As I finished reading the last installment of J.K Rowlings phenomenal series, I confess that I type this with a heavy heart. That for five long years of my life, ever since i was coerced into picking up "The philosophers Stone"(a move I will never regret),I believe I have been part of something that was truly magical.
As one registers their surprise about the"pottermania" that has gripped the world, those who have read the series as closely as I have, will hardly be bemused by the frenzy associated with the book.The reason for this is very simple.J.K Rowling , takes us so easily beyond the story and introduces us to qualities and scenarios that are bare fact for so many of us. The brave harry potter, the faithful ronald weasley, the brilliant hermione granger , the timid-turned-brave neville longbottom , the wierd luna lovegood, the true love thats ginny weasley,the prankster Weasley twins, the loving mother Molly weasley,"the best friend and family" sirius black, "that horrible teacher" Severus Snape, the undefeatable Albus Dumbledore, the feared tom marvolo riddle aka lord voldemort.
I could go on and on. Every single person in this world can see a part of themselves in each of the characters ever introduced in the 7-book series.This is the reason for the frenzy. "And this is magic at its deepest and most impenetrable."
Haven't we been in wormtail-like situations, submitting to evil and embrace the wrong in the fear of the right? Haven't we been afraid of the dark like neville longbottom had once been? Havent people thought of us as "wierd" just as people thought of luna lovegood? Dont we swear upon our friendships like Ron and Hermione? Havent we been betrayed by those who we thought dear just like wormtail betrayed james sirius and lupin? Havent dementors not descended upon us making us incapable of being happy? Or can we really ignore the patronus that brings us out of despair and provides us with the will to live?Havent we craved to experience love the way harry wished all his life? Havent we always slept peacefully every night knowing that you have your hagrid with you for life, and as long as he's there like a rock , you have nothing to worry about?
And again JKR highlights that change is the only constant. "the only one He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named ever feared" albus dumbledore was an arrogant brat at 17 with dreams of conquering the world and later learns responsibility.
Like real life , she highlights that life is not a bed of roses and is fraught with difficult choices.By claiming that each one of us have within us the good and the bad, and what will make us different is the part that we choose to act upon.
She stresses on the fact that no matter who we are as people , how we look , it is not our abilities that determine who we truly are, but it is our choices.
She reiterates, time and again, that love , loyalty and friendship are the only way forward.Evil forces are divisive and that the bond of trust is the only force that can destroy evil. That evil will eventually never triumph. That we need not be a harry potter to be a hero but as ordinary as colin creevey who died fighting lord voldemort. That we should recognize our true talents and gifts that have been given to us and exploit it like fred and george weasley did. That death is not the end , not something that we must fear and death should be welcomed smiling , the way fred weasley and sirius black did.That when people die , they never leave us "Not as long as those who remain are loyal to them". That the words sorry,thank you and i love you can have a profound effect everytime they are uttered ("Dudley surprised us there eh?)
And when we battle sadness, grief and despair, we infact are battling dementors and we destroy them by focusing on the happy thoughts which is our own special patronus.
If God exists , dementors exist, patronuses exist, magic exists.
These emotions , which we human beings feel just as strongly as the wizards and witches conjured by JKR did, they really have no scientific explanations. And there are people who laugh at us for being overtly obsessed with the harry potter series and with an uncle-vernon-muggle like authority claim "there is no such thing as magic".
Open your eyes. Its everywhere.
