It took me ages to finally get down to writing this post because frankly, I can't seem to come to terms with the end of this magical adventure Jo Rowling has brought us on. So here it is, my thank you letter.
Dear J. K Rowling,
First and foremost, thank you. You have done something so amazing, so wonderful, it is worthy of even the greatest of literary figures. You have brought out the simple pleasures in reading a good book and exemplified them by the thousands. You are brilliant. Your uncanny knack for planning everything in the books with such scrutiny was simply mind-blowing. Every loose end was tied, everything had served it's purpose, everything ended as how it should have.
The books first came out when I was 7, and at that age, I was naive. Reading was but something I scorned at and eventhough my mother bought me the very first book in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, I did not read it. I instead, gave it away to my best friend as a birthday present. From that book onwards, she became a fan of Harry Potter. When I was 9, the movies had started production and I watched them with wonder. I too, wanted to go to Hogwarts. To receive the acceptance letter by the owl post, to meet Harry at Hogwarts and go on epic adventures with him and his friends. In 2007, when the final book was released I had contemplated purchasing it, despite the fact that I had not read the previous 6 books. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was also due to come out that same year. As an unexpected gesture of kindness, my mother bought me the last book without me knowing and I digested the book in a span of 24 hours, possibly less. It was then that I had realised how much of an idiot I had been. How stupid of a kid I was and how much I've been missing. And so from then on, I bought all the books, and read them.
Every word stayed with me, every character left their handprints on my heart. Through your books, I've travelled to the Forbidden Forest, lived at The Burrow, learnt at Hogwarts and found life-long lessons that I still hold close to my heart. I wanted to be a part of Dumbledore's Army, I wanted to be in the quidditch stands singing 'Weasley is Our King', I wanted to defend Hogwarts from the battle with Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters. A pet owl had been something I had considered, the cravings for butterbeer remain unsatiated, the desire to board the Hogwarts express and ride a broomstick were overwhelming.
There have been few books that have turned me into such a loyal follower. In fact, it is safe to say that I am obsessed. Whenever someone disses Harry Potter, I passionately argue with them about what an amazing, phenomenal series it is and when they say "Twilight is better" I die a little inside and have to hold myself back from throttling them. My friends and I have bonded and grown closer over our love for Harry Potter, and I've been a little more than frivolous when it comes to purchasing Harry Potter merchandise, but I regret nothing.
So again, I thank you, J. K Rowling, for bringing to life one of the greatest stories ever told. I will be sure to pass these books down to my children, and ensure they pass it to their children and then their children's children. And should Hollywood decide maybe 30 years from now that they would like to remake the Harry Potter series, I will laugh. I will scoff and smirk, and tell my children how utterly ridiculous it is. And we will proceed to watch the original [and only] 8 movies. I am sure that I will not be the only one to do so, and rest assured J. K Rowling, the adventures of the Golden Trio shall not go untold. The people who died in the war, along with their good deeds shall not go unsung. As a Potterhead, I will assure you that this legacy will never die out. People will continue to read Harry Potter, people will continue to love it, and people will continue to cherish the wonderful words printed on the pages, and the lessons they teach.
Harry Potter will always be the chosen one, Ronald Weasley will always be my King and Hermione Granger will always be the brightest witch of her age.
When I am old with grandchildren, I will be rocking back and forth in my rocking chair. My shriveled fingers clutching my aged volumes of Harry Potter, reading glasses perched dangerously on the edge of my nose. And when people ask me, "After all this time?" and like the brave Severus Snape, I shall tell them, "Always."
Love,
Ashleigh
