What a magical ride it's been for a family of J.K. Rowling fans
That sigh you hear around the world is millions of Harry Potter fans closing the final book and exhaling in exhaustion, relief , and regret. Relief that we've finally broken the stupefying spell J.K. Rowling cast over us nearly nine years ago, regret for the same reason. We rabid readers -- yes, I was there at Borders in Braintree at 12:01 Saturday morning -- are also feeling both relief and regret over the fate of the characters, which won't be revealed here for fear someone will put a Cruciatus curse on me.
Nine years ago, I bought the first Harry Potter book as a bedtime story to read to my 7-year-old son. But from the first chapter of " Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, " it was clear that the book had cast its spell on me, too. My 12-year-old daughter devoured the books on her own, and we often had to read in shifts.
Just as Harry and his friends disarmed enemies with their "Expelliarmus!" command, Rowling disarmed her readers with her own magic. She's the real wizard.
Now, 5,135 pages later, it's over. My daughter, 21, swooped in as soon as I tearfully put down the tome Saturday evening. She stayed up all night reading its 759 pages. My son, nearly 16, is away at camp this week. No doubt this self-proclaimed non-reader will go straight for the book when he gets home.
He and I made it through the first five books together. But when the sixth came out, he thought he was too old to let me read to him. Still, we had Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape, Hagrid -- all who served as a great bonding mechanism between me and my son, who is often lost in
We have debated endlessly what would happen in this last book : Can Dumbledore really be dead? How could Snape have killed him? Would Rowling be so cruel as to kill Harry off? Was it just my imagination, or did James Potter have a mean streak? ("It's your imagination, Mom," my daughter retorted.) Maybe. And we all have our favorite characters: Dumbledore (me), Hagrid (my son) , and Hermione (my daughter).
A special note to mothers: We come out looking pretty darn good in this series. Who among us doesn't love the tale of a child protected throughout life by a mother's love? Hint: There's another great "mother" scene in the last book that will make you cheer out loud.
Rowling's fabulist tales will last generations, but there's something about being there as they unfolded that makes many of us feel privileged to have been aboard for the ride. It's like the difference between hearing about the Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 -- and having lived through every moment as it happened: the twists and turns of the astounding pennant race, the characters such as Papi, Manny , and Schilling, the Good (Sox) vs. Evil (Yanks) theme. And just as generations of parents have taken their kids to Fenway, so will generations introduce their kids to Harry Potter.
It's also akin to coming of age with the Beatles: the joy and passion we felt for them and their music that changed everything, and the shock and sadness we felt when they broke up. But their music has survived them quite well -- my son and his friends are big fans, almost 40 years later -- and Rowling's books share the same timelessness.
Rowling has done us another favor: Now we can use the hyperbolic expression, "She's got more money than the Queen of England," and have it actually be true -- the former single mum is richer than the queen.
Speaking of words, Rowling has created a whole new lexicon: How many of us have called an ex-boyfriend "The Dark Lord" or "He Who Must Not Be Named " ? Who hasn't used "Dementor " to describe a boss or co-worker?
Rowling gave us the gift of escape into another world, without the use of Floo powder or disapparation. Who wouldn't love to have an invisibility cloak, fly on a broomstick, use a magic wand, and own a Marauder's map, extendable ears , and a Sneakoscope? Who hasn't wished for Madame Pomfrey's magical healing powers or Mrs. Weasley's ability to put together a meal or clean house with a wave of her wand?
And who's to say there isn't a parallel wizard world out there, where people drink Butterbeer at The Leaky Cauldron and attend potions classes at Hogwarts? Just the other night, when I was walking the dog, I noticed a strange movement in the sky. Could it have been someone on a broomstick, or was it really a falling star? At South Station, if you see a crazy lady rushing toward Gate 9 3/4 with a cart, you'll know it's me.
The last book ties up Rowling's themes of faith, love, betrayal, courage, grief , and sacrifice. The package isn't neat; in fact, it's downright messy in some places, but this is my favorite of the lot: it's more complex, more daring, more startling than the others. And unlike "The Sopranos," it offers a real, not fill-in-the-blank, ending.
The book is dedicated to me -- and to you "if you have stuck with Harry until the very end." So many of us have, through Quidditch and snogging, dragons and hippogriffs, charms and potions, goblins and giants, house-elves and centaurs, horcruxes and hallows.
And now it's over. But the books will continue to cast their ageless charms upon millions of mere Muggles who step briefly out of our lives, disappearing into another world through that magical Portkey offered by J.K. Rowling. 