The end of Potter ... my favourite celebrity.

It started innocently enough. I never really, actually paid any attention to the book, save for the book reviews raving about the book. To me, it was still a kid's book. That is, until The Agent, asked me about it, being the bookworm that I am. She wanted to buy it for Ms. Redd's Christmas / Birthday present. This was after Harry had been in the market for a couple of years now. So I went shopping with The Agent (I know right, her not really liking me and all, and yet we went shopping like BFFs :D) and bought the book, and I followed her around in Shah Alam whilst she settled some real estate stuff.

So it started with this book. Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone. From the get go, I was mesmerized by how Rowling managed to make the story line light enough that kids could follow it, but intriguing and captivating, without being overly kiddish that adults (or ahem, teenagers) like myself, could enjoy it. Page after page I turned, until the car started moving of course, then I needed to wait. Of course, in the following weeks, I flew off to the States to look after Mommy Dearest, and the adventures of Harry Potter and his first encounter with Hagrid, Diagon Alley, Professor Quirrell melted away from my mind. However, I started my collection when Mom started feeling better and we were in ... ta dah! Wally World, or Wal - Mart for the uninitiated. It's kinda like a super version of Tesco, only cooler. :D They actually sell live lobsters. But anyways ... My collection started with the first erm ... 3 books I reckon, and I knew in my head that I would be done with them within the week and was saddened that they only had 3 books. I didn't know that the 4th was already in store and causing massive jams in book stores around the globe.

The next book, which was still disappointingly THIN, drew me deeper into the fascinating world that is Harry Potter. The Chamber of Secrets opened the world of fantasy magic even more, and it was at about this time that I began noticing in the papers that religious fanatics esp. in the South started condemning the books as well as the author. Their arguments were based more out of fear, I suppose, rather than fact. Parent who bring up their children with the common sense etc are able to distinguish the difference surely between fantasy and real life. Case in point at the next book, was after The Saint had read about these cases and after her parish pastor begun publicly condemning the Harry Potter series, my two cousins were more or less barred and banned and k-lined from reading the series. I was of course the original antagonist who had lent the series to them in the first place because it was such an enjoyable series, so I guess The Saint was being real tactful and diplomatic about me introducing the series to them etc. So I respected her space and her kids and told them not to read it if not only did their Mom have a problem with it, but they did as well and left that choice to them. Needless to say, The Footballer, seeing how much fun Angela and Adryenne and myself were having talking about the book and watching the movies, decided to erm, 'supersede' his mother's directions which she wasn't too pleased about but she decided to let it go and let him make his own decisions. Way to go Saint! You're an awesome Mom trusting your kids like that to make an informed decision! I still don't think that anything has happened to The Footballer, if anything, his faith in The Lord has increased by leaps and bounds.

The Prisoner of Azkaban gave me hope that the series would have a happy ending for Harry and allowed me at least to see the magic that there is in this world. I suppose when I was faced with a lot of problems in life as well, I would always, always turn to books to distract myself from the reality that was the shit hole called my life. Haha ... I love books. Seriously. I loved that Sirius Black was the bad guy good guy in all aspects and was kicking ass of the baddies, esp Pettigrew. *shout out to Scabbers!!!* ha ha ... I loved the introduction and the juicy DETAILS that Rowling went into introducing Buckbeak to the world - Buckbeak in the movies is exactly how I pictured him in my head, from his regal stare and looking at you as if you were the scum of the earth and all ... :D This book distracted me from the daily task of putting on a strong face for my Mom when she was going through chemotherapy. I guess this was MY rock, like I was my Mom's rock. I guess that is why this series means a lot to me. I garnered a lot of lessons in terms of courage, thinking before you speak (I used to shoot off my mouth without thinking a lot) and so on.

I remember reading and then re-reading the part of the book in which Cedric Diggory dies. It happened 15 times at least as that was the first time that I was actually in disbelief and shock that Rowling had killed off a 'good' character. I think after reading it, it had the EXACT impact that she intended. I was floored. I didn't know this person, this person was a fiction of her imagination, yet this person meant something to me. It was like Princess Diana (ok, she was real though) and when she died. It was like there was a hole in my heart, but I didn't understand it. After reading the end of the book, I was ... left hanging I guess, waiting for The Order of The Phoenix to arrive. In hopes that it would do justice to Cedric's death. Look at me, years after reading this, and still feel upset that he died. Ha ha ... the irony. I just noticed that this entry is longer than that of my brother's engagement to Scabbers. Hmm actually hor Scabs and Tats, because words don't mean jack shit to y'all, that's why shorter la because y'all know I love you more than my books right? :D

The Order of The Phoenix. This is where I learnt NOT to spoil the book for people. Person I'm talking about - Hanaa. I didn't know that she had not read the book yet. I seriously thought that she had. So I kinda called her cause I was like all in shock about the DEATH of Sirius Black at the hand of that no good bitch Bellatrix LeStrange who used the Avada Kevadra Killing Curse. Yeah, so anyway, Hanaa shrieked in disbelief and slammed down the phone and she refused to speak to me for about 2 - 3 days. Ok. Talk about melodramatic la Jie. :P ha ha ... Anyways - Sirius Black. Dead. If I thought that I felt like crap when Cedric died. It was nothing compared to this. Seriously. Sirius. Black. Dead. It made me hate that character of Bellatrix LeStrange so much more. Helena Bonham Carter did a great job of portraying her and she did A FREAKING FANTASTIC JOB. She brought the madness alive in Bellatrix LeStrange. One of the best cast choices made for the movies. Loved this movie - political, dark etc. A lot of people weren't happy because so much was cut out - but seriously people, Ron kicking ass at Quidditch wasn't something that was worth 15 minutes of movie time. Really. Think about it.

Anyhoo ... bringing us to book 6 - The Half Blood Prince. This was by far, one of the more descriptive books, closing up certain loop holes left in the earlier stories and actually opened a lot more questions for me. It was probably at this book or the one before this that Jerry asked if I would give him all my hardback editions. He had the soft covers. Really, Jerry? You, the one who scoffed at Potter? At me for reading 'children's books'? :) Payback's a bitch ain't it? Jerry kinda sorta loves collecting like premium stuff and I supposed hard back edition first prints are as premium as you get with books. Rest assured Jerry - make your booking now on Amazon for the Collector's Edition of the 7 books in a Hogwart's Trunk. I'm a huge fan, just not that big to get two copies of the same book because it's coming in a trunk. :D Seriously. Oh yeah. Dumbledore died here. I was one of those who actually dropped the book from shock. Twice I think I did it. And then I ran to my brother's room and killed the book for him. Payback! :D Seriously, I couldn't believe. Think Jerry kinda skipped to the end to read about the bastard Snape killing Albus. Again and again the scene played in my mental movie. I was anguished.

The Deathly Hallows. Damn it. The end of it all. *spoiler ahead Scabs - so don't read this portion*

Anyway - Snape's been redeemed in my eyes. The bastard. He was my favourite baddie. Bastard. Really. Damn you Rowling! :D Why'd you make him the freakin martyr?! He was a strange little boy in love with Lily Potter though. I am so not naming any of my kids (given that I'll actually meet someone and fall madly enough to actually be crazy enough to ask that person to marry me and have kids)Petunia now. TUNEY! What kinda name IS THAT!!! Really! I'm 3/4 through with this book ... and it is in one word - GRIPPING. That's all I can write at the moment ok? Loving it!