Why Vanessa Loves Harry Potter:

Wizard Week Ask Joaquin: Triple the Potter Questions!

From Jennifer:  How do you predict that J.K. Rowling will add to the series?

Well, I would love it if she came out with a series of books that followed James and Lily Potter’s generation.  I would like to see them in school with Lupin and Sirius and all that.  Rather than a series of books following the adult Harry, I just think it would be fascinating to see more of the back story to these characters that we already know and love.  In the few memories of James and Lily in their younger days, they just seem like such opposites.  James seems like a jerk actually, so I would like to gain a broader perspective of his character.

But I doubt that will ever happen.  An encyclopedia of the Harry Potter universe has been rumored for some time though, so I’m thinking that might be a logical prediction.  J.K. Rowling has recently announced a new interactive website called Pottermore that’s supposed to fill in a lot of the details that she has in her head that have never been written down.  Here she is explaining what Pottermore will be:  

From Michelle:  What parts are you looking forward to watching in the last movie?

A lot of really exciting things happen in the last half of the seventh book that I am excited to see on the big screen.  The big battle at Hogwarts with the giants and the suits of armor…  Molly Weasley dueling Bellatrix…  The final confrontation between Harry and Voldemort…  SO MUCH ACTION!  I’m also really curious to see how they handle the otherworldly scene at King’s Cross and the epilogue at the end when the kids are all grown up with children of their own.  But the scene I want to see the most is where they explain Snape’s past.  I loved that part in the book so much!  Snape is such a fascinating character!

Honestly, I will probably enjoy every millisecond of this movie.  In fact, this reminds me of a spoof The Onion News Network did.  You should watch it if you haven’t already… it's hilarious!

From Elyssa:  If you were the author of the Harry Potter series and you were able to make some revisions to the plot, what would they be?

It’s really hard to answer this question because I love the Harry Potter books so much!  How could a measly mortal such as I attempt to alter the godlike work of J.K. Rowling?  But since you are so curious, the first thing I would do is have Hermione end up with Victor Krum.  Sure he was a little dimwitted, but he’s a professional Quidditch player!  Come on!  Athletes are stinking rich!

Another change would be to have Ginny end up with Dean Thomas.  Have you seen interracial babies?  They are adorable!  Besides, with Ginny and Hermione both dating other people, it frees up Harry and Ron… so they can fall in love with each other!  It’s so unfair that Dumbledore was the only homosexual character…

Speaking of Harry and Ron together, have you seen this YouTube video yet?  Amazing what a bit of editing can do!

Wizard Week: The Twins Talk Acting

The Guardian recently featured an interview with James and Oliver Phelps who play Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter movies.

SPOILER ALERT:  If you haven't read the books, stop reading!

While the Weasley twins are usually used as comic relief, Deathly Hallows puts them in some serious situations.  In Part 1, George lost his ear in a Death Eater attack.  And in Part 2, Fred will die. Oliver Phelps, who plays George, said, "It was horrible," when asked what it was like pretending his brother was dead.  "I was trying to get myself into this emotional state. You had to put yourself in character, and seeing your brother lying there, pale, was quite hard. I think we did about four takes."

Luckily his brother isn't really dead!  Although I'm sure life would be nicer at times if Oliver didn't have a twin brother.  Sometimes it's hard to be seen as an individual.  They are both trying to further their acting careers, but they don't always want to do things as a duo.  "We want to continue acting but not necessarily together," says James. "We've had a few meetings with casting agents in the States but there is a perception that we come as two. I said I want to do individual stuff and one guy just said 'Oh no, I don't see that happening'. I shut off as soon as he said that, I wasn't interested."

I feel a little guilty that I always refer to them as "the twins" all the time.  I don't even know which one is which.  But even though they resent being seen as a combined unit, they don't regret being cast as the mischievous duo in Harry Potter.  James says, "I'm very aware that I'm lucky to call it my job."

Fred and George Weasley.
Promotional image for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

Why Yasuko Loves Harry Potter:

Wizard Week: Dancing with the Stars

So Brian's mom got me addicted to this most recent season of Dancing with the Stars.  Before that I think I had seen maybe half an episode... yet alone a whole season.  But I was hooked, and one of my favorite contestants was Chelsea Kane from the Disney Channel show Jonas.  She didn't win, sadly, but she did make it into the top three!

So what the heck does Chelsea Kane have to do with Harry Potter?  Well, when she and her partner Mark Ballas danced the Viennese Waltz they performed it to Hedwig's Theme by composer John Williams!  It was so magical... Check it out!

Wizard Week: Four More Online Clips!

Tonight on CNN I watched Harry Potter: The Final Chapter hosted by Larry King.  It featured an exclusive clip of Harry talking to Griphook about the Sword of Gryffindor and the possibility of breaking into Gringotts.  I tried to find the clip online to post here but I couldn't find it!  Sorry guys.

Apart from the ten online clips I posted earlier, I did manage to find four more!

• Clip One:  Draco and his cronies confront Harry in the Room of Requirement (0:51).
• Clip Two:  Voldemort hits Harry with the Killing Curse in the forest (0:29).
• Clip Three:  Ron and Hermione destroy a horcrux in the Chamber of Secrets (1:16).
• Clip Four:  The Trio encounter the Gemini Curse inside of Bellatrix's vault (0:49).

Why Kathi Loves Harry Potter: