Fan Focus: Holly – April 3, 2011
21-year-old Holly from the United States
First off, how did you become a Harry Potter fan?
My great aunt and uncle actually sent the first two Harry Potter books to my older brother in early 2000. He wasn’t very interested in them, but I picked them up and started reading. I remember it only took me a weekend to finish both books. I bought Prisoner of Azkaban immediately, and after I finished that it was only 2 more months until Goblet of Fire came out. My mom took me to the midnight release at Barnes and Noble and I remember putting lightning bolt scars on my forehead and looking around at all the other kids. I knew that these nerds were my type of people.
It’s your third year at Hogwarts and you’re finally allowed trips to Hogsmeade. Where are you most excited to visit?
Where to start?! The first stop would definitely be Honeydukes. I owe it to my sweet tooth to drop at least two galleons there. Then I’ll need to stop at The Three Broomsticks. Butterbeer is a must. The rest of the day would probably be spent at Tomes and Scrolls (the book shop). The professors would most likely need to drag me out of there when it was time to leave.
This year, you learn a new spell, Riddikulus, which deals with Boggarts. What form does your Boggart take?
Chuckie! That evil EVIL little murdering doll that has haunted my nightmares since I was five. It would be hard to “Riddikulus” him, but I think I could do it well enough.
If you had a map like the Marauders Map, what would you do with it? Where would it be a map of?
I would defiantly have a map of Mount Everest. I’ve always had this weird obsession with it. It’d be amazing to watch the climbers go up and down, stop and rest, and make it to the top. I know it’s not very “magical” but I think the idea would be interesting.
In DADA you learn what an Animagus is. If you were to become one, what animal form would you take?
Some type of bird. I would love the idea of flying around in the air. Most likely a raven. It goes against my Slytherin nature a bit, but I’ve always considered myself a bit of a Slytherclaw so this works out nicely.
Dementors sure do give you the creeps, so you ask to learn the Patronus Charm to help repel them. If you master the spell and could form a Corporeal Patronus, what form would it take?
My Corporeal Patronus would be a stingray. A stingray would definitely reflect my personality in a lot of ways. The stingray, like myself, won’t hurt you unless you hurt it. I also like the idea of a wispy blue sting ray sending messages to people. Can you imagine a big stingray like that floating in the air toward you? It’d definitely be a unique shape. I could also see the stinger reaching out and whipping dementors away from me.
If you were given a Time-Turner and could go back to anytime you want, past or future, where would you go? Would you change anything?
I would go into the past. I would get on that same train from Manchester to London that J.K. Rowling went on the day she thought up Harry Potter in her mind. I’d make sure to get a seat by her just so I could see her forming the wizarding world in her mind, and scribbling furiously in a notebook about it. How amazing would that be?
Do you have anything else you’d like to add? Maybe a theory you still believe to be true, a shout-out, praise for yours truly?
The books are done being written, and the last movie will be out in July. I know I’m going to sit in the theatre after the movie in my wizard robe and just be in shock. Now what? Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter sure, of course. But what about Harry Potter? Is this the end? I always am afraid of that, but then I remember Mugglenet, the fandom, fanfiction, and just the idea of Harry Potter that lives inside so many fans and I get teary-eyed just thinking about it. Harry Potter will live on forever. That I know for sure.