Let me make a confession at the very start: when a friend excitedly yapped on about Gringgots and Muggles after the first book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, my immediate reaction, despite being a children’s books junkie (which I remain to this day), was far from enthusiastic.I mumbled something along the line that J.K. Rowling had basically stolen the plot from Jill Murphy whose Worst Witch series, first published in the 1980s, tell the story of the bumbling Mildred Hubble who attends Miss Cackle’s Academy for Witches. So what exactly, I argued, was the need for such a commotion? After all, it was hardly an original idea. And so, I dismissed the idea of reading it without a thought, deeming it a case of ‘been there, done that’.

It was at the prodding of yet another friend in college that I began reading the first book. And the rest, as they say, is history. I was spellbound. I had discovered a world that was a wonderful combination of Blyton’s school stories and her Magic Faraway tales, replete with supernatural creatures, spells, extraordinary sub-plots, thrilling games of Quidditch that transported — nay, floo networked and pensieved — me into magical realms well beyond my imagination.

Of course, the icing on that very magical cake was the fact that the movie adaptations of the series followed, the last of which, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, was recently released, which many Potterphiles like me watched at the cinema even if it meant catching the 12 am show.

However, even though the movies were received enthusiastically by people across the world that doesn’t mean they were flawless. After all, the case of a movie bringing to life each and every detail covered in these books is never likely. But we forgave the filmmakers for changing the colour of Harry’s eyes from green to blue; and although we all missed Peeve the poltergeist, we figured that it was a small price to pay to see Hogwarts come to life with such intricate and spellbinding detail; to see the floating candles on the enchanted ceiling, to ‘meet’ Harry and his friends Hermione and Ron; to watch his professors, Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall, in action.

And although it was difficult to deal with the fact that actor Michael Gambon, who played Dumbledore in the first two movies, had passed away and was replaced by Richard Harris in the consequent movies, we realised that it was even more painful to witness Dumbledore’s death as he lay in that cold, white tomb.

However, while the first three movies managed to stay true to the story under the direction of Christopher Columbus and Alfonso Cuarón, perhaps because the books were relatively shorter and less complex, the fourth and fifth movie adaptations disappointed many a Potter fan. They ran like documentaries, racing from one magical encounter to another, devoid of the nuanced storytelling that made the first three movies such a treat.Thankfully, under the direction of David Yates, the last three movies regained the trust of many a Muggle, keeping them fervently waiting for the next one.

Of course, other than the directors, it is the actors who ensured that the films were enchanting. In addition to Danielle Radcliffe (who played Harry), Rupert Grint and Emma Watson (who played Ron and Hermione respectively), the stellar cast included Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton and, of course, Ralph Fiennes (they played Hagrid, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Bellatrix Lestrange, Draco Malfoy and Lord Voldemort respectively), who gave memorable performances that truly brought to life Rowling’s diverse characters from the pages of her books right on to the silver screen. Perhaps one reason for this was that the actors were primarily British, and thus were able to lend an aura of authenticity to their roles.

But the last movie was particularly special to many Hogwartians because it meant that they didn’t have to say goodbye to Harry, Ron and Hermione when the last book of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was released in 2007.

All that, of course, has changed. The last movie has been released. There will be no more of Potter — at least that is what Rowling says. And other than perhaps reading The Tales of Beedle the Bard, playing the video games, or visiting the theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, in Orlando, Florida (good luck getting a visa!) there is no way to connect with the world of Harry Potter. Then again, there is always the DVD of the last movie that one can wait for — it will, hopefully have some extra scenes which we can savour.

Or, of course, you can always start re-reading the books and then re-watch the corresponding movie. That’s something I have started to do.Because I am not ready to say goodbye just yet.