This is really it, guys. The last Harry Potter movie is in theaters. There will now no longer be any new books or movies to look forward to. Only Pottermore and Universal’s Harry Potter land are left. (sobs)

On the plus side, the Harry Potter movie was fantastic! It clocked it at 2 hours and 5 minutes, and it packed a quick but powerful punch! My most-anticipated scenes did not disappoint!

My favorite parts of the movie were:

• Seeing my beloved characters doing what they do best- Hermione was amazed at Ron’s great ideas, Harry charged fearlessly into dire situations and Snape hated everyone…well, everyone except one person. “Always…” BAH!!!  (Who knew I’d ever feel bad for that guy!)

• Some truly hilarious lines/situations- Between Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall, the women were crazy funny in this movie. Mrs. Weasley had her exciting duel with Bellatrix and told that B to back up OFF her daughter. YES!

• Non-stop action- Unlike the first half of the HP7 movie, part 2 transitioned from one action scene to another. The characters did things like running away from angry goblins to smashing horcruxes to leaving Gringotts riding a blind, abused dragon all in a 5 to 10 minute period. Plus, there were a few added scenes that I didn’t even care weren’t verbatim from the book because they added so much spunk to beloved characters and included moments of relief to the story.

• A long-awaited kiss- I’ll just leave it at that…

• A satisfying end to 14 years worth of enjoyment- Like I mention in my about me page, I started reading Harry Potter during the time my mom was going through chemotherapy and radiation treatments for breast cancer. I was sitting in waiting rooms a lot and needed something to do. I picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone and was entranced. Besides my personal faith and beliefs, this book helped me get through a really tough time in my life.

I grew attached to the little boy who’s aunt and uncle made him live in a broom cupboard and who didn’t seem to fit in with his overbearing relatives. Harry and his magical wizarding world helped me keep my mind distracted from the very real and scary things going on in my life. This series means more to me than just reading some good books, it’s something I grew up with and have loved for a very long time.

It really is gratifying to know that so much time and love that I invested in this series has paid off with this fantastic final installment in the Harry Potter movie saga!

There only TWO things I wished had been tweaked a little in the story.

• Harry’s struggle with trusting Dumbledore. To me, that’s what makes the Harry’s-in-limbo-King’s-Cross-station scene great! It’s Harry’s chance to reconcile his feelings about Dumbledore and to see that his beloved mentor knew that he’d make it through to the end.

• The violence  showcased in the movie. The Hogwarts battle, I understand- people are dying and it’s supposed to be gruesome. But there’s one scene in particular that is truly overkill (no pun intended) and that I, as an almost 24-year-old, had to look away from! Other than, that I really have no other beef with this film!

I can’t wait for the rest of you to see the movie! Please stop by and tell me what you think!!

Tomorrow: Book review of Starcrossed

As some of you may have noticed, the last flippin’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movie is being released on Friday, July 15!!! Ahhh!! This is it, guys. The HP saga is coming to a close.

In honor of this major turning point in history for this series, I will be hosting a couple featured Harry Potter posts this week along with my other regular posts.

I’m curious to see how many other Harry Potter nerds are out there! I feel like there’s a bunch of you.

As for me, I plan mourning celebrating the last movie by:

• Participating in a movie marathon
• Brewing some homemade Butterbeer. Check out the recipe here!!
• Skimming the 7th book so I can be refreshed on all the major action parts
• Going to a midnight showing of HP7 P2 (Why yes, I will regret this Friday morning!)
• Dressing up for the movie a little with a Gryffindor scarf! Low key, I know.
• Crying my eyes out at the end of the movie
• Spending the next day in a sleep-deprived daze
• Going back on Friday for HP7 P2 round 2. Will I fall asleep during the movie? Yes, probably. But it will be the best sleep of my life

The parts of the movie I’m most excited to see are:

• Gringotts: Harry, Ron and Hermione in the safe with the Horcrux (HP Clue, anyone?)
• Gringotts: Dragon scene (heck YES!!!)
• Mrs. Weasley shrieking at Bellatrix Lestrange to BACK UP off Ginny. And calling Bellatrix the B word, too. It’s the single best use of a swear word ever!!
• Battle Royale at Hogwarts
• Harry + Dumbledore reunited
• Older Harry, Hermione and Ron + their kids

So how are you celebrating the last HP movie and what movie scenes are you most anxious to see?

This week you’ll see posts about: Harry Potter-themed jewelry & accessories, HP7 P2 Movie Review and a “What’s Next after Harry Potter?” post.