How and when did you get in to Harry Potter?
I have to admit, the first time I heard word of the Harry Potter series, I wasn’t swayed into liking it. In fact, I downright avoided it because I didn’t want to be seen as a mainstream, gutter rat. However, about two years ago (the first movie having just arrived in theatres), when I was back in high school, I found myself home alone on a Friday night studying for my History final. I ran upstairs for something to take my mind off of the grueling three hour revision. ‘Lo and behold, I found Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and, because of the short length of it, got to reading. Suffice to say, I finished the first book that night and ended up cramming the day before the exam. I wound up with a measly ‘B’, but it was worth it. With the Harry Potter series and me, it was love at first page.

Which Harry Potter book is your favorite?
Well, I’ll be frank in saying that even though I adore all the books, The Prisoner of Azkaban is my favourite. After reading the first and second books, I thoroughly believed that Harry would never have survived without the help of his friends (i.e. Ron’s help through wizard’s chess, Hermione’s help with logic, and Fawkes’ rescue with the sorting hat). In my opinion, I felt that this book was the first time Harry had ever shown his own true powers. The patronus he conjured was from his own strength and this showed me that Harry Potter did have the ability to fight evil without help - that he was indeed a true hero. The other thing I really liked about this book was the dark secrets of his family’s past; what makes a really suspenseful read (compared to the others) is the way light is shed on the deaths of Harry's parents. Plus, Remus Lupin is one of my favourite characters. I suppose that may be one of the leading factors for my loving PoA.

What character can you relate to most?
People say Hermione, but I don’t think I relate to her at all (except the long nights of revision and nagging the consciousness out of my friends). In spite of her odd appearance, I think I relate the most to Luna Lovegood. Most people believe she’s insane while I think she’s just merely misunderstood. Luna seems the type to look beyond the surface, she understands that there’s more to whatever it is she’s looking at. I, myself, try not to look just at the surface. I want to know why things are happening and figure out the reasons behind every action. Not only do I relate to Luna, I also admire her. The other students at Hogwarts say she’s "loony" because of her rather unique fashion sense and the sudden misty looks she gives people, but she still carries herself with pride. Not many people can do that nowadays. At present, there is such a large pressure to change ourselves in order to fit in with the general population, in fashion as well as attitude. I absolutely adore Luna; I think she’s fantastic (well, minus the radish earrings and the lion head hat - I wouldn’t be caught dead in those!)

Are you satisfied with the handling of the "boy/girl stuff" in book 5?
Okay, I’ll admit to loving the ‘ships’ in the series. I don’t know what it is, but the romance between the girls and boys in Hogwarts is just downright adorable! I’m completely satisfied with the "boy/girl stuff" in book five. I like how Ron’s so utterly daft about Hermione’s feelings toward him. The subtle hints she gives (i.e. the defending of his honour, the multiple rantings and ravings and the way she is so sincere when helping him with his problems) is enough to give it away to nearly everyone! Yet, he’s so oblivious to it all and it’s just so lovable I also like how Ginny’s finally grown up and not foolishly following after Harry (even though I’m sure she’s still a bit smitten with the boy). I love how Rowling has made her a bit more self-assured and rebellious - quite opposite from the shy, little crybaby. I also like how Harry’s first kiss wasn’t ‘mind-altering’ and cliché. While many may not agree, I thought that if Harry and Cho ended up together, it would have been so disgustingly sugarcoated and irritating. Now, even though I like the ‘shippings’ in the series, I agree with whoever says that it shouldn’t take over the story line. The fight between good and evil should always be the main focus and J.K. Rowling was quite right to only hint at certain things.

What did you think was the most exciting thing that happened in book 5? What was the most disturbing? What left the biggest impression on you?
I think the most exciting part of book five was when Harry and company began to fight in the Department of Mysteries. I found the battle to be thrilling, an off-the-edge-of-my-seat-I’m-about-to-fall sort of thrilling. I read that section in about twenty condensed minutes, envisioning the fighting, the gleams of various colours flying in every which direction, people falling from where they stood and soaring through the air. I could almost feel the murderous tension between Dumbledore and Voldemort; it was so thick, you could practically slice it with a knife. It was all very exciting and I still get on the edge of my seat each time I read the part.

