i don't know if anyone really knows how much i love harry potter and how profoundly this last movie has affected me.
when the book first came out, i was 11 years old. i was the same age as harry, the age when i would get my owl if hogwarts had accepted me. believe me, i waited for that nocturnal bird, hoping and praying that i too would get to go and learn magic.
unfortunately, that owl never came. not surprising, now that i'm nearly 21 years of age and am fully aware of the fact that i am a muggle.
however, the absence of the owl didn't stop me from reading every book within hours of getting it, always having it on pre-order so i'd have it first among my friends. i lived for harry potter. i grew up with him, both literally and figuratively. sometimes i think harrym ron and hermione are like friends that i've had since grade school.
now that the movies are finally coming to a close, i feel like a part of my life is ending, an era, if you will. seeing part one truly solidified the fact that, after this summer, there are no more movies to look forward to, no more books to pre-order.
it breaks my heart.
this might sound silly coming from a (practically) grown woman, but this was my childhood. i was the kid that loved harry potter and magic and good vs evil. i learned the spells and would duel with friends for kicks. even a few days ago, i, dressed as molly weasely, dueled a friend dressed as bellatrix in front of a hundred strangers, uttering the proper lines to raucous cheers. i waited in line for hours with my friends so we would be the first ones in the theater. i memorized the fan musicals and became instant friends with anyone who had an iota of an idea as to what i was talking about when i mentioned it.
i cried when the lights dimmed in the theater, because i realized what i was about to see.

while i'm looking forward to seeing the last installment and am excited to share this time with my friends, i'm also sad to see another set of good friends go. it'll be a bittersweet night, when part 2 premiers, but i look forward to it with all my heart.