Until next week...
It's not ending at midnight on July 21.
I mean that. I've never known such a tenacious bunch as the Harry Potter fandom, and I don't think we'll let the small detail of 'closure/ending/conclusion of the series' interfere with our speculation, our loyalties, and our fanfiction. It will take years to analyse the meanings behind Rowling's masterpiece series. Book 7 will spawn hordes of wonderful plot bunnies. The Alternate Universe genre will take on a life of its own. If JKR continues her style to the last, she will raise as many possibilities as she answers. Who knows? I would consider myself a satisfied reader if she left even a little bit of ambiguity, something for us to ponder forever.
I am reminding myself of this because I don't want to mourn this book release, and I don't want this fun, this fascination, to die. I have every intention of staying in this fandom and celebrating what JKR has created... and run with glee along spin-off stories and fanfiction. To look at an example of a fandom very much alive after the 'end', there's Lord of the Rings. We know what happens to the hero, Frodo... it's the world we love, the endless possibilities, the backstories and the minor characters who can be fleshed out in their own ways by talented fans.
We've raised a tremendous amount of energy with our dedication to the Potterverse. The entire world, from Australia to China to Europe to the Americas, is waiting to hear the word on Harry. I, for one, feel incredibly grateful to be a part of such an amazing phenomenon.
I'm going off Livejournal until I've finished the book, then we can all gather and chatter and despair and exalt (under spoiler cuts, of course!) Until that magic moment - I'll be at the massive launch party at Piccadilly, London - where I crack open my brand new copy, I'm keeping my iPod earphones in.
Win or lose, agree or disagree with whatever the ending may be... this is going to be huge, guys.
Love S xxx