Thank You Harry
Written by OBS Staff Member Libby
An era has sadly come to an end. Everyone who has followed Harry Potter through his transformation from muggle to wizard that brings an end to You-Know-Who can’t help but feel like a piece of them is gone. We’ve laughed with Harry, Ron and Hermione; cried when our favorite characters met their untimely end; cheered during Quidditch matches; and all felt the relief the magical world felt when Voldemort was finally destroyed. We’ve had 14 years of looking forward to either a new book being released or the next movie coming out. People lined up in droves for both, many at special midnight releases, to chat amongst “friends” about what will happen to Harry, Ron and Hermione in the latest book and if they’ll ever beat You-Know-Who.
All of us can remember the first time we read “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” and how we instantly fell in love. Whether you got the book the day it came out, or you didn’t know anything about it until later ones came out and were on the news (me), once you opened them; you couldn’t put them down. It is a beautiful story and so well written you actually feel like you’re at Hogwarts and running from dementors, or flying through the air on a broomstick, or sitting in the cold dungeons during potions with Snape. We can of course all remember that bittersweet feeling when we saw those last three words “All was well” written in “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”. While it looks as though there will never be any new additions to the Harry Potter series; he still lives on in our hearts and we’ll make sure no one forgets his name by sharing with our children, grandchildren, friends, and neighbors.
Harry Potter did more than entertain the millions of fans that stayed with him the entire time; he taught us lessons in life and death, friendship and loyalty and general kindness. In a time where reading books was almost obsolete to children he got them to put down the television remote and pick up a book. He brought families together and brought strangers together on a mutual love and respect for the “boy who lived”. As we all say our final goodbyes to everyone’s favorite boy wizard, we mustn’t forget what he’s done for us and be thankful to have been the first generation to experience the incredible journey that Harry and J.K. Rowling gave to us. So thank you Jo and Harry for sharing your story with us and forever changing our lives.
