Lumos

After hours of hanging out in a Barnes and Noble with my dad on Friday, midnight hit and I finally had my copy of "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" in my hands. I could not wait to read it, but I forced myself to sleep before the emotional roller coaster I was sure I would experience. I had been waiting for the longest time for a new glimpse into Harry's world and I finally had it, but I was not expecting what was to come.

Since the series had come to its original close after the final book and the final two films, Potterheads imagined what could possibly happen next past the covers of their closed books. Fanfictions sprouted everywhere, with fans coming up with their own continuation stories for our beloved characters. Now with "The Cursed Child" we would have the answers we had been dreaming of for so long.

When I opened up my copy and the smell of new book reached my nose, I nearly wept. Not only was this a new book, which is always a cause for my emotion, but opening this book meant this could be my last new story coming from the Wizarding World. Within the first few pages I was already a mess, from the scene of Harry and Albus running onto Platform 9 3/4 together to Albus deciding that just like Harry in the "Sorcerer's Stone" he was going to decide what the right kind of friends were for himself.

We finally got to see that, yes, Albus did get sorted into Slytherin, but, even though he had a hard time fitting in at Hogwarts, it was the best place for him. We also got more glimpses of Albus and his relationship with Harry, and we understood the pain that Albus must have felt being the son of the Boy Who Lived and not feeling as though he was good enough. Albus went through difficult times, but he always had his best friend, Scorpius, by his side.

In this story, all of our fan fantasies and questions were answered in ways we never thought possible. We got to see a world where Dumbledore's Army lost the battle of Hogwarts and Voldemort terrorized the muggles and muggle-born wizards. I was reading with shaking hands when Scorpius found Professor Snape in that darker world, and I did not notice at first that tears were running down my face when Snape's lines finally came up. After all of these years, we were reunited with the professor with a hard demeanor and secret heart of gold. No matter what world he was in, he fought for his love, Lily, and the world she would have wanted - always.

Fanfiction writers rejoiced with Scorpius' crush on Rose Granger-Weasley and the possibility of a young love, one the Dramione shippers never got to see be canon in the "Harry Potter" books. Rose smells like bread to Scorpius, so I wonder what he would smell if he was ever near a vial of Amortentia.

We may not have seen all of our favorite characters in "The Cursed Child," like our beloved Neville Luna, and George, but we were given so much more in return. After years of waiting for small bits of new information, this book was given to us and we devoured it in record times. I finished the book within twenty-four hours of getting my grubby paws on it and now the reality has set in. This may be our last new glimpse into this world, but for us Potterheads, the Wizarding World lives inside of us. We go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal Studios, we visit the sets in England, we reread the books and rewatch the movies, and we dream of futures for our favorite characters.

These books will never leave us because they have become a part of who we are. Whether we read them as children or adults, they have shaped our thinking and made us appreciate so much more about our lives. No matter what goes wrong in our worlds, those books and movies will always be an easy reach away. And remember "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light" (and pick up a "Harry Potter" to read. One day I may see one of you sitting and drinking a Butterbeer at Universal, or I may see you reading a "Harry Potter" and I will know that we are all united in our love for the Boy Who Lived and The Cursed Child.

Until next time, let's raise our wands to the sky with a final lumos and say a temporary goodbye to the characters that changed our lives.

Mischief Managed.

Nox.