Twelve Years, One Word

Perusing the internets today, I came across this little (and very short) video.  This is a little off from what I normally want to write about, but I just can't help but share it with you; if you're anything like me, this year kind of "officially" marks the end of an era (and places a period at the end of my own adolescent story) with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II.  It was 12 years ago this year that I first picked up Sorcerer's Stone, and it's difficult to imagine what things would be like (for me, at least) if J.K. Rowling's imagination had never revealed itself to the world.

Your Harry Potter experience in a word?

For me?  Transcendental.

Growing up along with Harry and his friends had a profound effect on me; it gave me insight into my own teenage years and opened me up to a whole new world of creativity.  I wasn't fortunate enough to have Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia read to me when I was little, so Harry Potter really was the first fantasy series that I was able to sink my teeth into.  It is one of the major reasons my dream is to write books for children someday... books that showcase characters who grow and change as time passes by.

But that's for another post.

I can't wait for the final film to arrive.  Warner Bros. really got these movies right.  The cast, the style, the music... after a rocky start, they really created the perfect wizarding world.

What do you all think?  Do you love Harry Potter and Hogwarts, too?  Or do you think it's just one more fad you're happy to see the end of?