The moment we have all been waiting for is here: the end, the conclusion, the grand finale. It certainly lived up to expectations, but I realized as soon as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 ended that my most beloved Harry Potter was gone - no more books, no more movies.
Then I realized this is how Potterheads all over the world are feeling! Potterheads must be crying as I am when I think of Harry and his friends, and even his enemies. I know if you aren't extremely involved in the series, you might read this and think that I am losing it a little -- I might just be! -- crying over a book and movie series, but I am not the only one.
I started remembering all the books and movies in a flood of memories. I had always been looking forward to the next book or movie, not really realizing it was just a matter of time until it ends. Now I wish I would have taken my time, reading and viewing more s-l-o-w-l-y.
Then I think, "Well, J.K. Rowling will just have to write another book, won't she!" But I know, though I don't want to admit it, that this isn't going to happen. She is probably sitting in her house counting her billions of dollars, wondering how she, a poor single mom writing in a coffee shop, could have such life-changing success.
There are several reasons people are so attached to the Potter saga. Besides being extremely well written, the books and films include something everyone desires: magic. But the way J.K. Rowling uses it is different: witches and wizards are just people with powers and abilities they hide from the non-magical world of muggles. Not all witches and wizards are good or bad - most are just trying to get along in their wizarding society.
Not all wizards agree on the way of the Wizarding World, though. That's where Lord Voldemort comes into the picture. He believes all muggles; muggle-borns (a wizard with non-magical parents); and bloodtraiters, as Voldemort's followers call purebloods (wizards with all-magical blood) who support muggles and muggle-borns; are scum.
Voldemort is an extremely complicated character (as are most characters in the series) created by J.K. Rowling. The boy wizard Tom Riddle became Voldemort, as Dumbledore (another extremely complicated character) figured out and then told Harry, who eventually set out on his quest to find horcruxes with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
And that's another reason why the story is so popular: it has the very real element of love, family love, love between friends. And the depiction of awkward teen boyfriend/girlfriend love adds a comical and touching feeling to the series.
Of course there are characters everyone loves, such as Fred and George Weasley, or Harry's godfather Sirius Black. And where there are lovable characters, there are also ones no one can wait to be rid of! When I think of these, I think of the positively revolting Bellatrix Lestrange. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to make it through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 without crying until the point where Bellatrix Lestrange shot a killing curse that just barely missed Ginny Weasley, and Molly Weasley screamed "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" and started to duel her.
When Molly Weasley shot the curse that killed Bellatrix Lestrange and everyone started clapping and cheering (because, like I said, she is a character everyone hates), I started laughing and bawling all at the same time.
There were moments, of course, when I was disappointed the filmmakers left out parts I was looking forward to seeing. Just to name a few, I would liked to have seen Professor Trelawney drop a crystal ball on Fenrir Greyback, shrieking, "I have more! More for anyone who wants them! Here!" sending another ball shooting across the Great Hall.
I would like to have seen Dumbledore admit to his brief childhood friendship with Gellert Grindelwald (the second-most feared and dangerous wizard of all time behind Voldemort himself). I would have also liked to have seen Harry chat with Dumbledore's portrait after he destroyed Lord Voldemort, and Severus Snape's complete memory in the Pensieve, not just little bits of it.
Most of all, though, I wish they would have really shown how it happened: the dramatic moment when Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort stood face to face surrounded by friends and followers, the moment Voldemort and Harry both shot their spells -- "Avada Kedavra!" and "Explliarmus!" -- the moment when Voldemort's wand failed him and he fell backwards, killed by his own spell!
That would have been amazing.
Overall, I was happy with the final movie and was glad they did stay pretty close to the book. Now that it's over I am sad, and wish there was more. I do realize though that all good things must come to an end; especially, it seems, when you don't want them to. So, I must take a deep breath and accept that my beloved Harry Potter is gone. This is my farewell to a an extremely close friend.
Goodbye Harry Potter - we love you!
Then I realized this is how Potterheads all over the world are feeling! Potterheads must be crying as I am when I think of Harry and his friends, and even his enemies. I know if you aren't extremely involved in the series, you might read this and think that I am losing it a little -- I might just be! -- crying over a book and movie series, but I am not the only one.
I started remembering all the books and movies in a flood of memories. I had always been looking forward to the next book or movie, not really realizing it was just a matter of time until it ends. Now I wish I would have taken my time, reading and viewing more s-l-o-w-l-y.
Then I think, "Well, J.K. Rowling will just have to write another book, won't she!" But I know, though I don't want to admit it, that this isn't going to happen. She is probably sitting in her house counting her billions of dollars, wondering how she, a poor single mom writing in a coffee shop, could have such life-changing success.There are several reasons people are so attached to the Potter saga. Besides being extremely well written, the books and films include something everyone desires: magic. But the way J.K. Rowling uses it is different: witches and wizards are just people with powers and abilities they hide from the non-magical world of muggles. Not all witches and wizards are good or bad - most are just trying to get along in their wizarding society.
Not all wizards agree on the way of the Wizarding World, though. That's where Lord Voldemort comes into the picture. He believes all muggles; muggle-borns (a wizard with non-magical parents); and bloodtraiters, as Voldemort's followers call purebloods (wizards with all-magical blood) who support muggles and muggle-borns; are scum.
Voldemort is an extremely complicated character (as are most characters in the series) created by J.K. Rowling. The boy wizard Tom Riddle became Voldemort, as Dumbledore (another extremely complicated character) figured out and then told Harry, who eventually set out on his quest to find horcruxes with his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger.
And that's another reason why the story is so popular: it has the very real element of love, family love, love between friends. And the depiction of awkward teen boyfriend/girlfriend love adds a comical and touching feeling to the series.
Of course there are characters everyone loves, such as Fred and George Weasley, or Harry's godfather Sirius Black. And where there are lovable characters, there are also ones no one can wait to be rid of! When I think of these, I think of the positively revolting Bellatrix Lestrange. I don't know how I did it, but I managed to make it through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 without crying until the point where Bellatrix Lestrange shot a killing curse that just barely missed Ginny Weasley, and Molly Weasley screamed "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" and started to duel her.
When Molly Weasley shot the curse that killed Bellatrix Lestrange and everyone started clapping and cheering (because, like I said, she is a character everyone hates), I started laughing and bawling all at the same time.There were moments, of course, when I was disappointed the filmmakers left out parts I was looking forward to seeing. Just to name a few, I would liked to have seen Professor Trelawney drop a crystal ball on Fenrir Greyback, shrieking, "I have more! More for anyone who wants them! Here!" sending another ball shooting across the Great Hall.
I would like to have seen Dumbledore admit to his brief childhood friendship with Gellert Grindelwald (the second-most feared and dangerous wizard of all time behind Voldemort himself). I would have also liked to have seen Harry chat with Dumbledore's portrait after he destroyed Lord Voldemort, and Severus Snape's complete memory in the Pensieve, not just little bits of it.
Most of all, though, I wish they would have really shown how it happened: the dramatic moment when Harry Potter and Lord Voldemort stood face to face surrounded by friends and followers, the moment Voldemort and Harry both shot their spells -- "Avada Kedavra!" and "Explliarmus!" -- the moment when Voldemort's wand failed him and he fell backwards, killed by his own spell!That would have been amazing.
Overall, I was happy with the final movie and was glad they did stay pretty close to the book. Now that it's over I am sad, and wish there was more. I do realize though that all good things must come to an end; especially, it seems, when you don't want them to. So, I must take a deep breath and accept that my beloved Harry Potter is gone. This is my farewell to a an extremely close friend.
Goodbye Harry Potter - we love you!
