The end of my childhood.....errr.....my 2nd childhood

Many things in our childhood stay with us forever....for some reason. They manage to etched themselves in our memories due to situation, circumstances, etc. Things like your first love, a particular bad fall, your first job, or the time when you pulled your zipper too fast and got your foreskin caught in your zipper and your dad had to slap your thigh while he pulled the zipper so that the pain in the thigh will distract you from the pain of the zipper.

You know.....things like that.

Some of us would argue that our childhood ends when we hit 15-18 but I gotta tell you that I am still clinging on to my childhood so that I don't totally grow up or outgrow my childhood memories. But back in 2001, I went to see a movie that firmly started my 2nd childhood. That movie was called Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

I had heard something in the news about these sets of children books and about how it contradicted with religious values. I didn't pay much attention as it was children books.

Then came the movie.

The sight of this skinny, short, shy, tormented, unloved and under valued boy in round rim glasses, just tugged at my heart strings. The story of how he had lost his parents and how abused he was then, displayed a whole new magical world that didn't seem improbably at all. You absolutely could see Diagon Alley and Hogwarts in real life. Right??? This new magical world brought back many childhood fantasies involving me having magical powers and saving the world and impressing my first crush. Who among us have not fantasized about having magical powers, raise your hands? I thought so.

Immediately after the movie, I bought the first 4 books and spent every night reading this marvellous adventure Harry and friends were on. I couldn't put it down and it just took me deeper into my imagination as I fantasized about being one of their friends, being an 11 year old, protecting Harry, playing Quidditch with him and kicking Draco's ass. How deliciously evil was Lucius Malfoy? I waited impatiently for the 5th book and every book after that. I talked relentlessly about it with my cousins and fellow admirers. I absolutely fell in love with this magical world.

While I would argue that the quality of each movie after that kinda deteriorated, the magic did not. I cried when Sirius died, when Dobby died, I cried when he first saw his parents at the mirror of Erised. The last scene when so many loved ones died. Felt warm when he realized how he belonged to Hogwarts and cheered when the tormented, unloved boy, became a hero in his first Quidditch match.

My favourite character was of course Harry. Ron provided some comic relief with his "Bloody Hell" and his scared version of "Harry...." when spiders appeared. But Hermione also got my attention. She is the only full Muggle to be called to Hogwarts, after Harry's mom, as far as the characters go. Snape in the end was also very noble, brave and loyal to his love. Though I know it's just a character, I also felt that Snape was very petty, giving in to his petty jealousy of James Potter by treating Harry very badly. Dumbledore frustrated me as he could have told Harry everything and thus protected him more....silly old geezer. I am also very reassured by the calm and coldness of Professor McGonagal.

So when Deathly Hallows finally came out, it presented with a dilemma to me. While I wanted to know how it ends, I also didn't want it to end. At the movie, I was quietly willing it to last as long as it could. When I walked out of the cinema, I couldn't help feeling a certain emptiness, like you have lost a best friend. A best friend that kept you company for the last 10 years, drawing out every emotion and whisking it together so that you have a combination of feelings, emotions and mind boggling, synapses inducing creatures in a world that appeals to the child and adult in everyone alike.

The 3 main cast played their parts to perfection. JK Rowling, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint and all the other cast, there are not enough superlatives to express my feelings and gratitude. So I will just say Thanks, May the Force Be With You and Live Long and Prosper.

Thanks for my 2nd childhood. EXPELLIARMUS!!