids of course :p
M2BM:
I’m completely willing to leave this as it doesn’t really give anything away, with the exception of editing to say “remaining characters”
I was totally left hanging with the abrupt moment there (you know what I’m talking about), so I know how you feel!! I read an article that stated that JK has never said she’ll NEVER write another book about this world again, and I’m quite positive that a Harry Potter Encyclopedia may be in our future (SQUEE!!!), but first, Mrs. Rowling is taking a much needed break.
August 12th, 2007 at 12:50 pm
It’s sad, but the great thing remains that, I a grown-up have common ground with 9 years old, teenagers, total strangers - it’s amazing how large is the spectrum of readers and fans….
Ah, and Mike I feel sorry for you…Way to miss on one of the few feel good great moments of these times. Somehow, I doubt that with an attitude like this, your reality is much more interesting than you find this fiction to be.
M2BM:
I have to defend Mike only in that as much as I agree with your comment, these books really aren’t for everyone, even if they do appeal to a very large quantity of readers.
I’m sure some of us would probably find some of his books tremendously uninteresting if we knew what he read on a regular basis. 
And if he stops back by, I hope he leaves me with some recommendations he feels are better than what I’ve grown to love. Who knows, I might even give them a try, now that I’m done with the HP series… for now! 
August 12th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
To tell you the truth, I did not have an emotional explosion as you did; nevertheless, I felt a bit of an emptiness once finished The Deathly Hallows. I am amazed someone can feel that way about a character. I do think it is wonderful.
M2BM:
Thank you!
I think this is what I was hoping for from people who didn’t feel the same impact — the realization of how beautiful it truly is to be able to find yourself completely immersed and drawn into a world of pretend, like it’s a world that really exists. If I took a trip to London, I can assure you I’d wonder what’s down the alley or behind a wall or through the painting.
May 2nd, 2008 at 6:03 pm
hi my name is giiny