Like many other Mississippi State students, part of my childhood ended again on July 15 at midnight as the beginning moments of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II” flashed on the screen. As Harry, Ron and Hermione faced Voldemort and became adults, I felt the same sense of loss that I did in 2007 when I completed the final novel.
Harry Potter has been more than a book series or a movie franchise. It has been a major influence in my own life and the lives of fans across the globe. We’ve grown up with Harry and experienced friendship, alienation, love and the transition from child to adulthood with him.
In many ways, the books were about magic and an epic battle between good and evil. But the reason Harry Potter was captivating had nothing to do with the idea of Honeydukes or Quidditch, no matter how spellbinding J.K. Rowling’s imagination was. It was always the characters that drove the story — Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Neville, Sirius and even Draco managed to capture the interest of readers around the world. These characters resonated with readers because they were relatable and complex.
The moments I remember the most will always be those that made me laugh hysterically, have the sudden urge to cheer out loud or cry from pent up emotion. Neville becoming a hero as he pulled the Sword of Gryffindor from the Sorting Hat, Harry preparing to die for his friends, Hermione and Ron finally acknowledging their feelings and the Malfoy family fighting to stay together felt real, whether or not the setting was a school of magic.
Seeing Harry Potter end again is more than just losing the excitement of a new movie. I’ve seen Harry grow up, move past Hogwarts and start his adult life. As I near the end of my undergraduate education, I’ve come to the realization I must one day move on from MSU, no matter how hard that is. Harry Potter has literalized the truth that one day everyone must grow up.
But just because we grow up and move on from Hogwarts and other parts of our lives, doesn’t mean we will forget their value. Harry Potter taught me how to live, how to love and how be a friend. The lessons in the books will never disappear.
And, even if J.K. Rowling never releases another book set in the Hogwarts universe, Harry Potter will never disappear. Pottermore, the interactive Harry Potter website, is launching this fall, and Harry Potter World will remain at Universal Studios for years to come.
Even more than the supplemental, Harry Potter will never truly leave us because of the value we place on the books.
The next generation will discover Hogwarts and wish for owls carrying their acceptance letter from Hogwarts like we do (mine has been lost in the mail for almost 10 years now). And for the rest of our lives we have the joy to pass on the story that has been meaningful to us for so many years.
Harry Potter will always be there when we need him — on the shelf, in film and in our hearts. Because, after all, the ones we love never truly leave us.