Expecto Patronum: The Deathly Hallows
With 20 days until the release of The Deathly Hallows and 2 more days left in October, we’ve hit our final blog in our Harry Potter Series: our expectations for the new movies. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading them, as much as we’ve enjoyed lots of movie time! Look forward to our individual reviews of The Deathly Hallows in the next couple of weeks!
Play catch up:
- Week 4: Order of the Phoenix & The Half-Blood Prince
- Week 3: Prisoner of Azkaban & Goblet of Fire.
- Week 2: Sorcerer’s Stone & Chamber of Secrets
- Week 1: Our Harry Potter beginnings.
Funfetti: It’s not so often that I look forward to seeing a movie in theater and actually GO see it. Most of the time, I just say to myself (or others) that I’ll wait until the movie comes to Netflix. As the month of October comes to an end, I realize I’ve only been to the movies three times this year (only once with Mr. FF). By the end of the year, the number should climb up to five (with the additions of The Deathly Hallows and Tangled). Such a change from being in high school when I used to go to the movies all the time!
My lack of movie-going actually builds up my hope for The Deathly Hallows even more; it becomes more of an event then just something to do on a Saturday night. Plus, it’s one of the only movies Mr. FF and I can agree on, passionately! That’s a big deal in our house! Anyway, at this point, I’m finally allowed to discuss The Deathly Hallows at home because Mr. FF has officially finished rereading it. Thank God! It’s hard to keep all of these thoughts to myself!
While it’s a given we are both looking forward to see Harry’s final showdown with Voldemort, there are quite a few other details I am hoping will be fully explored:
- There were too many missed opportunities in the finale of The Half-Blood Prince. I really hope we open up with a few of the scenes we missed. (Dumbledore’s funeral, Ginny and Harry ending their relationship, etc.)
- The goodbye scene with the Dursley’s. (I find this surprisingly emotional.)
- Harry returning to 12 Grimmauld Place, discovering his mom’s letter and the picture of him as a child flying around on a broom.
- Harry and Hermione visiting Godric’s Hallow.
- Any of the Dumbledore flashbacks.
- If Ron and Hermione’s kiss will indeed happen near the end of second movie, or if they move it up.
- So curious about the scene where Harry’s parents, Sirius, and Lupin return through the Resurrection Stone. (I cried during this part of the book.)
- Curious about the many locales the trio visits throughout their adventures. We are no longer limited to Hogwarts and the area surrounding it.
Let’s be real: this list could go on forever, and we don’t have time for that! In the end, I’m hoping that these last two films are a proper sendoff for some of my favorite literary characters. I never thought I would be so attached to the movies at all, even after completing this month’s COC series. And while I know I will probably read the books more often in my lifetime than watch the movies, I have come to realize that these faces have really shaped and enhanced my reading of the entire collection.
Red Velvet: After watching The Half-Blood Prince, the first thing I did was go online and watch all the TV clips about The Deathly Hallows that I could find. While I’m always excited for the next Harry Potter movie, it’s different this time. It’s the beginning of the end and I think more than ever, there’s a lot of pressure to get this movie right.
I want to see Harry, Hermione and Ron receive their “gifts” from Dumbledore. Watch them make sense of it all as they head off to find (and destroy) the Horcruxes. I know I’m going to love (and be afraid) when they: infiltrate the Ministry of Magic, break into Gringotts and face off against Bellatrix Lestrange and the rest of the Death Eaters. I’ll hate when Ron leaves but feel relieved when he returns. Find the moments that Harry and Hermione share alone sweet and sad (Did you hear about the new scene in the movie where they dance together? Ah!). And the final battle. I think it goes without saying that I will be shedding lots and lots of tears by the end of that.
Of course, that’s if it’s all done right. And I honestly believe it will be. (This is me trying to be optimistic. But they haven’t let me down yet.)
I do have one gripe about the last two movies. I know, I know - I haven’t even seen them yet, what could I possibly say? Well…I hate that Part 1 and Part 2 are being released a whole seven months away from each other. It’s one book! Therefore the parts are supposed to be seen fairly soon after the other. Like maybe three months away, but not seven. If the wait feels long right now, I’m sure the next wait will feel even longer.
More than anything, I just want the movies to do the book justice. Because I remember how I felt while reading it and I hope that when I see it on screen, it evokes those same feelings - suspense, sadness, joy. After nearly 10 years of having Harry Potter movies to look forward to, it wouldn’t be right if it didn’t go out with a bang.
