Goodbye Harry....

7.20.07 8:48 am

I am driving to work and passing the local Borders. There is already a large group of people spilling out the front door and beginning to queue up for the 12:01 am release of the final Harry Potter book. This is not a huge surprise...people in London and other big cities have been waiting in line for nearly two days.

I have already admitted that I am a bonafide HP geek. I went to the midnight show of the latest movie, and if I didn't have to work, I would probably be in the queue right now with the rest of the lot. There is an unprecedented amount of pomp and circumstance surrounding this last release...parties, games, prizes, contests, etc. And, while I would certainly be in line with the rest of the fans if I could, I don't think I would be sharing their upbeat enthusiasm. To me, it feels sort of like a funeral.

You see, whether Harry lives or dies in this final installment, we still have to say goodbye. Whatever the outcome, the story ends...there is nothing more to know. Of course there will be two more movies, but those are simply visual interpretations of now familiar stories. The characters will cease to grow, to change, or move on to other adventures. So, when I line up tonight with the hoards of other fans, I will do so to pay my last respects...to get ready to say goodbye to characters that have become familiar and comforting in my imagination and to prepare to see Harry off to his final adventure.