Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

After seventeen years of careful plotting, one was quite amused to read how Ms J Rowling, upon completing the last installment in the Harry Potter series, indulged in a little spontaneous vandalism of her suite in The Balmoral.

One has particularly fond memories of this particular hotel. On the occasion when I stayed there with X, back in 2002, we awoke on a Sunday morning (with a godawful hangover) to the reckless shrieking of a fire alarm.

In those circumstances, what does a self-respecting gay gentleman do? Dash to the nearest emergency exit, without any concern for his toilette? Certainly not! Having quickly dressed and rushed to the nearest mirror, one had almost left the room when it occurred to me... where was X? Still in bed.

My first thought was that he hoped one was going to sweep him in my arms and carry him from a flaming building, or that a team of burly firemen were going to burst into the room and recussitate him. But no; his in-built smoke detector convinced him that it was a false alarm... which it was, nevertheless it seemed a tad reckless to lie in bed until engulfed by flames of a non-passionate nature.

But I digress!

Like many others, one awaits publication of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on 21st July 2007 with a strange mixture of feelings.

Initially sniffy about anything so commercially successful, one has has read all of the Harry Potter series to date (out-of-sequence) and gives Ms Rowling due credit for an excellent story. In my humble opinion, we should all be grateful to her... for anything that requires a child to concentrate and remain silent for a period of time. In addition, she has encouraged a generation of children to read something other than text messages... and despite what the critics say, her own style is challenging:use of overblown adverbs, use of cliche, a tendency to hyperbole... distinctive in its own way, and surely it must be a source of encouragement to all bloggers that something so badly written can sell so well?

On numerous occasions, one has used Harry Potter to bond with a younger audience, for one gets immediate and undivided attention from anyone under twelve by expounding on a theory about the remaining Horcruxes, and whether or not Snape is a swinger on the dark side. And if you're ever at a loss for words in the company of a seven year old, persuade them you're an Animagus.

So, 163 days to go, gentle reader. One confesses that one is curious to know whether it all comes to a bitter end... and rather hopes it will.