SPOILER ALERT!

I know I’m 4 years late to write this. Most of you would probably yell, “Where in the world have you been?” But anyway, here I am, writing something I thought I wouldn’t write.

I had my own reason when I swore to myself not to read this last book of Harry Potter (lesson learned: never ever swear). See, this is a tiny fact about me: I hate goodbyes. I’m the number one hater of goodbyes. Of all places in the world that I hate, airport is the most. I avoid going there, simply because I can’t stand seeing people cry as they hug their family or friends, ready (or not) to take a whole new journey ahead without their beloved beside them. It’s just too painful to see. I’ve had more goodbyes in my life than I could handle, so I really avoid seeing anymore goodbyes whenever I could.

I read the first, second, and third book in complete bliss. My father had to scold me before I put down the book to rest my eyes. That’s how much I loved the first three books. When it came to the fourth book, err… I didn’t really like it because it just focused on the Triwizard Tournament, which made Quidditch and most of the essential parts in the previous stories didn’t take much (if there wasn’t any) part in the book. But I could take it, until Cedric Diggory died. I might not like Cedric as much as I like Hermione, or Ron, for example. But still, he’s one of my favorite characters. So when he died, I was like, “Okay, I’m not sure if I like this.” But I continued reading it anyway.

Then it came the fifth book. The atmosphere had gone darker and darker since the last part of the fourth book. I disliked it since the very beginning, but again, I kept reading it. It was still okay, until Sirius died. Sirius Black. If I had to list my favorite characters, it would be: 1) Albus Dumbledore, 2) Sirius Black, 3) Harry Potter and Hermione and Ron (I couldn’t make up my mind about those three because they all came in one complete package, like Three Musketeers, for example).

So imagine how upset I was when I found out that Sirius dead. Much to my dismay, he was killed by my least favorite character, Bellatrix Lestrange. Instant hatred. Right then, right there, I hated the whole of fifth book. When the sixth book came, I really had no intention to read it. Nada.

But since I grew up with Harry Potter, I couldn’t just abandon it like that. So half-heartedly, I read the sixth book. I don’t even remember the story (which maybe because I skipped a little too many parts than I had intended because of my resentment). Bottom line, I didn’t enjoy it. It didn’t stick to my head like the earlier books. I read that more like an obligation to complete the series, not because I wanted to. Then, another bad news flashed me. Ready to hear this? Okay. Bum! Dumbledore died. My number one favorite character, Albus Dumbledore, died. I felt like yelling to Rowling, “What the hell are you doing?” That time, it wasn’t hatred anymore. It was beyond hatred.

Then, the last book was published. The most waited book, people said. I didn’t even have the slightest attention for that. I knew that Harry and Ron and Hermione wouldn’t be at Hogwarts anymore due to the fact that they hunted the remaining horcruxes. Mind you, Hogwarts is one of many attractions in this story. Put Hogwarts and Quidditch away, kill my favorite characters, and Rowling had guaranteed me not to read that disappointing book, I thought. I swore not to buy that book.

Okay, I bought the book, but it was because my sister wanted to read it (guess I hadn’t learned my lesson, had I?). After she read it, I peeked on some pages, read random parts that interested me (like ‘The Battle of Hogwarts, The Deathly Hallows, etc.). And then I found that Moody, Lupin, and Fred Weasley dead. Had Rowling been there in front of me, I would’ve strangled her for killing all my favorite characters. Okay, the epilogue was great, but what about the died one? So from then on, the book was laid in the bottom of my book shelf, dusty and forgotten.

It wasn’t until the last part of the last movie released that curiosity began to tickle me. I lost so many essential points in the movie that I felt the need to read the book. So when I went home few weeks ago, I unloaded some boxes (my family moved to my recent home three years ago, and some things are left unpacked) until I found this book. Its pages were yellowish with brown stains in some part.

Then, I started reading it. And I have to admit, I was wrong. Really wrong. It ended in the best way anyone could ever imagine. I was astonished. Dazzled. Amazed. Excited. And sad too, for some parts. Much to my amazement, Rowling had developed the plot since the fifth book. She is great.

She put twists in the end of the book (like the facts about Snape, or Dumbledore). She gave thrill and curiosity for anyone who reads it. And the best thing is, she wrote the perfect ending. Beyond perfect, if I could say. My favorite characters died, but it gave me a longing and somewhat more love to this book and its characters. To my surprise, I enjoyed it. I couldn’t put it down. I kept reading it, even when I told myself to stop because I had to study for the upcoming drilling exam. I kept telling myself, okay, one more chapter and I’ll be done for today. But guess what, that happened after five or six more chapters. Everyday, until I finished it.

And how did I feel when I finished it? To give you some idea, well, I was crying. Have I told you how much I resent goodbye? Well, I hate saying goodbye to something (or someone) that I like, or even more, love. This is one of it. I felt like saying goodbye to an old dear friend who would go away and wouldn’t come back. Yes, because Rowling has given me a dear friend who has kept me accompanied me since I was an unadorned little child in a quiet little town, until I grew into a more sophisticated (ahem) college student in a big city. Years of reading the fantasy and let it grew inside me, it was real hard to realize that it finally came to and end.

So this is another goodbye that I hate, but on the lighter note, this is a goodbye that I’m glad that I’ve been good friends with it before the farewell came.

Hats off to Rowling. Thank you for giving me a dear friend. :’)