Day forty-four: Endings

On 11/11/11, the very last Harry Potter movie came out on DVD. I had to accept it: Harry Potter is officially over. I'm part of the Harry Potter generation. I grew up with Harry. I remember when I was in first or second grade, my dad read me the first Harry Potter book as a bedtime story, a chapter a night. I remember when we got to the chapter about quidditch, Dad read the name "Katie Bell" and I thought he was just messing around, since that was my nickname. I was in the book. :) Voldemort gave me nightmares at first, and I was convinced that Hermione and Ron were in love (I'm good XD). I think I cried the moment I found out that they were making my favorite series into a movie. I did my research, and I found out everything about all the actors and actresses that were going to be in the movie. I thought Dan was perfect for Harry, I thought Emma and I were buds, because her birthday is the day before mine, Rupert seemed silly, but made a great Ron, and I fell in love with Matthew Lewis (Neville). I had a little crush on him back then. That year, I dressed up as Hermione. I bought the Griffindor robes, and I painted my own tie. I remember going to the movie the very first day it came out. I went with my friend Alex, and our parents took us out of school early so we could go sit in line. We were dressed up in our costumes. At the end of the movie, as Harry, Ron, and Hermione boarded the train back to London and Harry said, "I'm not going home, not really," and the final melody played on French horn, I couldn't help but tear up. I was nine years old, and I was the happiest girl on the planet.

Almost ten years later, I refused to read any spoilers about the movie. Every time the trailer played, I got teary eyed. I used my graduation robes as a costume, with a Ravenclaw patch, and my mom made me radish earrings and a butterbeer cork necklace. I had my spectrespecs, my wand, my Quibblers, and my Harry Potter TOMS. I was Luna, even though I didn't have blonde hair. :D Of course, this was before I became a proud Hufflepuff. Before the midnight showing, I had my handmade painted Potter Generation shirt and I got to the theater at 5. After hanging out at Barnes and Noble with Maggie and Alex, we went to Chick-fil-A and then changed into our costumes. We got in line and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, the moment came, and we went into the theater. We had awesome seats, and we couldn't be more excited. The lights dimmed, and the movie started. It quickly turned into a sobfest (especially the Snape scenes). I had a kind of fangirly moment when Ron and Hermione kissed, and I was a little angry when Harry didn't fix his old wand with the elder wand. But at the very end, the 19 years later part, the grown up Harry, Ron, and Hermione watch as their children ride off to Hogwarts in the train, and the same theme with the French horn played in the background. I was nineteen years old, and I sobbed and sobbed. My childhood was officially over.

Many cultures have a rite of passage that children must go through to join the adult world. For my generation throughout the world, seeing the last movie was our rite of passage. Just as Harry, Ron, and Hermione grew up and left Hogwarts, so did we all. But as sad as growing up is, I have to see it as bittersweet. Yes, we had to leave Hogwarts in our childhood, it taught us so many things that we can take with us for the rest of our lives.

And, of course, we can always enjoy those guilty pleasures like Muggle Quidditch.

2001

2011

Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.

J.K. Rowling