the perfect ending

I still remember the summer I got into the Harry Potter series. I was in Palestine, bored out of my mind, and a cousin of mine had the first three books (this was a few years ago, the summer the fourth book was due to be released). I was never much of a reader but I borrowed Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I had doubts that I could get through a book over 200 pages. I finished within three days, and fell in love. Now, years later, I found myself counting down the days until the seventh and final book of this most beloved installment came out. I was up and waiting in line (I was the third person in line) at 6:00 am the morning before Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was set to be released just so I could get a confirmation ticket and be one of the first to get the book at midnight. Once I got the book, it was near impossible to stop reading to go to work, run errands, etc. When I wasn't at home reading, I was constantly wishing I was. I finished the book yesterday and couldn't be more pleased. The book was perfection. I have to admit, before the book came out I was constantly dreading the end...not just how J.K Rowling ended the book (and whether or not our courageous hero that we all came to know and love survives to conquers evil), but the fact that this was it. The end of what I believe to be one of the most cherished book series of my time. I grew up with these characters, some I love while others were left to be despised as if they had personally hurt and offended me. I haven't read any book reviews, but I don't need to. The plot was fantastic, the twists and turns kept me glued to the book. Even characters who I thought I had all figured out had unexpected surprises and secrets, which only made them all the more lovable, endearing, and even tragic. Rowling's final book was, again, perfect. She answered our burning questions but still kept us guessing 'til the end. Although the book was full of heartache, the closure that proceeded it (and no, I'm not referring to the epilogue, which was good but paled in comparison to the rest of the book. This was a classic case of how the journey really was just as, if not more, important than the inevitable destination) was just that...closure. That's what the book left me with. As much as I thought I'd dread the end, because God knows how I hate to reach the end of a good thing, like the last bite of a delicious cake, I wasn't left with any bittersweet taste in my mouth. I wasn't left longing for more books. I have the whole series that I now can read and re-read to my heart's desire, and that is how I know the seventh book was perfection.