Why Harry Potter is AWESOME.

On opening day, Phil, Daniel (my brother) and I went to go see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I made sure sure had advance tickets (one week to be precise) and we also arrived at the theatre thirty minutes before showtime in order to allow for snacks and bathroom breaks.

Over the last seven months I've made myself sick over this movie. The first bout of sickness occurred when I discovered (as did millions of worldwide fans) that Warner Brothers studio decided to push back the release date from December 2009 to July 2010. I felt like someone broke up with me. I had that characteristic aching in my stomach and sometimes it was hard to breathe. After that fateful announcement, I was on the countdown: i.e., 57 more days of school, but more importantly, 73 more days until Harry Potter. I couldn't sleep the night before and woke up with a sore throat on Wednesday morning. I didn't care.

On Wednesday, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince did not disappoint. The film adaptation of the novel was the best yet, in my opinion, of all the Harry Potter movies so far. Surprisingly, it was incredibly funny which I did not at all expect, seeing as the plot grows darker and darker as the books progress. This film exceeded my expectations and I quickly and heartily forgave it for breaking up with me seven months ago.

The Harry Potter series happens to be my all time favourite. Yes, I have a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and I should know better, but my heart just keeps leading me back to Harry Potter every time. The stories are compelling, funny, mysterious and incredibly thrilling. Altogether they're a classic example of the epic battle between good and evil. The allusions to Scripture are incredible as are the images, symbols and incredible back story J. K. Rowling had to totally invent in order to make the stories work. The books are rife with building conflict that climaxes in the last installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (which blew my mind, by the way). They remind me of a cross between Dickens and J.R.R. Tolkien with a touch of comedic sass thrown in by Rowling, who I think will go down in the history books as one of the most influential writers of the 21st century.

Sure, this isn't the most beautiful writing I've ever read. These books may not be taught in schools because they cannot be linked historically with any important events (i.e., the Great Depression, the Holocaust, etc) like the books I have to teach at school. Fundamentalists get the heeby geebies when you talk about "magic," as if Harry Potter is the foundation of the road paved to hell--geesh! Some people think it's not literary enough (leave me in a room with one of these people for an hour and they'll change their tune). But where Rowling triumphs is in the sheer numbers of children (let alone adults) she has inspired to begin reading for the first time. I've seen children and teenagers walking around in public, cradling Harry Potter books like they're precious treasures. People who hate reading love these books. For some, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone was the gateway through which a whole world of literature was opened up. My brother is an example of this. Book hater turned voracious reader turned writer. J.K. Rowling did this to him.

For me, the stories make me feel important; like I'm in on some sort of inside secret. Most of all , these books inspire the imagination, allowing the reader to see their world, their work and their play with a more creative eye. If you haven't read the Harry Potter series, I urge you to borrow a copy of the Philosopher's stone from the library or from a kid on your street. You'll begin thinking that this book is about wizards and magic and finish knowing that this book is about the glorious possibilities of the human spirit.

Goodnight readers. I'm going to bed now to continue reading the Deathly Hallows, for the fourth time.