No spoilers, I promise.

July 31, 2016, what would have been Harry Potter’s 36th birthday, "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"graced bookstores across the world, flying off of bookshelves and into the laps of fans ranging from elementary school to adulthood. We crossed days of our calendars, reread the original series, watched "Harry Potter Weekend" on Freeformand eagerly awaited the return of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

It took me two hours to complete the book when I finally got it on that fateful Sunday. It was not the English major in me or the experienced reader in me that made me finish it so quickly, but the child in me who grew up with "Harry Potter" that eagerly consumed the book. It had all the magic and wit of the original seven. I found myself laughing and crying, rereading sections and pausing to regain my strength to continue reading until I eventually reached the end of another magical adventure.

There are many reasons that could contribute to the idea that "Harry Potter" has continued to carry on as one of the leading series in the world since the last movie was released in 2011. There have been movie marathons, the opening of Harry Potter World in both Orlando and Los Angeles, the opening of the Warner Brothers Studio and the release of the trailer of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them." With all of these Harry Potter additions, it seems that there never was an end to the series.

So what made the series so lovable? So strong? So classic in the ability that people could identify references made to "Harry Potter" without having actually read or watched the series?

Could it be the friendships that were depicted in the stories? The strengths of the trio, their ability to sacrifice themselves for one another, to always be there for each other even in the darkest of times?

Could it be the depiction of strong female characters? The strength behind Lily Potter sacrificing herself for her son’s life? Molly Weasley loving Harry fiercely as if he was her own child, even though she had her own gang of misfits at home? Could it have been Professor McGonagall and her unflagging faith in Harry Potter and her toughness to defend not only Harry, but also Hogwarts itself? Possibly Hermione, the heroine that every girl growing up had looked up to? Or even Narcissa Malfoy, who lied to Voldemort, threatening her own safety, just to make sure her son made it out of the battle alive?

Maybe it was Quidditch that made us fall in love? This made-up game that inspired a real-life Quidditch tournament for teams across the United States to compete in every year? Or the excitement in the challenges of the Triwizard Tournament and watching characters compete in life-or-death scenarios?

Could it have been witnessing moments such as Ron following the spiders into the forest just to help his best friend? Learning about the Marauders and the lengths that three friends went to go through just to help a scared young boy who became a werewolf? Harry carrying Cedric’s body back to Hogwarts, refusing to let him go, clinging to him and crying while others tried to get an explanation? Mrs. Weasley and Bill going to the Triwizard Tournament to stand in as Harry’s missing family? Could it be learning of Snape’s patronus? Knowing that so many people died, just for the boy who lived?

Or maybe, just maybe, it was the magic and the hope that these stories gave us. The longing we felt for a place like Hogwarts, a place that felt like home. A place where there was always friends, family, love, hope, passion, excitement and magic.

We know that this is not the last of Harry Potter. We will continue to be a part of his life, carrying our own wands and fighting our own battles just like those in the magical world created by J.K. Rowling. We bare our own scars, whether they are a lightning mark on our forehead or deeper ones not visible to the human eye. We will whisper “lumos” to light our way when it gets dark, and eventually come out alive on the other side stronger than ever.

But for now, I think I’ll be content to read "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" one more time and patiently wait for my next letter from Hogwarts.

"Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic." — Albus Dumbledore