My Harry Potter

This post is so titled because of all that the HP series has meant to me... J.K. Rowling might have revolutionized the concept of reading and have become one of the richest women in the world, but to me, she is someone who has given us Harry.

I started off reading the books much later than the rest of the world, getting a dirty look here and there for being the most clueless muggle of all time. In fact, I think I saw the first movie on HBO having nothing better to do that night, liked Daniel Radcliffe and the then-Albus Dumbledore Richard Harris, and proceeded on to ravage the books...

Last night I saw the 6th instalment of the films, Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince. The act was preceded by months of waiting, rereading books 1,6 and 7 multiple times, renting movies 3,4 & 5 and cursing Warner Brothers for postponing the movie's release from November 2008 to July 2009 just so they could make more money from it.

Today, I sit here writing this and I am happy to say that this film is not just a 'version' of the book, it is sort of like a tribute, and not a bad one. It dares to introduce additional matter not even in the book, and delete the portions that might be considered of extreme importance. My personal favorite is the one where Rufus Scrimgeour (not even in the movie) tries to convince Harry to play PR Agent for the Ministry of Magic and when refused, accuses him of being Dumbledore's man through and through. Later, Harry relates this incident to the eccentric headmaster, acknowledging that he was indeed Dumbledore's man, and the two sit in each other's awkward presence, uncomfortable because of the young boy's earnest confession of his love for his teacher, rendered teary-eyed by the simple admission.

The penseive trips are limited, and not all of Voldemort's memories collected by Dumbledore are shown, nor are the elves Kreacher & Dobby, or Harry's annoying relatives who Dumbledore gives a piece of his mind to much to my delight. But what you do get to see is a sometimes goofy, sometimes awkward, sometimes 'comfy as home' relationship between Harry and his two best buddies, blossoming love between Harry & Ginny & Ron & Hermione, Horace Slughorn's character amazingly projected by Jim Broadbent and a brooding Malfoy, who is truly in some deep trouble with the Dark Lord! The film is dark, hormone-ridden and neatly put together as a stand alone piece of work, though well connected to the previous films. The opening sequence where Harry stands with Dumbledore in front of hundreds of photographers pulls you in right away.

I don't see why this movie wasn't released last November as it's not your typical wham-boom-bang summer movie anyways. There's some action, yes, but it's boldly sidelined by some genuine acting and very engaging scenes. In any case, it's bound to work it's magic yet again and lead triumphantly onto the next two films.

The magic is in this... Harry Potter is just a boy. He's had an unhappy childhood, and sometimes does things (read 'magic') without knowing why. He's lonely and clueless about who he is and where he comes from thanks to his moronic uncle and aunt. Yet, one day, he finds out that he has a place in the world after all, albeit a different one. And slowly but surely, he goes on to earn the success and praise, which he was born into without understanding why. Along the way, he learns some very precious lessons, about the importance of certain magical acts, about leaving the past behind, about loyalty, about eventuality and about bravery. And in the end, he learns how to audaciously ask the devil himself to try and feel remorse.

It is the fact that he would rather face his archenemy in a graveyard where his friend has just been killed, that saves him, for his wand would never have met Voldemort's if he had tried to make a run for it. It is the lack of desire for glory that makes him give Godric Gryffindor's sword to his best friend Ron to destroy the third horcrux, for only the person who finds the sword must use it against the enemy. It is his sense of loyalty that makes him dig a grave for Dobby, a mere house elf to many, but an old friend to Harry, that makes a sceptical goblin decide to help a mere human break into an institution of his own people. It is the fact that he walks towards death with his head held high, thinking of the last horcrux still left to destroy, that releases him from the torture of having a part of Voldemort's soul attached to his. Such is the nature of bravery. Such is the power of goodness. Such is the magic of Harry Potter.