The magic is about to return

I’ve never vandalized a bathroom stall, but I sure like reading the bold scribbles of the previous occupants.
My current PG-rated favorite is “Sirius Black/Remus Lupin 4Ever.”

Practically all of us on this campus are legal adults, and yet we still reference our childhood heroes/fictitious, middle-aged heartthrobs.

On seeing this Sharpie-message, I realized that the next Harry Potter movie is just around the corner.

Indeed, in a mere fortnight on Nov. 19, the much-anticipated “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I” will be shown in theatres.

I’ve watched the movie’s two trailers online, but my computer’s sound system is shoddy, so I couldn’t actually hear anything. Makes me wish I were a witch.

I believe the correct spelling would be “Reparo,” but perhaps “Fixo la computadora” would do the trick.

It’s rather surprising how similar the silent Harry Potter trailers are to the ones playing the song “Hedwig’s Theme.” Sound or no sound, I can still tell what the characters are saying, and I can tell when they are screaming.

For instance, trailer No. 2 shows Lupin pushing Harry in a very rough and frightened manner. And, without actually hearing his voice, I know that Lupin bellows “Go!”

The only sounds to hear are the whizzing and hum of my struggling computer hard-drive; nevertheless, I can understand the secret language of the Harry Potter action sequences.

It’s like speaking Parseltongue, only there aren’t any snakes, and I’m not
actually speaking.

In another shot, Harry and Ron Weasley are bickering, and by reading their lips, I know that they each say something with the word “fight” in the dialogue and that Ron says, “Your parents are dead!” in a British accent. There’s lots of wand-waving and clouds of smoke and sparkles, too.

And a couple views of Potter, Weasley and Hermione Granger walking on a mountaintop and alongside a lake bear a striking resemblance to every third shot in “The Fellowship of the Ring.”

Whether the Ministry of Magic is acknowledging it or not, Voldemort has returned (again, surprise), and he wants to kill Harry all by himself to regain his power, be evil and prove that love is naught.

Of course, Harry Potter movie No. 7 (Part I) will outshine all of our expectations.  How can it not? It’s not like we’ve seen Voldemort try to kill Harry yet. That should be exciting.

I’m sorry to say, but really, movie seven won’t be much more than a cute riff on the same old plot.

At least the setting will be new. Instead of another painfully uneventful school year at the Hogwarts castle, apparently Harry’s taking a gap-year with Hermione and Ron. They’re backpacking around the British countryside.

Like all the others, this movie looks fun. Not too intellectually challenging, but they’re not “Dora the Explorer” either. Still, (like most) I prefer the books.

Naturally, I’ve read them all.

I might have even played make-belief Hogwarts once and awhile in my pre-teen days, but who’s to say for sure?

I definitely cried when Sirius died.  

Yes, I grew up in a pagan household, where the sinful script of J.K. Rowling was read beside the fireplace, and as a kid I was encouraged to play and pretend.
It seems not much has changed. I grew up with the Harry Potter craze, and it’s still lingering in my psyche.

Odds are I’ll probably be in the middle of one of those crowded theaters in two weeks, sitting next to a 6 year old who couldn’t spell “Avada Kedavra” if their life depended on it.

But that doesn’t phase me. The Harry Potter movies are about the kick-off for the holidays. It means having my childhood memories greet me on the big screen, even if the dialogue is sappy.

I’m looking forward to seeing Luna Lovegood again. Her lines, at least, have always been stellar.

Then again, nothing can top the famous Hagrid-quote: “Yer a wizard, Harry.” 

In the past, I’d resolved to re-read each book before seeing its respective movie. Now I just don’t have the time.

I guess that’s just part of growing up.

It’s probably better this way. I still know the books are better than the movies, but this time in the theater, I won’t be as disappointed about the movie leaving something out.

I’ll be able to better appreciate the live action hullabaloo, though I’ll always remember: draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.


E-mail: paihenry@indiana.edu