Harry Potter is not just a book. It’s an entire childhood brought to life.
Harry has been a part of my life since I was very young. My sister literally grew up with him; she was always roughly the same age as him with each new release. Therefore, she wanted to spread the joy to me and started reading the series aloud to me. Around the time of the fifth book, I began reading the books on my own and grew to love Harry even more. My sister and I frequently fought over who had the right to read the books first, as we had only one set of the series. As a child, I was enamored with the idea of magic and the fantasy world it held. Like every other fan, I dreamed of going to Hogwarts and living a life of adventure. Obviously, that never happened. I ended up reading the series over and over again, along with listening to the soothing voice of Jim Dale on audio tape, seeing as we had every book on tape (yes, cassette tape) as well. At one point, I had the third book memorized because I listened to it so much. I even knew the tone of Jim Dale’s voice, and every inflection he made.
As I grew older, I saw there was so much to the series, despite the obvious "light prevails; darkness shall fail" message; every time I reread the books, I was guaranteed to discover something I hadn't previously noticed. Looking past the sparkle and excitement of magic and such, Harry Potter was about so much more: He was about the ability of anyone to do good in the world, to make a difference. No one was too small to face a challenge. Harry Potter was only a baby when he faced Lord Voldemort, the most feared dark wizard that ever walked the face of the earth. Voldemort met his doom at the hands of an infant. (Of course, later we learn that it was his mother’s protection that made Voldemort’s deathly spell bounce back.) Despite all of this, Harry was still only a child when he faced the Dark Lord with his own abilities. At the age of 11, he once again met his foe. He was willing to go on alone and walk into the darkness, allowing his friends to go back to safety while risking his own life. At his incredibly young age, he knew the true meaning of friendship. After all, he wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor for nothing.
And it wasn't just Harry who gave people hope, on and off the page. Dobby was a hero in his own right, as were people like Luna who gave dying prisoners hope, and Aberforth Dumbledore who had lost all fighting spirit but still found it in himself to help others who hadn't yet given up.
The Harry Potter series relate to many, many themes, some of which are love, prejudice, abuse of power, greed, corruption, and so on. Perhaps most importantly, Harry Potter showed that externalities don't matter, and anyone can make a difference, for better or for worse, and not everything's black and white. Narcissa Malfoy actually was the deciding factor in the final battle of Hogwarts, and Snape may have been acting out of purely selfish motives, for the sake of a lost love, but everything he did served a greater purpose. Those we thought were perfect, like Albus Dumbledore, were shown to be merely human. Even the most powerful wizard could succumb to delusions of "the greater good." And even Squibs, like Arabella Figg, could make a stand for what's right.
When the entire franchise of Harry Potter came to a close, we devoted fans were filled with an unspeakable sadness. Our hero, the brave, noble, clever, and loyal Harry Potter was leaving us. Along with him are the many other characters we’d grown to love — Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Professor McGonagall, and many more, some of whom are gone even in the fictional world. Despite the end of the series, we know that Harry Potter and his messages will never fade away. The themes that the series explored are ones that last forever and keep that impact on all of us. Harry Potter made a huge cultural impact and moved many of us to think in different ways. Change like this doesn’t go away with its founder. It sticks and remains with us forever.
I think I can speak for countless fans when I say that I will love Harry Potter forever. The familiar emerald-green eyes, jet-black hair, round glasses, lightning-shaped scar, sometimes-reckless nobility, caring nature, and loyalty of our beloved hero will never fade out of memory. Harry teaches us that we must never lose faith in ourselves, and for that reason, Harry and his world will always remain with us, in one way or another.
And to those who say Harry Potter sucks…maybe it’s not your taste, but you don’t know what you’re talking about… Once again, Harry Potter is studied in college classes and is considered a very, very treasured piece of British literature. Maybe it’s not the most eloquent and fine piece of work ever created (obviously), but its messages and morality it emphasizes are timeless.
As they say, the magic never dies.
We will remain with Harry. "Until the very end."
