This past weekend, I set off to find Hogwarts. In case you haven’t been paying attention, I am one of the biggest Harry Potter dorks ever. Just for future reference.
This past weekend, I hopped on a plane to Edinburgh, Scotland, the very place where Harry was born, nurtured, and where I’ve grown up with him all these years. I finally got to see the place I’ve only seen in my imagination for the past twelve years.
Me: *sits at computer*
Random person: Excusez-moi, est-ce que vous savez...
Me: Non.
The end is nigh! As you may have guessed from my outburst the other day, the CAF has finally come through and I have some money in the bank. My dad advised me to buy my plane ticket home ASAP as the gas prices are apparently about to shoot through the roof. So.
May 7th. That's the day I'll be back in the US. It seems so soon when you look at it. Less than two months away already. Oh boy. Where did the time go?
Before I go home, I would like to travel some, of course. I'll have about three weeks to travel before heading home. The only definite stop at the moment is Iceland. I'm flying out of Reykjavik (well, Paris to Reykjavik then home) but because of the flight times, if I flew straight from Paris, I'd only have one hour to go through security and all that junk in Iceland. So instead, I'm flying to Iceland a few days early, have a little time to see it, and then I'll be going home.
I really don't know where I want to go. There are still so many places I haven't been. Too many options!
I am, however, going to Edinburgh in a few weeks! I decided to bite the bullet and spend the money. If I don't do it now, when will I? So I'm off in search of Hogwarts, and I have a friend who lives in Scotland that I might see if schedules permit. So, the end is coming, but I will leave with a bang. Only two months. Let's see how much trouble I can get into within that time.
Date: November 10th, 2010
Location: London, the UK
Mission: Stalk the Red Carpet premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Meet the stars. See JK Rowling. Be a complete and utter nerd.
10:30PM
On arriving in Leicester Square, the wind was sharp, the air was cold, and the tents were already up. Some people (those diehard fans who, I hate to say, are possibly more hardcore than me? - is that even possible? I was told by several people this weekend that I was more hardcore than they were even... and I don't even go on mugglenet. crazy!) had been set up since "teatime." The line wound halfway around the square already.
12:00AM
I finally took my place in line, near the end, and the security guard who probably thought we were just as crazy as everyone else divided us up into groups of ten and moved us along the fence. He sat us down near a gate and said, "Sit there and don't move." And don't move we did... for the next nine hours. I made friends with my neighbors, from America, Mexico, and Wales. It turns out that probably about 80% of the crazies camped out overnight were Americans. I suppose most of us saw it as our last chance, and really, it is. There's only one more premiere left and if we don't go now, we miss out on something all of Britain has had for the past six movies.
2:00AM
The cold had set in and I could no longer feel my fingers or toes. We sang songs from A Very Potter Musical/Sequel, drew up ridiculous posters that eventually never made it out of the bag, and huddled together under thin blankets and sweatshirts. A few people managed to sleep under umbrella-made shelter from the wind, and I had to stand up just to get the feeling back in my toes. The drunk hecklers stumbled out of the surrounding clubs, slurringly asking what we were doing, one guy pissing on umbrellas, and a girl, barefoot and stumbling, shouting, "Don't you feel stupid?" Honestly, not compared to you.
3:00AM
A woman from a British radio station I've never heard of came out and interview me and another Australian girl I met there. The questions were standard - How long have you been out here for? Who do you want to see the most? What does Harry Potter mean to you? - My answers were easy - about four hours, Rupert Grint, and I came out here and am sitting in freezing cold because it's my last chance and the end of Harry Potter means the end of my childhood which is depressing when you think about it, and I've been thinking about it far too much lately. She also asked what I would do if I got to meet Rupert, and my answer was something like, "Probably say something stupid because that's what I always do when I meet people like that."
5:00AM
The rain begins. The umbrellas go up. People began to arise and rub the feeling back into their limbs. New (idiotic) security guys arrive and are apparently not briefed on anything. Those not-so-dedicated fans show up and try to cut in line. We send them to the back with only a few snapped words, attempting to be polite after seven hours of waiting already.
8:00AM
The line begins to move. The groups ahead of us were moved up and we were left with a flippant, "Someone will be along," and a person who never showed. We asked the guy in the yellow vest. He knew nothing. He bumbled about different gates. Someone from the group ahead of us came back to tell us people were attempting to shove in ahead. Eventually, Dumb Yellow-Vest guy tells us we were right, and we should move up. We push out the cutters and take our rightful places.
9:00AM
We are finally allowed to enter the all hallowed ground of Leicester Square and get squashed in with little red stamps on the backs of our hands. And then we wait.
And wait.
And wait.
2:00PM
The rain decides to dump everything it's got on us. Umbrellas are squashed together and dripping on everything and everyone is wet and cold and tired, but no one leaves. We discuss how amazing it will be to see everyone, how utterly unbelievable it would be to meet JK Rowling. We discuss the books and characters. We are dorks to the max. It is awesome. We wait.
4:30PM
The red carpet is finally assembled! The press begins to arrive, video cameras tell people to scream over and over again, giving us false hope each time.
5:00PM
It begins.
6:00PM
An hour after the announcement that a star has arrived, they finally enter the red carpet area and it begins for real. The crowd is screaming and squishing and shoving autograph books and papers in front of people who we don't even know at times. My spot is directly behind the interview stage and I get to see Emma Watson, Dan Radcliffe, and Tom Felton way up close. I saw "Neville," "Luna," "Dean," and people who play Padma (or Parvati? Still not sure on that), Jason Isaacs, and new actress who plays Gabrielle.
7:00PM
It ends. We're all exhausted, exhilarated, thrilled, tired, so happy. Nineteen hours later and I don't regret a single thing, well, except perhaps the lack of a tent or sleeping bag.
Would I do it again? YES. Do you even need to ask?
