Harry Potter and the End of Childhood.

I know a lot of people don't like the HP stories because of the elements of witchcraft and sorcery.  I can debate that, but that is another blog, and not at all what this post is about.    This blog is about a tradition. And imagination.  And growing up. And facing the scary parts of the world.  If it makes you feel better, you can mentally substitute any series of 7 or more books/movies, either real or imaginary.

TMan's 1st HP Book

I bought TMan his first HP book when he was in 2nd or 3rd grade.  He was a fairly avid and advanced reader for his age, and the book had been very well reviewed and someone (no idea who, now) had recommended it. I remember seeing it in a display at Books-A-Million, and thinking "oh yeah, that is that book I heard about".  I bought it on a whim in hardback (paperback wasn't out yet). It wasn't something he'd asked for.  He started the book, and read a few chapters and said he just couldn't get into it, and but it down in order to read something else.  I had an "oh well".

Several months later, boredom set in one day, and he picked up the book again.  I am not sure if he started where he left off, or went back and read from page one, but he was hooked.  He couldn't put it down.  He finished it, and then flipped it over to page one, and started it again. He finished it a second time, and then read it a third.  He kept telling me how good it was.

This book has been read
at least 100 times.

Book two was already out, and we got that one in hardback, too.  As he started reading it, I finally got to read the Book 1.  I couldn't put it down.  I immediately wanted to read book two, but TMan wasn't giving it up.  He was re-reading it again. And again. And again.

And so it went on.  Basically the same thing happened with book 3, which was released just a few weeks after book 2.

On July 8, 2000 we went to our first midnight release for book 4.  We stood in line for about 4 hours Barnes and Noble at Springdale Mall to pick up TMan's preordered copy.  There was some problem with his order -- they couldn't find a record of it-- but kindly, and quietly, the man gave him his copy. There was quite a bit of panic and desperation, because this was the first US release to create a bunch of hype.  Preorders exceeded the number of copies printed.   Those who didn't preorder AND pick up early would likely be waiting several more weeks for their copies.

By this time, my mom was also hooked, as well as other adult friends.  In fact, at that first midnight release, we had our own little party at the bookstore.  TMan got the book somewhere around 12:30am.  It was over 700 pages.  He finished by 10am on release day.  He slept, and then flipped back to page one, and started over.

October 21, 2001 was TMan's eleventh birthday.  Much to our disappointment, no owls came delivering letters from Hogwarts.  He was crushed.  ;-)

On November 16, 2001 the first movie is released. Tman was eleven years old and in the 4th grade.  We just knew it was an instant hit.  We decided that nothing would do except to see the first showing in Mobile, which happened to be at noon at Hollywood theater's.  We skipped work and school, and arrived early, thinking the theater would be packed.  Much to our surprise, there was only a small turn out.  We were interviewed by the paper.  Daniel Radcliff was unknown, and people stopped TMan to tell him HE should be playing the role of HP.   I couldn't have agreed more.  He could have totally pulled off the British accent.

And so began a tradition with the TMan and me.  We went to the first release of the 2nd movie, and the 3rd.   Somewhere along the way, life got in the way, and we couldn't get to the first showing, but we still managed to see it the first day (barely, it was almost midnight).   We've done midnight book releases, and even arranged shipments to find us at hotels when the books came out when we were traveling.  I eventually figured out that sharing a book didn't work out too well, and I started preordering two copies of new books.

And like a good book, this story comes to an end.   For about 12 years we did the book thing.  The first movie came out 10 years ago when TMan was just entering his tweenish years.  And now, 10 years and 8 movies later, TMan is well on his way to adulthood.  He grew up with Harry and us going to the last movie together was like saying goodbye to a good friend, and the end of  TMans  childhood.  He'll be 21 just  a few months, and is so close to being on his own.

There were a few things in the movie that made me shed a tear.  But I didn't really cry until TMan and I walked out of the theater together.  I knew it was the last time we'd do that; the end of our tradition.  By the time I got to my car, I was just about beside myself.   Thankfully, I hid it well and he didn't see it -- he'd be giving me grief for the next 10 years.

So this ends my story.  And ends a tradition. And ends a childhood.  And, we say goodbye to Harry.