In “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” we are introduced to the Mirror of Erised, a magical looking glass that shows us our hearts’ most potent desires.

If I were to look into that mirror today, I would see an endless number of Harry Potter books, each followed swiftly by an accurate but exciting movie. The series would continue for eternity, neither ending nor jumping the shark.

There was a time when my friends and I might pretend that this could be the case, but with the publication of the final book in 2007, we had to come to terms with the series’ finite nature. It was only a matter of time before the movies caught up with the books, and it would all be over.

The final movie certainly does the series justice. It runs for more than two hours without once seeming slow. It stays true to the book, except when doing so would become ridiculous, and it properly develops the characters, resolving their respective arcs in a satisfying manner.

We may never stop mourning the loss of our favorite fantasy series, but we can at least be content with the manner in which it was laid to rest.

I was first introduced to the series when I was 6 years old. My mother and I read the first few books together, exposing me to the first serious literature I ever knew. Rowling’s eclectic pool of inspirations and themes imbued in me a thirst for quality literature.

Harry Potter was a gateway to other great works, including “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Chronicles of Narnia.” The religious attack on the series led me and my friends to debate the book’s’themes and symbolism in depth, giving us our first tastes of philosophical and theological discussion. We more or less grew up with Harry, learning the power of wisdom as he learned the power of spells.

With the unprecedented financial success of the books, it was only a matter of time before the story arrived in the cinema. Avid fans the world over swarmed their local theaters, eager to see in live action what they had come to know on paper.

Not all were satisfied. I myself was extremely disappointed with several of the films, and nearly wrote off the film series entirely. Gradually, however, the producers learned from their mistakes and crafted their movies accurately and effectively.

The final three films were widely acclaimed, staying loyal to the books while adding to the story in ways that only movies can.

From time to time, I may return to the Mirror of Erised and see an endless series and an immortal Rowling. It will comfort me to see the magic go on and to continue to feel the anticipation of a new book. Sooner or later, however, I will have to let it go, accepting that nothing can go on forever, no matter how magical.

As a wise man once said, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

Andrew Soboeiro is a rising freshman at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is a summer intern at The Pilot.