The End of 'Potter:' Muggles Lament

“It all ends.” This is the sign, crafted by the marketing wizards behind the campaign for the final Potter movie, that has been haunting millions of readers and lovers of adventure for the past months.

The epic Harry Potter series came to a close in the wee hours this morning. Just after midnight, millions of people from San Francisco to right here in Laguna Niguel gathered at movie theaters for the late-night showing of the second half of the final movie in the series: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part II.

It’s a curious thing, to be present at the very moment of the end of an era.

The vibes before the show were a mix of excitement and sadness. The tension in the air is almost palpable—for those who have read the books, and know exactly what the second half of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows contains (that is to say, the most extensive high-stakes battle of the series) are simply itching for it to start. They know that it is going to be nothing less than epic.

At the same time though, there’s a bit of hesitation—when this line to get in the theater is over, and after the final credits have rolled,  there will be no more late nights in cloaks with attempted British accents…this is the last chance, the final night, for an magical era that has brought together a generation.

 For millions, Harry Potter is a phenomenon that is linked with childhood and there is a distinct feeling of camaraderie with the characters that have grown up along with them. For many, this is the culmination of many a midnight-Harry-Potter event.

Through the book releases, the movie releases, the formation and growing popularity of college quidditch teams (the sport that is as popular as football in J.K. Rowling’s fictional word), there is a whole generation for whom Harry Potter is more than a series of books and, as anyone who has read the books will tell you, far more than a series of movies.

It’s not quite a way of life, but it is certainly a factor that has had a significant effect on the lives of the many—those  who bander about spells and character names like old inside jokes between friends.

That is exactly what makes Harry so dear to the hearts of so many: not only is it a riveting tale, but one that has grown up right along with a generation of readers. It provides the impetus for stretching the boundaries of the possible, for waiting in line with hundreds of like-minded would-be-magical folk, dressed up simply because the magic permits it. And perhaps that is exactly the incredible enchantment of J.K. Rowling’s masterpieces—they bring people together in a way that would be impossible in the non-magical “muggle” (Rowling’s word for non-wizards) world.

While this may be the end of the road as Potter enthusiasts currently know it, the love affair need not be entirely over. Pottermore.com, a website created by Rowling that centers around moments from the first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, as well as offering scores of e-pages of newly-revealed character notes, is launching on July 31 to select users, and to the masses on October 1. While this might be nothing more than a crutch for newly-depressed Potter fans to support themselves during this time of mourning for the series, it does mean one thing: the magic will live on.

For the ultimate fan who is having a tough time, try the telephone number for Hogwarts: (267) 436-5019  (but be careful, it has an extremely powerful muggle detector!)