the boy who lived... then died... the lived again. this time forever.

it got soo real for me today.
at walmart of all places.
it seriously is here.

no more premieres,
no more looking forward to newness.

there's just something in the air today.

it hit me,
and i just broke down and cried.

it's over.

harry potter is just special in my life.
it means something so different to me.

it began as something very frivolous,
just entertainment.

then my life changed forever.
something happened in my personal life,
and harry was there to help me deal.
harry was so relatable and real.
they became my escape.
very near and dear to me.

hagrid was there to remind me that great things can be found in the most unusual of packages.
snape was there to remind me that there was some good in everyone.
lupin reminded me to stay grounded and face your fears the best way you know how.
luna reminded me to keep dreaming and never quit having faith in the unseen.
dumbledore reminded me to examine every little thing in life, as everything has something to offer.

it's hard thinking that this really doesn't exist.
this just... doesn't exist.
hogwartz isn't out there somewhere.
voldemort's feet have never even touched this earth.
but it's oh-so real. 

that's the most beautiful thing about it.
it's in the heads and hearts of those who really fell in love with the boy who lived at number four privet drive, in a cupboard under the stairs.
the girl with unruly hair and a serious adoration for the library.
an awkward boy from a large family, with seemingly no direction.

it's so real because we make it that way.

so this isn't really the end of these stories.
they really will live forever.

today i will sit back and revel in the glow of the story that warmed my heart when everything around me seemed so cold.

harry is the boy who lives.
forever.

these stories will be new again when i share them with my own children.
i cannot wait to read them aloud to them.
i cannot wait to hear them guessing about snape,
figuring out which items are horcruxes,
watching them pretend to be wizards,
laughing with them over the little nuances in the books.

i cannot wait to relive them over and over.
forever.