"I'm Not Going Home... Not Really"

And so it ends tonight. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two releases at 12:01, and when the credits roll, our childhoods come to an end.

I was in the third grade when I was first exposed to Harry Potter. My dad bought the first three books for my mom to use in her classroom, which she never did. My teacher, Ms. Priebe, decided to read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone to us, and made it a daily routine. At the same time, she assigned us a book report on a mystery story. Enjoying Sorcerer's Stone (though admittedly not getting it all, since I was so young), I decided to read Chamber of Secrets concurrently. I wouldn't say I was particularly spoiled or confused, reading the second book before finishing the first, but I knew from my fellow students that the second book had more of a mystery than the first, so I read it. I came to really enjoy the series, but I wouldn't say I loved it.

Fast forward a few years and Goblet of Fire was released. This, you might remember, was when we had the big boom in Harry Potter love. I was quite swept up in that wave. I remember getting GoF for Christmas, reading the first few chapters, and giving up, not understanding it at all. I guess somewhere along the line I read the third book after having read the first two a few times, and eventually went back and read GoF.
My first memory of Harry Potter as a fan was pulling into Toys R Us with my grandma, me reading the graveyard scene. I didn't even want to go into the store, I was so enthralled. I finished reading it on the way home with my parents, and had my first case of post-Potter depression.

In the years between GoF and Order of the Phoenix, I read and re-read the first four books and became more and more engrossed into the series. I got some of the memorabilia that was marketed as from the books, not the films. I even had a Clue-style boardgame, which I remember bringing to our beach condo. I was sitting in our old van with it on my lap, supporting Prisoner of Azkaban, which I was re-reading intently.

I flipped out when I heard about Harry Potter coming to film. I found out in a Lego magazine, which had just the owl carrying the letter teaser. I raced online and found out, yes, Sorcerer's Stone was being made into a movie. I remember watching the trailer on the computer, practically throwing a tantrum when that crappy old technology refused to properly load a video.

My mom, grandma, and I went to the first showing of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone at Bell Tower the day of its release. I had skipped school that day just to see it. Decked out in a Hogwarts cap, Hogwarts jean jacket, and Nimbus 2000 green t-shirt, I sat and watched as everything I had imagined came to life before me. I must have seen it four times in theaters. I was eleven years old, Harry's age. Getting my ticket was like getting my acceptance letter, and seeing Hogwarts before me was like going to the school. It was... well, magic.

Order of the Phoenix was sent to me in the mail, I get Half-Blood Prince at a Walmart at midnight, and I got Deathly Hallows at the midnight release at Barnes and Noble. I saw Chamber of Secrets on a rainy November day, Prisoner of Azkaban on a warm summer evening (which was my first date, by the by), Goblet of Fire on another rainy November day, Order of the Phoenix on a hot July day with Gaby, Half-Blood Prince with Ashley and Kristine Zadrovitz, and Deathly Hallows Part One with Jessica, Ricky, Travis, and Ashly, and, finally Deathly Hallows Part Two with Ashley and Jessica tonight. All of them at Bell Tower. I started my journey to Hogwarts on film there, and I'll end it there.

I know I'm rambling at this point, but I need to add my opinion on the end. This is the end of an era. We've grown up with Harry in our books and on film, and in a way, we're saying goodbye to him. We'll never have another midnight release, or a trailer to look forward to. We'll never again have that joy of seeing what we imagined first being played out before us. But you know what... it's not really the end. We're not putting Harry away, we're not taking the Hogwarts Express back to the muggle world for the last time. We still have the books to read, the movies to watch. We still have the memories and friends we made through this wonderful series, and we still have that feeling of joy and wonderment whenever we read about or watch the Boy Who Lived. Just because we're growing up doesn't mean we're leaving our childhood behind. We've always got Harry Potter, we've always got Hogwarts, and we always have our home on film or page.
I leave you with this little segment of dialogue and song from A Very Potter Sequel and Musical.
HERMIONE: Harry, can you believe that we only get 7 years at Hogwarts?
HARRY: Yeah, but that’s what makes it so special. Sure, we have to go back home for the summer, but imagine how totally awesome going back’s gonna be. Till then, I got to go back to the Muggle world. They’re going to try to tell me this was’t real and none of this happened, but you know what? It was real. It did happen. We spent time here, we made friends here; it’s a part of us. Hogwarts is bigger than any of us…it’s bigger than any of its founders, and it’s going to be around long after we’re gone. Maybe we’ll see our kids come here one day. That’s the thing about Hogwarts: No matter how long you’re away from it, there’s always a way back.
Back to wizards and witches, and magical beasts
To goblins and ghosts and to magical feasts
It's all that I love, and all that I need.
At HOGWARTS, HOGWARTS,
Back to spells and enchantments, potions and friends
To Gryffindors!
Hufflepuffs!
Ravenclaws!
Slytherins!
Back to the place where our story begins
It’s Hogwarts, Hogwarts!