Harry Potter will never be over. It lives on in my heart.
I just finished reading Deathly Hallows for the second time. I still feel overwhelmed. I started reading Harry Potter when I was 16, and it's not really accurate to say I started reading it then, because in actuality I listened to my mother read Goblet of Fire to my brothers every night for a month before I even picked up one of the books. I would sit on the stairs next to their bedroom and listen and they never knew I was there. Soon after that I started reading Philosopher's Stone. My parents were just starting their divorce and things were horrible but I had a wealth of books stacked up around my room and Harry Potter quickly became as precious to me as Anne Shirley. A kindred spirit. In a way, I grew up with Harry. I'm 23 now, an adult. I feel as though my journey away from childhood and away from my distressing teenage years has been cemented with the end of this series, as silly as that may sound. For a while I dreaded it, but now I feel relieved. It's not so frightening as I thought it would be. And, like Anne, Harry will be with me forever; a good friend I can turn to in times of need. I love you Harry Potter. I always will.