We were discussing a certain Popular and Anticipated Series-Closing Book last week. My two sisters, my nephew, and me, sitting around late at night while little nieces fell asleep in the next room. I was pontificating, as I can do, about a "fact" that I have noticed: most of the male readers that I have discussed this with have hated or at least disliked the epilogue. Most of the female readers have liked or tolerated it, and a couple have loved it. This is not a statistical study, so please don't get all alarmed. It is just a tidbit. I suggested that maybe it was more uncomfortable for males to not know what the characters ended up doing — career-wise — with their lives. I dunno, it was just a suggestion.*

"Like, did so-and-so become an auror?" I said. "Maybe it just bugs people not to know."

My nephew sat up straight. "Well, no, he couldn't have; remember the potions grade problem?"

(We discussed and refreshed his memory of the potions grade implications, don't worry.)

But it was so fascinating to me that he JUMPED on that subject. Is it something that is more on the surface for some of us, the notion that a person's career is who they are? What I do — that's the thing that makes me me? (If so, I'm a real jumble of a human, let me tell you.)

*It's funny how much I feel like I need to qualify every single sentence in this post with "I don't think gender roles are blah blah blah." I'm attempting to refrain from doing so.