Hogwarts Herald

The other day Emma Watson posted an update on her website. One of the things she mentions is that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows begins doing test shots for Part 1 (remember this one is being released as two movies, i.e. it is broken into Part 1 and Part 2). Sounds like the test shot she is going in for on Monday, January 27, 2009, is mostly costume fitting, making her hair browner, and possibly also some rehearsal. She sounds excited for the shooting of the next Harry Potter movie and seeing Dan Radcliffe and Rupert Grint again, as she has not seen Dan since the summer and Rupert since the autumn.

Other things she talked about in her update is that she is taking the SATs this Saturday. Sounds like she is getting ready to apply to university and that includes some universities in the United States.

Here is an article about Rupert Grint, who plays Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, talking about the Ron and Hermione relationship that takes place in the 7th book. He is dreading the romantic scenes that occur between Ron and Hermione in the 7th book and soon to be in the 7th movie because that means he has to film romantic scenes with Emma Watson. The kiss scene is expected to be part of the filming that begins next month for the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows movies. You would think it would be nothing when Rupert recently did much more graphically romantic acting in the movie Cherrybomb. Apparently, though the idea of a romantic thing with Emma Watson is more daunting.

It sounds like it is more daunting than the more intense scene in Cherrybomb because he has known Emma Watson for much longer than Kimberley Nixon, who he did the scene with in Cherrybomb. He is hoping that Emma will be similarly distracted as Kimberley was when they did the scene in Cherrybomb. He mentions they kept themselves distracted by doing crosswords in between takes on the set of Cherrybomb and that he has a stack of crosswords ready for the upcoming filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I guess even when a scene is just an act it can be nerve racking. It must be hard, though, since he has been doing the movies with Emma Watson for many years now and did not even know about the kissing part until the 7th book came out, but it has been long enough to get ready for it or to think too much about it and get more nervous. Sounds very Ron-like, though, and thus a good way to be in character.

As I was browsing my Harry Potter Google news alert today, I noticed this article about Emma Watson, who plays Hermione in the Harry Potter movies, talking about being skinny. Below is the quote of what she said.

“I don’t think it’s very pretty to be really, really, skinny, It’s not inspirational at all for me. I’m lucky and I’m this size naturally,” the Sun quoted Emma, as saying. “I don’t diet and I don’t aspire to be super skinny. I just don’t think it’s very pretty,” Emma added.

Emma Watson also said she is a foodie and likes to cook, so she would never do good following a diet, anyways. It is nice for once to see that an actress actually thinks that you should not try to be super skinny, but she does seem to think being at least skinny is a good thing because she thinks she is lucky to be skinny naturally. I think she is fine size wise, but I do not think you have to even be skinny to be healthy. I kind of think of the term skinny meaning you are underweight even if just slightly.

The morning after encountering the three headed dog, Ron & Harry were quite excited about their adventure. Neville, on the other hand, just wanted to stay away from them and the danger they seemed to bring along with them, and Hermione just wants to forget it ever happened. She decides that these are not the type of boys she needs to associate with. It is at this point that I began wondering to myself if perhaps Hermione was sorted into the wrong house. After all, Gryffindor is “where dwell the brave at heart”. Perhaps someone of her intelligence and love of learning would have been better suited to Ravenclaw, with the Wise old Raven as their mascot, rather than the brave lion. Anyhow, back to the story. Ron & Harry are spending their free time trying to figure out exactly what might have been in the safe that was now being guarded by a giant monstrosity at Hogwarts.

“It was a horrible sight. Twelve feet tall, its skin was a dull, granite gray, its great lumpy body like a boulder with its small bald head perched on top like a coconut.”

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So many new characters, so many new faces. Where to start?

How about with the Weasley family? In this chapter we meet a mere 4 Weasley brothers, and little sister Ginny. Dad must have been at work at the time because he’s not there seeing the boys off to school. Judging by what we know of Arthur Weasley, I find this a bit odd. He is a very family oriented kind of guy and for him to not send Ron off for his first day seems very out of character for him. Of course by this point we don’t know whay kind of character he has, or even if there is a Mr. Weasley, so it doesn’t really matter.

Mrs. Weasley is the epitome of the loving mother Harry has no memory of ever having. She is cheerful and pleasant, and obviously very caring toward her children, without actually coddling them. In other words, she is the Anti-Petunia. She handles five children, two animals, and lots and lots of luggage without blinking, and actually takes the time and kindness out of her heart to help Harry. Throughout the series we see this over and over. Molly Weasley faces horrors that no mother should ever have to face, and while on occassion we see it waring on her, she always has a smile and a hug for her children. Any children really. One of the greatest scenes featuring Molly, is I think, one of the most powerful scenes in the entire series. It was in Order of the Phoenix, and it is with great dismay that I realized that it was not included in the film. The scene of which I speak, is of course one of great foreshadowing as well, as Molly Weasley faces the boggart. She is found curled up in a ball whimpering, Ridikkulus, over and over again as the boggart changes one by one into each of her loved ones, dead, in one grotesque way or another. By the end of the final battle, she is fortunate to have lost only one of her children, but no mother should ever have to lose any of them.

Speaking of her children…

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To catch up to the current Deathly Hallows question at Scholastic.com…

Will Hogwarts reopen?

I say definitely yes. At what point, I’m not sure. I can’t imagine Hermione being out of class for very long - she’ll organize something. As far as Harry’s pledge to not return - it would seem that some of book 7 will have to deal with his dealing with his “quest” - Hogwarts is as much a character in the book as any person - a permanent closing of Hogwarts would put the entire education of wizards into question.

Question 4 on Scholastic is “who will end up with whom” - I’m going to leave the speculation on that one to you.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Scholastic.com, Hogwarts