Is it still a band-wagon if I jump on 14 years later?

I'm 26.  So I guess it's fair to say that I've been avoiding Harry Potter for the better part of my life. 

From day one in 1997 when the first inkling of Harry Potter began to swirl, I swore off all Harry Potter books, movies, and merchandise.  (However, I did find Bertie Bott Beans incredibly intriguing due to the fact that the original package contained Ear Wax & Sausage flavored Jelly Belly's--but I had no idea how jelly beans played into the plot twists.)

I simply refused to like anything about Harry Potter.  It wasn't that I found the themes "witch-crafty" or evil.  I just didn't want to have anything to do with them.  I had decided early-on in my reading experiences that I did NOT like science fiction.  I was more of a historical fiction/drama/classic literature kinda gal.  Harry Potter had no place on my bookshelf.  I found it completely insane that there were scads of people (children & adults alike) who camped outside Barnes & Noble waiting for the book to be released to shelves.  And I found it even more strange that those same people would plow through hundreds & hundreds of pages (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix is 896 pages long!) in a matter of hours---just to be one of the first to find out what happened to Harry & his troop of magical pals.  And how could you possibly keep everyone straight?  Wizards & Weasleys & Muggles.  Oh my.
Then it happened.  I married a Harry Potter freak. 

Into our marriage, Tyler brought every Harry Potter book, movie & a love for all things Potter.  I can't even begin to tell you how many times he tried to reason with me, trying desperately to convince me that I should and *would* share his love for the stories if only I would give it a chance!  "It's too far-fetched," I would say.  And my dear husband would come up with every other "far-fetched" movie that I had added to my list of favorites: "The Wizard of Oz," "Lord of the Rings," "The Miraculous Tale of Benjamin Button."  And still, I refused. Poor Tyler spent many a night alone on the couch so he could catch "ABC Family's Harry Potter Movie Marathon Weekend" as I rolled my eyes & found something better to do.

When the trailer for "Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows: Part One" came out, I felt as though I was living with a four-year-old.  "I'd really, really like to go see that movie."  "Hey, when can we go see that movie?"  "Do you think we can see that movie this weekend?"  "I'd love to see that movie" "Do you want to see the movie?"  "The movie....."  "The movie...." "The movie..." 

OKAY, FINE!  I finally declared.  I gave in & we went to see "THE MOVIE" last night before it was yanked out of theaters for good.

And, well....

I pretty much loved it.  I think it was the best movie I've seen in quite a while.  I had enough general information about the plot to stay on track (& on the edge of my seat) throughout the 2 hours and 27 minutes. 

Leaving the theater, I declared J.K. Rowling "a literary genuis."

I've borrowed the first book from my sister so I can start from the beginnning.  (I'm already on chapter two.)

I think I could really get into this Harry Potter thing...

And I'm fairly certain that my husband loves me more because of it.  ♥