The Boy Who Lived

Finally, I've seen it. Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince. My verdict?

"Pretty cool. It reminded me of why I devoted myself to Harry Potter."

Fret not. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, I shan't spoil anything here :) Instead, I'd like to look back into my good ol' days of Harry Potter mania. Reminisce with me if you would dear fellow Harry Potter fan (If you're one, that is.)

Infatuated I was. I lived and breathe 'Harry Potter'. There's no other way to describe it, Harry Potter's world was my world. He himself was my world. I remember vividly the days I spent reading the books (over and over) and contemplating it (when I'm not reading the books). My mind was filled with nought except for:

HARRY JAMES POTTER

I was 11 when I first read "Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone". Oh how enlightening it was! My imagination ran wild, racing the words, the sentences painted my world with magic. It was magic alright. Enid Blyton got me to read, but it was Harry Potter that made me dream. I did not know my imagination could fly to such dizzying heights.

Dearest Harry was almost real to me. No, I was not a 'Believer' (Those people who believed that Hogwarts actually existed somewhere, hidden to us Muggles). No. I'm one of the "If only..." type of fan. Meaning, I daydreamt a lot. What Harry Potter fan did not? Haha.

Harry's world was perfectly tangible to me. I felt what he felt, his joys, tears and dilemmas were mine. Harry and I was one and the same. J.K Rowling opened Harry's mind to readers, welcomed them and embraced them. It is an uncanny ability not just any authors possess. She casted a spell with the first page and I was enchanted.

I've even been given a nickname which, in one way or another, binds me to Harry til the end of time; POT. Yes, 'Pot' from 'Potter' of 'Harry Potter'. Why? you ask. It is because I used to lug around a Harry Potter book to school daily since I was 11 til I was 14. Naturally, it caused me some minor injuries. It most certainly is dangerous to read while you walk. Again, you might wonder why 'Pot' and not 'Potter'? Apparently this is because the two syllables of 'Potter' takes too much of an effort to pronouce. So, 'Pot' it is. Who dubbed me with this nickname? Nur Ain Bt. Razali. A very close friend of mine ;)

I shan't elaborate on my nickname anymore. To those who've had the pleasure of addresing with this name, do know that you're the precious people (my family too) in my life whom I'll forever cherish. Now, back to Harry.

SOME say he is nothing much of a hero, merely a protaganist who depends on luck and the people around him excessively. I beg to differ. Harry might depend on the people around him a lot, with a penchant for luck but so do you, and I. He is human. A victim of circumstances. Armed with valor and strength of mind. Harry Potter has chacracter. SOME people tend to overlook his brilliance, they write off his talents in Defence Against The Dark Arts as 'nothing special' as they compare him to Hermione. Ah...no no. I don't want to steer further into these dangerous waters. I'm quite volatile when it involves things that defile my precious Harry.

This is a remembrance of Harry Potter. A celebration, a tribute, to the boy wizard, the boy who lived, the chosen one. To Harry Potter, my childhood hero, my childhood memento. Cheers.

P.S:

I've just found out Warner Bros confirms that Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows (the last installment in the series) will be in 2 parts. Part I will be screened next year (2010) and part II in 2011. Fantastic no?