Mourning the Final Harry Potter Movie

I know. You thought you were safe, right? They promised “it all ends,” but I hate to tell you, it hasn’t. Not in our household, at least, because here, Harry Potter will go on forever.

I’m sure if you are not fanatical about this topic, you may have already tuned out. But there is something special about Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, flying cars, horcruxes, Quidditch and circular, wire-rimmed glasses.

The books may have come out on June 30, 1997, but at our house, they weren’t being thoroughly examined until about 2005. That August, I found out I was expecting my first child. His father and I were not married at the time, but lived together. To bond with his child, and so that the tiny growing tot inside my belly could hear his voice, my now-husband decided to read him the entire series.

We started with book one. Each night, I’d curl up on the bed, with my bulging belly full of baby, and his father would position his face just so, in order to be directly facing his soon-to-be first son. He read every book in the series, all seven, to my belly.

Because my son arrived four weeks early, technically premature at just five pounds, my husband continued his reading as we sat for an entire week in NICU. He read during feedings, during tub changings, diaper swaps and medicine dosing. He finished them all.

This summer, we got to visit Universal in Florida to see the new magical world of Harry Potter. It was so fun to see the world made real—you can see snowy rooftops along Diagon Alley, see the full view of Hogwarts, complete with surrounding rocky cliffs, and even drink a Butterbeer. While we were there, we just had to stop by Olivander’s Wand Shop to get wands of our own.

When my son became of appropriate age, it was time to start showing him the movies. We have a weekly date night, just my son (now 5) and I. We decided to work each of the Harry Potter flicks into our routine. We had loved hearing the books, so it meant a lot to us to get to snuggle together in front of the over-sized silver screen to see our favorite witches and wizards come to life before our very eyes.

And, I knew it was coming. The last book was done. The last book was gracefully broken into two flicks, giving us that much more time to soak it all in. But, I won’t lie. I cried when it all ended.

I sat, hand-in-hand with a 5-year-old boy who loved this series. We watched on the edge of our seats, anxious to see how they would tell the story on a movie script, as compared to what we’d already read.

***Spoiler Alert***

My son bawled when Harry found out he must also die. He jumped at a few death scenes. But, for both of us, it was the end that tied up the last five years of characters and stories that we’d come to love, all wrapped up in a nice package tied with a bow. When Harry comes out to the 9 ¾ track to put his own son on the train to Hogwarts …. There was nothing more touching. We both cried.

It isn’t a sad ending. It is very happy. But, it was something more for us. It was the end of an important era in this family. These books, and ultimately even the movies, were an important part of the start of this family. And, I’ll never forget how much they meant to us.

Goodbye, Harry. We are so happy we got to be a part of your life for so long. The Treacys, for one, will miss you greatly. Thanks for all the memories.