Pottermaniacs and Potter-posers
Tomorrow, July 11, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix will be
released in Philippine theaters. Moment much awaited by real Potter
fans, moment to be abused by irritating Potter feelers.
Allow me to say this: I AM NOT A HARRY POTTER SLASH J.K. ROWLING BANDWAGON FAN!
Why? Read along…
*I
began reading the Harry Potter series since I was a sophomore in high
school, back their in Nosci. It was our Values Education teacher, a
volunteer who came from USLS, who introduced in our class the brilliant
work by J.K. Rowling. Miss Anna Abalahin said that the book series
brought madness of LaSallians, kids and adults alike. So I began
reading, the first in the series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Diary entry, February 26, 2000
Natapos
ko na ang Harry Potter Book 1. Kanami sang story. Damu ka ma-kwa nga
lessons. Da best gid ya ang Harry Potter! Grabe gid ya ang imagination
ni J.K. Rowling. Imagine, daw sa peho sa iya mag describe unknown to
him (note: that time, I thought J.K. Rowling is a guy) and to us. But
unknown the place is, I want to go there. Grabe ang thrill. And kanami
mag discover secrets. Ka exciting sang mga subjects the Hogwarts
(Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, etc.). I like also the characters
and their friendship. Sana makabasa na ako ng books 2, 3, & 4.
*There
were few of us who were hooked with the fever. Some never bothered to
open the book. some thought the book was diabolical since it’s all
about witchcraft. Myself and the rest of my friends who were, by then,
neophyte Pottermaniacs, felt like being persecuted in the campus. For
our schoolmates and some of the teachers, we had become demonic like
J.K. Rowling herself who was alleged to sell her soul to Satan to get
rich. THE HELL WE CARE! We established our own world, discussed HP to
the max, wished that Hogwarts is real.
If you can spot me in the picture, well, you would scream, "He’s a Pottermaniac!"
*That
time, there was no National Bookstore so it’s hard to find some books
especially HP series. My friend Tintin went to Cebu and bought Harry
Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. OMG! She called me as soon as she
had it. I was the second to read, after her.
Diary entry, March 6, 2000
Yes, makabasa na ko sang Harry Potter 2. Nami ni guro ay? Ano naman ayhan ang matabo?
Diary entry, March 8, 2000
Yes, tapos ko na ang HP2. Da best ang story. Naglantaw ko gali sang gala sang play sang third year students.
Diary entry, March 11, 2000
Balik naman ko sa Victorias. Kanami sang Harrypotter.com. Da best ang mga links.
*It
was the beginning of my madness. HP2 is my fave book in the series. I
was introduced to the literary world. J.K. Rowling was my obsession. I
wanted to be like her. I wanted her autograph. I wished that I could go
to London and meet her. After reading her biography in an issue of
Reader’s Digest, where I learned that she was once poor as a rat, I
desired to be a writer also and get rich with my books.
*I was
the Harry Potter database in the campus. It seemed like I knew
everything in the series, the characters, the places, the spells, the
potions…if one had a problem understanding with the book, they would
just ask me. I’m not bragging but Harry Potter made me famous in
school. I entered the school paper. I wrote a play entitled, The Witch
of Warwick.
For more information about The Witch of Warwick, click HERE.
*The
first HP movie was released last 2001, directed by Chris Columbus.
Months before the showing, I had been constantly viewing some photos
and researching some infos in the internet. Daniel Radcliffe was my
insecurity that time. WHY HIM? Why not ME?! Haha. Duh?! I was crazy to
think of it. Neways, it was a shame in my part to see the film first in
a pirated CD. Damnit, my friends were forcing me to watch it. But then
that weekend, I went to Bacolod and watched the movie in big screen.
T’was better. Trivia: HP and SS was my first movie seen inside a movie
theater. Honest!
A picture of Diagon Alley. I drew this ages before the first HP film, based on my imagination.
My other HP-related drawings.
*With
HP made into a movie, many students in the school got hooked finally
Rowling’s imagination. So came the HP bandwagon fans, the feelers, the
wannabes, the late bloomers. But we’re not history. We’re the officers
of the Harry Potter fans club. We wouldn’t afford to buy the books. But
then, the rich bitches in the campus could have them, now that they’re
fans themselves, so we were able to borrow. In 2001, I was able to read
HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban and HP and the Goblet of Fire. I had
delusion of grandeur. I forced everyone in school to address me with
the name, Cedric Diggory. Nyahaha.
Some HP-related books I made.
we had vacant periods, we would have HP Quiz Bee. Of course, I was the
quizmaster. I made this Quiz manual which I always used. There are four
of them, one for each book.
