My relationship with Harry has changed over the years. Nowadays he and I are like two good friends who have grown and drifted apart. No longer do I greet him wth the same old enthusiasm and nearly tingling, delicious excitement like the old days. Nowadays we rarely ever meet up, and when we do, I observe him from afar, in a reserved manner. No longer is there the old familiarity as when he was close to my heart. No longer do I find it comforting to turn to him in times of need. 'What would Harry do?' I used to wonder - and then open a book and walk into his story. My love for him has faded.

Little did I know that when I turned to the internet Harry world it would ruin him for me. I thought it would be great, sharing Harry wth other people who loved him too. Too late I came to realise that what I often love most about exceptional characters from books is the fact that their world and their struggles and their personalities are like a personal story related to you by a close friend. When I was younger I was a bit of an outsider for liking him.

Yet I have not lost all feeling for our popular hero. Oh no ... the very fact that I am not rushing out to buy his latest and last documented adventure is incriminating evidence of shreds of sentimentality that best suit my personality - a mulish sort of refusal, where possible, not to move on. The fact that I am composing an emotional essay about someone who does not really exist proves that I still care.

I didn't pre-order, like I usually do. It seemed to me a little blasé to go online and click through to the shoppng basket and electronically buy him just like I used to. Then to retrieve it from the package machine at the post office in the dark, at 11pm, and walk home gleefully with the package in my hand.
I don't know exactly how many pages there are this time. I didn't check in order to be prepared. This time I want to physically go, walk into the book store, choose the book out of all the other onces around, lift it up, (is it heavy?) walk over to the cashier and hand over the (warmish) tangible currency.

But I am afraid of what I will find there. And I am reluctant to admit that this is the end. he has been in my life for nearly a decade, and I just am not sure what I'll do without another Harry fix promised in future publication.


I am sure JK is relieved it's over... ;-)