Potter's End

And so the tapestry of Harry Potter draws to a close. Pass me that tissue and salonpas.

For the past 24 hours, my nose has been buried in the final Potter saga hence, the taut nape. Yet, every page was all worth it (if not more) sans the saccharine epilogue. I have to give JK Rowling a standing ovation for not aiming for the tear ducts but went right smack into patching almost all of the loose ends. Don’t get me wrong though, the tragic fate of several well-loved characters was truly heartrending. Laudably, Rowling never succumbed to distasteful melodrama. Clap. Clap.

After the first six chapters, I had to put the book down. I just had to. A sudden attack of the nerves made me want to rush to the nearest sari-sari store for a quick puff. And I’m not even a smoker. Amazing how too soon it has taken me to an extreme trough and peak and back. See, I had to brace myself lest I pass out.

To surprise the readers with facts of something that’s right under our noses is JK Rowling’s trademark. The Mirror of Erised, the truth about Moaning Myrtle, the rumored haunted Shrieking Shack, the seemingly menacing Whomping Willow, the twin core wands of Harry and Voldemort, the squib Arabella Figg, the real half-blood Prince, the Horcruxes are just a few surprises in the preceding books. In the final sequel, the author has continued to regale us with shocking truths of the magical world although much lesser this time. The revelation of Severus Snape’s true allegiance and my favorite character Albus Dumbledore’s past was like being stupefied. Being a self-confessed klutz, I have developed an aversion to sports and anything related to it. That’s why I was never really smitten with quidditch no matter the ingenuity. It came as a surprise that a single truth about the snitch can transform me into an admirer of the idea of quidditch. However, the impact of knowing about the snitch is not strong enough to make an aficionado of sports out of me. Still, I must say, the bit about the snitch is brilliant.

In this final tale, we are to witness several atrocities and tragic deaths. Inevitably, fear and gloom pervades the entire magical community even the muggle society. The revelation in the pensieve, numerous sacrifices of friends and the deaths of six characters that have such strong influences to Harry lead him to fully understand and accept the prophecy that “neither can live while the other survives.”

Every so often, I had to clutch my chest just to keep up with the intense rapid turn of events. Amidst the rather dark theme, it’s a good thing that JK Rowling was able to maintain a good swash of humour. If in the past books we are almost bereft of suspense and astonishing duels, this book surely leaves any reader even the most lethargic amongst us in a bloody awesome breathlessness.