Harry Potter, Cosplay, and the Last Hurrah

Now that the Harry Potter saga on the big screen is about to be ended in the last installment of the series, an increasing number of get-togethers, which include cosplay, are happening as many people hold onto one of the defining stories of their generation.

There is no doubt this won't be the last of these types of celebrations and comraderie, as past examples of ongoing interest, such as Star Trek and Star Wars, ensure we won't soon forget the group of students at Hogwarts as they and we grew up together.

The favorite cosplay characters are also the three stars in the movie, as Harry, Ron and Hermione are seen in almost all instances of those wanting to capture an image of that moment.

That's not to say the secondary characters aren't well represented, as they definitely get a look by fans who dress up like their personal favorites.

It's a bittersweet moment for most people, as they hate to see the story end, but also want to see the finale and how it is portrayed by Hollywood.

Here's a look at some Harry Potter cosplay during the years as it leads up to the final installment of the most popular movie series in history to this time.

What is more apopro than the two inseparable friends through the years: Harry and Ron. This is definitely a look at them from their younger years. It's fun to think of what they looked like years ago when they were introduced to us on the big screen.

This is a very creative cosplay moment. Seeing Harry with the 3-headed dog is great fun. I don't know about that hair though.

Hagrid is an inspiration and possibility to the larger men out there, as you can see from this person playing the part somewhat believably.

Here's the ladies letting it loose in Harry Potter cosplay, and they are definitely having a lot of fun to be sure; and they're not too hard on the eyes either.

Even with the short skirts and low tops of the bottom two photos, I still like the more traditional look of the girls from the school in the top photo.

Oh yeah, nice, er, tie on the lady in the bottom photo;-)

I included the cosplay image below because it was very well done. The lighting and look appear to have been set up by someone knowing what they were doing.

This was an interesting moment in Harry Potter cosplay, as it was actually being displayed at Grand Central Station, as you can see from the background and gathered crowd.

Here's another look at cosplay with the Lord Voldemort character. One thing about Voldemort, his look was very distinct, and when you get it right, it's a very compelling and fun character to dress up as.

What is really great about Harry Potter and cosplay are the characters in the show have very distinctive looks, and, as in the photo below, you can, for the most part, at a glance know who it is being portrayed.

Even so, the person playing Harry Potter does require you to stretch a little bit to recognize him.

I like the photo below because it represents ancillary, but important characters you don't see nearly as much of. They add a lot to the overall portfolio of cosplay characters.

It was fitting for me to finish the cosplay collection with this final image of Harry Potter in his pointed hat. Seeming to point to his future greatness, and the mystery inherent in the boy wizard soon to become a man with the balance of two worlds on his shoulders.

There will be very mixed emotions as the Harry Potter story ends, with hopes that there will be more to come, even though that has very little chance of happening.

Even so, there have been hints there could be more Potter books by J.K. Rowling, and if there indeed are, it would be hard to believe Hollywood wouldn't soon pick it up and place it on the screen for all of us to see.

In the meantime, there will definitely be bittersweet feelings and responses to what could be the last look at Harry Potter and his friends we'll ever see at the movies. There is sure to be many tears flowing as the final chapter ends.