When I first started reading Harry Potter, it was the year that Order of the Phoenix was released. My friend, also an employee, was going to stand in line at midnight to get the latest book. I scoffed at her, even being the avid reader that I am, for I thought it was ridiculous to stand in line for hours in the middle of the night just to get a book that quickly. She asked me if I had read any of the Harry Potter books and I proudly told her no. I thought them to be just kid's books. She asked me to please just read the first one, before passing judgment on her. So I agreed.

The next work day, she brought the Sorcerer's Stone to work with her and I joked about her having stood in line and was it worth it. I didn't know it at the time, but my friend is not the avid reader that I am and therefore does not read at the speed of light. I went home with the Harry Potter book and read it within hours. The next day, slightly embarrassed, I asked her to bring in the next three books. She looked shocked. She didn't understand why I would need all of the next three books at one time. I explained to her that with the weekend coming up, Id be done with them and then I wanted to borrow the 5th book. With disappointment, she told me she was nowhere near done with the 5th book and would not let me have it until she was. But from that moment I was hooked. In fact, I picked up the 5th book from her on July 4th, having nearly bullied her into finishing it so that I could have the holiday to read it all at once (which I did!).

When the 6th and now 7th book dates were released, I pre-ordered from Amazon who guaranteed delivery on the release date, so as to save me the task of fighting the crowds for the books. So today, as with the 6th book, I eagerly awaited the arrival of the next (and last) installment in the Harry Potter adventure.

And now, I'm done. It took longer than I expected. I couldn't seem to finish it really. It's odd to feel eager to finish something but dread it at the same time. I'm not going to spoil it for any other readers, but I'm just going to say that I truly do admire J.K. Rowling as an author.

Those of you who don't read the books won't understand, but the end of the Harry Potter series is a bit like losing an old friend. As long as there was another book coming, scores of people had something to really look forward to. Not that the movies aren't/won't be great up until the point that they are finished as well, but it's different. You can't possible fit all of the details from a 750 something page book into a 2 or even 3 hour movie. And knowing that there will never be a next book in this series is sad. I loved discovering all the things that Harry Potter discovered, right along side of him. And even in rereading the books, it was as though time magically stood still in the lives of those within the books for me (silly, I know). So that they were ready and willing and able to pick up right where I left off the last time. They have been my friends anytime I felt sad or lonely and wanted to be whisked away to a reality that wasn't mine, where I could laugh and cry with them through their trials and triumphs. Sure, I can still reread the series at my leisure, but there will never be that unknowing anticipation, the suspense, the shock, the relief...etc.

So, the ending was good, quite like a roller coaster ride where you build up the anticipation on your way up the hill and then when you get a good look at what's to come, your stomach bottoms out and you laugh and cry all at the same time. What I think that I like most about J.K. Rowling's writing style is that we do learn everything at the same pace as Harry, so we make the same mistakes and assumptions as he. I thought she did a wonderful job of keeping us all on our toes as we learned each piece of the puzzle that makes Harry who he is.