Here comes a post that is far from the prophetic heights I normally reach for, but indulge me a little because I'm about to wax sentimental...
Years ago, a little, strange looking-braces wearing Joni was going to Junior High School. In the middle of the year her English teacher handed out a book order that contained an offer for some very bad, and some very good books. Joni saw a few books that looked interesting...they had pretty covers...so she ordered them. Several weeks later Joni had in her backpack Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Joni read...Joni loved...Joni bought the first book and read it as well. She waited months for the fourth book, years for the fifth, and ages for the sixth...she theorized, she ranted, she scared people with her obsessiveness...
And now the end of that era is about to come, because ten years later, the last book of the series is finally coming out. Now, people who don't really know me all that well probably won't understand, but those of you who *do* know me well will understand that when I obsess about something, I *really* obsess about them. I don't hold back at all. I learn anything and everything on the topic of choice. Over the years I have become a walking encyclopedia on the Romanovs, or the sinking of the Titanic, or the history of Lucy Maud Montgomery or-as this post is about-Harry Potter. Harry Potter really has defined my years growing up. When I started reading the series I was a girl on the verge of teenager hood and by the time this book comes out I will have officially moved beyond that stage of my life.
As sentimental and sappy and unoriginal as it sounds, Harry Potter really did help me out growing up. Hermione especially taught me that it was alright to be smart. Really, in the first few books we don't see Hermione with a lot of friends other than Ron and Hermione. It isn't until book four/five that we see her spending time with Ginny as well and even then she's not the most popular girl around. I could relate to that. I'm not saying I'm the smartest person in the world, but I do know what it is like to be made fun of for being the teacher's pet. I know what it's like to hear people saying horrible things about you. Most people do. These books are incredible really-they got my brother reading again. They got half of America reading again. They've taken the world by storm and if you haven't read them you've probably seen the movies, and if you haven't done that then you're probably one of the groups of people out there who think they'll turn into witches for reading them (or who aren't reading them out of rebellion against pop culture, but I'm here to tell you-I liked them before they were a huge hit, so everyone can get in line behind me for book 7).
Anyway. I don't have time, and I'm sure you don't really care, to hear any more about Harry Potter-but let's just say that today has made me think a bit about what's in store for a world after Potter. I've been (ugh, not to quote Hillary Clinton) living history as I've watched all this unfold, and it's exciting. It's *really* exciting.
Only...six months and twenty days to go :) And I'm telling you all right now-Harry won't die. If you want *that* rant, then just tell me that you think he will, and expect a six page long post about the history of the hero's journey.
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