One of the most important days in my life may seem quite odd to most people. It is a moment that only true book lovers, only someone as big of a nerd as myself could understand. That moment was when I saw the final movie in the Harry Potter series. I know this might not sound like such a big deal but to me, it was the ending of an era. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II came out in late summer of 2011. I was less than a month away from turning twelve, meaning I was still coping with the trauma of not receiving my letter from Hogwarts.
But regardless of my owl-less summer, I was over the moon with excitement. I was so ready to see this movie, to see the finale of the wizarding world (though I had already read the books and knew the ending), but I was also incredibly sad. Harry Potter was my first book series. I can remember my mom reading the first book to me, then being able to read them on my own. I had read and reread the books, seen the movies enough times to recite them by heart, and spent long car trips listening to the audio books for the billionth time. These stories were my entire childhood. I had grown up with these characters. And now, it was ending. The last page, final chapter, hoping for a happily ever after for my best fictional friends.
I can remember going to the theater, shaking with excitement, (literally shaking, I almost spilled my popcorn on the lady in front of me). Once the final credits had rolled, the popcorn was long gone, and everyone else was filing out, the finality of it all hit me. It’s done. It’s over. No more movies, no more books, no more new stories about the Golden Trio saving the world
But it’s not, the story of this series continues as more people discover these books and create new ways to express their love for the boy who lived. And with the recent announcement of a new movie in the Potter universe, it’s the most amazing thing to know that the magic is still alive. 
Photo source: Amelia Haig, 2015
