As many of you fellow dorks know, the final film based on the books is coming out in a few short weeks. And for the first time in the history of Harry Potter, I will not be experiencing it with a very distinct group of my family. This has caused me to think back on how much things have changed for all of us since Harry Potter, the wizard who lived, entered my life.
I was in law school when a younger cousin lent me one of the books. I personally became obsessed. I loved getting lost in the world of wizards and general wonder. It was a great respite from the rather boring world of law school. And, much to my delight, a number of my friends eventually admitted they found the same release. Over the years, we became Harry Potter groupies. Midnight book releases, hours-long lines for the latest films, possibly a costume or two (you know who you are, J) were all part of our bond. The occasional member of our group disappeared--some from the obsession, others from our lives. But together we shared this crazy, child-like joy for these fictional characters that we had embraced as our own.
As I sit now, miles away from this little family that I will always have, I can think of nothing but pure joy for having them in my life and for these awesome connections. And I have to say thank you to Harry. To say that each of us has been through a lot is like saying Voldemort is a bit crabby. Marriages, kids, illnesses, losses (some indescribable), joys (also some indescribable) and so many ups and downs have entered each of our lives. But the constant that has remained, and that always will no matter where we may be, is "us." This fictional world has reached out of pages and film and has joined us for eternity. Every glimpse of Daniel Radcliffe makes me think of how happy we all were at K's gorgeous wedding. Every page I read that mentions Dobby brings a smile to my face because I remember laughing with S as we sat on the beach and burned ourselves to a crisp. Every time I pick up a glass featuring Voldemort, I tear up with happiness at memories of Venice with J. The others are all there, too--BBQs and laughing with L and fights and heartbreak with B.
Wrapped up in this "childish" world of fiction is my reality. And I am grateful to the boy wizard for each and every second of it. In imagining his fictional life, I have lived my very real one. And through it all has been my own group of Gryffindors (and Hufflepuffs and...you get the picture, or you think I'm insane). The best part is that, though the movies may be concluding (for now, anyway), this connection that brought us even closer will remain for the rest of our lives. And who could ask for more magic than that?
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