There are no spoilers to any of the books in this post. Just thought you’d like to know.

This post was part of the previous post until I decided I probably shouldn’t kill the few readers I have with much too long a post, so here is episode 2!

5 minutes after midnight, someone came on the loud speaker and warned everyone that someone had put spoiler laden flyers on all the car’s windshields. That’s when I really started to feel hot-coffee-sneeze kind of nervous.

We actually eyed everyone warily as we exited the store. I’ve heard stories of drive by from the last book, with people shouting out, “Blah dies!” as people exited with their books. How horrible would that have been! I actually felt a WHOOSH of relief when we got safely to the car.

the next day I had choir practice from 2-5. I hadn’t finished reading yet, and I was actually nervous to leave the house. Later on that week, I read about all the hubbub about the NY times and Baltimore sun reviewing the book before it was supposed to be released, and how many people were disappointed by being “spoiled.” I just don’t understand this… if you don’t want to be spoiled, you should know not to read reviews! Sure, some say that the headline looking up at them from the print version on their doorstep spoiled it for them, but don’t they know that spoilers lurk everywhere? THE TRULY DEDICATED know that just staying inside the house with the doors locked and the phone off until the book is finished is the only way to ensure that the book wouldn’t be spoiled. Ignore your children, because they might reveal if Snape is good or bad!

This is all that was running through my head as I LEFT THE HOUSE without the book finished to go to choir practice. Seriously, it’s a wonder I showed up at all, I was almost just going to skip it. Not just for the time lost in reading but the DANGER WILL ROBINSON! DANGER! factor of leaving the house with the book unfinished.

But go I did, and sit I did and read I did every moment that wasn’t spent with mouth open and sound coming out. At one point, I was immersed in the book and I heard some of the younger high school girls talking. One of them stated, “I always thought Snape was good.” and I just about THREW the book at them as I hollered, “DON’T SAY ANOTHER WORD!” It turns out that they hadn’t past the first chapter, and were just tossing out their thoughts, but damn that hot-coffee-sneeze nervousness just about put me over the edge!

James was ahead of me in reading his copy this time around. Last time, I was ahead of him, and I must say, it’s much nicer having him ahead of me. I am very vocal. I can’t help it. I ooohhhh and ahhhh and gasp and hold my breath and make “eek!” noises, it’s just the way I am! So the fact that I was reading what he already knew about made it easier on him. Not like last time when he swore at me and stalked out of the room to another part of the house.

He finished … I think Saturday night. I finished early Sunday afternoon. I didn’t rush it at all, in fact, I would often pause and put the book down and contemplate what I’d read. I even started to take notes, because i wanted so badly to have someone next to me that was on the same page I was on to say, “Oooh, did you get THAT part?” Of course, there wasn’t anyone, so I wrote it down instead.

I laughed and wept and wept and wept some more, and while there are a few little details I think could have been improved, I enjoyed the last book immensely. I love how she had so many things planned out since book 1, and little details all through the series come to play an important part in the end.

And now, there’s just this feeling of calmness.. the hot coffee is gone, the urge to sneeze has passed. After I had finished, I had this sense of invincibility. I felt strong and muscley and “No one can hurt me NOW, I HAVE FINISHED!” I hopped on the internet with brazen recklessness. I unlocked all the doors and threw open the windows. Anyone driving by tossing out spoilers is POWERLESS AGAINST ME AND MY FINISHED-NESS!

I feel good. The book was very satisfying.

Now that I think about it, kind of like how you feel after a good sneeze.

I also feel sad at the loss that coming to the end of the series means. Kind of like you feel after a good sneeze.

But most of all, when I finally finished, I felt INVINCIBLE!

Just like you do after a good sneeze.