T: Is for the triumph that is Harry Potter

10 years, 325 million copies later the phenomena known as Harry Potter was born. The final installment “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” the seventh and final book in J.K. Rowling’s series won't be released until midnight Friday and already 12 million copies have been printed for the US alone. Over 500,000 copies have been pre-ordered. The five motion pictures released to-date are among the highest grossing film series of all time, with $3.5 billion in worldwide receipts. The James Bond films made $4.3 billion and Star Wars films $4.1 billion. The newest film “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” opened July 11th at 12 midnight. Opening sales for the midnight opening $12 million. Total for the weekend $44.8 million. Why are so many flocking to see this? Run do not walk to see why this film has garned so much enthusiasm it is the best entry in the series to date. for the Harry Potter series has turned dark, really dark, and it’s exciting. Not only is it visually dazzling, the special effects and the Ministry of Magic set are brilliant. Harry is growing up while coping with the death of his parents, Cedric Diggory, his self estrangement from his friends and the fact that Voldemort wants him dead. Harry becomes a very angry child struggling to become a man against every odd that could possibly be heaped upon him. Hogwarts has a new presence Professor Dolores Umbridge who brings an especially ruthless form of McCarthyism to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and is played by Imelda Staunton with a sense of glee that quickly becomes irresistible. The last half hour is “edge of the seat” action with Wizard duels that marvel and there is plenty of intrigue to keep us wondering what will come next (though three years is a long time to wait). The Harry Potter story is beginning to twist, adding the psychology of fear, propaganda, and hate. As Harry begins doubting the good within himself, as his anger intensifies, the magical world around him, so impenetrable for so long, shows it weaknesses, its susceptibility to deceit, cowardice and emotion. Kudos to the girl who steals the show as Luna Lovegood. Evanna Lynch a newcomer steals our hearts with wide, attentive eyes who has seen her share of death and deals with it with a shaky lunacy. My favorite scene however is between Harry and Sirius Black played to perfection by Gary Oldman. I sat through this movie twice. I had stopped reading the books at 2 but discovered I was missing details and have started reading them again. In a world gone mad and our identities hanging by fragile threads these books give insight. I wish every child the series of books to read and tickets to see these films. To every adult, re-discover those difficult times. Everyone has them and that is a F.A.C.T.