Accio! Lumos! Confundo! Imperio! Expelliarmus!

I finished reading Harry Potter #7 last night. Not wanting to jump on the Hogwarts' bandwagon the minute the book was released, I read a few other books that were piled on my nightstand, and then took the advice of Kris Larson to avoid rushing through this final volume. There are no more Potter books to come, after all!

As dorky as it sounds coming from an old person like me, it’s a bit sad that the series is finished. I got interested in Harry Potter while teaching Children’s Literature, and had great conversations over the years with several students who were—and are still—passionate fans. The Potts kids gave me the British version of the first volume-- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone --for Christmas one year, which helped me practice my British English.

I have to admit I’ll miss Harry, Hermioine, and Ron and the delightful way J.K. Rowling sparks the imagination with people, places, and magical inventions. Floo powder, the Pensieve, Diagon Alley, Dementors, Death Eaters, house elves, butter beer, and the Mirror of Erised are as familiar to Rowling’s readers as Cinderella’s glass slipper and Sleeping Beauty’s castle. What captured me about the story from the start was the delightful combination of ordinary and magical. Just imagine being in high school again and taking courses called Charms, Potions, the Care of Magical Creatures, Muggle Studies, or Defense Against the Dark Arts! I’m putting a Ollivander wand and an Invisibility Cloak on my Christmas list.

P.S. Did I mention that Book 7 lacked one of the features of the other Potter books? NO QUIDDITCH MATCH! I have nothing against quidditch as a sport, real or otherwise. It just seems like a waste of a good Nimbus or Firebolt to play quidditch when there are places to go and people to see that would be expedited by traveling via broomstick. I'd put a Firebolt on my Christmas list, too, but only if it comes with a padded seat.