Dear Jo,

I am not sure how many words I must type to say a big enough or meaningful enough thank you. By the end, I'm sure it will feel too wordy, and yet somehow, lacking in depth and a true articulation of gratitude.

If you were a significant other of mine, I'd be so angry with you. How dare you walk into my life, give me the best years of my life, and then just end? Sure, I'd have the books, but after the first reading, what are they but memories I revisit? There would be nothing new from our relationship all because you'd be gone? I think I'm a little sore in that area. I almost wish that the books would go on and on no matter how far between they are or how poorly written. And then I stop myself and think of the pride I get when I boast about the quality of the books. 

If you were a significant other, I'd be angry at first. Sad because you left, powerless because I saw it coming and couldn't stop it, and confused by why. Then after I let myself wallow, I'd blink and clear my eyes of the disillusionment charm, and realized that you introduced me to a world of people and experiences. And I would never have opened myself up to that if I didn't open my heart up to you first. 

This summer was the greatest experience of my life, and although you are gone, you changed my life. You made me strong enough to stop escaping into the books to live in the wizarding world and to begin seeking the wizarding world in my own life. 

Thank you, Jo. Thank you, Harry. Because of you, I live my own adventures. I go to seek a great perhaps. 

Best Wishes,

Ellen

The Summer of Harry Potter

This has been a most excellent summer filled with magic. I have dubbed it "the Summer of Harry Potter." Honestly these past couple months, have been incredible! To kick of the summer, I took a May course at my university titled "The Sociology of Harry Potter." It was a semester worth of material crammed into three weeks of nothing but Harry Potter. Plus it was educational! I learned so much about our world by comparing it to something I'm familiar and comfortable with. 

Next I spent June and the beginning of July, listening to wizard rock, watching AVPM and AVPS, and rereading the books. Plus there was a ton of stalkage of the cast of the movies. 

On July 9, I flew down to Orlando, Florida to attend LeakyCon 2011 from July 13-17. A description of all the amazing things would take a post for each day of the best week of my life. 

And we absolutely cannot forget, at 6:30 pm July 14, 2011, the final chapter of the HP movies began early for LeakyCon attendees. This next bit contains spoilers so beware!

I cried from Snape's death to the end of the credits. It was so good, so powerful, and I couldn't have asked for a better end to this chapter of my life. To be sitting in a theatre with hundreds of other Harry Potter fans, sobbing, cheering, laughing was so bloody fantastic! During the credits when I still hadn't stop crying, I walked up to another sobbing girl and asked if I could sit and cry with her. Once the final Warner Bros. logo came up, we hugged, and parted our ways.

So now I'm sitting on a couch, encouraged that Harry Potter will never die. As long as the fans are still there to sing, read, watch, and laugh, Harry Potter will continue to grow and to do amazing things. 

So I kept thinking, where do I go from here? I have decided that the rest of July to August, I will learn the guitar and start a wrock band, vlog about my experiences, and connect with other fans.

Oh and who can forget Pottermore? So I'll see you in October :) or if we are the lucky Beta group at the end of July!