Brogen Hayes and the end of Harry Potter

Finally, after 12 years, Harry Potter is coming to an end. I have been trying to write a blog post on this for a little while now, but I have really had to think about this a lot.

For me, the Harry Potter series began on July 8th 1999 when Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was published. I didn’t get the book when it came out, but it was the book that caught my attention. While standing in Easons on O’Connell Street, I read the synopsis at the back of the book, then went up to the counter with the first three books in my hand. I read them all within days, and was hooked. I love kids books – I was devastated when Roald Dahl died – so it is no surprise that I picked up this series of books. I was not expecting them to be so well written, imagined and detailed. I was completely engrossed.

The characters were so real – with a hint of magic about them – that they spoke to me instantly. I could remember what it was like being the kid who didn’t fit in like Harry, the kid who had bushy hair like Hermione, and I was (and always will be the ginger kid), like Ron. The books also reminded me what it was like to be a child, to have the hope that you were special and different from everyone else: so when Harry got the letter from Dumbledore telling him he had a place at Hogwarts, the child in me was delighted (and a little bit jealous).

Although I was not the initial target audience – I was 19 when I first picked up a Harry Potter book – I grew as Harry, Ron and Hermione grew. I laughed with them, cried with them and as they fought bigger and bigger battles, so did I; albeit without magic and not quite on the same level as them. I queued at midnight book launches in Dublin and London to be the first to get my hands on the books, then stayed up all night reading them: I had to know what happened next. I cried at the end of every book, but especially the later ones. How could JK Rowling make me love someone then take them away from me!?

A part of me always knew the books would be made into films – they were too successful not to be – and as casting choices were confirmed, my excitement for the films grew and grew. Alan Rickman? Yes please. Richard Harris? Yes please. Fiona Shaw? Yes please! And those kids! They looked perfect! Look at them!!

I was brought to the press show of the first film by a friend. She may have regretted this choice though, because I was so excited I was bouncing up and down. She told me later that she thought I was going to pass out.

I have to admit, the films – while wonderful – didn’t grip me in the same way as the books. Maybe it was because I knew what was going to happen, maybe it was because the story had to be so condensed to fit into a film that was not eight hours long or maybe it was something I am still not able to put my finger on. That said, however, I think the films were the best they could be. They were beautifully shot, well cast and acted incredibly (for the most part). They improved as they went on, as the cast and crew became more comfortable, and the script writers discovered secrets as the books came out.

The films grew and became darker as the audience (and young cast) did. To me, the strongest indication of this was the logo at the start of the films. In Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone, the logo was gold. By the time we got to Goblet of Fire, it was silver. In Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1, the logo was actually rusting and beginning to fall apart. The logo signified the tone of the film, and the unity of the wizarding world.

The final book was published in 2007, but the story didn’t feel finished simply because I knew there were more books to come. The films rolled on, and on July 15th the story will officially end. This is the first time that I will not see the film at the press show and while this is outside my control, it actually makes me happy. I am not ready for this story to end, and the longer I wait to see the film, the longer it will last.

I can understand why fans slept in Trafalgar Square waiting for the premiere. These films have been going for 10 years. All fans have grown with them, they have laughed and cried with these characters, and this really is the end of Harry Potter. This was their chance to say goodbye to a part of their lives, big or small. I very much doubt that I would have joined them – even if I did live in London – but I can understand why the fans braved the elements. This was not just about seeing their idols, this was about saying thank you.

I grew with Harry and Harry grew with me. While I am not done yet – not by a long shot – Harry finally is, and it’s breaking my little heart.

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