September 13, 2007
Filed under Scene
A warning to those who have not yet read “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” there are spoilers ahead.
This past summer, as any fan, or basically anyone who doesn’t live on the moon, was aware – the seventh and final installment of Harry Potter was published, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.”
As I stood in line at Border’s well after midnight on release night, an eager young boy named Tristan repeatedly told me, “I have been waiting for this book ever since I finished the ‘Half Blood Prince!’”
It’s true, we all have. He just couldn’t help but repeat it at least 12 times to anyone who would listen. I think the college students who were there were just as eager, if not more so, because we have been waiting for much longer.
The fact that this would be the last book in the series made me excited, but also nervous. What if it didn’t end the way I wanted? What if someone died who I just couldn’t bare to part with? What if J.K. Rowling suddenly turned into a dreadful writer?
But I made it through, and was very pleased with the ending. Phew! Rowling managed to not only end the series well, but perhaps write the best book of the series. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and left me depressed in the end. Not that the ending was particularly sad, but because I felt like I had lost a dear friend. That’s the worst part. It’s over. No more Harry.
What makes the Harry Potter books so good is how they are appealing to all ages. Young children can enjoy the magic and the action, but so can adults. I know Tristan couldn’t have been nearly as thrilled as I was when Ron and Hermione finally snogged.
Rowling’s ability to tell a story and her characters are what make her an excellent writer. The Harry Potter characters all have so much depth, so many levels.
That’s why it’s so sad to see them mourning, and so exciting when they finally get what they want. Although I seemed more upset about George losing an ear than he did.
The last three chapters in “Hallows” were amazing, so emotional. First you have a chapter where Harry is going to sacrifice himself. He willingly walks towards his doom. I thought I would be okay if Harry died, but the fact of the matter is – no way. I seriously lost it during the chapter. I felt like Rowling had betrayed me.
This chapter is followed by a very peaceful chapter, where Harry and Dumbledore sit and talk. Dumbledore explains everything to Harry and the readers. It’s very calming; I think I finally stopped hyperventilating at this point.
The final chapter, “The Flaw in the Plan,” was also spectacularly written. Here everyone is thinking Harry’s dead, freaking out, and then – wham! He’s not! He gets rid of Voldemort once and for all. And despite the deaths of many major and loved characters, we seem to have a happy ending.
It’s the ending we all wanted, and it really couldn’t have ended any other way.
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