harry potter

Last night Alex and I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. We had a wonderful experience. It was a very good movie, for sure, but more importantly, we had the memories of our Harry Potter book and movie adventures before it.

I began reading the Potter books out loud to Alex and Fiona in the 90s when they first came out. I remember the excitement of diving into the wonderful world of Hogwarts with them. When we found out they were being made into movies we just couldn't wait to see them. When Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone came to the theatre, I remember we bought opening day tickets in advance (a first for us). I took off work early and grabbed the kids from school. Alex was in Grade 6, Fiona in Grade 3. We raced to the theatre to get good seats. We were enchanted. I remember we stopped at McDonald's on the way home, for a late supper.

Ten years and 8 movies later, a week after opening night, Alex and Fiona picked me up at work. Alex had seen the midnight opening screening at the theatre where he now has a part time job. Fiona had seen it a couple of days later. Both bought tickets online in advance and drove to the theatre themselves. Alex was ready to see the movie for a second time, with me, so we dropped Fiona off to have supper with friends and went to the pub for beer and wings before the show. We weren't in a hurry because our seats were reserved this time. We pulled into the theatre parking lot about 10 minutes before show time and walked right in to the best seats in the place thanks to Alex who bought tickets a few weeks before, when they first went on sale.

Watching the movie, and seeing Harry, Ron and Hermione grown up and finished with their Hogwarts days was happy and sad all at the same time, like thinking about our kids, and how they are also at the brink of their adult lives. It's the right time for all of it, though. I'm happy to have enjoyed the parallel Potter experience with these two great kids. I'm glad we still like to see movies together, and that they have jobs and can drive themselves to movies with their own friends now. I especially like beer and wings better than McDonald's, and reserved movie seats are the best thing since beer and wings.

question: did you take the Potter journey with anyone special?

mompoet - good-bye Harry, hello new adventures of real life