Dear Reader
This post is going to be long, very long. How else do you sum up the feelings that stir in you when you revisit your childhood? (Nevertheless, I shall divide it into several parts, so that you can come back if you wish to)
Yes, I am a Potter fan and more – it is the basis of a lot of values and thinking methodologies that I carry in life today. This post is going under several headings for the same reason. Without further ado, let me delve into the story of July 31, 2016.
Harry Potter and the Adventure in the Daylight
Since I live several hours from the Greenwich observatory, The Cursed Child sales were to begin at 11:00 am in my city. I could barely contain my excitement and reached the nearest bookstore, where I had pre-booked my copy, before time. My first reaction was disappointment – no decorations, no queues and NO SIGN OF THE BOOKS!! 😦 After two hours of wait (wherein I cried over how others would read the story before I did) there were still no books. At 12.55 am, I made a dramatic exit from the bookstore, realising that the time to move my butt over to a more up-to-date store, had arrived. Frantically, I made my way outside, into the sunny and dusty street. I called up every bookstore in a 20km radius to find out which one of them had the books. Several denied having it until finally, a kind old man from a store 10kms away, responded with a positive. Two bus journeys, a short walk and several tears later, I reached the holy temple. I picked my copy and was ready to run out and find a cab to take me home.
Old Uncle: 1000 rupees
Me: (taking out money)
Old Uncle: So easy to fool people these days! It’s only 700 rupees. You were ready to pay extra?!
Me: It’s Harry Potter!
With that he smiled, we chatted a little more, he clicked my picture in front of his decorated shelves (Thank God!) and I exited the shop, clutching my jewel in hand, at 1.55 pm. (The book is priced at Rs. 899 but I like to believe that he gave a me a crazy-fan discount) 🙂
However, one observation disappointed me. Upon asking Uncle how many copies of the book had been sold before I arrived, he told me I had the 16th copy. (He said 15 or 16, but 16 is my favourite number, hence, I believe it was 16).
Three hours since the books went to sale, merely 16 copies are sold at this particular (quite popular) shop. Interesting.
Harry Potter and the Haunting Thoughts
I remember a time, before Facebook and Twitter, when Harry Potter fans connected over Veritaserum and Mugglenet. I remember pre-ordering the books at a local bookstore (in a much smaller city than the one I currently live in) and getting free HP posters and bookmarks with the same. I remember when I was scared to read the newspaper or watch news on TV, for these mediums ran special segments on Harry and Jo; I was scared they would disclose a secret that should only be experienced as beautiful words in pages. I also remember getting angry until I would reach the decorated bookstore, so that no one would read my favourite story before me, yet calming down immediately when I got the book.
So, was it I, who did not follow the news closely enough to find traces of Potter in it? Or was it us, who did not bother enough for the glimpse into Harry’s adult life? Not nineteen, but nine years later, I am still the 13 year-old girl who cried at the beginning of the end. My life may have turned 180 degrees, but I still love coming across another fascinating secret in Jo Rowling’s brilliant mind.
I agree that The Cursed Child isn’t a Harry Potter book, per se, but it is still the magic that we loved. It is the like the revelations that kept us going through Pottermore, until the very end. (I am MugwumpAuror16063, for those who get it). It is the craziness of completing the JKR collection, of which each tale displays the writer’s flair for interweaving bravery and morality in the lives of well-rounded characters. At a time when we have the tools to declare our love for the magic we grew up with, it disheartens me to see that some of us think of the story as a tactic to earn more money or fame. We get critical of a format, which serves its own purpose rather well. We forget that this is not a desperate attempt to thrive on the brand, but an opportunity to give everyone access to the story at the same time.
I do not criticise another’s opinion but merely state my own; because, I for one, know that even nineteen years later, if there is even the trace of a story, be it about Peeves, I will be there to get my hands on it, with the same childlike fascination, that hooked me on to the series at the age of seven.
Harry Potter and the Magical Tale
As much as I crave for Rowling’s writing, I cannot help but marvel at how beautiful the production of The Cursed Child must be.
As always, allow me to enlist three things I liked the most about this reading experience.
I read an article recently, which questioned why Harry couldn’t just rewind time and save his parents, thus altering his own fate. I like how The Cursed Child explores this scenario. In The Prisoner of Azkaban, Dumbledore warned how perilous it could be to play with time. As Harry relives his tragic past in this one, we witness his evolution from an orphan to a man with a loving family and strong values. Harry made a future for himself and I admire him for that.
I appreciate the fact that this is a script book. Even though I would be just as excited at its prospect, I would enjoy another JKR novel a little less, if its focus was shifted to anyone other that Harry. As a play, this instalment is a tiny glimpse into the life of our favourite characters, that allows us to understand that they lived a satisfying life after their many travails. Had it attempted to draw from where it was left at, it would not be just as convincing to me.
Finally, I loved this read, because well, it’s Harry Potter! I didn’t REALLY need a reason to pick it up!
Harry Potter and the Story One Week Later
I have to admit, I was waiting for the right frame of mind before I began writing this post. I hope you liked reading it. I had immense fun writing it, and unlike most times, I had enough emotions (hence, content) to keep me going for nearly 2 hours. I did not face a writer’s block at any point during this post.
I also want to share the story of another visit to a third bookstore. This happens to be one of the most popular bookshops in my city. Six days after the book release, I was glad to see models of Hogwarts and cardboard cutouts of the book cover. Makes me wonder if I should have queued up at this place on the morning of the 31st. If only distances and traffic weren’t such pressing issues in the adult life!
A sincere thank you for reading this post. It means a lot to me 🙂
Mehul Smriti Raje 