The End of an Era

Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him...

In this final, seventh installment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to the many questions that have been so eagerly awaited.

As a child, I read and re-read the Harry Potter books to the point that I could've recited large sections of the books from memory alone or been quizzed on trivia and answered said questions accurately and efficiently. In July 2007, I was among the many Potter fans who lined up at their local bookstore to grab a first edition copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at midnight. This was my first insight into what an inspired and enthusiastic fandom looked like; I was surrounded by readers who shared my excitement, trepidation and eagerness to read how Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s story concluded.

Granted, while my fellow fans embraced Potter culture with cosplay and the store I was in was running a fancy dress competition before midnight, I was remarkably underdressed for the occasion. That summer, I’d had an operation on both of my legs that had only recently come out of their braces, so for that summer, I was sat in a chair way too big and clunky for me to push myself with my legs stuck out in braces for the remainder of the summer. However, that didn’t deter my enthusiasm for all things Potter. I’d even gone to the Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix premiere in the same chair a few weeks prior, shielding my legs in a sleeping bag with an artistic banner designed by my mother of snapshots of the previous premiere I’d attended sellotaped to my handlebars. Yes, I looked – and felt – like a drowned rat, even that couldn’t damper my excitement at meeting the cast and creatives and getting their autographs.

So, at the stroke of midnight, I left the store with my mother with a book and audiobook edition read by the legendary Stephen Fry in a surprisingly orange gift bag. Upon reflection, I really do appreciate that my mum went along with it all, especially so soon after a massive operation. It was slices of teenage normalcy in a summer that was the exact opposite of my everyday. I read and re-read the book from July to August of that summer.

When I think about all seven of the books, this was the one that stayed with me long after. Deathly Hallows explores the morality of good and evil in a nuanced and captivating way. Characters I’d previously considered admirable were flawed and, in some cases, incredibly self-serving. Others I’d grown up with faced brutal and difficult decisions as they left the blanket of childhood and entered the uncertainty of adulthood.

At twelve years old, I was captivated and devastated by the events unfolding in the final story. From the tragic deaths of beloved characters to the shocking revelations during the climactic Battle of Hogwarts, it was an emotional rollercoaster, to say the least. From reading to listening and back to reading, I was hooked. This book spoke to me on such a profound level because Rowling never shied away from darkness and what that looked like for different characters. Harry goes through grief, pain, betrayals and trauma throughout the finale, but he also experiences hope, love and healing. We see the light and dark of humanity through the lens of a fantastical and magical world.

For many years, I thought this was one of the perfect endings to a series. I turned the last page with a mixture of emotions pouring through me. Sadness for the fact that at that point, there were no Harry Potter books on the horizon and four more films left, but also… content. I was truly satisfied by how Ron, Hermione and Harry’s stories ended. The epilogue was a perfect balance of bittersweetness and a fitting conclusion. After all the death, pain and loss, it was almost a wash of relief to read that they were safe and in better places as adults with significant others and children of their own. The last line perfectly encapsulates that sense of reassurance and closure for the reader:

“The scar had not pained Harry for 19 years. All was well.”