SO farewell then, Harry Potter.
Like thousands of people around the globe – children and adults alike – I have spent every spare moment over the last few days devouring the last instalment of J K Rowling’s saga.
Engrossed in the book in a way not experienced for years, I took it everywhere with me.
Newspapers and TV have not featured in my life since Saturday afternoon, when I eagerly picked up a copy from WH Smith’s (yes, I know Asda was selling it cheaper.)
If you’re still reading it, look away now. Go on, I don’t want to spoil the ending!

You still here? I warned you!
OK. Plenty has been written about the Harry Potter phenomenon, much of it by more educated and interesting people than me, so I won’t go on.
I just want to say a few things.
1. Don’t you just love Snape? I always thought he was the best character in the books, and was, I have to say in a smug tone, always convinced of his essential goodness, even after he killed Dumbledore. Ex-Husband and I had heated debates following The Half-Blood Prince about why I thought he would be exonerated in the end. Alan Rickman is by far the best thing in the films, too, and sadly underused in The Order of the Phoenix.
2. I was most impressed by the increasing complexity of the characters. True to life, most of them had the capability to be both ‘good’ and ‘bad.’ Witness Harry’s mum and dad, Sirius, Lupin, the Malfoys, Snape, of course, and even the great Dumbledore himself. No-one is perfect, and only a few (Voldemort, Bellatrix Lestrange, Greyback the werewolf) can be said to be totally evil.
3. I was a little disappointed that JK didn’t have the courage to let more of the main characters die. Not that I wanted them to die, you understand, but I feel it was a little harsh to let ‘more than 50’ unknowns take the brunt of the Battle of Hogwarts, when only a few – Fred, Lupin, Tonks and Colin Creevely – were names we knew. I think at least of the teachers should have been killed, too.
4. The epilogue, where we see what happened to Harry et al, was a tad contrived and, I feel, rather unnecessary. Did JK just put it in to stop any thoughts of a Harry Potter follow-up? Though I did like the bit about Harry naming his son after Snape, one of the bravest men he ever knew.
5. There’s plenty more to discuss, but I’ll leave it up to more interesting people. Farewell, Harry. We'll miss you.

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit