Potter mania returns: The story till now

Sushmita Dutta Alohomora!!! Lo and behold, gates of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are open again. The Hogwarts Express is ready to chug along once more from platform 9 and three-quarters (it’s between Platform 9 and 10, if you didn’t know). Get ready for the sixth dose in the Potter series-Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince has hit screens and is charming the audiences.Never in the recent past has a writer made such an impact on the minds of not only the kids but elders too. JK Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, disapparates (in the world of magic this word means – disappear) people to a world of magic- literally. The story of a young boy with his loyal friends taking on the evil immediately touched chords, and the series books catapulted to the crescendo of success. The first book ‘Harry Potter and the Philosophers Stone’ was out in 1997. What followed was frenzy: Seven books in the series and all have broken all sale records. With such a fantastic story, Hollywood just could not wait! ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ The first of the movies was completed in 2001. The plot begins with ‘The boy who lived’, after surviving a death curse from the Dark Lord Voldemort, being shifted to his aunt’s house in a quiet London neighbourhood by Professor Dumbeldore- that wise & powerful master of the Hogwarts magic school. Potter lives till his eleventh year, knowing nothing about his magical powers and world, in utter humiliation and ill-treatment at the hands of his relatives, who try their best to stamp out his special nature. On his 11th birthday, a giant named Rubeus Hagrid comes to whisk him away and gives Harry Potter his identity. Thus begins a fantastical adventure that has spawned millions of fans and six films so far. The images that come up are fantastic and absolutely magical. The image of the Hogwarts Express, the Diagon Alley, the wizard bank Gringotts, the House-dividing ceremony by a speaking hat are absolutely mind-blowing. Warner Bros. had to search extensively for a director to shoot this film. After directors like Spielberg, Terry Gilliam and Alan Parker refused; the charge was given to Chris Columbus. After many auditions, the characters were found, with Rowling reportedly asking the producers to take an all British cast. Daniel Radcliff thus plays Harry Potter, Rupert Grint his friend Ron Weasley and the role of Hermoine Granger went to Emma Watson. The movie faced some opposition from some among the Christian community, who alleged that the movies explicitly spread stuff life dark magic, sorcery etc. It was met by fans with banners ‘We Are Not With You’ in the West. The movie won three Oscar nominations for art direction, costumes and music score, but lost to Moulin Rouge and The Lord of the Rings. Philosopher’s Stone grossed $974,733,550 and still counting. ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ The series continues in its second serving: Chris Columbus was still its director and the filming started just three days after the release of the first edition. The Chamber of Secrets is Harry’s second year at Hogwarts. It begins with Harry being flown out on a dark night by his friends in a flying car and ends with the killing of a giant serpent which is a remnant of Lord Voldemort’s dark days at the school. Hogwarts becomes suddenly very unsafe and word spreads about the opening of the ‘Chamber of Secrets’. Harry, then, with the help of his friends decides to get to the bottom of the secret which has led to Dumbledore being forced out. For the first time, he finds out that some wizards have a sense of prejudice to the non-magical families or Muggles. The symbolic message of racial-bias was not missed by the audience. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets made a cool US$878,643,482 at the Box Office. ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’ The character played by Professor Dumbeldore had to be changed due to the sudden demise of Richard Harris. Fans bid their favourite professor a tearful adieu worldwide. The role then went to Michael Gambon. The story begins with fleeing of a prisoner, Sirius Black, from the wizard prison at Azkaban. It is believed that he was the betrayer because of whom Potter’s parents were killed. The screen fills up with horrific images of the guards of Azbakan- the Dementors, who feed themselves on the positive thoughts of people and spread despair. Harry learns the secrets of his parent’s death, their friend circle and is able to see the fight that lies before him. In this film, he begins to learn some advanced dark magic techniques. Visual spectacle turns the dark, villainous and treacherous alley in this movie. However, this film is not directed by Chris Columbus, but by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron. It is often believed that Prisoner of Azkaban has been the most deftly directed of all Harry Potter movies. They said it was from this third installment that the films really matured. It went on to win Oscar nominations for best Music Score and Visual Effect categories, but lost again in the best film category. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban grossed US$795,634,069 at the BO. ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ The movie starts with Harry and his friends excited about the Quidditch World Cup. They thoroughly enjoy the match, but it ends with the followers of the Dark Lord causing frenzy among the visitors. This is the first sign that Voldemort just might be getting ready to make a come back. At the school though, something exciting is waiting to happen. Hogwarts is playing host to the Triwizards Tournament, in which other wizarding schools participate. The contestants for this cup are chosen by the ‘Goblet of Fire’, and the Goblet mysteriously throws up Harry Potter’s name. Harry now must compete with all others through three difficult tasks including fight with dragons, rescuing their loved ones from sea-creatures and solving a live maze. It shows the audience a grown-up teenager in Harry, who is ever ready to scream and kiss. The movie ends with return of Lord Voldermort and the battle of good & evil coming into an open arena. This time the movie was directed by Mike Newell, the famed director of Donnie Brasco. It earned US$895,921,036. ‘Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix’ The fifth edition of the series begins with the return of the Dark Lord, Voldemort. ‘Order of the Phoenix’ is a secret society of good wizards, which has united to take on the Dark Lord, who rose in the last film. The Ministry of Magic doesn’t agree with the ways of Dumbledore and in order to reinforce its stand appoints a sickeningly sweet and evil Dolores Umbridge as the chief at Hogwarts. The movie ends with Harry and his friends fighting the Death-Eaters. The Order comes to their rescue and their stand is vindicated in a wondrous show of wizardry and special effects. David Yates, the director of the fifth venture, brought a different kind of life to Hogwarts and its characters. Impressed by Yates, Warner Bros handed him the all the remaining parts of the series. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix collected a fabulous amount of US$938,212,738! ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ And this summer brings the much awaited sixth edition of the movie series, the story of the ‘Half-Blood Prince’. In this movie, the war between Potter and Voldemort is in the open and gets serious like never before. Dumbledore takes back Harry into the past of the Dark Lord to make him realize why he has become thus. Harry also realizes the terrible secret that Voldemort has divided his souls into seven parts and it is essential to destroy all these ‘Horcuxes’ before one can finish off Voldemort. And in one such search the mighty wall of Hogwarts, Professor Albus Dumbledore falls and Harry is on his own. ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ The Deathly Hallows will be the last part in the Pottermania. But due to the length of the story as also the fact that more movies mean more money, Warner Bros. have decided to produce it in two parts. Deathly Hallows will be a full fledged war. It will bring the whole story a full circle as Harry Potter will come face to face with Voldemort himself and the wizarding world cracking up in two. No movie ever in Hollywood history has generated so much hype and curiosity as the Harry Potter series; the money has expectedly also been whopping. No surprise then that Harry Potter series second highest grosser ever, the first being the James Bond series. On its completion, every Potter fan will miss the characters whom they have grown to love, adore, hate and wait for with great expectations in every flick.