*The HP and CoS was released
November of 2002. It was my most anticipated movie. To compensate for
my mortal sin of watching the first film with a pirated CD, I wanted to
be the first in the campus to see the movie. Wednesday afternoon,
Geleen (my fellow Pottermaniac) was informed by her sister that the
film was already viewable at Robinsons. OMG! It was pandemonium. It was
impossible for us (Geleen, Kirk, and I), though, since we were in
Victorias. But our desperations led us to truancy, escaped school and
went to Bacolod despite of distance and financial crisis. Woohoo! It
was an escapade I will never, ever forget. We went back to Victorias
that evening. Everyone in the dormitory were speechless as we discussed
the movie with matching sound effects.
My HP tee and pillow. Memorabilia from the first and second film.
*I
thought I would leave Harry in high school. I didn’t. In fact, I took
up BS Nursing so I could go abroad and fulfill my dream of meeting J.K.
Rowling.
*College life was different. Farewell to the
intelligent people of Nosci. In Riverside College, my classmates were
so mature. They didn’t like Harry Potter. They couldn’t relate. They
only mind their love affairs. Argh! I was left with myself talking
about Harry and it was so depressing.
*My HP anticipation
earlier in college was about the fifth book, HP and the Order of the
Phoenix. Whew! It was much awaited because Rowling wrote it for around
three years (she wrote the previous books annually). OMG! T’was thick!
It was released in 2003. I was able to borrow from my friend Mia.
Diary entry, November 25, 2003
I
have good news…I READ ‘ORDER OF THE PHOENIX’! Well, it’s very very
very nice (All works of Rowling are nice). It’s the best! I couldn’t
wait for the next one. Harry have matured, and there are a lot of new
characters. There’s Umbridge, Luna, Kreacher, Tonks, and the villain
Bellatrix. The plot is great. Rowling is a genius.
*June
of 2004, HP and PoA movie was released. Argh! It was, somehow, a
disappointment. Well, it was delayed for two years because the director
was new, and Richard Harris died. The actors had to adapt to the new
set. I was in Candoni the morning of the premiere date. I forced my
parents for us to go to Bacolod so we could watch. We went. We were
late though, we watched the film from the middle and had it repeated.
It was my ugliest HP movie experience. I thought I was the only one
disappointed. My other Pottermaniac friends as well. Some mistakes. So
far from the book. I couldn’t find a thing for HP and PoA but THIS.
*July
of 2005, the sixth HP book, The Half-Blood Prince was out at the
bookstores. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t afford to buy it. Again,
another mortal sin: I downloaded a leakage from the internet. I’ve been
reading for the past days after the release in the book. It was
straining to the eyes. Argh! I had karma, though. A friend of mine,
Nang Cathleen, spoiled me by telling me that Dumbledore’s dead. Argh! I
will never, ever forget her for that. Neways, I was lucky I was able to
borrow a book from my teacher before I finished the story…
Diary entry, July 30, 2005
Mrs.
Flores and I finished everything in the first issue yesterday. It’s now
in the printing process and we will be releasing this Monday. Mom and
Dad went to BH, they will be going to Mambukal with Tita Cita. And
guess what, I got the Half Blood Prince! Borrowed it from Mrs. Flores.
I’m done! The best!
Dumbledore’s dead. Sirius Black’s really dead.
Snape’s the Half-blood Prince. Draco threatened to kill Dumbledore but
Snape did it. Argh! Voldemort’s keeping 7 parts of his soul into these
so-called Horcruxes. Bill was bitten by Fenrir Greyback. Harry in love
with Ginny. Ron in love with Hermione. Filch and Pince? And oh, Remus
and Nymphadora! Haha.
I finished the book after 14 days of its release. Sighs.
*Tenen!
November 16, 2005, I was the seventh in the ticket queue for Cinema 1
of Robinsons. Nyahaha! OMG! Premiere of HP and GoF! I prepared myself
for it. Thank God I had no class that time. T’was great! For my
complete review of the fourth HP movie, click HERE.
*And
we arrive to the present. My two anticipations this year are the HP and
OotP movie and the last book in the series, HP and the Deathly Hallows.
I’m very much excited for the latter, since I’ve been dying to know
what will happen to all the characters in the end. Argh! I wanted to
buy a book, to compensate of my borrowing for the previous ones. But
seems like I couldn’t afford still. Got no job yet. Nyahaha. Neways, I
have already my prospects whom I can have the book borrowed.
A photo with Harry, SM City, Iloilo.
*As
I said, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix premiere’s tomorrow.
I can’t wait. I got to be the first in the queue tomorrow. It will be a
reunion. Relive the magic.
Draco Dormiens Nunquam Tittilandus!
