The End of an Era

The boy who lived... has come to die.

Spoiler alert: Harry Potter survives!

But for many of us, this weekend marks the end of an era, and I proudly count myself amongst that caste. I worked at Borders when the Harry Potter craze initially hit so many years ago in book form, and I was lucky enough to lead children's reading hour with the book and discussion at the store. So not only did I fall in love with Harry and his friends myself, but I got to watch literal dozens of others become entranced as well.

And now after I think... 10 years or more? We finally get to see the end of it all take place on screen with child actors who have become adults and visions of grandeur that will forever be marked in our minds as the true look and feel of Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and more.

I was lucky enough to read the books before I saw the movie, but never have I been so enthralled with visions taken from page to screen. Sure, there are discrepancies -- I'm absolutely devastated that the whole "side plot" of Neville being great was somewhat left out in the end -- but the music makes my heart lift every time and I am excited to be a part of the audience for the final moving in its first theatrical run.

For those of you not interested in Harry Potter, this may seem like folly. But for me, I look to this final film with excitement and sadness both. I've waited years to see it, and now there is no more. The Harry Potter tale has come to an end, and all we can do is use our own imaginations to dream how the boy who lived becomes the man who lives on.