Category — Summer 2011

The official countdown to the end of my childhood: 5 days.

My inevitable “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt 2” post. I know a lot has been said about HP, and I’m probably not adding anything new to the dialogue, but that doesn’t make my thoughts any less valid.

Watching the world premiere streaming from Trafalgar Square on Thursday, crying, (slightly hysterical, but that’s neither here nor there) reminded me of all that HP has given to my life. Whether it fueled my passion for reading, my compassion for others, or simply allowed me to view the things people do (out of fear, hate or love) with new eyes.

HP is and always will be the defining characteristic of my childhood, and I will never be ashamed of that, no matter how many people tell me to “stfu about HP already”. I am forever grateful that JK Rowling allowed me the honour of placing myself in Harry’s world and letting me feel the same magic he found so incredibly beautiful. Not matter what, through the last 13 years of my life, these 7 books and 8 movies, helped me to overcome a lot of teenage angst and heavy, excuse my language (except not really) shit. Whenever I felt that my world was falling apart, I was able to turn to the ever welcoming halls of Hogwarts and pretend to fit myself within the confines of Harry, Ron and Hermoine’s friendship. Without fail, her words, her world, helped put me back together, and teach me a few invaluable lessons along the way.

I learned to be courageous and stand tall and brave against injustices that are present in our Muggle world. I’ve been reminded time and time again to surround myself with the most beautiful, loyal and loving people I can find and to reject the preconceived notions others have about me. I’ve learned to analyze the motives and actions of those around me, even those that I find incomprehensible and irreparable, always giving them the same critical, yet compassionate gaze.

Ultimately, if I am able to be as motivated, clever and resourceful as Hermoine, loyal, playful and determined as Ron and brave, compassionate and passionate as Harry, I will be living a life exactly as the person I hope to be, and what I hope my possible (hello, I can’t see into the future! I’m as horrible at Divination as Professor Trelawney) children will be as well.

So whenever someone so ineptly points out how stupid, annoying and replaceable Harry Potter is, I kindly ignore them because they have obviously never felt the same magic I have at some point, somewhere else in their life. I sincerely hope they do.