Muggles Say Farewell to their Favorite Wizard
Once the last page has been turned, once that last word has been read, many of us must say farewell to Harry Potter, the most powerful and magical phenomenon of our childhood. This ominous goodbye may have halted us in our pace of reading; however, any true Harry Potter fan, just like the famous wizard, always would allow curiosity to conquer fear.
That evening of July 21, 2007, was overshadowed with excitement and apprehension as the reading world waited to receive the answers to all of their questions in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. By far, the most important plotline in the seventh novel follows Harry’s quest to defeat Lord Voldemort, the most inhuman and evil wizard that ever lived and whose priority is to kill his opponent Harry. Readers know for sure that Harry’s most loyal friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, will go to the limit of their abilities to help Harry in this final war. But for the first time ever in the Harry Potter series, these teenagers no longer have the protection of Albus Dumbledore, the most brilliant wizard of the age, the man who consolidated the forces against Voldemort, the only wizard that the Dark Lord ever feared.
The story itself has become so real that fans unwittingly have believed that the Harry Potter world has stood alone in its own phenomenal existence. We have almost forgotten that it is J.K. Rowling, a Muggle-born writing sorceress, who has created the famous wizard and his epic journey. As excellent as the first few books are, Rowling’s writing talent has grown in complexity as Harry has matured. As the plot line thickens, Rowling’s language becomes more complex. She is able to swiftly describe every detail of her setting and characters, from action-packed battles to clever adolescent humor to political editorializing. Readers may get a vocabulary lesson in Potter language or they may meet a new character whose attributes must be remembered in order to more deeply understand the unfolding story.
The most remarkable aspect of Rowling’s talent is that she has an absolute understanding of her creation, for Harry Potter’s fate was planned years ago. Having complete control over a story that affects most of the literate world population must have been an exhilarating and incredibly daunting experience. This is a sad moment for Harry Potter fans as they read the last installment of Harry’s world. This, too, is the end of an era for Rowling, now the third richest woman in the world, whose identity has changed drastically from the person writing the first Harry Potter book to the author who has created this unforgettable wizarding world.
The Harry Potter series, originally targeted to children, has touched the widest spectrum of fans in history. The books have influenced multiple generations. Parents urge their children to finish the books so they themselves can read Harry Potter. In turn, scholars have written books about how Harry’s world is a sponge, absorbing today’s social characteristics and world events.
We should acknowledge that today’s teenagers are really the true contemporaries of Harry Potter. When we were children, Harry was a child. As teenagers, we have identified with or at least appreciated Harry’s internal struggles and aspirations. As we got older, we waited year by year for the next book. It is at that moment at the end of the last novel that Harry and his teen fans must contemplate entering adulthood. As we turn the last page that chronicles Harry’s adventures, it is in that most poignant moment that we also are closing the book of our own childhood and adolescence. Now we must create our own series. May we all fare just half as well as Rowling has.