The end is near… for the Harry Potter film franchise, that is, asHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 appears in cinemas starting November 18, while Part 2 will cap off the series in July 2011.
To celebrate the book on which the two movies are based, local fan group Hogwarts Philippinessponsored a discussion on November 6, which was attended by their members, other Harry Potter fans, and students of a J.K. Rowling literature elective at De La Salle University-Manila.
Book-to-film adaptation has always been a hotly-debated issue among fans of the series, especially in the case of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, since there is a lot of pressure to adequately tie-up all the loose ends. So I asked 7 fans of the series which scenes in the last book they think are important to include in the film, and which they will be disappointed at not seeing.
“I open at the close."
Abigail Ann Co, a member of Hogwarts Philippines, chose an emotional scene towards the end of the book where Harry finally figured out how to open Dumbledore’s bequest to him, the Golden Snitch. Inside, he found the Resurrection Stone, the Deathly Hallow that would allow him to call on his dead loved ones.
“This was, for me, the most emotional scene in the book after all that had transpired," said Co. “It was sad but at the same time comforting to know that as Harry walked to his death, he would be accompanied by no less than the four people he loved most."
Harry Potter faces the greatest battle of his life. Photo from Warner Brothers
“Not my daughter, you…"
The scene that made many a fan cheer loudly as they were reading saw Molly Weasley rushing to the aid of her daughter Ginny as she was fighting off the merciless Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange during the Battle of Hogwarts.
DLSU student John Daniel Salonga said “cutting the scene means that they are not giving importance to details of how everyone took part in the battle." And while the fans particularly loved how Molly’s remark was worded, Salonga says it is perfectly acceptable if the filmmakers toned it down to “Not my daughter, you witch!"
He probably won’t be disappointed, as the filmmakers are not likely to skip depicting the demise of one of Voldemort’s most valued servants.
Dobby: A Free Elf
Beginning with the death of Albus Dumbledore in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling systematically severed many of Harry’s enduring relationships to prepare him for his final battle, and one of the series’ more heart-wrenching casualties was Dobby the House Elf. In the last book, he died while helping Harry and his companions escape the Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor.
Jea Olfato of DLSU says she looks forward to seeing the depiction of the house elf’s death. “I've loved Dobby since the second book so I really cried when he died. Rowling wrote Harry's grief so beautifully that I felt like I was reading my own emotions."
Dobby performs the ultimate sacrifice. Photo from Warner Brothers
Love amidst the war
Hogwarts Philippines member Lianne Simbul admits she doesn’t have a particularly meaningful answer to the question, but the kiss between Ron Weasley and HermioneGranger during the Battle of Hogwarts really is the scene she has been waiting so long for.
“It's shallow, yes, but this is the one moment I've been waiting for since the first book," she said. “J.K. Rowling, ever the tease, decided to put it in Deathly Hallows and in the last part no less!"
Unforgivable
Rowling elective student Luan Chan chose a chilling moment in the book when Harry cast an Unforgivable Curse for the first time as he saw a Death Eater spit on Professor McGonagall’s face. This scene is significant because it illustrates the nature of the war against Voldemort and to what extent Harry and the defenders of Hogwarts must go to defeat him—in this war, there is no room for disarming spells; one must aim to hurt or kill, and one must truly mean it.
“I’m sorry!"
Professor Frances Sangil, who is a member of Hogwarts Philippines, and who also teaches the Rowling literature elective at DLSU, wants to see the memory of young Severus Snape as he fervently apologizes to Lily Potter for calling her a “mudblood". Among all the memories that Snape left for Harry to see, this is one of the most poignant, as readers finally witness just how much Snape cared for Lily and sought her approval. Prof. Sangil adds, “That was one of those scenes that made every reader love, no, adore, Severus Snape."
Severus Snape dies a painful death. Photo from Warner Brothers
“Look at me."
It is perhaps fitting that the last of Harry’s protectors to fall at the hands of Voldemort is Severus Snape, Dumbledore’s most trusted and loyal ally. And Rowling gave him one of the most painful deaths in the series, a scene that DLSU student Anjelica Sanchez says she must absolutely see.
“When Snape's life was ebbing away from the floors of the Shrieking Shack he told Harry to look at him one last time so he could die looking at Lily's eyes," she explains. “It was beautifully composed and it really hit home for me. I do hope they capture this moment in the film just the way J.K. Rowling wrote it."
There are a lot of exciting moments in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows to look forward to, all of which are important to fans and have affected them in different ways. As the filmmakers prepare to close the curtain on the Harry Potter film franchise, fans can only hope that these moments will make it to the big screen, and that the film will provide a satisfying closure to what is indeed “the movie phenomenon of a generation".- GMANews.TV
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