Catching Up with an Old Friend

Yes, I was obsessed with Harry Potter for many years, not as obsessed as some, but enough.  I first heard the name while getting ready to go to work in Manhattan one day.  On the good morning news, there was a piece about 2 children's books that had been on the NY Times best seller list for over a year.  Odd, I thought.  Odder still, all of the adults were raving about them.  So I went online and ordered the first one.

I devoured it while sitting in the park across from the Plaza hotel.  It's a tiny little park with a memorial to William Tecumseh Sherman.  I sat on the lip of the monument and read that book every day at lunch.  Then I bought the 2nd book and devoured that one.

My Harry Potter reading spot

Now I had a problem, there was a whole year until the next book.  But I waited and it was worth it.  Another year.  But this time, something was wrong.  The book was different, darker and I wasn't sure I liked it.  Our relationship cooled off a bit, and the next year I didn't get the book the day it came out. But I couldn't stay away long.  I taught 5th grade by then and it came out at the end of June.  My kids had graduated unofficially the day before, so very few kids came in to school that day.  I let them play games, draw; whatever made them happy.  Dong brought in a copy of the book, and in one of my less fine teacher moments, I took his book and read it while he played with his friends.  (I did give him the book back at the end of the day and bought my own copy on my way home from work.)

And that was that.  We were back together.  I pre-ordered all the remaining books and they were delivered bright and early on release day.  I opened them up and read straight through them.  With the exception on the final book because one of my girlfriends had the audacity to plan her engagement party that day, so I had to stop reading it to show up.  It's still a sore spot between us.

And then the friendship was over.  Harry and I moved on and even though I saw him sometimes in pictures or movies, it wasn't the same. Until this year.  I cried when I saw a new book was being released.  I immediately pre-ordered it.  And I waited.  Well, the wait is over and I've read it.  I won't give anything away.  I understand he may be your friend too, but it was worth the read.  Was it the same?  Of course not, you can't go home again.  But it was just like meeting up with an old friend after a few years, and I enjoyed every second of our time together.