By Sara Pintilie/entertainment editor

It has been months since Harry Potter had his last hurrah and Daniel Radcliffe donned the scar, but people still feel the magic.

“ It’s a unique story,” NE student Blair Adams said. “My favorite aspect is all the little stuff, all the weird little adventures.”

Other fans love the whole magical universe.

“ My favorite characteristic of Harry Potter is the fantasy,” SE student Nick Warren said. “It takes you to a place you’ve never been, a place where magic is possible.”

The series of books have been 17 years in the making and spawned an equally successful string of movies.
“ Both the books and the movies are special in their own way,” Warren said. “With the books you get to create your own version of the character, and you get to use more of your imagination. With the movies you get to sit back and watch the Harry Potter world unfold before your eyes.”

In July, the fifth installment of the films, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix opened.

However, the main focus of attention this summer was on the release of the last book, Harry Potter and the

Deathly Hallows.

The book had positive reviews, but some fans were not completely satisfied.

Adams said Deathly Hallows is written well and wonderful, but it came out of nowhere. The author did not set up the story line in the previous books.

Nevertheless, the last book in the series broke records in pre-sales (almost 2 million on amazon.com) and sold more than 8 million copies in the first 24 hours.

Many bookstores even had release parties on July 20 with activities and a welcomed invitation to dress up.

At the Barnes and Noble release party in south Arlington, the bookstore passed its maximum occupancy. Fire department officials made patrons stand outside until the books were released.

“ It was insane,” SE student Ceciley Molina said.

“ Older kids and younger kids all dressed like Heromione and other people, it was hectic.”

Though the frenzy around the book has settled down and fans shelve the final year of the series, people do not think Harry will be forgotten anytime soon.

“ It will become a cult classic,” Adam said. “It will become like the Lord of the Rings trilogy.”

In the Aug. 17 issue of Entertainment Weekly, writer Stephen King comments on the fascination of Harry Potter and academics’ underestimation of the orphaned protagonist.

“ A literary hero as big as the Beatles? ‘Never happen!’ the bigheads would have cried,’” King wrote. “’The traditional novel is as dead as Jacob Marley!’… but reading was never dead with kids.”

He stresses that kids will choose reading over electronic gadgets if the magic is still there.

“ It [magic] is what kids want more than anything; it’s what they crave.” He said in the article.

“ That goes back to the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and good old Alice. Kids are always looking for the Ministry of Magic, and they usually find it.”

The books have fueled a generation of kids to read, but people still have their doubts on the content.
According to www.ala.org/bbooks, the Harry Potter series ranks number one as the most challenged book series of the 21st century.

“ People are taking the books too serious,” Molina said. “They are meant to entertain, not to educate yourself on witchcraft.”

Fans are not letting the notoriety around the novels stop them from loving the story and the characters.
“ It’s fun for all ages,” Adams said.