Harry Potter

OMG it's down to the last book. I'm gonna get my greedy paws on "Deathly Hallows" (DH) in less than 12 hours. But I probably wouldn't be able to finish it tomorrow because I have a symposium to attend. =(

I wouldn't declare myself an ardent Potter fan, but the release of a new HP book never fails to excite me. I pre-ordered the last 2 books in the series and eagerly devoured them whole on the first day of release, which is what I intend to do for DH as well. And since DH is the grand finale, I've done some revision in the form of watching "Order of the Phoenix" (OotP) (how convenient!), and listening to the "Half-Blood Prince" (HBP) audiobook in the last couple of weeks. Heh, eye power preservation. I shall save the reading for tomorrow.

I was introduced to Harry and gang when I was in Sec 1, thanks to Ms. Kala. That seems like eons ago, before most of the population caught the HP fever. Harry and gang were 11 then, when I was 13. Now I'm 20 and they're gonna be 17.

It's actually quite cool to be able to grow up along, and identify with the characters, as they grapple with issues we encounter as students - exam stress, teenage angst, infatuations, rivalry, etc. It helps that the series has progressed from juvenile fantasy to darker, more brooding themes at about the same rate I shed my innocence and got inducted into the realities of the adult world. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the series as much had I been a kid or adult.

And so it's with great anticipation, and a little sadness (knowing that it's coming to an end) that I await the final conclusion to a significant chapter in my growing-up years. Let the magic begin.