Credits: Picture This by Luv Ewe Designs, books element from The Reading Room elements by Colie’s Corner


Journaling:


Today we saw the final movie in the Harry Potter series. Tori and Rina have grown up right alongside Harry, Ron and Hermione. Now, just as the class from Hogwarts from the books and movies are adult witches and wizards, Tori and Rina are just a couple months away from 17 themselves.


In 2001, Mom had read about the books and the buzz with the impending first movie. We got tickets for the opening weekend ahead of time and took them on Saturday when we visited. We, all four of us, became hooked! Mom got the first book, then passed it on to me, Tori wanted the books for Christmas, Rina started reading the series too. Seeing the new movies on opening weekend became our tradition.


When the Prisoner of Azkaban came to theaters in 2004 it was after we’d all lost our “Dumbledore.” It was the first movie after Mom died and the first movie after the original Dumbledore, Rex Harris, passed. It was three of us at the movie that introduced Sirius Black, the Dementors and the wonderful candies at Honeydukes, including the importance of chocolate to recover from the effects of the Dementors. After that movie, we stopped for extra candy for the ride home!!


By the time Order of the Phoenix debuted in 2007, we’d all read all of the books that were out and spent some time doing some serious comparing of the movie and book. In 2009 Dave and the girls had moved to Indianapolis and we combine the tradition we had with Laura and her kids For the Half Blood Prince.


Fir the last book, the last two movies, we added the men to our entourage. Dave and David saw parts one and two of the Deathly Hallows with us. The three of us lingered a bit for pictures by the movie signs at the theatre. It was bittersweet; Harry, Hermione, Ron, Rina and Tori were all grown up and the series done. It was time to say, “Mischief Managed” and close the book.