Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived (On In Our Hearts)

Millennials have grown up with Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling’s novels were one of the first YA book series they read, and fans anticipated every film. He’s a cultural touchstone that has been with them since adolescence, whether as fans, readers, or movie-goers. With the final film released this weekend, it feels like the end of an era for all fans, but the end of childhood for Millennials. But, as Youth Advisory Board member Caroline Marques says, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the rest will live on because they will always be a part of this generation’s culture.

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The Boy Who Lived (On In Our Hearts)

The first time the world heard about Harry Potter was in June 1997. The last time the world will discuss Harry Potter will be…never, really. I imagine that the book series, films, and their creator will be remembered for a very, very long time.

These books have been part of our lives for some time; but this week I see them in a different light. Today is July 13th, 2011, 14 years after the first book, and “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” has just hit the movie theaters in Switzerland. Today is memorable, because for many Millennials, it is the end of this generation’s childhood. As a long-time fan of both the books and movies, this final film has left me breathless and inspired. But it’s also a bittersweet moment. This was the last time, unfortunately, that I could look forward to watching a brand-new Harry Potter movie.

Although the end of the series was highly anticipated and appreciated, our beloved characters did not bid us farewell without a mournful goodbye. J.K Rowling’s characters have a special place in all of their fans’ hearts — and just because their departure was expected doesn’t mean that it wasn’t heavy-hearted. What else will we collectively look forward to? The release of the last book meant that we fans will no longer run towards the postman to rip the Amazon package out of his hands; it meant that we will no longer spend nights re-reading passages from the earlier books and try to figure out all the mysteries and intricacies that lie amongst them. But even with the book series’ finale, we did still have something to look forward to: the brilliantly directed movies.

Every winter or summer, I felt that indescribable “Harry Potter” feeling: He was going to be back. Assuming that we won’t see another Harry Potter book from J.K. Rowling, a lot of fans won’t truly experience that effervescent, unique feeling again. Because that is exactly what Harry Potter brings: a unique feeling of anticipation waiting for the next adventures of Harry, Ron, and Hermione; that feeling of not really knowing how it all ends; that feeling of reading J.K Rowling’s magical words for the first time; that feeling of hearing the opening theme song at the movies as our eyes widen… Knowing I won’t experience these feelings again is why, for me, today is bittersweet. Sure, all good things come to an end. And this is what we’ve all been waiting for, for 14 years.

So this week, fans will crowd movie theaters, and I believe their reaction will be unanimous. Our childhood characters will fight, love, and die. And they will, of course, bid us goodbye. But does that truly mean that it’s the end of our universal hero and his battle for good? I think not. Harry Potter will live on because these stories are a part of us. For my Millennial generation, Harry Potter has been a big part of our childhood. Between Skittles and Britney Spears and cartoons, Harry was always there. We watched him grow up just as we did. As he and his friends grew older, we understood their qualms about adulthood and enjoyed their precarious voyages. We can all relate to characters in the series, and they have taught us important lessons about love, death, courage, loyalty, and friendship. Harry Potter is the boy who lived — and he’ll live on and on.

We can read fan fiction, and though it won’t ever be the “real thing,” it can still be enjoyable. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is open all year. But most importantly, the books won’t disappear from our bookshelves. The movies won’t disappear from our DVD collections. The series is still here for us to share with our friends, our family, and anyone who might want to dive into the magical world. I believe we’ll still learn from our favorite characters and their adventures. Fans will still find comfort re-reading the books and re-watching the movies. We will still wonder about the truths hidden in Hogwarts, laugh at the Weasleys’ jokes, and still be hit, every time, by the same inescapable feeling that we are taking in part of something bigger.

Today was, in a way, the end of my childhood, my era. But as you might discover in watching the final movie, those we might imagine dead or absent are never as far away as we think. Because the things we cherish most will always live on in our hearts, just as Neville Longbottom says to Voldemort. So it’s not really the end, is it?

About Caroline

Caroline is an American student in eleventh grade in Geneva, Switzerland and enjoys it a lot. This year will be her second year serving on the Youth Advisory Board, which she loves because she’s currently an international student and she likes keeping up with the numerous U.S. trends in various departments. Between YAB, sports, school (as well as traveling, trying to master several languages, spending a lot of time on the computer, writing long papers, music and watching American TV), she doesn’t have a lot of time on her hands, but always finds time for the two passions she’s always had: reading and writing.