The most disturbing was not the death, actually. It was when Voldemort had possessed Harry. To me, magic is fun and very helpful, but when it is used to take over our own free will, I get very disturbed by it. To be completely controlled by someone else and not have the power to resist it is something very wrong.

There were two things that left a different impression on me. For one, as most would agree, was when Dumbledore cried. In everyone’s eyes, Dumbledore is the strongest and most powerful in the wizarding world. To have him, an invincible wizard, weeping was a complete shock for me. Like the rest of us, this revealed that Dumbledore is indeed human. He confessed he made a wrong decision of keeping Harry’s prophecy a secret and cried. It was all very emotional.

The second was Harry’s anger. At first, I was amused with Harry’s incredibly longwinded rants and ravings, then, I got sick of it! Every nanosecond he burst into a million pieces, screaming at the top of his lungs about the unfairness of it all. And you know what? Despite being completely bratty and annoying, he was right. It was unfair to lead the life he does. In fact, when the realization dawned on me, I was happy J.K. Rowling developed his character the way she did. Here, the readers are able to see that Harry is a tormented soul just needing to be freed. Rowling conveyed the real and raw emotions of a teenager through Harry. It was brilliant.

Which house would you like to be in and why? Do you think the Sorting Hat would place you in that house?
Gryffindor would be first choice for me, but I wouldn’t mind being in Slytherin either. I chose Gryffindor because - well, heck, all the cooler people are in Gryffindor, namely Oliver Wood (or as I like to call him, ‘Ollie’)! I’m also impressed by the crazy humour of the Weasley twins and would love to be one of their accomplices - er, I mean friends. The colours of gold and scarlet are also more appealing to my skin tone, so you know, that’s all that really matters ha-ha! No, I’m just kidding. Personally, I don’t think the Sorting Hat would place me in that house. I’d most likely get sorted into Hufflepuff seeing as I work really hard for what I want. Actually, to be honest, I’d say the Sorting Hat would ask me what the heck I was doing in Hogwarts because of my crazy hyperactive moods - I’d be kicked out in a day.

Do you have any interesting HP stories to share?
There was one incident that I still shudder thinking about. I was waiting to catch the bus for school when this girl walked up to me. I was standing there, decked out in my awesome Gryffindor scarf when she asks "Hey, where did you get your scarf from? It’s really cool." And I start going on and on about the WB.com, telling her I really wanted to get a Slytherin scarf as well and thought that the Ravenclaw scarf was oddly coloured. I went on yakking about mugglenet.com and how much I had watched the movies and read the books until she gave me a funny look and said, and I quote, "I only liked the colours." Then, after staring at me with blank look, she walked away. I twirled the tassels of my scarf around my fingers and felt myself go flush. So if any of you see a Chinese girl with a Gryffindor scarf at the bus stop that goes well out of her way to not talk to people for saving face, she’s probably me.

Also, during a reading in Latin 100, I found that the passage we had to translate was from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone. I managed to interpret the whole passage, with funny looks from my peers who believed I had cheated (which, I did, since I read the book five times over).

Do you have anything else you'd like to add? Maybe a theory you've concocted, a shout-out?
I have theories, but no general evidence to back them up. A few of my bizarre notions include the death of Ron Weasley or Hermione Granger, only one or the other though, not both. The craziest of them all is - are you ready for this? - that Dumbledore may not be what we all suppose him to be. Though he may not be in league with Voldemort, he may be a dark wizard. But like I say, it’s a zany idea. I suppose I watch too many suspense films, so don’t go around calling me insane or anything. Like I said, I don’t have any evidence, I just like mulling odd what-if’s around in my mind.

Anyway, I’d like to thank Mugglenet for giving me the honour of being a ‘fan of the week’, I’m very grateful - listen to me, it’s as though I’ve won an Oscar or something ("You love me! You really love me!" cue the stage tears). Since I’m too lazy to write out a list, I’d like to give a big hello to all who know me and those who don’t.

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