Ode to Harry Potter

(Veronica and I at Hogwarts)

I’ve wanted to write a dedication to Harry Potter for some time, but I’ve always refrained because I fear it will be inadequate. Screw inadequacy! I love Harry Potter. Even if I only convey a third of what I love about the series, that’s still a third of love that I put out there and may or may not encourage another reader. (HP fans: You all know that the weapon we have is love!) Though I’ve been successful in the past in getting others to read (cough Twilight cough), I don’t think I’ve done the same for Harry Potter. And that’s a shame because it is definitely my favorite book series. Heck, I’ve even got a quote tattooed on my shoulder and I’ve seriously considered getting more.

So let me start at the beginning…how I got started with Harry Potter. I understand people’s hesitancy to pick up the series. I myself was one of those hesitant people. To this day, I have a harder time picking up a novel that involves witches, wizards, magic or anything of that nature. Plus throw in the aspect that Harry Potter is only 11 in the first book and you’ve got a whole book about a pre-pubescent wizard. Not so exciting. Ohhhhh…but that’s where you and I were wrong. And I can only more forward with my tale by saying one thing first. Thank you. Thank you Veronica for constantly pushing Harry Potter in my face and not giving up until I had finally agreed to give it a try. It has forever changed my life.

Wow, really? Changed my life? And I think I could say honestly yes. First, like I mentioned before, I’ve altered my body to have Harry Potter permanently apart of it. It has cemented a lock tight bond between me and one of my closest friends. It has provided many late night movie excursions. It has given me a new reason to travel to Florida. It has given me something to look forward to sharing with my son. It has brought nothing but joy and I just thank the heavens for giving J.K. Rowling the idea to this story.

So what’s so fabulous? Everything. I mean everything. I took a rode trip this summer with my sister-n-law and we asked ourselves boundless amounts of would you rather questions. We contemplated sex, marry kill scenarios…but the one and only question I can clearly recall is when she asked me about Harry Potter. She started off by saying “What would you change about the Sookie books?” And I had a ton of suggestions. (Am I the only one to hate the most recent book?) Then she moved on…”what would you change about the Black Dagger Brotherhood books?” Again, there were a few things. And then she asked the inevitable, “What would you change about Harry Potter?” And my honest answer was nothing. It is pure perfection. And part of what I like is that it’s not all happy joy lucky. Harry is an orphan and has had a sad lonely life until he goes to Hogwarts. And he doesn’t just lose his parents but there are significant deaths throughout the series that are awful. Of course those deaths upset me. (I wore a black hair band around my wrist for a week in honor of Dumbledore because I read Gary Oldman did the same. Figure he could show tribute I could too. I’m crazy weird, I know.) But if you changed anything about these sad scenarios the books wouldn’t be the same. Harry would be a different person. The outcome could have been different and I love exactly where the book goes.

So what makes it a good book? Here is where things get tough for me. I fear the inadequacy here the most because when I read a book, I feel a book. The way a book leaves me feeling is a huge factor in whether I enjoy it or not. I’ve always been one of those people who puts themselves in other people’s shoes. So as Harry Potter moves through each year of Hogwarts, so do I. I felt the loss of his parents everytime he thought about them. I felt the loss of his godfather. I felt nervous when he asked Cho Chang to the dance. And I definitely felt the horror and shock when Dumbledore was killed. I felt. I felt. I felt. (Not to be confused with Tom Felton.) And I won’t ruin the last movie but I cried, no wait that’s not accurate enough, I was a giant mess of tears (Cry me a River is most accurate) when it is revealed what “I open at the close” means for Harry Potter. That will forever be my favorite part of the last book. And it is the scene I’m most excited to see tonight at midnight. If there is one thing to get right, it’s this scene. (And perhaps one scene with the most excellent Severus Snape….that one should be a gem too.) I suppose it left me with a over whelming feeling of joy, accomplishment and love. Reading these books is satisfying to your soul. Go ahead, feed your soul. Feels real good.

And though it feels like it’s really ending now, it’s not. It’s been over. (Last book came out in 2007) Though I have enjoyed going to see the movies, it has always been about the books for me. So I need to stop tearing up when I see the trailer because I’m not seeing anything surprising. (Yes, that happened last week when I went to see Super 8….which was fantastic by the way). Because though the last book has been written and the last movie will be over, it will forever be a favorite and I am happily awaiting the day that I can experience these books with Desmond. My torch for Harry Potter is still lit and will continue to be.

Gah, I just re-read what I wrote. I sound spastic and unconvincing. So I will end it with this. If you enjoy reading. And you must be a reader, not someone who dabbles once in a while in reading if a fantastic vampire romance novel is out. (Cough Dayna cough) Then I will say, you will enjoy these books. Overlook the book jacket if you normally find books about magic and wizards unappealing because you are going to find that there is so much more within these books. And if you still can’t bring yourself to read them, that’s ok too. But you might want to get checked out by a psychologist because you’re crazy. Guaranteed. But I still like you anyways.