Me and Harry

Potter, that is. Eighteen and a half hours before the release of the book seems like an eternity. The media frenzy on J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book on the Harry Potter series started months ago, with local booktores enticing you to reserve your copies with early-bird discounts. So far, I have managed not to bite into the sales pitch. I didn't reserve a copy of The Deathly Hallows. And now, a few hours before the worldwide release, I worry that I will not be able to secure a copy. In previous years, there was always a glut and grabbing a copy of HP books was never a problem. But Harry Potter has gained more fans through the years and since this is the final book, I torment myself with the thought that I would leave the bookstore empty-headed.

I have copies of all the Harry Potter books. The first three copies, my DH bought in the U.S. He is proud to say that he lined up at a Barnes and Noble with children in costumes to score me a copy of The Prisoner of Azkaban. He bought The Sorcerer's Stone and the Chamber of Secrets as well, even though I already had soft-bound copies of those. Not content, he also bought the book set of the British editions. The funny thing is, he has never read the books. So I could never discuss and debate them with him - bummer. But he likes the movies as well as I and the children do.

True, Harry Potter was initially aimed for the children's market. I even used the excuse that I was buying the books for my children. (Yeah, right. When Sorcerer's Stone came out, Diego was barely a year old.) I read the book during lunch breaks at the office. An American colleague even sneered when he saw me reading a children's book. I just ignored him and continued to be lost in Hogwarts. Sure, Rowling is not the best writer. But she has my utmost respect and admiration for coming up with an alternative world that we couldn't wait to visit again and again.

I finally got to watch the latest movie, The Order of the Phoenix last Wednesday and it built up in me an excitement for the final book. I will finally learn if Sirius Black really died. Sure, Bellatrix Lestrange used the adava kedavra curse on him, but Luna Lovegood did say that things you lose have a strange way of coming back. Is that a foreshadowing of events? Or is that just Rowling teasing us? I still have great hopes that Dumbledore will play a great role in the final book. And that the half-blood prince isn't really what Harry thinks he is. Hell, I'll come straight out and say it. I want a happy ending for Harry. I want the Shire, I mean, the Wizard World to finally be rid of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. But all depends on Rowling. Imagine having that power to create a world of your own. To have all the characters do your bidding. To determine the fates of each and everyone. Even me, sitting here in tenterhooks, not scrapping, but reviewing the first six books like I have an exam coming.

Fates! Everything will be revealed tomorrow.

P.S. DH just told me that we will all be going to Fully Booked at Serendra tomorrow before 7:00 AM to get a copy of the book. He wants the KiDS to participate in the activities, too. I just called up National Bookstore and Powerbooks. All will open tomorrow at 7:01 AM but only Fully-Booked will have activities for children. Powerbooks Greenbelt will have activities at 2:30 PM.