Just as it finally ends, I start to get what’s going on in the oft mystical world of Harry Potter.

You see, I’m one of those magical people who’s watched every one of his films, but has yet to read a single of Rowling’s literary creations; which puts me in a rather unique position.

For while there are plenty of young witches and warlocks out there who started off watching the films first, by now most of them have read at least one of the books.

Not me though.

Having watched the dvd of the Deathly Hallows Part II with a bonafide aficionado of the books, stopping to ask questions every three seconds, I now understand a hell of a lot more about Harry Potter’s world.

As well as just what the cinematic versions were missing to have made more sense to us non book reading fans.

Unless you’ve been living with you head in the sand for the last year, feel free to insert your own David Cameron punchline right here, you’ll have noticed the final Harry Potter instalment was released in cinemas this summer.

And now that xmas is almost upon us, Warner Bros have waved their magical wand one more time to ensure the home entertainment versions of this film are with us for this special time of year.

So we can celebrate the birth of a guy who may or may not have been our messiah by spending more money on something else that our loved ones either don’t really want or need.

If I was a better writer, I’d use this point to segue smoothly into comparing the life of Harry with that of our supposed son of god.

But I’m not; I’m just a naughty boy.

Besides, I’m far more interested in my notion that what these Potter films really needed was someone who hadn’t actually read the books to advise them on the making of the films for a non Harry audience.

Someone like me, actually.

It started off very simply, me asking my new authority of Potter why Voldemort has no nose? Self mutilation apparently, metaphorical as opposed to physical mind.

Every time the young Voldemort went to hide another part of his soul in one of those damned horcrux things, he came back more snake like in appearance.

I didn’t even realise he was meant to look like a snake, and if I hadn’t watched the Deathly Hallows with a Hogwarts connoisseur, I’d still be none the wiser.

After watching nigh on twenty hours of these films, I still hadn’t been presented with this nugget of information. and many others besides.

And this is the problem with Harry Potter films; everyone involved must have been so entrenched in the books that they forgot to make cinematic incarnations which made total sense to those of us who aren’t interested in reading children’s books.

But enough about me, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part II is the most exciting film of the lot; but the final two films really should be watched as one.

The first part is a little too staid on its own, while the latter has almost too much action going on.

As a single experience though, The Deathly Hallows is a very fitting climax to a franchise that has steadily grown in stature as its cast and audience have with age.

Just don’t expect to get every little detail if you haven’t read the book.

Jonathan Campbell