Until the very end...

The first and last posters.



Cast photos, in character and out.


Have you stuck with Harry until the very end?
I suppose so. I mean, I'm here aren't I?

I was 11 when the books came out, and being an avid reader even then, I couldn't WAIT to get my hands on them (fantasy has always been my favorite genre). I bought the first book and devoured it in a matter of days. I distinctly remember being on vacation in D.C. when the second one came out, and I made my parents stop at a bookstore on the way up there so I could get it. I finished the next three in days when they came out.

Then Goblet of Fire came out. At this point, they were getting longer and longer and it was taking what felt like eternities between the books for them to get published. Plus, the ending of GoF really bothered me--the fact that Voldemort was reincarnated from blood, bone and flesh seemed rather Satanic to my young, sheltered mind. So I decided between the series getting creepier and taking a long time to be finished, I'd just wait until they were all out before I finished. So I had a nice HP break in high school. Though I did keep up with the movies. We used to go see them when they came out.

The last book was published in 2007, the year I graduated, and as soon as I got into college I wanted to re-read the beginning and finish the series. But then I decided to become an English major, which meant that all I do is read. Constantly. And I knew that if I started to re-read the HP series all my schoolwork would go out the window until they were finished. So I tried to prolong it as long as I could.

Then I finally caved sometime last year. Although I didn't allow myself to read the books (because, again, I'd still rather read those than my school books), I did listen to the audiobooks. One blown out car battery later (note to self: parking for hours on end with the motor running so you can listen to The Half-Blood Prince just ISN'T a good idea), I'd finished up to the 6th book and finally decided "the hell with it," and read the 7th. I finished it in about four days.

So, have I stuck with Harry? Overall, the answer is yes. Even though I was late to finishing the series. Part of me didn't want to--I'd grown up reading and loving the books when I was the age Harry was in the first half of the series. Seeing Harry and his friends grow up meant that I had to grow up too. But the wonderful thing about fictional characters is that they live forever. As soon as I turned the last page of The Deathly Hallows, I was sad, but it was like, "DUDE. Now I HAVE to re-read them!" And Harry becomes, once again, the little boy in the cupboard below the stairs.

So I'm not sad about it ending, really. You wanna know what's really sad? WHEN ARTHUR EFFING CONAN DOYLE KILLS SHERLOCK HOLMES. OMG HE KILLED THE MAIN CHARACTER. AT LEAST HARRY POTTER LIVES, YOU GUYS.


Thank you, Harry, for being immortal in the way that only book characters can be. And thanks to the cast for sticking with the project (the same cast for almost 11 years of filming?? Impressive.) and doing the films the way they needed to be done--with quality and integrity.