"There Will Be Seven..."

Tonight, I'll be spending the better part of the evening at one of the local Chapters for the express purpose of being on hand for the midnight release of the grand finale of J.K. Rowling's wonderful fantasy children's series/epic, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows. It's taken ten years to get to this point, although I somehow regret not really being tuned into it right from the very beginning. I didn't get started until the release of the first film (but read the book first).

I was sort of shrugging my shoulders at it all; not really hating it or apathetic to it, but for some reason it had barely been on my radar at all. A few kids in my class started talking about it, and a couple gave me the thumbs-up on it. I shrugged again and filed it away in the back of my head so I would remember to check it out "one of these days". Then my Mom told me she had gone to see the movie--and she uttered a phrase I had already learned to take very seriously:

"I think you might like it."

It doesn't sound like much, I know. But the thing is, she had only used it twice before; I'm not a geek about Star Wars and The Lord of The Rings for nothing. So I immediately moved the books onto the Priority list. I went to the school library looking for the title Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone...only to find that it was out, but that they did have a book called Harry Potter And The Socerer's Stone. Slightly annoyed, but assured by my librarian friend that nothing was fundamentally different ('parking lot'? I ask you...) I picked it up, finished it in about a day, and was totally enthralled by it all. Rowling was lively, imaginative, and possessed of a remarkably sharp sense of humour--which I still believe to be one of her great gifts. After that I was absolutely hooked. The plus side of getting in during the fourth book was not having to wait quite so long as everbody else for The Order of The Phoenix, which I picked up in-store at midnight. I did the same for The Half-Blood Prince...and now I find I will do the same for The Deathly Hallows. I know that whatever happens tomorrow, it will be an amazing and wonderful ride.

My grandma asked me the other day if I thought that it would all survive the hype, and actually become what we call a "classic". The honest answer to that is: only time will really tell. I think it has the ability to, and I think it just might, but I can't truly say for sure.

This may be the last book, but it's far from over for me. When I finish The Deathly Hallows, the story will be told in full...but it isn't going anywhere. I'll put it on the shelf right next to the other books and I will say, That was astounding. And just think: it will always be there on the shelf, always another world to be explored, always an adventure to have again and again for years to come. I'll read it enough times to have it memorised, and then read it some more. I'll read it to my children and pass it on. Who knows? Maybe they will read it in the same way as me, and eventually read it to their children. That's how classics are made. By people loving the stories, and sharing it with others who love them just as much.

And if something is a classic...then it's never really goodbye.

Be seeing you,
Steven