He Lives, He Lives

Quite an adventure we had ourselves last night. We showed up at the neighborhood bookstore at 10pm, stood in line from 12am - 2.30am till I finally had my hands on the latest Harry Potter book. Ofcourse, I read the last chapter first, to make sure Harry survived. This, while Vinay drove us home.

Then I was up till 7am when I just could not keep my eyes open any longer. I feel asleep to the sound of a neighborhood kid shouting "I'm finished, I"m finished." After sleeping for 4 hours, I read another 4 hours to finish up the book. Seeing I was in my own little world, Vinay was left with the responsibility to make and feed me lunch :-)

Before the book went on sale at midnight, there was a carnival atmosphere in the bookstore with people in costume, free give-aways and excited kids all over the store. There was a Snape, several Harry's, Hermione's, Dumbledores, Trelaney, Sprout and even a pair of Weasley twins. But my favorites costumers was Dolores Umbridge and Rita Skeeter. I am proud to say that I was the only professor McGronnogal.

The 7th and last book is most satisfying. My hunch was right. Harry was the last horcrux. But Voldermort did not know that and that's the reason why Harry dies but survives. Now that's a twist!

Ofcourse, Dumbledore shows up, but not a la Gandalf. But he's there. Sirius is mentioned in passing. Contrary to popular oponion that JK would kill one of the main characters, she spared them all. Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione, Hagrid, they all make it. I mean even Draco Malfoy makes it! The saddest deaths were that of Dobby the house-elf and Fred Weasley.

With the 7th book JK has ended the saga of Harry Potter. But by putting in an epilogue that has 6 new characters (the kids of HP-JW, RW-HG and DM, she leaves us with the possibility of another series. Now the wait begins all over again! Of course, I'll read the book 10 times again in the meantime :-)