Potter Mania

By Annabelle Chua

What and where are the other Horcruxes?

Who will end up with whom?

Who will live and who will die?

These are just some of the many questions lingering in the minds of the millions of fans of the boy wizard all over the world. Well, this July marks milestones in Hogwarts history: the opening of the movie version of the fifth book in the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, and of course, the release of the final (and probably most anticipated) book in the seven-part-series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

This double-treat has made plenty of Potter fans excited – and with proof. In Japan, the theatre was packed during the advanced screening, while hundreds more waited outside for the chance to get a glimpse of Daniel Radcliffe, the actor portraying the boy wizard. Here in the Philippines, tickets for its opening night (July 11, Wednesday) are selling like hot cakes. Reservations for book seven of the series, on the other hand, set to be released on the 21st of June all around the world, are increasing despite the book’s steep price. ‘Potter mania’, so to speak, is definitely in the air.

In the movie, Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson all return to the big screen as Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione on their fifth year of education in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lord Voldemort is back and more evil than ever; however, except for a select few, the rest of the wizarding world is refusing to acknowledge his return. The movie, directed by David Yates, shows the tumult of Harry’s fifth year – his scholarly efforts, his tumultuous lovelife and his many adventures – some of them tragic – and promises to be both entertaining and tear-jerking at the same time.

The seventh book, on the other hand, is a different story. The question that the whole world is asking right now is: does Harry get to live or not? With Albus Dumbledore dead and gone, Harry has to fend for himself and to kill Voldemort – or get killed himself. How will Lord Voldemort’s evil finally be destroyed? And, of course, another question in the mind of loyal fans is: who ends up with whom? Will Ron and Hermione fall for each other? What about Harry and Ginny’s relationship, will it flounder or soar? The answers to all these questions, and sadly, the end of our seven-year journey with Harry, are unveiled on the 21st of July. With the release of the seventh book comes the end of the Potter saga that has captivated the minds and hearts of millions of readers worldwide.

Having grown up with the incredibly thick Potter books by our bedside tables, it is inevitable that some of us will feel both exhilarated and sad with the release of the last book of the series. We have, in fact, gotten used to happily reading his secrets and eagerly anticipating his next adventures. In a way, Harry is a part of us Potter fans. The end of the saga gives us a feeling of loss, of sadness, and of course, of longing for more.

Not to worry though. Though Harry’s adventures may have ended in print, two more movies are still coming up, and they definitely promise to amaze and enthrall all Potter maniacs. AND, get this: just last May, Potter creator J. K. Rowling approved the creation of a Harry Potter theme park. So to all Potter fans out there, keep your heads up, and don’t look glum, because though the book series has ended, the world of magic hasn’t – it is, in fact, just about to come to life.