I've been meaning to write this post for a while but it's taken some time for me to be anything even remotely coherent about it all. I'm still not sure I am, so I apologise now if I come across as a gibbering wreck of a fangirl.
I think every now and then you experience something that will change you forever. For me, one of those experiences was Thursday July 7th 2011 when I went to the premiere of the final Harry Potter film: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part2.
As a Harry Potter fan this was a dream come true and I can't begin to tell you what an amazing and surreal experience it was. From the moment I got out of the blacked out Mercedes at Trafalgar Square to be knocked backwards by the force of the thousands of screaming fans, I was totally and utterly overwhelmed; I was literally shaking from the adrenalin. From Maggie Smith(!!!) smiling at Ian and I with an "isn't this mad" to being feet away from Ralph Fiennes as we walked the red carpet to chatting with Robbie Coltrane in the bar the whole experience was just totally surreal.
We also went to the after party which was equally surreal and bucketloads of fun: Warner Bros can certainly put on a party! We're not just talking canapes and champagne either, although both of those were avaialable in abundance. We're talking every cocktail you can think of; hog roasts on the terrace overlooking Tower Bridge; stew and mash; a huge BBQ; a chocolate fountain; a sweet shop and a candy floss stand. And live music. Wow. Talk about unforgettable. I met Nat Tena who made me laugh til I could hardly breath and then I danced to her band
(people everywhere, you need to check out the work of Molotov Jukebox because they are amazing: http://www.myspace.com/molotovjukebox )
I chatted with James and Oliver Phelps and Jason Isaacs, I got an albeit very blurry photo with Rupert Grint and I almost died when Darren Criss danced past me - I chatted with him too.
Have some exciting photos (and please excuse my deranged look. ha):
However, more than all of that was the film, which was quite simply: stunning. It went so far beyond my expectations that I could barely see them. I was an emotional wreck from the start: we watched Dan, Emma, Rupert and Jo's speeches before the film started and I was a mess from there and then at various points through the film the audience just clapped and every time that happened I got a lump in my throat because it just hit me that the people I was sat in the cinema with, this was their film and they loved it and I loved it and this was it. The end. & what a fabulous end it was: somebeody somewhere ought to give Alan Rickman an award for this as he made the film his own. From his very first scene he was outstanding and he almost broke my heart. I cried from The Prince's Tale (the added scene with Snape finding Liy's body slayed me) to the end of the film and was emotionally drained for days afterwards.
The scene with Dumbledore at Kings Cross was amazing and the Resurrection Stone scene was just spot on. It was beautiful, so so beautiful (and so good to see Sirius again.)
Neville was amazing, Molly's 'not my daughter you BITCH' was phenomonal, the Ron/Hermione kiss was beautiful and I loved how that happened in the Chamber, Maggie Smith was fabulous beyond words and I can't not mention the Malfoy's because Lucius and Draco were spot on with their 'we're not sure we want to be bad anymore but we're REALLY scared of Voldemort...'
Speaking odf Voldemort, Ralph Fiennes as ever did the most amazing job. I even liked the epilogue which had me rolling my eyes when I read it.
It was just outstanding and the perfect ending to a series that owns the hearts of so many people. I feel privileged to have been a part of it and it will take a lot of beating. Thank you Mark and Emma Williams for taking me with you. You made my life.
