Growing up with Harry Potter

This summer, thousands of college students gathered nationwide for the midnight release of Harry Potter's last cinematic hurrah. At first, it may seem unusual to see those of legal drinking age turn out in such numbers for a film about adolescent wizards battling against the Dark Lord Voldemort for the fate of the magical world.

However, considering that our generation's fixation with Potter and his fantastic comrades began before most of us hit puberty, we have remained enchanted by their spell well into adulthood.

"I have serious qualms with anyone our age who claims Harry Potter is less than epic," says third-year university student Blake Mamich, who was standing in line for the movie sporting Harry's signature round glasses and a fairly convincing lighting bolt scar.

"Would our generation be this excited if we were in our twenties when the books came out? No. The beauty of Harry Potter is that we grew up with him," he said, adding, "I'm talking about the books of course; the movies are just dessert."

Most book-lovers seem to agree that the movie, no matter how faithful to the literary plot, doesn't quite compare. It seems that it was not solely the draw of buttery popcorn and 3-D goggles that lead to record crowds for "Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows: Part II," but rather our collective fascination with author J.K. Rowling's seven-book series.

"I'm not sad because this is the last movie," said DePaul sophomore Sarah Sweilem. "I'm sad because it's the movie version of the last book. That's all she wrote. It leaves me wondering, when will there be another book series that will unite kids all over the world for this many years on end?"

These days, it's common to hear college kids claim they either don't have time to read for pleasure, or they simply "don't like to read." The same attitude is echoed among younger students as well.

DePaul secondary education major Alice Viana said, "The true magic of the Harry Potter series was that it got us reading; as kids, as teenagers, even into college."

Viana argues that this is an increasingly difficult task in an age where Xbox and Facebook dominate the free time of young people.

"Rowling's tale crossed age, gender, and geographical boundaries," Sweilem said. "Although it was set in fantasy world, it was relatable, easy to read, and got us thinking."

Many fans reported an empty feeling that accompanied watching the credits roll during the final Potter film.

Viana argues that this sentiment may be stronger among the older, diehard Potter fans: "I can't help but wonder, are we sad because the movies made from our favorite books have concluded, or because we're not sure if another book series will ever again have the power to capture our generation's attention span for long enough to neglect our video games and the internet?"