Beginning of an End

This week, the first installment of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was released in theaters to quite possibly the most anticipation ever felt in this generation. The anxiety and excitement in theaters was palpable as thousands of my fellow college students went to see the first of the final two acts of what could only be described as a story befitting our age. This is not a review of the movie, but rather what it means to us.
Harry Potter, as a character, represents what every person wishes to be: someone spectacular. After believing himself to be nothing more than a mundane, average child he learns that there is a completely fantastic and wonderful world to which he truly belongs, one in which he is accepted for being different. The story was released precisely when my generation was finding its identity, and what better way to find its identity through pure, enthralling imagination? We all immediately became best friends with Harry, as if every single reader amalgamated into Harry's third best friend that we all dreamed about becoming. We created stories on our own, delving into our personal imaginations, inserting ourselves into Harry's epic journey as his cousin, as Ron's friend, or as Hermione's boyfriend, as I'm sure many a teenage boy did. Some placed themselves in Harry's world simply to escape the real world, and sometimes found the answers to problems that would otherwise go unsolved. Some even invented their own mythologies in the Harry Potter universe, creating stories completely tangential to the Harry Potter mythos yet still set in Hogwarts, or Durmstrang, or Diagon Alley. Harry and his world gave our generation inspiration; his world became our imagination.
The movies brought the books into a tangible reality, one in which we began to relate and grow with the actors themselves. With every movie came a bit more maturity from us and them, almost as if we were all friends, neighbors, or just sat next to each other in high school. With every movie we gained a bit more insight into our dream world, and with every movie we loved it all a bit more.
Now, as the movie installments come to a close, along with our and Harry's childhoods, I am proud to see so many people my age dressing up as witches and wizards, Dumbledore, Mad-eye Moody, and Hagrid as we begin to say goodbye to a dear companion, brother, guide, and friend. Though saying goodbye is always the hardest part of life, we can do so with the solace of remembering all of the lessons, adventures, and stories given to us through J.K. Rowling's writings. Regardless of the quality of the final two parts, we as a generation can proudly state, with no shame in our hearts, that our imaginations are forever.

That's all for now,
Das Flüg