Every story has an ending

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[Attention: if you have not finished the Harry Potter series, don’t worry. There are NO PLOT SPOILERS in this blog. Read on, my readers. Read on.]

I just finished “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which, if you’ve been living under a rock, is the seventh and final book of the Harry Potter series. The book came out in July, and because of life circumstances, I didn’t have the chance to read it until now. Somehow, I miraculously (or… magically…) made it until now without having the ending spoiled, but I began to realize that I was pushing my luck.

It became a race against time – I didn’t tell anyone what I was reading for fear that they might give away the ending. I snuck onto the plane to Richland on Tuesday, and as covertly as I could, slid the HUGE, HULKING volume from my bag, trying to block the title from everyone around me to avoid a plot-spoiling comment.

I have spent the past few nights lying awake in bed for hours and hours, turning pages and savoring each image. Each time that a chapter would come to a close, I would think, “Just one more.” This continued until my eyes saw spots and drooped unwittingly. And then, when I would wake up in the morning, before even brushing my teeth, I would simply roll over and open the book again.

And yes, I made it to the end of the book having maintained the surprise.

The ending of a series has always felt like a death to me. When I finished “Lord of the Rings,” I sat quietly in my little armchair for what felt like an eternity, just staring at the blank page at the end. A good story brings characters to life, and they become close companions. A poignant tale can delineate my thoughts, and punctuate my emotions. I am not ready to give up Harry and Hermione and Ron and the rest, just like I was not ready to give up Peter, Susan, Edmond, and Lucy.

I feel sad. When a family member dies, we have the promise of seeing them someday in heaven. Maybe it’s silly, but I wish I could see the Hogwarts crowd in heaven, too.

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4 Comments

  1. Marijke on November 30, 2007 at 7:49 PM

    oh man. LOVED those books.

  2. Jeremy Parsons on November 30, 2007 at 10:32 PM

    I loved the first two movies! And the first 20 pages of the first book.

    Someday I will read them. . . .and hopefully the ending will be a surprise.

    Thanks for Scherm’s email.

  3. Flavia on December 2, 2007 at 3:28 PM

    Dearest Annie:

    Your road continues to turn and return in so many ways. I’m so sorry to hear of your grandfather’s passing – and you WILL see him again in his baseball cap and hugs for you!

    I love to read of God’s gifts to you: music and a Martin guitar. I pray for that Mazda 3 in your hear future.

    Thank you for your voicemail recently – I regret that we couldn’t make coffee ‘happen’. It shall do that some day soon!

    Your smile and words always warm my heart, Mistress of the Blog!

    Love,

    Flavia

  4. Elle on December 3, 2007 at 1:54 PM

    Love those books.
    Love the characters.
    Miss them something horrible!
    A small part of me wishes to see them in heaven too. :)

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