Thank You, Harry

I am fully aware that what I am about to say is an indicator of my getting older, but I'm going to say it anyway: Where the heck did the time go?!  Wasn't it just yesterday that this crazy phenomenon of a boy wizard swept the world under its spell?  Could it really be four years ago that I stood in line outside Borders in Silver Spring to buy the last book in the series?  Was it just eight months ago that I wrote about Partu One, my first movie-going experience in Tokyo?  Time is going by way too fast.  I want it all to slow down- I don't want it to be over.  But it's so over.  It all ended on July 15th.

Harry and Voldy, back to back on a huge ad in Roppongi Hills

While I have enjoyed every Harry Potter movie experience, it's fair to say that I've had my share of disappointments.  I'm constantly comparing the films to the books, and they never quite live up to my expectations.  They are entertaining yes, but I'm usually left wanting a bit more.  Needless to say, I had quite a bit of apprehension going into this final film.  The book is so epic, it needs a new word for epic.  Of course, I didn't help matters much because I watched every available teaser/preview/trailer online leading up to the big day.  In fact, I was quite certain I'd already seen this movie in it's entirety, albeit fragmented and out of order.

The theater was ominously empty when I arrived a mere two hours before showtime.  Could I be the only one in this country who cares this much?  It sure seemed that way at the concession stand.

Not a fragment of a soul in sight!

Eventually, the fans started arriving.  Random foreigners here and there- a Filipino family with HP t-shirts.  There's no need to get there as early as I did, since you reserve your actual seats when you buy your tickets online.  That's one of the great things about the movie system here.  The other great thing?  Hands-free popcorn caddies:

The amazing tray sits in the cupholder!

But enough about the theater.  On to the good stuff.  I won't spoil it for the many of you who haven't seen it yet (although I have no doubt there are some of you who have no intentions of ever seeing it).  It was amazing.  Epic.  Fantastic.  MAGICAL.  I was emotional within minutes, and that pretty much lasted the entire two hours and five minutes.  It was funny, sad, scary, and dramatic.  There were definitely a few nuggets I would have changed (epilogue!), but overall it was the best in the series.

It was a bittersweet experience.  The movie was more than I could have ever hoped for, but I couldn't help but feel sad.  It's all over.  I'll probably reread and re-watch from time to time, but it'll never be like this again.  Thank you for all the good times, Harry.  It's been a great ride.