My decade with Harry

Last week's headlines included alarmist gems such as "What Will Bookstores Do After Harry Potter?" and "What Will People Read Now?" (I can't find any of these actual articles now, but I do recall reading several articles to that effect last Thursday and Friday.) Gosh, what WILL we ever do after Harry Potter, do you think? I plan to keep reading, myself. That's how I got into this series in the first place. My affair with various fictional worlds is not going to end just because one series is. As for the bookstores, they might not be able to have midnight release parties for a while (however, having formerly been on the front lines of bookselling, I think that is probably just fine with them), but they were selling books long before 1997. I think they'll make it too.

Still, I'll miss this series. It's been enjoyable to read...and the decade that it has spanned has been a big one for me, as well. Please enjoy the following chronology of two journeys: mine and Harry's.

Book 1, 1997: Harry Potter finds out that he is a wizard, begins his first year of school at Hogwarts, and has his first run-in with Lord Voldemort. I pay no attention, having not discovered the series yet.

Book 2, 1998: Harry begins his second year of school at Hogwarts, and starts hearing voices. Again, I pay no attention, having decided, "EVERYONE is reading this series; why should I join the herd?"

Book 3, 1999: The general public prepares to read the chronicles of Harry's third year at Hogwarts, in which he discovers that he has a godfather; I, being a bookstore employee at the time, open the mail one day and say, "Hey! Here's an advance galley of that third Harry Potter book. Anyone want it?" And my supervisor says, "You should take it. I can't believe you haven't read these yet; they're right up your alley. Read the first one, and if you still want someone else to take it after you're done, let me know." I survey a few coworkers, who say, "Oh, shut up and READ IT already. You'll like it." And I not only read the first one, I stay up all night to finish it. And the next day, I do the same thing with the second one. And I take the advance copy, and my supervisor smiles. (Thanks, Julie.) Shortly thereafter, the general public reads the third book.

Book 4, 2000: Harry begins his fourth year at Hogwarts, going up against dragons, merfolk, and giant spiders in the Triwizard Tournament. Ms. Rowling promises to kill off a major character. I begin my first real non-retail job, going up against deadlines, printers, and art directors (not really. we got along fine. at least I think we did. Hawkins?) in the publishing world. As I am no longer working in a bookstore, I miss some of the hype surrounding the release, skip the midnight party, reserve a copy for Saturday morning pickup, and join most other readers in saying, "Cedric who?"

Book 5, 2003: Harry begins his fifth year at Hogwarts. I begin my first year as a parent. Although I am undoubtedly up at midnight, Boy Wonder being just two months old, I skip the party, and again pick up my book when the bookstore opens on Saturday morning. Boy Wonder, being a fairly mellow baby and perhaps sensing the day's momentous nature, takes a lot of naps, and I am finished by dusk. Boy Wonder, as seen below, is not impressed.




Book 6, 2005: Harry begins his sixth year at Hogwarts. Due to the vagaries of business trips, I am in Chicago on the release date. Before the trip, I'd joked to one of my business trip compatriots, not a Harry Potter fan but a good friend, that she would need to drive myself and our other compatriot, a good friend AND a Harry Potter fan, to a bookstore somewhere. I considered this a joke, as I did not actually intend to ask her to do this, but around 10PM, she said, "So, should we find a bookstore, or what?" We are stunned, yet grateful, and select a bookstore from the concierge-provided list. Five hours later, after some fun experiences (a Jane Austen quiz book!) and not-so-fun experiences (there are some awfully cranky people in Chicago bookstores at midnight), we leave with two copies of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I stay up another few hours reading it (I do not finish it, and am very tired at the trade show), and finish it on the way back home, my friend being kind enough to tolerate my ignoring her as she drives. If you're out there, guys, thanks again. I'd do it again anytime, although this time I'd volunteer to drive.

Book 7, last Friday/Saturday: Harry comes of age as a wizard (17), and prepares for his final battle with Lord Voldemort. Me, I'm also in a milestone year (30); although there are no Dark Lords in my world at the moment, I do fight a number of battles daily, including I Don't Want to Wear That Shirt, I Don't Want to Go to School, No Candy for Breakfast, and Stop Hitting Your Brother with Toy Cars. I'm on my fifth year as a parent, with the added bonus of a baby brother for Boy Wonder. And, after the kids are in bed, I go to the midnight party at the local bookstore, because it's the last book and the last release party. Being at home instead of in Chicago, I get my very own reserved copy (placed on hold back in February) by 12:45, go home, and read until 3AM, whereupon Action Hero wakes up, sneezes, and calls, "Mama? Mama? Maaaamaaa...." and settles happily against my shoulder when I lift him out of his crib.

The last ten years have provided plenty of magic, in Harry's world and in my world; I'm sure that plenty more is waiting. And, although I don't need a series of books to remind me of that, I won't stop reading, these books or any books.

And, although I don't think that my own boys will ever have to defeat a basilisk, clobber a mountain troll, or track down and destroy the divided soul of a dark wizard, I can't wait to introduce them to Harry.