I was in high school when the Harry Potter phenomenon started. Everyone went crazy about the series after the first book was launched. There were lots of people into Harry Potter but there were also critics of the book saying that being based on witchcraft and wizardry, the story of the boy-who-lived was essentially unacceptable and insulting to the religious faith of readers. There were parents who despised the book who actively protested against its distribution especially among school children. However, these negative publicities did not last too long though it helped make the book more attractive and intriguing to curious bibliophiles. Honestly, I was not one of the early fans of the series because as a junior in high school, I really did not have extra time to read books outside of our curriculum. It was only after high school graduation that I had the will to actually start reading book one of the series. Thanks to the gift cheque that I got as a graduation present I was able to buy the Philosopher's Stone and Chamber of Secrets. As Harry Potter was introduced in the first few pages of book one, I realized that I was off to a magical journey that unknown to us then would last more than a decade.
I was lucky to have peers that are into HP as well. I remember one of my friends, Kai, who would always be first in line to get the latest of the series. We painstakingly waited year after year for the next book to come out. Aside from the book, we also had the movies to watch out for. The farther into the series we got, the more intense the feeling of wanting to have more becomes. Every year, a book was released and so was a movie counterpart. It was already past our college graduation that the final book was released. The Deathly Hallows was the only book in the series that I bought in hard bound because I could not wait for the paperback issue anymore as the suspense of the ending was killing me already. It took a year before the paperback issue came about so it was not really a waste of money and time buying the more expensive copy.
Reading HP is exhilarating, thrilling and very fulfilling. I read the first 2 books in one sitting since they were merely an inch thick. As the series progressed, the pages of the book increased as well, adding more depth in the story and making you imagine more what it is like to be one of the magical folks. J.K. Rowling did a fantastic job with the intricate details of the story as well how the characters of the book are developed and become intertwined to produce one great story. The details were so believable that it felt like you are going through a real history book of magic. How the spells were constructed as well as how the potions were designed reflected the hard work of JKR. Indeed, her imagination is so vast that I feel no other author can ever be at par to what she had done with the HP series.
When the creation of HP movies started, the experience of reading the books became better because the existence of the actors and actresses gave the reader an idea what the character is like, giving more space for imagination. We all saw how Harry, Ron and Hermione grew up in the person of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. The fame of being in a blockbuster production brought about a big fortune to the long-standing cast members of the series. Imagine being assured of 8 epic movies by being one of the major casts in the film! If I was part of the cast, I would rather not be sick or killed or have my name tainted with malicious intrigues in between series if I want to have a continuity to my already great career. Well, there were bad publicity about Radcliffe posing nude which lingered for a while but it was not really a big blow to his role being Harry Potter. (Like hello?! Harry has to grow up normally too don't you think?).
The seventh film was for me the best of all as it was the most faithful to the book. Though I felt that it should have been longer, the essence of the story was still upheld. I loved Professor McGonagall's feat in protecting Harry Potter after he revealed himself to Snape in the great hall. I also would like to take note of her line: I've always wanted to use that spell! (after chanting "Piertotum Locomotor" which deployed the sentinels which should help protect Hogwarts). I also loved the part where the revelation about Snape was shown. I really felt that he really loved Lily Potter and was also concerned for Harry though he cannot show it. It was cruel enough for Dumbledore to outrightly say that Harry should die and Snape tried to endure that fact as much as he can. I was touched by the scene where Snape was hugging Lily tightly after Voldermort attacked her. I'm now wondering whether Snape is the real father of Harry since he brought up the similarities of their and her mother's patronuses. It was just a shame that there was not a great celebration after Voldemort vanished. Everyone was so depressed with the deaths of their folks but should they not be thankful that Harry lived and Voldemort is forever gone? Anyway, the ending was great still, seeing Harry and Ginny together with their kids as well as Ron's and Hermione's. Draco Malfoy was also shown with his son and wife. I loved it when Harry told his son that he was named after two great Hogwarts headmasters so it doesn't really matter whether he goes into Gryffindor or Slytherin...anyway the Sorting hat always considers your choice.
It has finally come to an end. Thank you Harry Potter for the wonderful journey!
