Tonight I finished the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series.

I’m more than a decade late to the game I guess.

I’d love nothing more than tossing my thoughts and theories and opinions all over this blog post to hear what you guys think too about the plot twists and the last line and the entire last chapter and Neville and Dumbledore and Dobby and everything else.  But I imagine others are late to the game too and I don’t like spoiling good stories so I’ll wait to talk to you in person.

 

 

It took me until Book Five to really feel engaged and invested in the characters and the story.  And that was a whole mess of words to get to that point, I’ll tell you.

At first I didn’t read the books because I adored them.  I read the books because my kids adored them.  And I kept reading because entering into their world matters to me.  Being on the receiving end of comments like, “Oh, Mom – have you gotten to this part yet?” and “Come get me as soon as ___________ happens in Book Six.”  Their exuberance and joy about talking about a work of fiction was contagious and there was no way I was going to miss out on that.

 

 

Common interests are a big deal when the number of teenagers in your home is exactly equal to the number of non-teenagers in your home. When you are outnumbered five to one, you need to have as many ties that bind as possible.

(Also, it’s just plan fun.)

There’s a smidge of language in the novels.  Plenty of violence (albeit not gun related – just of the wand variety) and some mature themes running throughout.  Obviously it’s filled with magic and wizards and witches.

 

 

But it’s also filled with love and an incredible value placed on friendship.  There’s chivalry and generosity, admirable self-sacrificial acts are honored repeatedly.  Treating people with fairness and sympathy, discouraging judging motives and actions and encouraging forgiveness and empathy are themes threaded throughout all seven novels.

Nobility and heroism are heavily on display and the best characters are the characters who look out for the interest of their family and friends before their own interests.

It’s not an unfamiliar story, but it’s a pretty fantastic one just the same.

 

 

Yes, I was motivated to read this series by my desire to share a common experience with the kids.

On our chalkboard wall this week the quote reads “Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.”

I’m not always as good as I would like to be at paying attention.  Especially this last year of starting a business while simultaneously homeschooling five children.  I could do better.  I’m physically present most all of the time.  But I’m far too frequently guilty of being miles away mentally.  Reading books together has been a helpful way to be back on their level – to be face to face and to have a real clue what we’re all talking about.  Especially a book that, for some reason, has so captured the imagination of my children.

 

 

So I’m a little sad to close the last chapter on Harry Potter’s life.  A little sad to say goodbye to conversations about which chapter I’m on and cheers when I reach an exciting scene.

Ah, Harry Potter.  You’ve been a good character.  Thank you for your efforts.

 

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