And 19 years later...

There has never been anything quite like it, and nobody knows whether there ever will be again.

After about 11 hours of reading I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I am still coming down on it. Into reading the first few chapters, my crying face already started to form and when MEM was killed, I couldn't help it. And then there goes H, D, F, T & R (I didn't cry for R as his death came too abrupt but I had always had deeper affection for R).

The first few chapters were gripping where the protagonists have to run away from You-Know-Who. After the wedding where H, R & H went on their own, I felt that it was a little boring. The boredom was occassionally dampened by some new findings, though not very great ones. It started to pick up again when they return to Hogwarts and get ready for the battle. And we get to see some of the old characters again. It's nice to end it at where it all matters.

On a funnier side, I think it's the first time J. K. Rowling uses the B word in her book. Children book. She hasn't used it before has she? What are parents gonna say to explain it? I wonder. But I thank you, J. K. Rowling, first of all for beating the Queen in wealth. Secondly for Harry Potter. The world had never seen such magical power until you came along. We got hooked since.

And a smart move too to bring the ending to 19 years later - J. K. obviously likes to have an ending from the very beginning, whilst finding ways to get there. No matter whoever, if ever there is, writes the in-between, she's got the ending in her hands, just quite like the current Harry Potter series.

It's here

It's 21/07/2007 - the day every Harry Potter fan has been waiting for - the release date of the final book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I woke up at 7.15am this morning, getting ready (still not =P) to go to Borders at 9am.

I think it's a good think that Borders are having celebration at (almost?) each branch and also at Federation Square in the Melbourne CBD, otherwise we might have to wait in a long queue just to pay. Now with all the fans dispersed, I'm hoping to grab my book when the ribbon is cut and head home! Well except I'll have to wait for PJ to sort out her receipt with Borders as she has lost it.

No more speculations, no more waiting, the day is finally here. Thank you J. K. Rowling, for your brilliance.

After the Order of the Phoenix

I watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix last night. I had had high anticipations for this film. Somehow I couldn't help feeling disappointed by the movie. It's not unjustified, given that the books keep getting thicker and the movies aren't. Therefore loads and loads of details had to go and some story lines were time-switched as well. But it's like paying pilgrimages, I had to watch it. I have to watch all the 7 movies.

The starting of the movie was captivating. I seldom don't pay attention to the time when things happen in a book. Or rather my sense of time is totally out of whack. Often it would be at night when I thought the event happened in day time! So the opening scene where Harry and Big D face-off took place happens in the arvo when my memory told me that it'd be at night? No? I think the Dementors have had a make-over since HP3. I thought they looked scarier in HP3.

Loved it when Harry and the members of the Order rode their brooms and raced to the MoM for Harry's hearing. It was exciting to see some broom actions after so long. I really really miss Quidditch in action - which is totally non-existent in this movie. The black shiny walls in the MoM looks more Matrix than HP. I thought they should be less glamourous.

The middle part of the movie, where Harry is back at Hogwarts, is kinda boring. There were funny bits here and there but I couldn't feel the coherence. I have to give my thumb up for the evil, supposedly-toad-like Dolores Jane Umbridge, fantastically played by Imelda something. Her high-pitched sarcastic laughs were timely and just the right amount. Also good job to the design crew as the tone of the pinkiness of her clothes darkens as the movie progresses, showing her true colours exactly.

Watching the movie is like scanning the book using the most powerful scanner, at perhaps 20-pages per second. And sometimes the scanner comes to a sudden halt to take a better resolution at a particular page. I felt jerky at times - like how Professor Trelawny was fired by Umbridge toad, the Weasley boys tearing the exam hall down, Harry getting his first occlumency lesson from Snape, the part where Harry discovered Mr. Weasley was attacked by the snake and his speedy recovery etc.

I was most angry with how unprofessional Hermione had been made. The fine and tricky arrangement for the DA meetings was supposed to be clever and it should belong to Hermione. Yet she didn't get any credits, including how the consequences on the traitor who sold them out. I have always admired Hermione's cleverness and cool use of intellect (to quote Dumbledore in HP1) yet it is hardly felt in the movie.

Even though rather short, the fighting scenes at the MoM were worth waiting for. How the members of the Order and the Death Eaters teleport in puffs of white and black wind, symbolising the fight between good and evil. The firey snake and locking-Voldemort-in-a-ball-of-water were breathe-holding scenes to watch out for. And the field force by Dumbledore when Voldemort directed million pieces of glass at Dumbledore and Harry. Again I don't like the way both J.K. Rowling and the movie killed off Sirius Black. They all seemed too abrupt!

New comers that are worth mentioning - Tonks and Luna. Tonks only got a few minutes of air time, which was a shame really. I think Luna was well played. Dreamy, a bit out there, weird - all of these are right on the money. I did initially think that she would actually be Harry's love interest.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is coming out this Saturday. There'll be a countdown at Fed Square but I don't think my time is worth wasting. I will want to finish the book as fast as I can. I think I have to get ready some Kleenex too and do some serious crying, depending on who else will die.

Really have to thank J.K. Rowling for such fantastic creations that have given the readers worldwide something that'll last forever.

Updated Trailer for HP&TOOP

I'm having chills up my spine as I'm writing this. This youtube clip contains more than the official trailer of the insights to the upcoming movie in July. I think this instalment will be far better than its predecessor, by the look of things. I'm watching it again and again and again until I get a chance to watch it. The battle at the MoM will rival that of Neo-and-Smith and the LOTR. This will be the first time their magical skills put to the test - worse as they have to go up against the already advanced and dark wizards.

Why? I might have to wait for more than 1 week or 2 to watch it after the release date as I'll probably be back in Tanah Merah, Kelantan, Malaysia where there's unfortunately no cinema! And Tiong Hoe, no I won't join you in watching the pirated VCD. Luckily there's Popular Bookshop that I can purchase the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

And the Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando, Florida - I'm sure I'll be still excited when I'm old (like 50) if I have a chance to ever go there! Imagine how happy is JKR's bank manager when s/he was told the generosity of the expected present value of the theme park.

Full Theatrical Trailer of HP5

Here. I haven't been able to find this clip on youtube.

I think I'm gonna sweat like a pig when I watch it in the cinema on July 12. And die again and again 9 days later when HP7 comes out. I'm so excited by such a magical month - imagine the whole muggle world will be anticipating the thrills of 2 massive magical JKRowling spells.

July 12, 2007 - me & Harry!

Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix!