I got the first “Harry Potter” book for my 11th birthday, and I began reading it on a plane from Poland to the United States. The emotional attachment was therefore instant and also obvious. Both Harry and I were beginning our journeys, and we were both in for quite an adventure.

I have read all the books and seen all the movies, so seeing the last movie at Friday’s midnight showing was kind of a sad experience. It meant I had to grow up. No more midnight showings, no more new books and no more childhood.

The last movie was definitely not my favorite. I love the earlier movies, since they show the Hogwarts student life and Harry adjusting to being a wizard and to the whole magical world. However, later in the series, the books got darker and, logically, so did the movies.

The last movie is also the darkest, both technically and metaphorically. The overall mood of the movie is very dark and kind of depressing up until the end when Harry wins, Lord Voldemort dies and everyone is happy.

I do have a few qualms with the director and the screenplay writer as well. Most importantly, I did not like how the whole aspect of Neville’s possible fate was played down. After all, he could have been Harry if Voldemort had tried to kill him instead. There were simply subtle hints about this, and they were all too subtle, considering this was one of two major things that blew my mind when I was reading the book.

The second thing in the book that blew my mind was that Snape was the good guy all along. Since I knew this going into the movie, it was not a surprise. However, the portrayal of this was quite effective in the movie, and being able to see through Snape’s eyes in the Pensieve was a nice change from just having to imagine it.

The movie also accomplished something I did not know was possible: It made me cringe more than the book did at the end. The idea of having a flash forward-type of experience where the viewer was left knowing what happened to the main characters and who they ended up with was nice, but the execution in both the book and movie was awful. What the movie did, though, was simply add to the book’s awfulness. The names of the kids and the fact that Ginny and Harry end up together was something the book brought forth. The movie, however, made those two things painful to watch. I have had a problem with Harry and Ginny’s relationship in the movie from the beginning. They were an unbelievably awkward pair with a complete lack of chemistry between the actors. This simply intensified in the movie and showing their future marriage made me cringe harder than ever before. What made the entire scene even worse was the stylizing of the actors to make them appear older. This was a little sad for a movie famous for its special effects and amazing imagery. Harry simply had a few gray hairs, Ron was made to look a little chubby and Hermione was the worst of all, with the only thing changed about her being the fact she had her hair pulled back. It seemed as if the crew was exhausted from filming the whole movie and slacked off right at the end.

Having finished my complaining, I did love the movie. The effects were great, it was action packed, the acting was fantastic and many of the scenes were mind-blowing.

One of the most memorable moments for me was the scene at Gringotts when Harry was trying to reach the Horcrux and all the objects in the vault multiplied. It is an average scene in the book, but in the movie the effects made it stand out. I also enjoy Hermione’s constant use of the Polyjuice Potion throughout the series and her attempt to impersonate Bellatrix Lestrange in this movie. My favorite part though? Neville Longbottom. Throughout the series, he is this awkward and shy boy, but in this movie he bursts forth as one of my favorites, with his bravery and cutting off of Nagini’s head. The development of his character — and looks, oh my, my — was a nice change and made me wish Voldemort picked him instead of Harry, so we could have had him be the focus of all the books and movies.

Overall, the movie was an excellent conclusion to the series with its riveting action, all of our favorite characters — even a cameo by Dumbledore! — and a moral. While it is the highest-rated “Harry Potter” movie so far on Rotten Tomatoes, it is definitely not the highest rated in my heart. However, it is right up there with all the other movies, since my love for Harry Potter is as undeniable as the Malfoys’ cowardice.

Karolina is a senior in LAS.