In the past 10 years, our generation has seen its fair share of endings. To name a few, Myspace, Pokemon and Toy Story have all concluded during this tenure (not to mention the end of terror inspired by Osama bin Laden and the stranglehold of white men in the White House).@@well, that really got kinda crazy@@
And now, we see our peer who ran through the Platform Nine 3/4 all those years ago find his own ending as well.
It’s a strange thing, to say the least. We knew a person and his friends, who practically grew up with each of us, find and fight his way toward triumph.
I am speaking, of course, of Harry Potter — the boy who lived.
I am by no means a “Potterhead,” as those supremely dedicated fans would call themselves. To be honest, I never read the last two books, although I intend to.
Regardless, the ending of Harry Potter, both in literature and film, marks the ending of an era for our generation. Becoming the most successful movie franchise in history four years ago (before the last three movies came out), it would be foolish to say otherwise. Whether they read all the books or not, most teenagers and young adults were aware when a new book or movie was going to be released.
What is it about this magical adolescent that struck our young minds and hearts? Was it the journey that Harry, Hermione and Ron traveled through? Was it the shared feelings that the readers and viewers had with the protagonist? Was it the fact that the books were beautifully and brilliantly written?
Or was it a combination of it all?
I remember the first time I read a Harry Potter book. Previously, magic was something that a person at a birthday party did to entertain children. It was something that could be taught out of a book that was purchased from a elementary school book order. Wizards and witches had tall, pointy hats and over-sized cloaks. But never in my young life could I imagine a world where magic was all around us, but skillfully hidden. It allowed for me to escape from the mundane world that I lived in and teleport to another filled with wands, potions and secrets.
Harry Potter was a staple. There was always a new book longer than the last. There was always a new movie with better effects and older actors. There were always the crazies who dressed up in full Potter attire, complete with scars and taped circular glasses.
And now, that phase is all over.
It’s shocking; not because the last installment of the movie was spectacular or because I have a deep-rooted emotional attachment to the characters, but because I knew that Harry was always going to be getting into something new, as he had done for the past 14 years.
In my opinion, we will not have the pleasure of experiencing another Harry Potter type of dynasty. It was something that struck so many people in so many ways, the probability of this thunder striking twice is one-in-a-million. Authors and producers will try to connect with the younger audience, as they have attempted to with the “Twilight” series, for example. But, no one will come close.
J.K. Rowling took ordinary kids, who I could have easily seen in my childhood classrooms, and put them in extraordinary situations, leaving every child looking deep into their fireplaces and train stations.
Harry Potter, and all of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, you will be missed by the whole generation — casual readers and Potterheads alike.
Thank you for the adventure.