My mother just called to find out what I’m wearing to the party tonight. We’re going to the Van Dusen Gardens to the biggest Harry Potter party in Vancouver.
I’ve gone to every single Kidsbooks party for Harry Potter. Not only do they do the best facade for their store, they do the best party.
I always want a pristine copy of the book but they put a sticker on the cover. With each book, the sticker is different so I’ve taken to collecting those, as well as the adult editions and then another kids edition, just so I have one with a clean jacket cover.
I know. It’s a bit much.
But I can’t tell you how much I’m dreading the end of this series. In many ways I’m so excited that another book is here. In other ways, I’m fairly certain that Harry’s life will end with the books. (I haven’t read any spoilers so don’t say if you know.)
I just finished book 6 an hour ago and I’m now wandering around the house demanding James help me find my lightning bolt tattoos. I have a small stack of them … somewhere.
He’s quite patient with my Harry obsession, and I know that for the next 24 hours, he’s going to leave me alone as much as possible so that I can read the book and get it over with. I used to savour Harry. Now I devour him so that no one can spoil the end for me. I do, however, read them over and over again looking for the clues I missed the first time around.
Again, I know. It’s a book. I’m an adult.
There are people who wear spock ears. I roll my eyes at them, yet if I could just find those tattoos.
The magic of Harry Potter for me is this collective experience. Going to a bookstore with thousands of people (no exaggeration) and getting excited about a story that we all know and have been anticipating for 2 years. We’ve speculated. We’ve searched for spoilers and theories, and now this is it. It’s exciting.
How many things do we do en masse anymore? Things together, regardless of age group. How often can you be silly and excited and run around in the dark listening to wizard music and pretending you can do magic?
This is it.
My mother is attaching the sequince lightning bolt to her cloak right now.