I’m still alive! After a grueling weekend, I made it alive.

Fine, it wasn’t grueling, it was just a bit too long for my liking.

I was at Izzah’s for a little baking session on Saturday afternoon, joined by Amani and Amni. Had a great laugh, especially on having crushes. Hahahaha. I thought that was hilarious. Left early, since I had to pick my sister up from school, and my mom from work. (This reminds me. Zah, I didn’t get to eat the muffins, my family vacuumed them all! LOL.)

After I picked my sister and my mom up, I picked a copy of Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows that I had deposited B$20 after I watched the fifth movie. I delayed the reservation because I told myself that I didn’t need to reserve a copy, because after the fifth and sixth book, I reckon the seventh book will be in abundance by the time it arrives in Brunei. But I didn’t take my chances. LOL.

So I picked it up, and my mom brought us somewhere to have a drink, and I started reading there and then. It was a shocker to read that the book got straight down to business. (More on Harry Potter later.)

I had work at 9 that night, and only finish at midnight, so there goes my opportunity to finish the book the same day it came out (I’m weirdly obsessed that way.) I had a good show, nonetheless. It was new. Saturday’s Nite Tune on Pilihan FM is no longer called The Lounge, it is Technologic. All about tech and gadgets, and we had to find a new name. And it suited well! The show went fabulously great, and I had copious amounts of fun. (Please don’t comment on my selection of adjectives early this morning. LOL.)

I bet the closing sounded weird, though, because my bladder had chosen the wrong time to go for a bathroom break. I will make up for it on the next show.

So when I drove home after midnight, I changed, and straightaway pried open Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows once again. I was on chapter 23 when I realized that it was already 6AM! And I had a show to do at 11AM! The horror of having to put the book down! But I knew I had to have a little sleep. I tell you, after what I’ve gone through on Saturday, three hours of sleep was simply not enough.

So I went to work, at 10AM, because I thought the road closures for the get-together ceremony in Bandar in conjunction with His Majesty’s 61st birthday anniversary celebration would be very difficult to get around. I got to the studio in time, with 30 minutes to spare, so I opened my book once again. I swear, it was a very gripping read. I have to say that this seventh, and final, book is my most favourite. I thought, by the time I finished the book, I would still prefer Prisoner of Azkaban, but no.. This last book was the best I’ve read.

WARNING: SPOILER AHEAD! (Work, by the way, was uneventful.)

What was good about this book was that it didn’t beat around the bush, it dove right in to the adventures. And I was a bit upset that there were a lot of deaths in the book. First, Hedwig! Then, Mad-Eye Moody. I was also upset when Fred Weasly, Lupin and Tonks had died. But it had to happen, I guess.

I also cried in chapter 33: The Prince’s Tale. It had revolved around Snape, his memories and why he insisted on protecting Harry. Who knew Severus Snape was in love with Lily Evans/Potter? And the sacrifices he made. Thank goodness that Albus Dumbledore died willingly instead of what I had assumed to have happened, in the sixth book. I didn’t want to believe that Albus had died because someone had killed him, because he was the strongest wizard that I have known in the series. And so kesian kan, Snape tu? Sigh.

After I finished reading The Prince’s Tale, I wished he wasn’t murdered by Voldemort at that point. That reminds me, I had trouble knowing what the silvery blue substance was when Snape was bleeding to death. When the new chapter came, I realized it was Snape’s memory for the Pensieve!

Questions from the previous books were definitely answered in this book. Loose ends were tied, and I was happy with the explanations too.

The book was very dark, in my opinion, with the many deaths and all, but there was still those funny moments where you just wish you were a part of it, and somehow you are, but you’re just the reader.

I’m most happy about the feelings that Harry and Ron Weasley had for their respective loves. (Being the hopeless romantic that I am.)

I was happiest with the ending! Harry and Ginny Weasley have two boys and a girl! And they named their kids after the people they loved. Ron and Hermione Granger have two kids! And Neville Longbottom is a Herbology professor now!

I am gushing, aren’t I? I don’t care, I am in love with the book. It’s okay now that the fifth movie was the way it was. I have the seventh book to keep me happy. It’s like, it didn’t even matter that Sirius Black and Albus Dumbledore didn’t come back to life, like I had so wanted to.

All in all, favourite book of 2007: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

But like her, I can’t believe it’s over too. :(