Fan Focus: Tracy – October 9, 2011

11-year-old Slytherin Tracy from the United States

First off, how did you become a Harry Potter fan?

When I was nine years old, before I started reading the books, I walked into my den and found that my brother was watching TV. I asked what he was watching, and he said he it was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. I never thought I’d like Harry Potter, but it looked a bit interesting, so I continued to watch. Eventually, I began to realize that this was actually really good. At one point, my brother told me to leave in case I ever read the books – he didn’t want to spoil me. I didn’t want to leave, so he suggested that I find the first book and start reading. After searching for a while, I found it in my brother’s bookcase. I took it into my bedroom and started to read. After the first chapter, I decided that this was the best book that I had ever read. I kept going until my mom came upstairs to my room and told me that it was time to go to bed.

Deathly Hallows Part Two!! Loved it? Hated it? Thoughts?

I absolutely loved Deathly Hallows: Part 2. The movie struck the perfect balance between adventure and emotion, just like the books. The Battle of Hogwarts was the perfect end for the saga, and the movie portrayed it perfectly. I especially loved the scene where Molly Weasley killed Bellatrix Lestrange. The way they were dueling, even just the way they moved their wands, showed that they were angry at each other beyond words and that they were aiming to kill. It was perfect acting on the part of Julie Walters and Helena Bonham Carter. The epilogue, too, was executed perfectly. The actors and actresses that were chosen for the kids were absolutely amazing. It was just how I imagined it. I did think, however, that the 3-D didn’t add much to the movie. At times, I actually forgot it was there.

What were your favorite scenes that were straight from the book?

I really liked the scene where Harry talked to Dumbledore in King’s Cross Station. The scene that possibly touched my heart the most out of any scene in the movies was the Prince’s Tale. I was especially touched by the part where Snape holds Lily’s dead body. It must be terrible to lose a loved one, and Snape obviously loved Lily with all his heart.

What scenes that were changed did you liked? Disliked?

I really liked the scene where Professor McGonagall uses Piertotum Locomotor to animate the armor. It added some intensity to the scene. When Professor McGonagall said, “I’ve always wanted to use that spell,” it added just the right amount of humor. I also liked the part where Neville made his speech to Voldemort about how Harry lived on in all of his friends’ hearts. In the beginning of the series, Neville never really seemed like a brave person. As the series went on, you could see him getting a little bit braver with each movie. This scene really topped off that growth, sending the message that Neville truly was a brave individual. I think that the fans definitely gained a sense of respect for Neville after that.

The WB says they are pushing hard for DH: P2 at The Oscars this year! What do you think Potter deserves to be nominated for, and what do you hope it would win?

I think that Alan Rickman definitely deserves to win best supporting actor. His performance was particularly amazing in the scene where Snape died. You would be hard-pressed to find an actor that could act out his character’s death as realistically as Alan Rickman did. I also think it deserves to win best picture. Every scene is epic and keeps you on your toes. So much emotion is poured into this film, it kept me and the rest of the audience laughing, crying, and cheering.

Now that all eight films are out, how to feel about the movie series as a whole? Favorite? Least favorite?

I absolutely loved the movie series! My favorite film out of the eight is definitely Deathly Hallows: Part 2. As I explained before, it was the perfect end to the series. My least favorite film was Half-Blood Prince. They skipped a lot of main plot points, like a lot of Harry and Dumbledore’s meetings in Dumbledore’s office and Harry trying to get into the Room of Requirement to see what Malfoy was doing in there. All the films were great, though!

Do you have anything else you’d like to add? Maybe a theory you still believe to be true, a shout-out, praise for yours truly?

First, I would like to give a shout-out to my friends, Mary and Grace. I had so much fun going to the premiere of Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with you! From dressing up in costume to the two-hour wait for the movie to start to the climax of the night – the movie – we sure had a great time! Secondly, many Harry Potter fans have recently been saying that, “Harry Potter is over.” I am speaking from the bottom of my heart when I say that Harry Potter will never be over. Every time we reread the books or re-watch the movies, we learn something new that we missed the first time we read or watched them. There is always more to learn about the characters and the Wizarding World as a whole. We can always write fan-fiction and Wizard Wrock. Never, ever let anyone tell you that Harry Potter is over, and always say always.