Saying Goodbye
to Harry Potter

The Potterhead that I was back then would be thrilled with the way I got to say goodbye to the saga. The books and movies still hold a special place in my heart, and that night in 2011 is one of my favorite memories of growing up.

I can't deny that Harry Potter and his Wizarding world made my childhood much more magical. I didn't just love the books, the movies, and more; I enjoyed them with my friends, fellow Potterheads. I enjoyed bonding with them as much as I did reading the books, watching the films, and more.

Here's how much I loved the franchise: in 2011, I convinced my parents to bring me and a couple of my friends to the world premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in London. Now, before you call me a spoiled brat, let me preface this by saying we'd already planned a vacation in the UK.

It was only a matter of bringing a few more people along. And since my friends and I all came from well-off households, their parents paid for their kids' flights and their share of the accommodations. It's a good thing my mom was so generous, because she actually said yes!

Let me also clarify that I was 16 when this happened. My friends and I were old enough to take care of ourselves, so my mom didn't need to be so on guard with us during our trip. We knew what to do, what not to do, and that we should always stick together.

We were thick as thieves that night, because wow! Trafalgar Square got so crowded at the movie's world premiere on July 7. But why wouldn't it be? Potterheads from all around the world gathered in London to see Harry Potter off in his final cinematic adventure, and the crowds ran into the hundreds of thousands, many of them kids, some even younger than us.

I'll never forget screaming my lungs out as the stars appeared on the red carpet. I had such a huge crush on Daniel Radcliffe at the time—actually, I still do—that my face was red all night. My friends still joke about it to this day, but I never get too sore about it. I met him, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson that night, after all. Not only that, but I got their autographs, too.

We all got a lot of autographs that night, but it was all thanks to my mom. She encouraged us also to get the other cast members to sign our movie posters, even though I didn't really care for them at the time. I had already gotten Harry, Ron, and Hermione's autographs. What more could I have wanted?

I still thank my mom today for convincing me otherwise. I would've missed the chance to get Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, and Bonnie Wright's autographs if she hadn't! And it's ironic because I ended up a bigger fan of Fiennes and Bonham Carter today.

And yes, before you ask, I also got author J.K. Rowling to sign my poster, which made the night feel even more complete. I'm sure many of you fellow Potterheads would've loved to have been in my shoes!

I still have precious memories of those movies, and of that night in London. It was my first trip with my friends, and we couldn't have asked for anything better than to say goodbye to Harry Potter in person.